What puts deer in bow range?

Rob W. · September 06, 2014, 11:10:00 PM

What is the single most contributing factor or at least your top few for getting deer in bow range?

Jake Scott · September 06, 2014, 11:12:00 PM

Wind. All other elements can be right, if the wind is wrong they will either busy you, or, you'll never even see them. Just my opinion.

Jake

Gen273 · September 06, 2014, 11:16:00 PM

Here are a few that comes to mind, and they are in no particular order.

1. Right Setup, Stand/blind placement.

2. Hunting Pinch points and natural edges.

3. Knowing and hunting the wind.

4. Patience/Woodsmanship

5. Finding and hunting the preferred food source.

KyRidgeRunner · September 06, 2014, 11:24:00 PM

Corn!

It's legal here in ky and will make a lazy hunter of you for sure. I know there is lot f controversy on using bait, but if it's legal where you hunt you can sure fill the heck out of some antler less deer permits!

Best of luck to you this season!

randy grider · September 07, 2014, 12:21:00 AM

I did a poll once in KY and 85% of deer hunters use bait. That includes gun hunters. Its not my thing, but its the sad truth we have a whole generation that believes you cant deer hunt without corn, and its tottally acceptable. It is not legal on public land, but alas, i find it there too. The only plus to this is it is less crowded on our public land for that reason, no ATV's and no baiting is allowed. I enjoy hunting our public land, while Billy Bob sits over his corn pile on a 2 acre woodlot somewhere. Most of the discussions on our states hunting forum are corn related, with photos of feeders, and beat down bare earth that looks like a feed lot. I reckon its legal, but to me, not much like hunting. Hunting turkey over bait is not legal, which is something I cant see how they enforce, and bears making a comeback in KY are another problem, its illegal to feed bears, but legal to feed deer ! another headache im sure for our fish and wildlife enforcers. I suppose it will take a breakout of CWD or some other nasty disease to shut this down, but for now corn, and $$ is king.

jacobsladder · September 07, 2014, 12:36:00 AM

Mr. Grider. X 2

jeffroa2001 · September 07, 2014, 01:17:00 AM

I would have to say the ability to be quiet and still. For some reason, I have always been very fortunate to get deer in close. Last year I had a doe and two yearlings all withing 7 yards of me (I was hunting on the ground, with out blind)and the yearlings literally came up and stared me in the face. So I believe they smelled me, however they were not alarmed because I was still. Hope this helps, and good luck this season!

BOWMARKS · September 07, 2014, 03:35:00 AM

I would go with being quiet and still also then add a little patience.

September 07, 2014, 04:46:00 AM

All of the above, I do not agree with changing the natural environment too much, so no artificial funnels or feeders. However, there was this one pipe tobacco I used to smoke. I do not understand it, but it was based on a tobacco called deer tongue, I believe it was named that because of how it looked, not that deer would eat it, every time I would light up I would get a deer in my lap. Never shoot a bow with a pipe in your mouth, as my brother found, your teeth and the pipe will fly farther than the arrow.

Uncle Buck · September 07, 2014, 06:06:00 AM

staying dead dog still

Ulysseys · September 07, 2014, 06:43:00 AM

Sitting long days on corn fields....nothing is as unpredictable and consistent as a corn field in my experience

Bowwild · September 07, 2014, 07:01:00 AM

90% scouting and 10% stealth to, during, and from the stand.

katman · September 07, 2014, 07:35:00 AM

Woodsmanship

T Folts · September 07, 2014, 07:44:00 AM

White acorns with the correct wind

nineworlds9 · September 07, 2014, 08:49:00 AM

Playing the wind.

Movement- don't be in a hurry. Stop and scan a lot. Move when the forest moves, say if its breezy and the branches and trees are swaying etc.

Sound- move when the wind makes noise, move when there are birds or squirrels making a racket (not because of you)

Try to think like a deer...where would you want to go? What paths would you want to take? Its pretty neat when you study the forest hard enough and suddenly see all the natural game trails pop out.

ron w · September 07, 2014, 08:51:00 AM

Wind, hunting where there are deer and wind........

lbshooter · September 07, 2014, 08:51:00 AM

Wind favorable
Area unmolested
See him before he sees you
IMO baiting before or during the hunt NOT fair chase

Dave Lay · September 07, 2014, 08:58:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by randy grider:
I did a poll once in KY and 85% of deer hunters use bait. That includes gun hunters. Its not my thing, but its the sad truth we have a whole generation that believes you cant deer hunt without corn, and its tottally acceptable. It is not legal on public land, but alas, i find it there too. The only plus to this is it is less crowded on our public land for that reason, no ATV's and no baiting is allowed. I enjoy hunting our public land, while Billy Bob sits over his corn pile on a 2 acre woodlot somewhere. Most of the discussions on our states hunting forum are corn related, with photos of feeders, and beat down bare earth that looks like a feed lot. I reckon its legal, but to me, not much like hunting. Hunting turkey over bait is not legal, which is something I cant see how they enforce, and bears making a comeback in KY are another problem, its illegal to feed bears, but legal to feed deer ! another headache im sure for our fish and wildlife enforcers. I suppose it will take a breakout of CWD or some other nasty disease to shut this down, but for now corn, and $$ is king.

exact same deal here in Arkansas, kids are being raised to sit over a corn pile and no woodsmanship needed...
but to the OP question, for me, set up is #1 I primarily hunt structure that means bottle necks or terrain changes, then finding that perfect downwind spot within that bottle neck is what I look for, but finding that one feed tree they are preferring is a real bonus as well

R. W. Mackey · September 07, 2014, 10:39:00 AM

All great answers, but since most of us are tree sitters,
I'm gonna say finding the very best tree to put your stand in.
There are those places where a deer will be every day, just up to us to find it. Now once you find it you gotta have patience,
Have to be quiet, wind right and all other things it takes to get a shot. But if your not in the right place none of this matters.
I went to one of Barry Wensel's Whitetail clinics a few years
Ago, he could not stress this enough. This is where your scouting comes in, spend twice as much time scouting as you do on stand, you will reap the rewards.

RW

sidebuster · September 07, 2014, 12:24:00 PM

I know there is controversy on baiting especially when corn comes up but isn't scent lures like for a doe in heat hung up right next to your tree stand the same thing as baiting?