Trad Gang

I hunt on the ground.  I have full camo but don't were face cover.   By the time they get to bow range they figure out I'm there.   Is face cover a must have?   Nice buck this morning.  Saw him before he knew I was there.  He was about 50 yards coming my way so I turned and crouched slowly  to position for an ambush.  Even though there was cover between us somehow he busted me.   I thought the wind was in my favor.  He stopped and made the blowing noise then back tracked a few steps and stopped staring in my direction for a minute or two.  If he smelled me probably he would not have stopped??  Then he went back the way he came.
Getting busted happened at least 3 times this year.  No deer yet.  I  have until January.   :knothead:

If he blew at you my guess is he smelled you. I would try hunting from a treestand or get yourelf a blind.

http://nullo.com/hunters.htm

http://www.drugstore.com/search/search_results.asp?N=0&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&Ntk=All&Ntt=nullo

After researching ti, I started taking it in Oct. I can tell a definite difference. Deer have been down wind of me often this season, no spookage. Just wanted to offer a suggestion.

I respectfully disagree with PII. In my long experience no deer species hangs around to blow at you, look at you, or otherwise give you the time of day if it has smelled you. My guess is that not wearing face camo is at least part of your problem, since it highlights any movements you are making. Impossible to say without being there with you at the scene of the crime. All prey species are tuned to movement. While we can get away with very slow movements if we blend in to our surroundings, any sudden movement, even the turn of a face from left to right, will give us away. Camo is not necessary. Blending in with surroundings is necessary. Next to no movement, and that only very slowly is necessary. A blind or front-cover is not necessary if we're dressed to blend in, and don't move at the wrong times. A dark dense background that engulfs and hides our outline is essential. Pretend that the animal you are hunting is an alert human. Even though we intellectually "know" that deer have sharper senses than humans, we somehow better relate to the idea: "If that was a person searching for me out there, would they be able to see me now? Good luck, Dave

Ground hunting has got to be the hardest way to bag a deer. That is why I love it so much! (And ain't got one that way for eight years now) Bet that boy caught your movement. Sometimes it just works out that way. I've had many "almosts" myself. Part of the learnin' curve I guess.

Imagine walking into your livingroom and finding the couch pillows on the floor... Would you notice? A buck knows his home range like you know your livingroom. Get the picture?

... mike ...

FULL camo is a must, particularly on the face and hands.

I've learned the hard way. I always cover my face.You would be surprised how it sticks out like a sore thumb.Bare skin for that matter. I'll give you a prime example. One afternoon Bucky and I were settled in our tree stands  about 100 yards  apart . He was up on a ridge and I was below him on the edge of a thicket. He called me on the radio and he asked me "where are you?" we picked out a few land marks and he still couldn't see me. Well I said wait let me take my brown cotton glove off and I'll wave my hand. OHHH I see you now.Face mask no skin. Be careful how you move,we are firm beleivers of rubber boots too.The last time I hunted on the ground I had a flock of 7 turkeys at  5 yards feeding all around me.They never new I was there. I was in pin oak blowdown [leaves brown and still on the tree],a brown plaid shirt, camo paints and a face mask , Recurve 50LBS couldn't see me either, except for my uncovered hand. That deer new something wasn't right for sure. Hard to say what tipped him off.The major factor is to have something behind you to break up your outline.

This has got to be the hardest hunting I can think of. I stay out of trees and don't own a blind. I don't wanna have to haul stuff out and back from camp, plus I hunt public land. I don't kill them very often.

If you are a white guy, your face will loom out of the darkness like an October full moon. I generally have a neck gaiter pulled up to my nose, or a thin scarf worn tightly the same way, bandito style.

If you wish not to have these encumbrances, then try smearing burnt cork across your mug. Doping the wind is the most important thing, and they will smell where you walked in, too. In the mountains, I have had the wind blow from all four directions as I sat in one place. Sometimes I think it is trying to blow me back into camp.

Be stubborn, be careful, be patient. It'll happen.

