How many know without question that bucks have came in as a result of hearing your stand go up a tree. This happened to me twice. I try to make my climb as quiet as possible but at times it might help to be heard!
Yes, a couple of times. I think they may hear it as another buck rubbing a tree and brings them in for a look. Gotta be ready at all times I guess. :archer:
I had a little 6 point come in a few years ago to the clanging of taking a stand down!
I had this happen about 8 years ago on state land...
Ummm.... I had a six pointer come in behind me as I was "getting rid of a cup of coffee" from my ladder stand. He came within 5 yards from the sound of falling... water... and stood for several minutes. I did not have my bow in my hands, and it would NOT have been a pretty picture!!! :saywhat: :saywhat:
i had one come in right after dark as I was climbing down a week ago....scared hell out of me when he blew and was right there next to me as I stepped out to walk to vehicle... :)
I new that moose respond to unfamiliar or uninted calls but with whitetail it's a first for me!!! Now we'll have to include the treestand climber call on the list for whitetail :D :biglaugh:
I have it happen every year...usually a couple times. Up here it may have to do with the deer not being pressured or scared and just being all around more curious. Kinda like bears!
Just had a conversation with my Dad last week recounting this past season and I told him about two encounters with bucks (smaller) coming in as I was setting up. My Lone Wolf climber on red pines. Told him I've never had success rattling here in our pressured areas and that next year I was going to bring in only one shed and rake the tree instead. I really think that bucks around here have been "over called" to with grunts and can bleats. Something less obvious like rubbing a tree may trigger something that other guys aren't doing as much.
Several years ago, I was dangling halfway up and doe ran up to check out the invasive noise. I lost that staring contest. Happened again a couple years ago when already up and trying to get settled in - smart old doe came to investigate.
Similar - about two weeks ago right as I was getting down about 9:30 in morning - saw a doe coming in about 100 yards away but shielded. Didn't want her figuring out my spot, so I quickly climbed down a ladder stand, then I started snorting and making a bunch of racket 20 yards or so away on the ground, then moseyed her way to do some scouting in a ditch, and with me being pretty loud out pops her head from the palmettos about 10 yards from me. We have some skittish deer so this was crazy. Guess all deer are different and some are very curious - especially in areas that aren't heavily hunted.
I don't know about climbing up, but I seem to attract them when I am climbing down and my bow and quiver are already on the ground. We just look at each other until they waltz away :)
3 years ago I was hunting 600 ft down in a hollow about 1 1/4 mi. from my truck. I wanted to get down a little early to start my climb out. I might have had 5 minutes shooting light left. I had just stepped off the platform, was on my knees getting my backpack together and I hear that single tchh in the leaves. I thought dang squirrels. Then a few seconds later I hear it again. I sit back on my knees and here he comes up over a little rise and is 8 ft from me right at the tree. Beautiful, big body, heavy 8pt mountain buck. I couldn't believe it. We stared at each other for a few seconds and he was gone. I have often wondered what brought him in. He had to be close, probably watched me climb down. Never thought about the sound of the stand. I use a Lone Wolf hand climber and it is quiet.
That's interesting... I've had two bucks come in to the sound of my pull up rope hitting the ground. I attach it to a dried turkey foot... has a little substance to it and makes a nice sound hitting the leaves I guess. I was always paranoid enough about dropping it after lowering my bow... lol I take a last good look around :)
NBK could be right we might have educated some deer by overcalling. I pondered that very thought as I used a can few days ago. It's funny how at the sound of noise deer can nail down the location from quiet a distance away. I've bleated and watched them travel a good distance just to stop right under my stand like they have a built in GPS!
I have had it happen several times. This year it was a very nice buck and I was only six feet off of the ground when he came in. My bow was still on the ground. Long story short, I was busted.
This year I cut off one annoying limb, very thorny locus, and was using that to try to knock down a dead branch that was in my shooting window. While I was trying to knock it down a 6 pointer came rushing in with his lips curled back, the whole time making all kinds of noises. After he passed by, I tried to make those same screechy noises with my deer call and he came right back. No shooting, I was trying to fill doe tags.
absolutely. the very first thing I do when I get in a tree is get my bow ready. next is a soft doe bleat or grunt. can't tell you how many times I gotten in a tree and had a deer come in...How ever I can tell you how many shots I've gotten---- 0---- but one of these days....
One thought I was a buck rubbing/rattling and came right to the as I was half way down! he was about 8 feet straight below me.
Also while breaking branches out of the way I have had deer (mostly buck) come in on several occasions.
Lots of flickers and wood peckers in my area and they are noisy, I don't think a deer would think those sounds are out of place.
Putting up a Lock-on ladder stand, got a strap hung in a lucust beside my tree. Made a bunch of noise and figured the morning would be a washout, then looked on the hill and a nice buck was looking at me all puffed up like a baloon. He rode home in the truck. Another time a doe came up and watched me climb into a tree with a Loggy Byou climber. She left just before I could get the bow pulled up. Roy
I think it boils down to the fact that deer are curious animals - particularly young animals (and does seem more curious than bucks in my (limited) experience).
2 times without any doubt on different occasions. Both bucks weren't there when I walked into the area. Then I turned around to see them when I was only 3/4 the way up the tree I was climbing. They had to have heard me and came to check it out.
I had an aluminium climber that I made 35 yrs. ago or so and one morning I went to a new spot to set it up about an hour before shooting time. Got it up and set and boom. Two nice bucks came in right under my stand. It was so dark thier racks were just a glow. They stuck around about 15 min., then meandered off before it was light enough to shoot.
Probably stating the obvious, but for some does it may be a protective thing - like when they think they get a whiff of something wrong and start investigating till they find you to protect their harem.
For some bucks it may sound like a buck hitting a rub. I know this year in KS I could hear a couple bucks in thick stuff making all kinds of thrashing racket - sounded like one knocked down a tree - talk about a lil frustration! So if it isn't heavily hunted, a curious buck may check out who is in his territory. Some guys thrash the bushes/tree when they rattle - not a bad idea.