It's mid November in the Midwest hardwoods. There isn't a leaf to be found on a limb anywhere.
I was still hunting a draw and caught movement. It was a squirrel flicking its tail nearly 400 yards away.
When you're on stand, and rub your ear or scratch your nose, don't be surprised when you don't see deer. They saw you.
Sad... BUT TRUE!
Good observation. I wouldn't be surprised if more deer see me first than I see of them. They are masters at standing still for minutes at a time just looking.
Why I love decoys, if they can see the decoy, you can move quite a bit, if they can't see it don't move until they can
Not me. I can't stand hunting with all the foliage!
I love it when all the leaves are off!!
I can still hear good and my head is swiveling constantly looking for movement. I don't belive I spook many deer.
I think its more the SPEED of the movement that will give you up. If you reach up to scratch your face or wipe your nose or whatever the same way (same speed) you do around your house, that movement is fast in the woods....and a "flag" that will give you up. If you can remember you are after whitetails and you make a conscious effort to move very slow, controlled and sluggish, I believe you can get away with more movement. If that squirrel stood still and didn't flick its tail at 100 miles and hour, you'd be hard pressed to even know it was there. Its all about the SPEED of your movement.
Once the leaves are down, I almost never sit in a hardwood. Pines or on the ground. I have a couple pine stands that I can move all I want in. Excellent cover
Any movement is too much but we have to move. I set up my stands and ground blinds blinds to try and mask my movements. A little piece of cam of cloth hanging in front of you from chest level down won't hide your human form but it will hide the movement of getting your bow ready or fiddling with your mitts etc.
I agree with the speed of movement also. Plus if there is a little wind that definitely helps since branches are moving etc.