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Killdeer/Hunting%20and%20Camp/2007%20November%20Hunt/2007Bowhunt2.jpg)

 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/Killdeer/Hunting%20and%20Camp/First%20Twenty%20Years%20of%20the%20Hunt/MeAndAshley.jpg)

In the above pic, I have dressed the deer, dragged her in, washed my hands and picked my nose, so the black is gone from my nose and fingers. I had on a neck scarf, so there isn't any cork there either.
Killdeer

I hunt almost exclusively from the ground and it is tough.  Scent control is important, but I don't go to the extremes that some do.  I do use a face cover of some sort.  In the parts of West Texas where I hunt there are no tall trees in which to put a stand so I position myself in live oak/mesquite/cedar thickets.  I also will use one of those leafy camo tarps positioned in front of me to help hide movement, esp when I draw.  With calm winds, I have had fawns graze within 3-4 yards of me.  Keep after it and good luck!

I hunt exclusively from the ground.  I'm afraid of heights and also love looking at the deer eye to eye.  I am coming up on mcgroundstalker's record.  I've only gone 5 or 6 years without a deer down (although I had a few shots--3 just last year, and a buck this year that I couldn't find after a hit just a little far back, and you can't count the one I hit with the pickup).  I've had deer close, though.  

The first couple of years hunting, I had deer catch my scent due to wind direction and/or thermals.  Now, when they bust me, it's usually because of movement and secondarily eye contact.

I will often use a camo burlap sheet on poles (with tent stakes or lawn edging stakes on the bottom of the poles so I can stick them into the ground) for a ground blind around 3 sides of me to cover the movement of my lower body and break up my silouette.  I had a little fawn run up to about 3 yards of me before she spotted me.

I am not a strong believer in camo, although I wear camo more often than not because that's what most "hunting clothes" are made of.  I do tie a camo handkerchief or neck gaiter over the lower half of my face and I do the burnt cork or camo paint on whatever is exposed.  I pull my hat brim down as far as practical so the deer don't see my eyes.  

My general plan is to not look like a human.

i'm working on getting my first deer with a trad setup; however, i've harvested a many over the years with compound bow and rifle...both from a tree and on the ground.  

a deer isn't going to hang around if he smelled you.  if he was standing there blowing and looking your direction, he probably just saw you and was trying to figure out what you were.  it is hard to say why he saw you.  i do know that a persons face glows like a flashlight in the woods...you may want to dab on some paint or use a facemask.

The best thing you can do when a deer gets close is not move.  The second best thing is to move very, very slowly.  That's about all i can tell you!  Good luck!

Dave2old must be just that, or he has not hunted a lot. Deer due hang around and blow and do it frequentlt. I had a big doe get down wind this year at about 80 yards, she started blowing and circling and blowing some more. I am a scent conscious freak and thought well she jsut has a good nose. Later when I undressed at the truck I found a dryer sheet in the sleeve of my scent-lok. I believe the deer may have picked up movemment and than got in a position to get down wind and than started blowing. Full camo is a must and if you are gonna hunt from the ground only, I highly reccomend a guillie suit or make one. I have shot about 15 deer from the ground over the years and all except 1 I was camoed from head to toe. Shawn

Nothing at all like ground hunting in snow covered pines!! Great photo.

I've had several deer smell me and stand there and blow and blow and blow having no clue where I was.  Shot one once that smelled me at the base of my tree, jumped back about 10 yards and started looking around for me.

I suppose I'm in the minority as I don't see ground hunting as any disadvantage.  You just have to know where it will work and where it won't.  

The wind, lack of cover, and location are the problems most folks have with the ground.  No matter how good your cover is, if you don't have the wind, you have no cover.

Likewise, think about when you're in a tree and how tuned in you get to movement.  A bird flipping a wing at 30 yds catches your attention.  Imagine how fast a deer picks up a human sized figure shifting weight at 50 yds.  You gotta move when the deer' body language says it's ok, not when you want to.

When you set up, look for locations in which the deer are likely to be focused on something other than your location. Along a drainage ditch when they're focused on the other side.  Near a few logs they have to jump over.  Old logging roads where deer tend to focus on the open area ahead as they approach.  I have one location I've shot a few from in which I have no cover at all. I just stand there next to a tree.  The only thing between me and the deer are 15 yards of open abandoned railroad followed by 5 yards of brush, and the deer trail.  It just so happens that in this location, every deer on that trail is focused on what's ahead and they pay no attention to what's on the other side of rail bed.

