I hunt public land in Maryland that gets hunted really hard. Deer look up a lot. In my compound days, I'd go up 30' and set up so the deer would be hopefully 20 yards out. Now I'm setting up for them to be closer, which they are, but I can't hunt as high and I'm getting picked off.
I'm seeing deer but they are getting me also. I don't want to go higher because of the angles. Any suggestions?
Yup.... climb up there and hang a plaid shirt on a coat hanger right above your tree stand.
Then build yourself a little ground blind using some blind material to conceal yourself about 12- 15 yards off the trail they come down. When that dude stops and looks up at the shirt.... thump him.
Well we may need more info but...
Climb just a little higher in tree. At least 18 ft. or so.
Find a tree a little farther back of the trail.
Bungee cord some extra brush/limbs above and below you to hide you better.
Make sure wind is in your favor.
Change up your camo, have a good backdrop to break up your silhouette.
Do Not Move A Millimeter. Movement is the best way by far to get picked off!
Good luck, it will happen.
WhT Jack said make sure you got back cover brush yourself in and get the wind in you favor.
QuoteOriginally posted by Kirkll:
Yup.... climb up there and hang a plaid shirt on a coat hanger right above your tree stand.
Then build yourself a little ground blind using some blind material to conceal yourself about 12- 15 yards off the trail they come down. When that dude stops and looks up at the shirt.... thump him.
x2
keep the wind in your favor and have good cover behind you to break up your silhouette. He will never see it coming.
I guess if the deer have got trained to look up for hunters, try hunting on the ground
QuoteOriginally posted by stonewall:
I guess if the deer have got trained to look up for hunters, try hunting on the ground
X2!
A good ground blind can be very effective!
I hunt the ground a lot. I have watched deer enter small wood lots in the marsh and stop to scan the trees. It is obvious what they are doing.
We have generations of deer that have been hunted from elevated positions. Only a very few of those have seen hunters on the ground.
Make a ground blind or look up Rancho Safari and buy a ghillie suit. Trim it to work with your form and go hunt.
Yup, they cost a couple bucks, but so did that tree stand. I have been using mine ( a lot) for many years already and it is still going strong.
Just don't tell anyone else.
ChuckC
Start hunting in Pennsylvania. :biglaugh:
Try ground hunting. It will put you in places that deer are used to looking for people.
I'm an advocate of ground hunting as well. You'll find that it is an art in itself, but once you get the hang of it you'll tap into a vein of opportunity that most miss out on, especially pressured public land. Many of the "rules" are the same as for treestands, about the only one that changes is moving. There's a learning curve, but its not black magic - and its a heck of a lot easier than dragging stands around only to get up and realize you're 20 yards off from a better position. Buy some prunning shears and a pad to sit on. After a while you'll have 15 different bush blinds to choose from. I have quite a few in all the areas I hunt.
I like Kirk's suggestion best.
Only problem possibly with that, having watched deer in PA and MD pick off other guys was they ghost our around by 40,50, 80 yards...hard to set up for that which is dependent on each deer's experience, let alone those that just melt back the way they came and take an alternate route!
Another is that at times, it's good to stay lower, and in leaf cover... I often found it hard to find good cover in areas I hunted...at any height
Conifers are a bear to get into, cut limbs and sap runs. On some public lands, it's not allowed!
Finding that special location where you can have front and back cover is curious. I've had interesting success as low as 10' off the ground where I was shielded from the trail I was watching by lower vegetation.
I've also then had the experience where a wad of deer came along from behind me and picked me off.
There is a reason they're NOT extinct! :)
Hunt lower with foliage cover. Later in season put the stand on the back side of the tree so the tree shelters you some.