I thought and hope this can be a learning experiance for everyone by sharing some things we all have witnessed while sitting on stand or just out in God's great creation...
I guess I'd better start and hope all that would like would also share what you have learned from just out hunting with traditional bows or just watching deer survive...
I was sitting in a treestand one afternoon over looking a field in the late afternoon and noticed about 7 deer running from a little marshy area,then across the entrance lane that was about 1/2 a mile in front of me near a holly orchard and a horse corral/fenced in area...
As I noticed the deer breaking across in a hurry to get to the next farm and a line of ceder trees I noticed something the biggest mature doe did that just amazed me..
She stayed behind all the smaller deer and let them get to the other side and she turned and ran back the direction she came from and crossed the big ditch and lane..
Next thing I saw was that mature doe come back across and take a quick right and ran the fence line back and forth and doing a few circles then come running towards me and heading back across the lane and turning once again and back across the field...
She looked back from where she first crossed the ditch and lane and then went on across the field to meet up with all the other smaller deer on the next farm..
I then thought "I bet she has something trailing her " and to my surprise I was correct...
Here came a Big red fox across the lane and ditch and went across the field and doing everything that doe did..
He went up the fence line then back down and headed back the direction he came...
I thought Wow I just saw a Doe outsmart a Fox and I took home something I will cherrish forever that I learned from a creature... :campfire:
The most important thing I figured out was that at best I am a part time hunter and they are all full time deer . It amazes me we shoot any of them at all sometimes , Fred
As a general lesson for me, it would have to be 'patience'. It took 7 years before I connected with my first whitetail, and it had been 5 years before last season's doe. Still, I go into the woods each fall with hope.
I have learned that I need to sit still. Notice I said I NEED to, not that I do. That is my biggest fault. The less I move the more I see, and switching to a a real ghillie last year makes that more important.
I learned a long time ago, just when you think you have got things figured out, something changes and you have to start fresh. But every time out should be a learning experience and if it's not ....your doing something wrong!! Even when you have success you can learn from that also!
I wasn't bow hunting, but... When I was about 13 I had a doe cross a trail I was watching. Since I didn't get a shot I thought I'd head her off to the left and hopefully bet a chance. After getting into position, I watched the doe enter a fallen tree top where she rolled around for several moments. She kicked sticks, limbs, and leaves and rolled back and forth on her back several times. After all the commotion she sauntered off leisurely without noticing me watching from around 30 yards away. About 15 minutes later a mob of beagles came along her back trail and spent over 30 minutes in and around the tree top!
We have upland game and bow hunting at same time and this set up something that I saw/ I spotted a group of deer and all I could see was does but thought I would put a sneak on them and see if a buck or two was hanging around. Many times the bucks around here will stay with the does into their second year and those young bucks are some real fine eating material.
Anyway I got in real close without being spotted ,. This was a feat in itself with multiple eyes watching and somehow there always seems to be one you don't see. But I got in there to about 20 yards .
At that time someone shot a bird or at a bird up on the ridgeline and every deer there started shaking. They were physically moved by that shot. I mean it really scared them and they got out of Dodge./ Up until that point I had no idea the effect a gunshot could have on them.
I now realize just how stupid it is for gun hunters to be sighting their rifles in anywhere close to where they are going to hunt and yet I see that all the time.
God bless , Steve
Huntng with trditional equipemt has many advantages for me. I see lots of things in the woods I never saw before because I was always too intent on killing a deer. Just enjoying the time in the woods with no real expectations of having to mess with a bloody animal. It is great, no pressure to shoot anything, just an enjoyable outing. I guess this is what they call comming full circle, after bowhunting for 50 yrs plus.
It was in 1970 or 1971. I was 16 or 17. I think I was hunting with a Grizzly or a B Mag in those days. I was in a tree, in the summer about 10 yards from a groundhog hole. I was waiting for the hog to come out.
He came out but I didn't shoot. I watched him climb about 8 feet up a tree on to a limb. I had seen that before. However then the hog came down and backed his butt into the hill a bit, did something and turned around and covered it up! Just like a cat.
I wondered why I had never seen ground hog doo in all the times I had hunted them.
I forgot to shoot.
The ONE thing that stands out in my mind... Was told to me years ago, by my good friend & fellow Tradganger, Joe Skipp.....
"If you want to kill deer, ya gotta put wood in the air!!!"
We spend countless hours, practiceing, shooting 3-D, etc. Trying to learn to, and perfect, our "instinctive" shooting skills. Then, when the moment of truth arrives... We second guess ourselves!!! Is it in range? Too far? Uphill? Downhill? Should I shoot high? Low? Should I just pass all together???
If we have practiced, and are any kind of a decent shot... Our BRAIN knows what to do!!! When the "green light" blinks, just take your shot.....
