VAhuntr

Let me get this straight....50,000 acre WMA, season has been open around 3 months, but only 3 deer have been killed...total or 3 deer by you?

nchawkeye

Agreed, if only 3 deer have been harvested all season by everyone you need to take a weeks vacation each year and come to North Carolina and hunt the Uwharrie Gamelands...

Sfury

I find it hard to believe in an area that large only three deer have been taken. If 700 people per day are going in to hunt, then the odds are at least that many are taken in any given day by people who get lucky.

Chuck7

oh you can beleive it....it's true...

They may have 5 deer killed now..There are deer out there..I saw a very nice 8 point out there last week and busted a nice buck going to my stand..

The place is hard to hunt..lots of gators, snakes and water..

scribe

First, with just a few decades of experience, I have to disagree with a couple of the traits above.

I have never and never will carry a pee bottle. For over 30 years, I have used nothing but my own urine to start and maintain scrapes and I have always peed out of tree stands or anywhere I wanted. Best deer ATTRACTANT I have ever used.

Next I only climb or place stands as high as the cover dictates, often below 10 feet and never above 20. Climbing high accomplshes nothing. But then, I am primarily a bowhunter and the higher you go with a bow, the greater the disadvantage. Might want to sometime, get a smoke bomb and climb a tree and see what scent does from different heights. Learn a lot that way.

The rest I agree with except I have never worn rubber boots, when warm enough, I wear tennis shoes. Course they are kept clean and only worn iin the woods. Can't ever recall a deer smelling where I put my feet. Most of the time, if one smells where I waked, they smell where I put my hands.

But the major trait in my opinion has not been mentioned. Inquisitiveness. Curiosity. Yours, not the deer's.

If you don't continually ask why, how do you learn? If you don't learn, how do you improve as a deer hunter. I have only killed 300 or so but I tend to think each one of them, especially the mature bucks and does, taught me something. Always asking and always learning

True story.

I sat an hour ago and watched a doe with her six-month old doe fawn go under a fence. When I walked over and looked at it, it did not appear to be over eight inches off the ground. Then I pulled up on the bottom of the wire. It was not stapled to the post and I could raise it nearly 18-inches. How did that doe know that? I've known for a long time a deer would much rather go under a fence than over one but today I learned how to make a fence crossing I had never thought of. only took me nearly 60-years of hunting to figure that out.

Charlie P

I wouldn't worry about carrying a pee bottle specially if there is that much water around. Let it go in the swamp.

I would be out of that area, I would rather drive a few hours and hunt good deer numbers, then hunt a place where only 5 have been killed since sept. That's pitiful. You might as well be out fishing. You could be a great deer hunter and come up empty year after year if your hutning where there aren't that many deer.

I also hang my stands only as high as the cover. I've killed 6 bucks off the ground with a bow. Shot this one last weekend off the ground at 35 yards with my shot gun, he never knew I was there.

scribe

LOL- Two with a loud crossbow in 20 seconds. Sweating like a pig, 10-ft ladder stand, tennis shoes, peed twice. I did have ASAT 3-D on over my ballet outfit, it was 94-degrees so I went for cool. There were seven deer in the bunch and they walked in on the trail I walked in on. I believe I could have killed a third but I didn't figure I could drag three out.

Chuck7

Wonderful replies guys...One thing I do is talk to guys who have great success killing multiple deer in these kind of places...

I mostly talk to them..here are some quotes I've gleaned from these successful hunters where I live at..

"If I'd forgotten my calls..I'd go home."

"Never hunt the same tree twice"

"Sit all day"

"Get away from the crowd ..go deep"

"Wear rubber boots..they are scent free"

you other guys have also said somethings I will apply as well..I'm off for 2 weeks { I'm a teacher} I plan to hunt the WMA I've been in for the first week..I have 4 Hot spots..I will say I've seen deer 50% of my hunts this year..I got a complete pass through on a big doe but she went into the water and I could not find my deer..I saw a buck during BP but the rack was not legal..

My second week I'[m driving 100 miles to my other WMA where I killed a nice 6 point last year..I took a country boys advice who was dragging out #7 ..He said "Sit all day." he was correct..right before dark I killed my deer.This WMA has had over 70 deer killed so far. I plan to camp there /sleeping in the back of my truck..

I sincerely appreciate all the replies..Thanks for your time.
C7

Last week I missed a beautiful 8 point at 15 yds max..I had done something stupid..I zeroed in my 270 at 100 yds at 2 inches high..because my 2nd WMA is watching big fields..I gave a out a lil can bleat call and within 20 minutes a trophy buck APPEARED in front of my tree. I was the best shot in my battalion in the military..serious as a heart attack so I am very confident with about anyshot..The deer stopped behind a bush.With no doe in sight the buck started getting nervous..He lifts his head straight up sniffing the air..He's 15 yds from me at the max..I'm worried that he was going to bolt at anytime..I have a clear view of his head..My groups at the range are in a quarter..I put the crosshairs on his eys and squeeze the trigger..The deer bolts out to the left flag high..I missed..depression from a 0 - 10 a minus 75...

I did a study on the net and learned the best way to sight a rifle in is at 25 yds..Then check out what it does at 100 yds..I took 4 weapons to the range yesterday..The range only has a 50 yd and 100 yd targets..First I shot my 270 to see whaT went wrong..at 50 yds the bullet was 3 inches low...

So I shot in a Marlin 30-30 with open tru glo sites...at 50 yds...shot a quarter group

a 30-06 at 50 yds..a quarter group

my 270 ..same thing

12 guage tru glo improved cylinder...3 inch group at 50 yds..

NOW THE SAME WEAPONS WITHOUT ANY ADJUSTING AT 100 yds..

Marlin 30-30 ...Tru Glo open sites 5 inch group...

Remington 700 270--50 cent piece dead center 4200 Bushnell Elite scope

Browning 30-06 silver dollar group dead center Simmon's wide scope

12 guage..off the paper ..gobble dot site

another costly lesson learned..but it was learnerd { -;

Sfury

Interesting. I sight my gun in for 100 yards. My groups are right on the bullseye. Granted, my shots will most often be between 50-100 yards, so the bullet will not be significantly off with my 7mm08.

Granted, I also have the benefit of bigger deer that are easier to hit. If I would have missed that 6 pt I took at 60 yards this year, well, I'd have to stop hunting and hit the gravel pit to see what's wrong. He weighed in at 160 lbs field dressed.

Good luck, and stay safe.

PastorJim08

Always, always, always play the wind. Never compromise on this one. Do alot of scouting and keep your scent to a minimum.

Blessings......Pastorjim