You're not alone. The last two gun seasons I haven't shot a deer, and this might be the 3rd year. Season ends this coming Sunday..honestly my spirits are pretty low. Just keep trying.
in need of motivation.
Hey all,
This is my first season bowhunting. I'm in TN, and now shooting a 2009 Diamond "The Rock". Besides working my butt off to try and stay scent free and scout out the land i'm hunting. I've read everything i can get my hands on... I've been out about 10 times now and have had zero luck. one close call. Anybody go a season without at least one kill or am I just kidding myself here? I need some serious motivation.
Any tips, or good advice is always appreciated!!!!
Wish me luck!
This is my first season bowhunting. I'm in TN, and now shooting a 2009 Diamond "The Rock". Besides working my butt off to try and stay scent free and scout out the land i'm hunting. I've read everything i can get my hands on... I've been out about 10 times now and have had zero luck. one close call. Anybody go a season without at least one kill or am I just kidding myself here? I need some serious motivation.
Any tips, or good advice is always appreciated!!!!
Wish me luck!
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iv gone several seasons without shooting a deer. iv even gone a full season without even seeing one. keep at it you will get one.
dont give up bow hunting is much harder than gun thats why most do not bow hunt. would still hunt out of a stand but sent is most important in bow hunting because of the close distance you need for a clean good shot. ( in my opinion 40 yards max but set up to exspect about a 20 yard shot) if you hunt a stand , if your 16 foot and above your above the sent zone and your sent is fine, if your on the ground a ground blind will help greatly but is best if you have a few spots ready for the area you hunt so you can set up to the wind in your favor any time you hunt there.
and for the guy in wisconsin 3 years deerless with a gun. that to me sounds like you realy need to scout your area better. being able to reach out 100 to 150 yards with easy for a biginner shooter means only thing that person needs is for the most part a farmers field but even then you need to scout for were their coming in an out at. i dont know your hunting area nor experance but would asume if there were deer anywere in the area you should have no problem harvesting a deer within the modern gun season unless your area is full of deer but they are nocturnal in that area then your just screwed for the most part but they will come out as the weather starts to become colder
and for the guy in wisconsin 3 years deerless with a gun. that to me sounds like you realy need to scout your area better. being able to reach out 100 to 150 yards with easy for a biginner shooter means only thing that person needs is for the most part a farmers field but even then you need to scout for were their coming in an out at. i dont know your hunting area nor experance but would asume if there were deer anywere in the area you should have no problem harvesting a deer within the modern gun season unless your area is full of deer but they are nocturnal in that area then your just screwed for the most part but they will come out as the weather starts to become colder
The spot that I hunt is 20 acres of woods and 100 acres of field. I know where the deer travel, bed and feed. It's just that when people start shooting and it sounds WW3, the deer run and hide in the thickest places they can find. I saw 6 deer opening weekend, some I couldn't get a shot at and some I just passed because they were to small. I see quite a few deer during bow hunting though. 2 1/2 weeks ago I saw 13 bucks in one day...a few were shooters.and for the guy in wisconsin 3 years deerless with a gun. that to me sounds like you realy need to scout your area better.
i have this buck on trail camera 4 nights a week, plus two nice 10 points EVERYNIGHT. so far they have been ghosts of the woods all through archery and first week of gun. it tests my motivation but remember, going to the woods is a place for peace and quiet, and being one with our maker, it can get agitating, but boy its better than wrenchin at work!
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That's true guys. I really appreciate the input. My friend did most of the scouting and put up the one stand we do have. (we have a blind in one area too) I'm hunting about 70 acres of mostly wooded land. I just don't know these deer's patterns. I"m not sure where exactly they are bedding or feeding for that matter it's at the junction of a few trails. I havnt seen a single rub or scrape, but i know they are there. . and I've seen a total of about 8 deer there. A lot of the area is really thick. It just tries my patience when I wake up at 4AM to get in a stand by 5 with 22 degree weather and I don't see a single animal all day. Even the annoying squirrel that usually hangs out there wasnt really moving. sheesh. 
I sat for 8 straight days in PA bow season before seeing my first deer. Left empty handed this year. It happens.
Hunted Archery for the first time this year. Got one on opening day, and since then haven't seen anything closer than about 100 yards which is a long shot for me even during rifle season I'm still using open sights on my old 30-30.
First time hunting with a bow and haven't seen a deer within shooting distance. I went out the other day with my Marlin and saw three about 50 yards away. They were on the other side of the fence. Haven't seem any more since then. Don't give up and good luck!
my outlook with the bow is i have a grind it out mentality.sometimes success comes quick & sometimes you wait it out.If you do your homework & have your stands in the rt places you should look at your next sit as one time closer to success.one mistake i think alot of new bow hunters make is staying in a stand trying to will deer closer.if you see deer crossing the same place out your range a couple of days in a row you move this is archery not a firearm.move your stand and make it happen.
The first 3 yrs I bowhunted I never drew back the bow. Bowhunting is more difficult than gun hunting. During firearm season (for the most part), the deer are running scared and confused with all the scent and sounds from the numerous hunters. During bow season the deer is relying on his senses and has the luxury of time and no real hunting pressure to make his decisions and if he sees, smells, or hears something he doesn't like, he's going to find his own way around it, not forced by hunters driving the herd.
Just watch your scent, the wind, and have some break up cover behind your stand and you'll get the opportunity to draw on a deer. We have all had bad seasons but thats why its called hunting and not killing, theres no guarantees......................Good Luck and hang in there
Just watch your scent, the wind, and have some break up cover behind your stand and you'll get the opportunity to draw on a deer. We have all had bad seasons but thats why its called hunting and not killing, theres no guarantees......................Good Luck and hang in there
I feel your pain brother. Especially when you hunt public land. I also hunt private land and it is still hard but public land hunting can be empty at times. stay with it and keep making sure your scent is dead. It will pay off when you kill a monster 12 point!!!
I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but if you've only been out 10 times, then you have nothing to worry about. I bet I bow hunted 50 times last season and didn't draw back once. Saw a few deer here and there, but no shooters. Like everyone is saying, do your homework. Set out trail cams, find the trails, set up close to them, and be ready to move. What's frustrating to me, is setting up in a good spot that I think deer are moving through, but then after hunting it 4-5 times the deer aren't there anymore. Looks for signs of fresh activity in the trails. Good luck, and stick with it...
My first year bow hunting and I must have been out almost every day. Didn't see anything for two or three weeks. When I saw one she was about 100 yards away. Have only seen one other during bow season and that was a couple of weeks ago. Good luck your not the only one out there.
It will happen slowly. Be patient and good things will happen.
yep dont give up, i was about too myself because there are only a few days left and its just flaty out cold and windy cold, but i drug my self out this evening an did get to stick a doe today so now im two with bow and one muzzle loader this year and have 5 days left and thinking i might still try to fill my buck tag. stick with it i though i was done
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