Put the wood in the air, and let the arrow do it's job!!!!!
I know now after 5 yrs. I was lucky when I shot my first and only deer to date. I don't know as much as I think I do and I'm not that good of a hunter, yet...
-Jeremy :coffee:
Several years ago I had a doe pass just out of range. She continued on up the hill but stopped when she could see over the knoll. She stood there looking but never moving for quite a while before continuing on her way. If any one had been on the other side of that hill she would have had to have saw them of they had moved at all.
Also sometimes when finding a deer bed it is interesting to think about why the deer chose that spot. Sometimes it is not obvious why they chose that spot.But, other times it seems
Obvious why they did choose that spot.
I am always learning in the deer woods. The reoccurring theme is there are more things that can "ruin" a hunt than can make it go right. Often times it goes un noticed, other times it is as simple as another deer coming in and taking the deer thats headed for you away.
I also learned that no amount of scent away, rubber boots and deer pee on your boot will keep a big buck from smelling where you just walked in, no matter how bad he is looking for a doe or buck fight.
It seems I learn something every single time I go in the woods to hunt deer. The most important thing is to always play the wind! No matter how much scent elimination(which is very important still)you do to prepare the wind can still make or break you. It's the only mistake you can't get away with!
We learn every year,we can never predict what they are going to do that's what makes it fun.
Where do i start. I could wright a book on all Iv' learned over the years about Dear hunting. I say Deer hunting, because a good portion of it has been with guns. But whether with bow or gun you still learn and experience new things on almost every hunt.Deer, not unlike a lot of animals with some degree of intellegence, can be smart or dumb, motivated or lazy, inquizative or sly and shy. The list go's on, and so my best advice is to learn as much as you can about your quarry and study them. Read all you can and listen to others when they have something to say. Just remember Deer are like people, they all have differing personalities and preferences. Some Bucks you can pattern, some are almost impossible to pattern. And food, weather, breeding can change things totally, and over night.Don't underestimate the importance of scent control.By that, I mean where and how you approach your hunting area, what and how you wear your close, and how and what you use to eliminate your scent and the unnatural odors you may otherwise carry afield.Sorry this is so long winded, but this is a subject Deer to my heart. Pun intended.
What I'd like to know is the answer to the question;
Where'd that one come from?
You know, you're on stand, you scan an area, look away "for a few seconds" and when you look back there's a deer well out from any cover.
Where'd that one come from?
Don't make any sound if a deer is in bow range. I won't bleat to stop a walker ever again. A deer that is alerted to your location will jump the string every time.
I was sitting in a tree stand quite a few years ago on the edge of some thick stuff. In front of me was a big hardwood flat and beyond that a steep hardwood ridge. The top of the ridge was maybe 150 yards away, I could hear "deer steps" every now and then from the direction of the ridge when the wind was down. Anyway, finally I see a real nice 8 pointer making his way across the top of the ridge. The wind was in my face blowing from the ridge top across the valley flat to me. The buck made his way just over the lip of the ridge and bedded down so that he could see the entire valley flat and smell everything behind him. Classic "big buck" actions.
Something I learned some...ok a long time ago is I learned how to lie to the deer.
I noticed that if I had my mind set on killing something,(deer included) they seemed to sense it and start to get nervous and twitchy.
I decided to give something a try... I started thinking to myself..... today I'm not going to kill anything.... I repeated it to myself over and over.... when the deer hit the trail headed my way just browsing along not one of them became nervous.
Just as the lead deer hit my kill spot... I thought... "I LIED" and sent my arrow clean though it. She twitched her skin as if to shrug off a biting fly, stood there a few seconds then took 3 steps forward and fell over dead as a hammer....lol
I swear that deer never knew she had been shot.
It has been working for me ever since at keeping animals calm.
PS: This is a little off topic but I've been looking at some hunting clothing that is supposed to block your body's energy from radiating out, working sort of like the glass in the microwave door. You can see in but it doesn't allow the microwaves to pass out through the window.
Deer like to eat cigarettes and human pee doesn't bother them much.
Thanks for all the interesting stories guys, amazing!
I've learned how you approach and leave your stand is almost as important as where you put it.
Never hunt a stand if the wind is'nt right.
I've learned not to call or rattle if the deer is headed your way.
As mentioned before I don't make noises to stop the deer for a shot. Most all the deer I've ever shot have been walking. I don't want them alert or tense. Seems to work for me.
Deer do look up.
And prey seem to key in on movement.
