indianhunter

Hi I am a kinda new hunter.I Have hunted for about one year. I am having trouble getting to see many deer. I know I am in the right place because other people that I hunt with always seedeer. I hunt on the edge of a corn field and in the woods. What should i do to give my self a better chance of seeing deer? I hunt in IN.

SGTLOWE

If others are seeng deer in the same area and you are not I would check some of the basics like stand location, odor control, and wind direction. Also do you sit still? All it takes is a little movement and your cover is blown.

DougMD

Sitting still is HUGE. Many times, I don't see deer until they are very close, due to cover, wind noise, birds making noise, moist leaves from morning dew, rain, etc. etc. However, usually I am not busted for moving because I am careful to be as still as I can.

Another reason might be if you are in open woods. Deer will go in open woods during the evening, but generally like to be near thick cover when it is light enough to shoot, particularly if there is hunting pressure in the area.

A good strategy for a beginner is to try hunting differenttreestand locations in different areas near thick cover (ie. in a less thick area bordering thickets, etc.), then change trees based on deer sightings. By moving you should eventually find a spot where you see deer, and depending on whether you're bowhunting or gun hunting, can change your stand location closer to where the action is. Having said that, you don't want to hunt a spot more than two days in a row or the deer will likely figure you out and vanish. If I have a good spot, I like to wait and use it when the bucks are seeking/chasing to give me my best chance when it is fresh.

Good luck! We all started off in your position, but with experience you should be better at seeing deer on your hunts.

Buck Huntin Girl

I take a different approach, but every hunter is different and each and every one of us eventually find what works individually. I like to sit in the same stand on every hunt (depending on bow or gun season) so I can pattern the deer. I guess maybe because where I hunt is literally next door to civilization, the deer don't get too spooky with us around, I don't worry about that aspect of it. During the rut and gun season, I see more deer than I can count from the same stand every hunt. During bow season, they seem to be more nocturnal. This year they are sneaking by me before shooting light.

Movement is a huge determining factor, especially if your stand is new to their area. Most deer are creatures of habit (from my experience), and they will likely be in the same area day in and day out. They know when a "foreign" object is put in place. I don't give deer as much credit as most people do when it comes to brains, but I do believe they can easily figure out when something new has popped up in their surroundings.