Help!
 

Names Justin,
I began hunting small game at 18 years old. Became fairly good, abd decided to do whitetail hunting. I'm now 24. This is my second season out in the stand. My first year was unsucessful. I went out and bought a brand new bear bow and all the gadgets. Two weeks into season my belongings got stolen. I began hunting with crossbow. Went out numerous times and the only time I seen deer was early morning. Even when seeing deer in daylight all were doe but out of range....way out of range.I spent allot of time out last season. Any suggestions to the start of my second 2016 season? I got the fever and need to put down my very first deer. Ask questions, I'm open to all advice.

well if your seeing deer, even far out, your at half the battle down

its a learning curve to get from seeing to killing, and honestly, time spent in the woods will teach you IF you pay attention

watch for trails and where these deer are going and coming from, and scout the area's lightly, so NOT to disturb them , any more than you have to
and then adjust your set ups, base on there movements

hunting is hunting, NOT shooting
have to learn to be a hunter, on TOP of learning how to be a shooter
the shooting part is the easy part if you ask me!
can practice all yr

but sounds like your half way there, just keep at it
pay attention to wind directions too, watch the lay of the land and try to use normal winds to set up your hunts
pay attention on how you get into your area's and OUT
deer pattern hunters just as hunters pattern deer

and deer are BETTER at it LOL

When I need to "Just put a doe down" I hunt a food source, or a trail leading to a food source. Hunt the wind, for archery you need to get hidden and hold still so the deer comes close without spooking. Find a heavy trail leading to a food source and hunt it. I suggest shooting a doe or even a small buck, just to get the feel of what you're doing. Get a couple deer under your belt to help yourself learn.
-Jake

sometimes it takes many seasons of hunting to figure it all out that's the way it is most of the time. what type of area are you hunting? timber ? field ? combo of both? try to find some good trails and just sit in some area that you think looks good if you can't find rubs or scrapes and over time you will have to readjust depending on whats going on. also do you have acorns on the property or apples ? what state are you in ? btw scumbags stole your stuff that's pathetic !

Thanks for the positive feedback, I've scouted my trails from food sources to bedding sites. I watch the wind direction and moon phases. I've been trying to learn more of the astronomical aspect of things. I use a scent blocker and try to tie a doe scented wick and string to my boot while i walk in. I try to walk into my stand with winds in my face. Sometimes it dont always work that way. But i plan on to keep sitting in my stand all year long if thats what it takes that again. Just always good to hear someones perspective on things. Thanks again

Im in northwest ohio. Ive been focusing on this little 5acre wood lot centered on a bean field. About 100 yards south is also a corn field. I'm setup on a heavy trail about 40 yards into the woods coming from the fields.

That sucks that someone stole your bow. It sounds like it's just a matter of time till you stick one. I found that i have most of my deer action near dawn & dusk, good luck.

I'm in north east Ohio . Trumbull county.
-JaKe

Wood county&henry county/northwest ohio!!!

Are you using game cameras to see where the deer frequently go? If your seeing them. Maybe you need to move your stand. But your on the right track. You'll get it figured out. That sucks about your gear...

Not only can you practice with your bow all year you can practice deer hunting all year too just not shot one out of season. You will learn how to get them to come close to you, learn where you need to place your stand/blinds. Just keep in mind the summer trails may not be the ones they use in the fall.




I'd get rid of all that gimmick scent stuff and just make sure my boots were clean, not carrying gasoline scent and other stuff.


:D Al

We "hunt" year around. You get to know the deer much better that way. We're luckier than most people though because we don't have cable so we don't have to watch all those TV shows and games like most people do.

Alleyooper is right about their patterns changing from season to season. But you get to watch the changes.

there trails change due to food sources
as different foots come and go, they alter there movements
summer time(off season) its called scouting, as its NOT hunting really, hunting in the off season can get you in trouble LOl

and I agree, the more time you spend leaning the better off you will be, hunting is a forever learning sport, you NEVER know it all
and if you think you do, your wrong!!

If your stand is not productive and you are seeing deer movement, but out of range, just move your stand closer to where you are seeing the deer movement. If I hunt a new area I will scout and hang my stands where I think the deer will be moving through. If I see they are actually using other trails instead, I will move my stand to those locations. Sometimes I even hunt from a ground blind because there are no trees in that area to hang a stand. Good luck to you!