I've stood within 10 ft of deer in blue jeans and flannel next to a stump and they had no idea I was there until I moved slightly. Was in off season while scouting. I think there is something to that not letting them know you are hunting them. Thought might be better off going into stand early and move fast and carelessly like I'm just moving through the area may be more effective than sneaking into tree stand. Good topic
One final tip you can get poison ivy from the vine in middle of winter. Maybe I can save a fellow tradganger some misery
No matter how much time you have spent practicing, prepping, overthinking your hunting spot and taking precautions there is atleast 1 (if not a bunch more) guys who take the hunt less serious and will show you all the disrespect in the world. If you don't want to have this problem, get as far away from people as possible.
Good storys fella's and here is another thing I have learned about watching a doe ..
I was on stand and noticed this doe that was working her way out of some holly trees to an open bottom near a stream ...You know the type of terrain coming off a small hill and loaded with briers,holly and trails scattered into a bottom..
Well I was located in a tree at that bottom facing the hillside and holly's when I cought movement under those holly's and I could make out a doe..
She slowly stepped out and kept watching her back and twitching her tail like telling whatever was behind her that all is clear..
Then as she made her way out I noticed a smaller dear comeing out and the Mature doe looked back again..
I then thought is there another?
Then as the sun was at my backside and shining into the hollys I noticed a quick glimps of something throwing off a soft glare and as I studied it hard I could make out a Big buck..
The buck stood in those holly's for what seemed to be hours and as the doe started to move to her left the buck stepped out and I now have that 11 point on my wall....
Just by watching a doe's body language has tought me more about hunting in my years in the field and I have learned to respect a doe and how she can tell you if she's calm, nervous ,or being chased by something...
The doe is a remarkable creature...
There is no chicken fried steak that tastes as good as one made with a 2 blade broadhead and stickbow of my choice. Of course the wifes little touches make it special too!
C.K.Rice
This is great great stuff and I know that there is more out there!
Help a Greenhorn out and add some more!! I am getting so much out of all your knowledge and experience
Thanks - back to the top....
When scouting a new area, or hunting a new area for the first time, I look for pinch points.Look for places that force deer to travel within a narrow band of land. For instance, between an open field and large pond. That spot of advantage may be a low spot or break in a fence line. An area of thick fauna in an otherwise open area of woods. A natural funnel such as in hilly terrain where two or more drainages meet. A bench on an otherwise steep hillside. Where two or more hedgerows intersect, the more the better, especially where they intersect a wood lot. And these are all better if the deer want to get from point A to point B. Between food and bedding, Searching for hot Does, alternative escape routs. Also look for secluded water sources during hot temps. Overgrown orchards, and the list go's on.
Last year was was first year really hunting with my recurve. I learned fast that stand position was very important.
Back in the late 80's, it was my first year bowhunting (I have to confess that bow had training wheels) and I had been hunting from a borrowed homemade climbing stand. The friend I had borrowed it from needed it back for a trip he was taking, so out I go to build a natural ground blind. I semi still hunted my way in just after sunrise and after an hour or so reached the area I wanted to build my blind. After an hour or more of dragging up broken branches and other various materials it was done. I was sweating and a bit tired so I decided to take a little break before heading back to the house (only about a 30 minute drive) to clean up prior to the evening hunt. I think I was 2 crackers into my package of peanut butter and cheese crackers and about a third of a way done with my 20oz coke, not even thinking about the noise I'm making when I hear a noise directly in front of me (the direction from which I had walked in from). I look up to see two does about 25 yards out looking straight at me. I froze and eventually they fed off out of sight. All I can figure is they were curious about all the racket I had been making in their living room.
Where I hunt is out my front or back door. These areas are large tracks of several hundred acres of timbered forest. This situation makes it difficult to pinpoint where Deer will travel especially during the early season. Food is everywhere and bedding areas are non defined and inconsistent.
To waylay this situation I set up observation tree stands. These stands are set up in areas where I suspect a Buck or Bucks will travel or stage. It's the bucks I'm after, and at this time of year their travels can be quite different from the Does. My purpose at first is to scout the area by setting up a tree stand in one of these areas to simply watch for bucks, and to pattern their travel spots (area )or trail(s). Many times this has payed off, as I can then determine exactly WHERE and HOW I can ambush the buck. These spots are where more than one sighting or a pattern exists and is truly the hunting aspect of the season. This becomes an ongoing process as the season reaches the rut and post rut. This process takes time but can really pay off for the big woods hunter.
Didn't do enough home work one time. set up in a blow down top. Sat & watched 3 differn't bucks cross just outside my range. Its HOW they Crossed that tought me the lesson. the first buck was a nice 6 pnt he went up the trail, a few minutes went by & a Real nice 8pnt went up the trail. ten minutes later the BIG 12 pnt Came out & went up the trail.
Didn't relise that the deer use decoys too. you learn something new sometimes even though the set up was off it was a Very good Hunt!!!