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Busted

10K views 27 replies 10 participants last post by  Hunting Man 
#1 ·
I need a few opinions and/or help. I'm a first time bow hunter. Actually I have not ever harvested a deer. I started practicing about 6 months with my bow at different yardage and I am pretty good up to 30 yards and fair up to 40. Any back to the problem, I started a Special Urban hunt on Sept. 1st and have not harvested a deer yet. I have a fixed hang on stand at 20ft and I have a climibing stand. I've hunted the fixed stand about half the time since Sept. 1. I've got a doe that has busted me out just about everytime I am in that stand. I'm camo'ed up completely and have used every cover sent, but she still busting me out. I very still and get into my stand 2 hours before legal hunting time. I moved to a different location and used my climber at twenty and got busted out again. I tried it at 30 feet yesterday only saw a buck about 75 yards away. In both locations my game camera has the deer all over it at different times. I gotta harvest a doe first in the Urban hunt. My problem is why am I getting busted out by the same doe? Any help or suggestions would greatly be appreicated. And if I'm posting this Thread at the wrong place, I'm very sorry. Just correct me and I want do it again.
 
#2 ·
Deer have a natural instinct to survive which means they must be wary at all times of what's going on in their homes
and believe me, they are sharp when it comes to knowing when something new arrives in their home, like a tree stand or a ground blind
or a man/woman in camo clothing sneaking around, that's why we try to hang stands weeks in advance so that the deer can get used to seeing them in their areas.

when you see that Doe, don't even bat an eye, the slightest movement will have her running off, she's looked up into that stand enough to know when something isnt right
but because she's still coming into the area tells me she's not sure what you are and so far she isnt afraid to check you out again.
the trick is moving when she's not looking, stay motionless, let her get in range, when the time is right draw on her,
if she runs grunt at her or whistle most times that will stop them long enough to touch off a kill shot. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
#4 · (Edited)
believe it or not a mature doe can be the hardest deer to harvest because they maybe are the smartest deer in the herd. I always take extra care to wash all my hunting clothes in a scent free wash, scent loc, scent away are a couple of them. Hang your clothes outside to dry then store them in a plastic bag, unscented of course. Use a odor free hair/body wash prior to hunting. Next use a spray scent neutralizer on your clothes and boots and even your bow each time you hit the woods. Keep your back to the sun always. Don't move on stand especially during the morning and late evening when deer are most active. Cover scents are not needed and may be tipping the deer to your presence. Stay 20 yds to the side of well used trails setting up for a broadside shot. 20' high is more than plenty high for a stand, I never hunt that high, getting too old I guess. Try to find a tree with lots of background cover, pines, narley oaks, hemlocks, even maples if leaves are still on. I always have cover limbs around me to break-up my outline. Hanging pine branches upside down works great for cammoing in yourself. When the pre-rut begins we'll have another discussion. Good luck and be safe.
 
#6 ·
The first spot is next to lake between the lake and and between to hills lots of trail coming into this spot and the wind is constantly changing. Thats why I took my climber up to another location about 300 yards at the top of that hill. Put out the camera there and they where hanging out there. Wind is a little more perdictable there. Going to my my hang on up there and move it up to 25 feet.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the advice. Understand geting older 56 here. The sent I'm using now smells just like dirt. Been packing my hunting cloths with cedar limbs. But the creepy crawlers can be a problem. Yes to only times I've been hunting is early in the morning and going in around three and hunting til sunset in the afternoon. I'm able to bait this area because its private property. Do you think I might be putting my corn to close to the stand. About 20 yards away. I've got good tree cover. This new spot I'll have to get about 25 ft to be the cover of the limbs. Thanks for everyones help. I need it.
 
