How to get in the woods before the deer?
 

I need some advice. I hunt a large wood line adjacent to a corn field, about 20 yards into the woods. My camera shows the deer activity at night and early morning, between 4:30-6 AM. I have hunted my spot several times in the evening with no luck other than seeing a bear. I would have better chance to get one in the morning, but how can I get in the woods before the deer without spooking them. Also, sunrise is 7 am and it is still dark at 6, should I try something else? Thanks.:bash:

It's impossible because the deer live in the woods.

get out and scout. follow the trail back to the bedding area. set up closer to the bedroom. so you can get a shot during daylight hours

Nobody can get to the woods before the deer!

Hey rotorhead, we have the same problem where I hunt. We are hunting the woods edge along a big soybean field. We cannot access our stands from the woods side, so we have to walk through the soybean field to get to our stands. That of course spooks the deer out of the fields before we even get in our stands. Basically we just hunt the evenings and get the deer as they are coming out into the fields to eat. I have seen deer coming out into the fields as early as 3:00pm, but most show up about an hour or so before dark.

Just go to your stand and sit still for a while they will come back, plus during the rut bucks will be travelling, looking for does and most of their attention is on that. They will make mistakes and move all day long. You can spook all the deer away and that doesn't mean that the big buck you want isn't heading your way following the scent of the doe's that you just saw leaving the field. He has showed for me many times when I was half way to my stand or halfway up the ladder or just got sat down thinking I made too much noise. Whenever he shows be ready.
I saw a show a couple days ago where the hunter took a nice buck. He said he had just come from another state where he had sat for 9 days and saw nothing but doe's. Then he took a buck within minutes of arrival at the new stand. You never know usually how many days it takes those pro hunters to get lucky. But you can bet all the many fruitless days where nothing goes well get edited out. You have to be there to have the chance, if you spook the deer walking in, you still go, and maybe your luck will change in minutes or hours or days, but you won't get em if you spook and go home. Just don't be afraid to make a mistake and keep on hunting. There have been days that nothing went right for me except that I couldn't screw up enough to keep the deer away.

well said!

deer dude

if ya set the deers alarm clock to go off an hour or 2 late then it will give ya a chance..maybe if ya put sugar in the deers gas tank they will be really late and we could all sleep in...gl

If you can go futher back on the deer trail and place your stand. Check you cameras and see what times show that deer are leaving the filed. I hunt a lot of crop fields here in ky.. If you have water near by check it out also. Good hunting.

I agree with RJPOUTDOORS... You've located where the deer are between 4:30 and 6 am but not at the time when you are hunting. As you know, deer are creatures of habit, and they are on down the trail at 7 am. THATS where you need to be. Good luck!