How do you guys handle leaving a stand at dark when deer are nearby.
Sometimes, waiting for them to move on doesn't work. What then?
Thanks, Skychief.
Bark like a dog.
Shoot arrows at em!
QuoteOriginally posted by The Vanilla Gorilla:
Shoot arrows at em!
:biglaugh:
Thats not a problem in VT.....it's cause for a celebration and lot of whoopin' an' hollerin'
I start by dropping my bow hooking it to my rope then clank my harness 'biner against my stand then cuss then the deer leave then I climb down.
I also will bark like a dog, or simply drop my fanny pack to the base of the tree. One of these days though. . my best lion roar is gonna come out.
ChuckC
just climb down like you normally would and walk away at a normal walking pace,, they will spook but just ignore them and keep walking and to them your just another human passing thru... when I see deer off to the side of roads and trails I just act like I dont care and walk away like anyone else would and almost all the time they just watch me carefully and let me walk right by as long as they are a safe distance maybe minimum 40yds,,,,,,, my deer are mostly urban type deer though that see their fair share of mtn bikers, hikers, dog walkers, hunters scouting, ect..
in Maryland the guide asked me to bring a few walks and then throw them at the deer (or bear) and the deer will get nervous and walk off.
I have been in this situation on and off for years. I do one of two things. I will do my best imitation of a deer snort. Several times if I have to. Most of the time I let my bow down and they move off....usually not too far. If I am at an apple tree when this happens I have heard them walking back to feed as I depart. In very few cases have the deer left in a hurry blowing and snorting. Even though I can't see them I think that most of the time they just "get out of my way" and resume feeding when I am about 50 yards away. If I were you I would just get down and leave...or spend the night.
I drop my pack on a rope, that usually gets them to move off. If not, I just climb down and walk out, ignoring them as much as possible. I wait until they move off a bit though, not when they are right under the stand.
I don't worry about it too much, it's often so dark I don't know if they are still out there or not, so I figure I might as well go home.
I do my best imitation squirrel bark. Or a turkey yelp. I figured if they associate the sounds with a regular sound they hear above them anyway it'll cause them to move. I do this on private land. Not when hunting with the possibility of other hunters near. We have some crackerjacks down this way that shoot at sounds like that.
If on other land where other hunters may be near I do an owl hoot.
Not from a tree but have had many attempts to sneak out of my ground blind being as silent as possible. After sneaking up a pine needle covered path through the pine trees and sneaking through a field at near dark I look down and they are looking at me from 150 yards away.
I carry a few 1 1/2" stones from my planter beds
and throw them out away from my stand so as not to draw attention to me.
What Trad101 does. Sticks will do
Seems everytime I lower my bow, the biggest buck I've ever seen walks out and stops at 10 yards-in the wide open, broadside, looking away!!!
I'll give them about 15 minutes ot move on, then I just come down out of the tree, as others have stated.
I just wait until it's completely dark and climb down. They snort and run, but I don't believe it ruins anything. They're spooked by sound only.
Howl like a coyote
Once I made the most annoying bleat with my voice to scare off two bedded does close by, but instead I called in an 8 pt to 6 ft. I had to catch a flight, and he wasn't huge so I let him walk after he made a scrape under me.
QuoteOriginally posted by John Scifres:
I start by dropping my bow hooking it to my rope then clank my harness 'biner against my stand then cuss then the deer leave then I climb down.
:biglaugh: Sounds familiar.
I snort (blow) like a deer.
I start owling at them. They just sort of move off without being disturbed to badly.
What's the hurry unless the dinner bell is ringing. Hold on for a while and listen to whats happening maybe some horns clashing or just socializing. Never lasts real long especially close to bedding areas. Unless you are in the feed got to get their fill to.