#9 ·
got to agree with all the responses Great posts
HM I agree with the Mature doe comment sometimes I do think they are harder to hunt then a buck they are very woods (street) wise whatever you want to call it
 
#11 ·
I not sure if my area is where they took the video. I know the urban hunt area that I'm in has a population of approximatley 156 deer per square mile. Last years hunt only scratched the surface, that the city and game and fish needs to thin out. Only 351 deer taken last year. I decided this year to start bow hunting. The first deer that is required to kill is a doe and must be donated to feed the hungry. If I ever harvest some, I plan on donating some of what I harvest to feed the hungry. Working in Law Enforcement I see a lot of children and adults who do not get three square meals a day. At least this way I know what I'm donating feed the hungry and not support someones habbit. So I'm praying for sucess in my endeavor.
 
#14 ·
What do you wash your hunting clothes in? Have you sprayed them with UV killer? I stray from the rest when it comes to scents, I try to eliminate all the scent I can and try to set up with the wind in my favor, and I never add scent to an area. To me any scent I add like doe pee or buck scent or the thousand other scents out there is a potential alert for the deer, but that's just me.

If you have not used the UV killer or have used commercial detergent with brightners in it that could be your problem. Your clothes may be lighting up like a neon sign to a deer.

Lastly higher is not always better when it comes to tree stands. High stand placement can make a close bow shot difficult. The higher you are and the steeper the angle the smaller your kill zone is.

Y'all go ahead and beat me up now over the scent use. :)
 
#15 ·
Thanks for asking> I tried just about everthing. Washing my clothes in 3D Dead down wind. During practice I used my climber and shot at 20, 25 and 30 feet up. Aimed low on targert so I would be ready for the deer that wants to take a dive.
Have not been back in the woods since I started this post. Got family in hospital. Going to move the hang on to another location tomorrow put out some corn and camera and wait a few days and go back in. Going to the some public land in the area and use my climber and try to take a buck with one of my regular tags. Got a 4 to 5 year old 8 point on the game cam. Wish me luck maybe I will have better luck with the buck.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Well finally took my first deer at 56 years old. Using a Dimond Outlaw with 60 lbs of draw at 23 yards. It was that doe that kept busting me out. I moved my stand and started hunting the wind. I found there beding spots. It was a double lung shot She went 50 yards and piled up. Used 100 gr. Muzzy's

Thanks for the help everyone that posted.
Randy

No pics. Wife has a problem with me posting dead animals.
 
#18 ·
Congratulations DNARC!!! ok, so you can't post pictures of dead animals, how about posting some pictures of a future supper? :lol:
 
#20 ·
When the old 8 point comes crusing by my stand, chasing that hot doe or he thinks a hot duing the nasty, he will make front page news. I showed the wife the old pictures of her 3 vehicles taking out by bambi. She might be singing a different story soon.
 
G
#22 ·
Did i just blow my season untill rut or should i go back and when?

just got busted my self. had two nice bucks sparring for about an hour just out of range this morning. never could get a shot and couldn’t even decide witch one i wanted to shot if i did. needless to say they went into the thick brush near my spot i waited about an hour without hearing anything and had to go to work so i started down my stand and not knowing they were right there in the same spot i last saw them. first foot i touched on the ground they went off blowing and running as fast as they could out of there. i just want to if and when i should go back and try it again or if i have just ruined my season at this spot.
 
#25 ·
I agree with the above posts, get back in there maybe a small amount of antler rattling too might bring something in. Not too aggressive yet just light rattling to make a buck investigate what's going on in his area. The bucks left the area not knowing you were there which is the key! Good luck!
 
G
#27 ·
thanks lots of help

thanks for the input it really makes me feel better. I have been going religiously this bow season im really trying hard to harvest my first buck with a bow. it really bummed me out this morning ive been kicking my ass all day thanks for the help. i will be back out there tomorrow and im off so im going to sit all day. but how often should i give a light rattle they stayed locked up almost the whole time that i watched them. thanks again i will keep in touch and let you know how it goes
 
#28 ·
small series of just antler tickling at 20 minute intervals. As the rut draws near then more aggressive volume and simulation of two bucks going at it. Sometimes it works other times nothing.It's just one more tool in the bag to try. A nice set of six point antlers work well just cut the tips back some. There are simulating bag antlers that are pretty cheep that do a decent job of imitating the right sound.
 
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