I threw all conventional wisdom out, except hunting the wind
 

Yesterday, I hunted from 6am-10am and I didn't see as much as a squirral. I got down and started working on my box stand that I had brought w/me to finish building on the spot. The stand is about 100 yds away from where my bow stand is. I didnt know how much the noises from my truck being started up several times to move my stand around, the hammering and the drill would desturb my hunting area but I did it anyways hoping I could hunt later on in the afternoon. After 3.5 hrs of this I decided to stop and take a ciesta. I was very sweaty, so I changed my shirt to a light wt black mossy oak shirt.
At about 3pm I decided to go back hunting but I needed to trim up around my bow stand some more so I used my pole saw on the lanes around my stand. I trimmed up to about 14-18 ft into the canopy but now Im all hot and sweaty again.
After trimming up, I decided what the heck I just decided to hunt anyways but I still had the wind to my face. I climbed up in the stand and was getting settled in and started looking for my bow rest and forarm gaurd, I had left them in the truck.
I get down walk to the truck get my gear and start walking back, I had some of last yrs Code Blue on me so I sprayed my pants legs and boots. In order to save a couple of steps I decided to walk pass my feeder and straight down the trail I had just cut to my stand. But I had to take a leak, so remembering what I had read on this forum I took a leak on the trail about 20 yds from my stand.
I climb back up in the stand and while getting settled in again I drop my bow off the stand. It falls about 18ft below. Im thinking great I might as well go home now. I climb down & get my bow, this time I tie it to my rope that I normally use when I climb up.
As I climb up in the stand, I start to pull my bow up and just as I reach to pull it into the stand a DOE runs right underneath me. I freeze, w/the bow dangling. She stops on the trail that I had just walked down and puts her nose down to it, walks away from me and then stops and smells where I had just peaed. She thens begins to feed behind a small group of trees. I pull my bow up and it clanks against the stand her ears twitch but continues to eat. After about 5 mins of this Ive now got my bow in hand but I cant get a shot. Something alarms her, she runs off and blows 3 times. I think great now Ive blown that.
I pick up my phone and text my wife what just happened & as Im putting my phone away she shows back up. But I still cant get a shot. In fact I never get a shot at her. But she never knew I was there.
A few minutes later a buck grunts just a few yds past where I last saw her. I grunt back and me and him grunt several times at ea. other but I never get a shot at him either.

Moral of the story: I had no camo on, I walked past the feeder w/last yrs Code Blue spayed on my boots, I pea on the ground about 5 ft from the feeder, Im sweating like a stuck pig, no gloves on to cover up my hands. So all conventional wisdom has gone out the door. My only advantage the wind.

Yup I agree somewhat too. I still do the cloths washing and spray down cause it gives me a little confidence booster. Play the wind is always your best hunting tool. Good Luck!

I agree wash your clothes in scent free detergent. I pee in the woods, mostly in scrapes if they are close. Hunt the wind 100%. I bought a good set of rain gear last year and that will be my last investment for a while. I get a better feeling hunting on a budget and still killing deer. My cost per deer is a lot lower than most and the last 2 years I have still tagged out! Now that youngin' #2 is in the oven my cost per deer is going to get even lower next year! hahaha I may be hunting with a sling shot and rocks!

LOL.....that story made my day. Earlier this year my father was cutting trees down with his chainsaw and I was spliting wood and throwing it in the truck. It was lunch time so we headed into the house ate some lunch and headed back an hour later to the same spot. There must of been 7 does eating wood shavings and as we got closer they took off. They were probably bedded down not to far from us watching but who knows.

I see lots of game just stepping outside the vehical to go to take a leak.I just got back from my Moose hunt where I hunted For a week, and found a Cow moose in this meadow,calling her mating call and heat call, for over an hour straight. If I didn't see her alone, and actually calling, I would have thought she was getting ganged banged by a herd of bulls, she was craving sex something fierce, just crying to get laid. Nothing came out to her calls though, that is until my buddy gave a couple of Bull calls after she finished.About a minute later, a nice Bull stepped out in the open meadow, but both of us couldn't get a clear clean shot at him.When they left, we got a better plan of attack into gear, we radioed to our crew and a different buddy and my brother shot the bull.It was awsome.Unconventional tatics, can play huge in unconventional situations.Moral alot of guys can hunt a very small area and be successful if you cooperate.

This story kinda reminds me of my cousin and I. I am the one who is careful with my scent. Ill sometimes shower with scent free soap before I go and take extra caution of putting my camo on once I get to my land. I keep my clothes in rubbermaid containers with fresh earth scent.

My cousin who on the other hand keeps his camo thrown in the corner of his garage, sweats like a hog and stinks like a mule (not exactly but still funny), doesnt pay any attention to wind, scent, noise or anything will see ten times the deer that I do. One day he even sprayed himself with cologne and still had deer 10 yards in front of him. Not exactly sure how he does it.

I've tried to tell everyone that you don't need any fancy camo, no scent control products of any kind, you do not need to shower with scent free soap or wash your clothes in anything special to be able to get close to deer and I mean within 10 yards. All you need to do is play the wind, be quiet and still and you WILL get close to deer. All that stuff about taking a leak by your stand is crap..... deer could care less. Anyone who has hunted any length of time knows this. Glad you figured it out!
Live it up! Doug

hahahaha, this made my day and just goes to show....like kswild said, play the wind and be still...that's all you really need! Thanks for posting this!