Deer sign everywhere... yet I cant seem to find them? What gives?
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 13
Deer sign everywhere... yet I cant seem to find them? What gives?
I'm in New Hampshire and I am hunting on a family friends 26 acre plot. It is pretty brushy and has a small pond within it. I am the only one hunting it besides my father and the guy is a pretty private guy and doesnt allow anyone on his property so pressure is pretty much zero. Almost everywhere you look there are either tracks, deer dropings, scrapes, rubs on small trees. I have found a few bedding areas. I have Hunting from a tree stand overlooking the pond with lots of sign. I have hunted a open area with a ground blind. Hunted just sitting next to a stump being completely still for hours.... tried calling with bleats and grunts. Hunting from 6am-4:30pm. The guy who owns the land has said its probable just timing and I agree, but with all this sign to see nothing? What gives? Im not impatient. I love nature and seeing something without even necessarily taking it would make the hunt succesful to me. Timing? should I try anything else? I dont really want to go out in the trees to early before light as there is a mother bear that is pretty good size with two cubs living on or around the land. Thanks, James
#2
You may be hunting in a place where the deer only, or almost only, visit at night. Deer don't have to stop by the pond to drink all day.
You might be better to set up on their route back to the bedding area in the morning. Or figure out where they're eating and set up along the route to that in the afternoon. It's not enough to get where deer are. You have to get where they are likely to be at the time of day that you are there.
Also, trying the calling might not be helping. I assume you're trying to draw in a buck. If there's one within earshot and he decides to check you out, he's likely to circle downwind for the approach. In which case, scent becomes a big deal and sitting on the ground is far from ideal. I personally would shy away from calling while on the ground. Deer can small and hear so well that they can pinpoint you too easily and steer clear.
You might be better to set up on their route back to the bedding area in the morning. Or figure out where they're eating and set up along the route to that in the afternoon. It's not enough to get where deer are. You have to get where they are likely to be at the time of day that you are there.
Also, trying the calling might not be helping. I assume you're trying to draw in a buck. If there's one within earshot and he decides to check you out, he's likely to circle downwind for the approach. In which case, scent becomes a big deal and sitting on the ground is far from ideal. I personally would shy away from calling while on the ground. Deer can small and hear so well that they can pinpoint you too easily and steer clear.
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 13
You may be hunting in a place where the deer only, or almost only, visit at night. Deer don't have to stop by the pond to drink all day.
You might be better to set up on their route back to the bedding area in the morning. Or figure out where they're eating and set up along the route to that in the afternoon. It's not enough to get where deer are. You have to get where they are likely to be at the time of day that you are there.
Also, trying the calling might not be helping. I assume you're trying to draw in a buck. If there's one within earshot and he decides to check you out, he's likely to circle downwind for the approach. In which case, scent becomes a big deal and sitting on the ground is far from ideal. I personally would shy away from calling while on the ground. Deer can small and hear so well that they can pinpoint you too easily and steer clear.
You might be better to set up on their route back to the bedding area in the morning. Or figure out where they're eating and set up along the route to that in the afternoon. It's not enough to get where deer are. You have to get where they are likely to be at the time of day that you are there.
Also, trying the calling might not be helping. I assume you're trying to draw in a buck. If there's one within earshot and he decides to check you out, he's likely to circle downwind for the approach. In which case, scent becomes a big deal and sitting on the ground is far from ideal. I personally would shy away from calling while on the ground. Deer can small and hear so well that they can pinpoint you too easily and steer clear.
I will try not calling tomorrow and see if that helps.
#6
For example, if the wind was from the north, the "top/northern" item should be your entrance and scent placement (a doe trail would be a good choice). The middle place should be the buck's likely path. The southern/bottom place is you!
#10
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 29
Not sure when your season starts but gun season in Michigan opened November 15th. Per the Solunar Tables (which is when I decide to hunt), the first several days had no feeding cycles at dawn. A minor AM feeding time is a day or so away, and the major feeding cycle in the morning doesn't occur until the start of next week. I expect sightings to pick up then.