When I started bowhunting I was in Michigan and had great land in the northern lower peninsula that was half row crop half woods; tons of deer.

It took four years of hard work learning scent control, deer patterns and practicing my shooting before I connected. It was worth it!

Are you texting while hunting and if you are how much? Movement can be terrible on your possibilities to having deer close. i went through this with my daughter and she swore she was not moving much. Now she texts less and sees more deer. Deer can see you texting at 75 yards when you don't even know they are there. They don't know you're human, they just know something is there and they will probably stay away from it.

As stated, watch the trails and observe the deer on the property you hunt. Learn their habits. Setup with in good range to heavy trails and don't cross them getting there.

I don't care how much scent lock stuff you own, hunt the wind. If the wind is blowing from the west, don't hunt a stand where the deer will be east of you and directly down wind. Have several spots/stands and hunt the one that is near a good trail and the most wind favorable.

Learn to use funnels. Deer will naturally funnel through areas that are easier to get through or offer protection.
- small areas of woods that connect two wood lots
- A valley between two hills going up a hill
- a hole or a low spot in a fence

With owner permission I have tied the two top and two bottom strands of a wire fence together and the deer cross there.
Where the deer jump a fence and you can't alter it you can nail small wood strips to the posts. Wrap cotton twine around the new strips like another strand of fence wire. Leave 20' undone where you want them to cross and they will jump the fence there.
Got a very thick area like briers or multi-flora rose? Take a machete and chop a trail through it and the deer will use the path of least resistance.

Or put out corn and apples and wait for them to walk in. :)

Food crops in my are seem to stay the same for 5 to 7 years yet the deer change there travel route from season to season. Have you ever walked thru and area in the summer and came across a sunny spot that was cooler than the area just 10 feet behind you? Well I have and the deer will be bedded in that area in the summer but not in the late fall(season time) or winter. My area they like those fingers off hills facing south in the winter they will be in the sun on the east side of the finger in the morning and move to the sunny west side in the afternoon.


Ever set and watch a group of does after the season walk thru an area of thick brush, Then 30 minutes later a buck go thru the same area? 9 times out of ten the buck will not be on the same trail he will be on a faint trail off to the side about 10 to 15 feet.


Sorry for got once the season is over Ya'll do not go in the woods to watch/hunt deer.


:D Al

Like Archeryrob mentioned, movement is one of the larger problems. I've watched new hunters from a distance. One of the bigger mistakes I've seen is they try to look every which direction. Thier body may be still, but their head moves around.

Imagine a head size piece of paper, brown on one side, white on the other, on a stick. Imagine you are a hundred yards off and someone is slowly spinning that piece of paper on the stick. You can pick it up quick. Now imagine that same piece of paper moving really slow. Or imagine it moving with the wind and the sway of the branches.

Most likely the Deer know you are around someplace, they are smelling parts per million. Not enough to really spook them, but enough to make them watchful and nervous. Then throw in what I call a flash, your white face jerking around. If they aren't out of there, they sure as heck aren't going to get much closer to the spot they saw that unnatural movement. I'd rather miss an occasional Deer than blow my spot by trying to look everywhere at once.

Throw in a unnatural sound, like the thump of your rifle on a rest or foot stamp from shifting your feet and that Deer is out of there.

The really spooky Deer are going to move off or bolt when they get the slightest whiff of human. Some are a bit more tolerant. If they get a nose full under fifty yards, shifting breeze or walking through your scent cone, most times they are going to bolt, sometimes they will hide then slink off.

In a normal day you sweat a pint, you breath a pint and urinate 3-4 pints. You can mitigate your scent some. But seriously, studies have shown Deer can smell stuff on a molecular level from astounding distances.

Also something to keep in mind, even on a still day air rises as it warms up in the morning and spreads your scent wider.

Like Alleyyooper mentioned, I've seen the Bucks let the Doe run interference for them. Especially the older more experienced Bucks, the survivors.

I go out in the off season and hunt predators. I watch the Deer.

Move closer, to tje edge of your max range. You will get one before long.

Bow & Crossbow Hunting takes much more time and patience,the Deer have to be closer for an ethical shot thus making it easier for them to pick up Your scent.As mentioned....Deer change their travel pattern as the weather changes and as the Rut nears thier mind is on food,cover and bedding.Hopefully You can move Your stand closer to where the Deer travel and out smart them...keep up the scent control,improve on it and watch Your movement in the stand.