Just remember to look for advantages in setup, that no cover or camo is good enough to fool a deer that's looking, and the wind is your best friend, or worst enemy, depending on how well you use it.  Oh yeah....And always cover your face and hands!!

I like to use a ghilli suit when hunting. But I have also worn what Bentpole wheres with equal success. The key for me is playing the wind right, use brown gloves on my hands and either use a full face mask or if you wear glasses like I do use burnt cork from my nose to forhead and a 1/2 mask covering from my nose to upper chest. I use a small bottle of scent free talcum powder and constantly check the wind. Also have several back up blinds to slip into when the wind betrays your position.
I hope that this helps you out. Good luck

It has been my experience that when a deer blows it is trying to get a response from you and according to one of Mr. Wensel's books, clearing their nostrils so that they CAN smell whatever it is that has them spooked. The deer that have definitely winded me this season did blow, but only after they vacated the immediate area.
jlbpa-I would think that they are spotting your face. I slipped up toward my buddy's stand early this season when we still had alot of leaves on and I really couldn't see him. He was looking away from me at the time. I moved up the trail a few yards and he turned his head and his face stuck out like it was glowing. I do KNOW that since I started wearing a facemask, I have had deer NOTICE me, but not spook and eventually go back about their business. I agree with Killy, use a bandana, scarf, burnt cork or something to take the "shine off your face and let us know what happens. Good Luck, Mike

Thanks the tips.   I'll check the local Jo_Ann crafts/fabric for the cork and some camo cloth. And I'll also pick up some camo gloves. I have until Jan 21 here in Kentucky with 4 days off at Christmas and 4 days off over New Years.    I have yet to make Chris proud with his Lewis Hollow "Dead End" recurve that I bought from him.  Might have to resort to shooting squirrels.... they are usually all over me.  Seems I stay still enough for them but get goofy when I try to get positioned for a deer.   Hopefully I'll soon be able to post some pictures here.

whitetail deer know their surroundings intimately so if somethings out of place or something new is added,they know.if they stayed and snorted at you they hadn't got your wind yet,something was out of place.

This is why I enjoy hunting from the ground so much. There are so many things that can go wrong. When you are successfull it becomes such a great hunting memory regardless of the size of the animal.In my experiance with ground hunting, scent and movement are your worst enemies. It sounds like scent was not a problem. I think that you moved at the wrong time. When ground hunting my rule of thumb is if I can see the deers eyes I do not move. I wait for an obstruction to come betwwen us before I try to move. If you have been in the woods long enough you have had deer get with-in 10 yards of you and not even know that you are there. I do wear camo but I have had some of my closest encounters with deer not wearing camo. I believe that you only have to worry about Scent and Movement - Good Luck

this is the first yr I have wore a full head/face net. It is amazing the difference on how close the animal will come.Gloves and some kind of blind
help also. Store bought, home made or just cut some cedars... Good luck
G

Might have to resort to shooting squirrels.... they are usually all over me. (quote)


That is till it is time to shoot one. Then you will not see any    
G

I think you answered your own question right here...

"so I turned and crouched slowly to position"

If the wind was in your favor as you think, then he either heard or saw you.  My bet is that he saw your motion.  Camo is great, but (I'm probably not the first to mention this in this thread) the best camo is "don't move".

Saturday I had two does feed up to me an bed down about 18 yards in front of me. I had a small hemlock behind me and about an 10 inch wide maple in front of me. The wind was in my favor and my face was covered. I would slowly peek around at them to keep track of them hoping they would get up and continue down the trail into my best shooting lane before dark but the best laid plans and all. The girls never knew I was there and my front cover was minimal at best but I had good back cover. I did draw on the girls a few times for practice.

full face camo and movement. It will take some time until you learn when you can move.

A little tip:
If hunting on the ground I watch the deers eyes and draw/move when it's head is going behind a tree.

Paul

get your self a bottle of deer dander, its the best cover sent i have used and have been within feet of deer on the ground and havent been picked off.

This is my first year hunting primarly from the ground.  IMO camo from head- to- toe is a must.  Also make sure you have something behind you to break up your outine (tree lap, stump, etc) and I use an Apachie Pyramid blind in front so I can move around to get in position.  Of course if the wind ain't right, you're busted.

