First timer
11-13-2012, 12:51 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3
First timer
Hey guys im 22 and this is my first year ever "really" hunting and I have a few questions I hope some of you can help me with. I have about 20 acres im hunting on that connects to my land. I can set bait (legal here) and a stand on about ten of it as the other half belongs to another hunter. Heres where my questions come in, Iv started baiting in 3 locations (corn in all 3, sugar beat mineral licks at 2 and swamp donkey feed at 1) just in an attempt to get more deer living here period. Because iv seen virtually no signs besides old trails and the other hunter telling me hes seen 2 bucks and shot a doe on his side earlier in the season. Iv had NO activity on any of my bait so far (been there over 2 wks) and i have a camera on the bait thats been there the longest in the middle. All this land is surronded by fields so alot of people are telling me its just going to take time for the deer to start wanting to eat my bait. My biggest question is if i can hear my neighbors radio and him coughing from where my stand is currently am i to close? SHould i move as far away from people and houses as i can and still stay on my land? A creek runs down the center of the woods, theres thick brush in many areas and plenty of corn between myself and the other hunter in our small area i just dont know what else to do, Iv made a few mock scrapes and droped scent in them in hopes of it pulling in some from a little farther away... Any general advice would be really appreciated I dont really have any hunters to talk to besides on the net and some minor Gym conversation...
11-13-2012, 05:06 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Mi.
Posts: 282
Hoo boy. I like the creek and brushy areas. If you can hear another hunter the deer sure can,and from a loooong ways off. Should they want to pass through for some reason they will on full alert.
They prefer to have access to undisturbed areas. security cover. some thing to consider down the road if land management possible. They have food and water there but are avoiding it for a reason.
Were i to scout it my questions would be ,where are they coming from and where are they going to. In each season. Walking the perimeter each morning telling where they enter and leave.
Been hunting about 30 acres here,2 deer a 9 point buck harvested in oct. And 1 homebody doe.
After a month the corn a little north was harvested and she now has company.
A deer avoiding predators will try to be where they are not.
Use neighbors presence as deer avoiding his area,(at least your not competing directly) and figure deer associate feed with trouble. Hunt down wind of bait once you know usual deer approach in area
I would set up far away from neighbor if security cover available in relation to runs coming into property.
Good luck. Send an update if you get them figured. P.s. pants tucked in rubber boots and no human scent (touching with hands) anywhere deer want to be!
They prefer to have access to undisturbed areas. security cover. some thing to consider down the road if land management possible. They have food and water there but are avoiding it for a reason.
Were i to scout it my questions would be ,where are they coming from and where are they going to. In each season. Walking the perimeter each morning telling where they enter and leave.
Been hunting about 30 acres here,2 deer a 9 point buck harvested in oct. And 1 homebody doe.
After a month the corn a little north was harvested and she now has company.
A deer avoiding predators will try to be where they are not.
Use neighbors presence as deer avoiding his area,(at least your not competing directly) and figure deer associate feed with trouble. Hunt down wind of bait once you know usual deer approach in area
I would set up far away from neighbor if security cover available in relation to runs coming into property.
Good luck. Send an update if you get them figured. P.s. pants tucked in rubber boots and no human scent (touching with hands) anywhere deer want to be!
Last edited by monoped; 11-13-2012 at 05:10 PM.
11-14-2012, 03:21 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,445
I'd forget the bait and scents for now. Hunting isn't fishing. Sounds like there is enough disturbance in the general area already. Just focus on hunting. Get a stand set in the general area that provides the best cover and hunt. Play the wind and keep as low a profile as you can.
11-14-2012, 09:22 AM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3
Thanks for the advice!
The very center is what im working with..
I think im going to pull my stand from where it is now and move it deeper in the woods and farther over away from my neighbors house, I figured if i could here him in his yard outside i wasent deep enough. I tried to edit the map above to better show my situation but i cant figure it out. Thanks again! Alot of the people iv spoke to said its just going to take time and more hours in the stand an that i should have better luck later in the season once food sources start to run out because our county is COVERED wth farm land..
The very center is what im working with..
I think im going to pull my stand from where it is now and move it deeper in the woods and farther over away from my neighbors house, I figured if i could here him in his yard outside i wasent deep enough. I tried to edit the map above to better show my situation but i cant figure it out. Thanks again! Alot of the people iv spoke to said its just going to take time and more hours in the stand an that i should have better luck later in the season once food sources start to run out because our county is COVERED wth farm land..
Last edited by animal69; 11-14-2012 at 09:28 AM.
11-15-2012, 04:35 AM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 3
Well i went to move my stand and it looked like deer had been feeding on my corn. There were alot of tracks on the ground around my corn and mock scrape. I laid 2 sticks across my scrape to tell if anything scraped it and one of my sticks was broken like somone stepped on it. THe foliage, swamp mud, and recent winds have made it very difficult to see if its actual deer prints but I cant think of anything thats heavy enough to dent the ground 2-3 inches but only leaves a 2 in wide indention. They were evenly spaced like iv seen many deer tracks before so im going to leave my stand there to hunt over the weekend and if i dont see anything i might rethink moving it again.
