Backwoods7

I got permission to hunt some new property this year and it is the best looking place i got but heres the problem the owner said all the deer are nocternal. And i just thought he didnt know what he was talking about then he showed me trailcam pics 3 diffrent shooter bucks all after dark. And only one doe in all the pics.i scouted the farm out found two diffrent ruband scrape lines that have to be from diffrent deer but heres my problem. Me and my dad are the only ones with permission to hunt there we make q point to not overhunt it only 2 to 3 times a week but we havnt seen any deer not even does. There checking the scrapes but we havnt seen deer yet. I dott know what to do?any advice?

Phil from Maine

Perhaps make a mock scrape and put some does in heat scent in it will keep a buck around. I would do this the day before and watch over the area the next morning. You can try putting the scent into the bucks scrape and that too might keep him around longer..

jrbsr

Look for a rub, with a scrape under it.
And set up close to it.
Then go every day for 6 days in a row.
He will come on one of those days.
An old man told me this trick.
Make sure you are scent free, and hid real good.

Good Luck.

petasux

Im not sure what your set up is, how big the place is or anything but it sounds like your concentrating on the areas you found the rubs/scrapes in.IMO this isnt always the best way to go.Ive done a lot of trail cams and hunting in these areas and the later in the year it gets the worse luck I have, the deer seem to work them mainly at night and after a certain point quit them all together.

This doesnt mean the bucks are completely nocturnal, it just means they check thier scrape lines after dark or somethings changed, hunting pressure, food source, rut, etc... thats changed thier travel or bedding areas.I would do a little more scouting, and re evaluate what your doing.Are they bedding on the property or coming through from another property?Are they breeding right now?What are they feeding on?Is there much hunting pressure on the surrounding properties?

For example if theyre bedding on another property and its heavily hunted they may not move much during the day and by the time they get to your stands its well after dark.

With no does on your property if theyre breeding they wont spend much time looking for does there.

If they were feeding on one food source say a crop field and it was harvested are they going somewhere else for food?

I would forget about the rubs and scapes for the moment, and start with the basics, food, water, bedding, and breeding and go from there, get closer to the bedding areas in the evening and hunt closer to the food sources in the morning and try to ctach them coming and going from these places, the rub and scrape lines always work great on tv and in magazines but they arent always the best way to go in the real world.

gator59

You need to feed the does and keep them on your property. Do you have a foodplot planted, a mineral lick or if law allows a feeder (even if you cant hunt over it). also cover a sanctuary.

I know alot of the experts say to shoot the does. But on a small parcel. I dont recommend shooting anything unless it is your target buck.

As the movie title stated: build it and they will come.

Horacio

Persitance pays off. While deer are creatures of habit, they are just as likely to significantly alter their behavior at the drop of a hat, especially when conditions change like weather and the rut.

Not sure what the season is like in TN but with 2 months here in TX, I've had plenty of long stretches seeing nothing or only late night trail cam pics until all of a sudden, there they are.

It doesn't mean your luck will change but it does mean that it can, in which case all you can do is be prepared. Think outside the box, try some of the techniques listed by other posters and keep the faith.

Buckhunter46755

that sounds like good advice. I have hunted from the same tree for several years. set up in real good spot. sooner or later they always come through during shooting hours.

halfbakedi420

find the bedding area, set up before they come back. nocturnal sux..1 doe, well i wouldnt shoot her.
2-3 days a week is over hunting imo. maybe if ya stayed all 3 days with out comin out.....but that almost impossible?

UncleNorby

The deer are there. The bigger bucks are likely in the thick cover. Find the nastiest cover on the property and set up on the downwind side. Get on stand and stay on stand. Mid-day can be the best time to see a big deer on his feet.

My advice is to skip scents and other gimmicks. This isn't TV.