Sounds to me like the deer saw movement but couldn't figure out exactly what it was.Yeah,get some face paint,or headnet.Also,I hunt in a homemade ghillie jacket,and it works!

Deer "blow", a strong forced expiration through the nose, as a warning to other deer - either that danger is imminent or just that something ain't right.
    you can also get big corks in the "self serve" hardware drawers, you know all the odd type fasteners, washers, etc... at Lowes, probably at Home Depot too.
   I love this thread.  I said before the season started that one of my goals was to get a deer from the ground - I feel so handicapped (can't think of the right word) when I'm on the ground that I didn't even give it a fair chance, yet...  Next year!!  when there's leaves again.
    I can't imagine being "feet" from a deer and not having it know you were there.  Then I'd probably have a heart attack before I could really consider drawing my bow.

As far as scent goes read the testimonials for   http://www.scentsmoker.com/test.html   I bought one but have only been able to hunt with one time. I used it on my buddy that day and he had four does down wind that day. One doe raised her head, sniffed the air and went about her business.   :thumbsup:

I would just like to add my 2 scents....I think smell is one of the most important elements.  We can't be positive what deer can see but we do know they smell very well.  I have had deer very close not wearing a bit of camo, then others sppok esily.  However one other important thing I think is eye contact.  Never make eye contact with a deer it will spook them.  Once they are spooked then they are sniffing more and become more alert.

When ground hunting I like to get a spot I can let the deer get dead even or better yet slightly past before I make my move.  A cross wind is best for this.  The longer you hunt you will notice deer have 2 diffrent snorts they use.  The short and crisp snort is usually a once or twice as they are running away.  The other is more of an investigational snort.  They dont know what they saw or even if they saw anything at all.  DONT MOVE FOR ANYTHING when this happens.  More than likely the deer will calm down in a few minutes and will more than likely offer a shot if you let things run their course.  Another note conditions arent always condusive for still hunting.  Especially when the leaves are very crunchy or the wind is swirling.  A tactic I like to use when the wind is swirling is I go to a place that is not my best on these days.  This way Im still in the woods and Im not spooking deer I want to hunt later.  These are good squirrel days.  Another thing to keep in mind when huntin from the ground is that when you are gone your scent is still their.  Rubber boots are a ground blinds best friend. If I was still hunting I would go w/ stealty foot wear.  Good luck!

Whitetails will often follow each other with scent and movement. They will see a deer ahead; and go to where they can smell them. They do this all year.

I am wondering if; although your wind is good from where you are sitting- what is it doing where the deer is?

Wind changes directions; gets pushed right and left when it hits trees; and brush; and what might appear to be a perfect wind; where the deer is; might be perfect for him.

I like to check the weeds and grasses where I have a stand; and see what direction they are falling over in.  That seems to be the prevailing wind. You might walk from your blind to where the deer smelled you; and see if the wind is moving your scent to it; and adjust your stand position; or lay brush on the trail; forcing the deer to go where they cannot smell you.

Movement indeed is the thing that moves them out fast; after they get a whiff of you. Move slow and  deliberate- and whenever the deers vision is blocked.

face paint; or a head cover can work wonders.

The best blinds though do not allow the deer to see you until they are in a position where you can shoot them. Deer are more likely to see something on a trail (or in line with their direction of travel - than next to it- off to the side.

Deer commonly wind their way instead of going straight in a direction- to help smell us.


  :thumbsup:    :campfire:    :archer:

Don't BUY cork! Only drink wine that has a real cork in the bottle.

Killdeer  :thumbsup:

Good one Killdeer.  Face and hand cover is pretty neccessary, especially if you are as white as me. Play the wind as best you can. Like Killdeer, I have had wind come from every direction of the compass while in one spot. Keep the movement to minimum. I started using a UV killer on my clothes and noticed a big difference as to how much I am seen.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f196/jjeffer/BFblind.jpg)

Jerry- your camo is great- but you don't seem to see the photographer- what was he or she wearing?   :bigsmyl:

you'll see my face shines pretty bright in this photo. i just uncovered it for the pic.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/randygrider/my%20harvests/IMG_0910.jpg)