# Little help for a new hunter



## BIGDADDYDB (Jul 1, 2006)

I am in my first official deer season...I used to hunt when I was younger but not deer. Went a couple times during gun season with a buddy and actually took a small buck when I was in college in Michigan. I decided I wanted to get back into hunting a couple years ago and in that time we moved to a new home on 8 acres, about half of it wooded. I picked my stand location, have good shooting lanes overlooking the flood plain of the creek in the back corner of my property. I put out one of those apple block things a couple months ago and put some of that goop on a few rotten trees where I set my camera. Next year I will work on getting some food sources planted to get them hanging around a little more. I know the deer move through the property by tracks and lots of pics on the camera...even today my wife calls me and tells me she sees a buck chasing does in the field out back! Problem is I've got about 30-35 hours in the stand, mornings and evenings, and haven't seen a single deer...I know that's why they call it hunting but I'm wondering if I'm missing something in my hunting strategy. Here's what I've been doing:

Mornings in the stand pretty much in the dark stay till about 10-11am
Evenings in the stand about 3 hours before dark 
Usually a good 2-3 days if not more between hunts 

I've thought about getting some kind of call and some type of lure scent but I went to the store today and left without buying anything and a really confused look on my face.

What do you guys do?...use?...any advice?

Thanks


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## Redman1776 (Jul 14, 2014)

What are your cameras telling you? Don't waste your time planting anything on that small of a plot, spread corn regularly in an area near a trail the deer use cutting through the property. I have a very small property that sounds just like what you have. I leave a mineral block out year round and put corn out a month ahead of when I plan to hunt it. My camera tells me that the deer cut through the property just before sunset on their way back to a crp field. I put out bait to give them a reason to stop a while on my property. It has worked very well for me.


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## howdog (Oct 15, 2006)

Definitely can be frustrating. Are you hunting the wind? Washing your clothes in scent free soap? Minor things like that can make all the difference. Agree on the photos. Maybe they are passing through at night. Your property sounds nice. Find their routes. You may need to move your stand. I did last year and it made a big difference. Gt a few photos of some nice shooters. I might put out some apples or some feed but I don't get crazy. By the time you spend all that money you could have gotten NY strips. . Stick with it. Study the photos. My favorite stand takes is positioned poorly with all the west wind we get, so I have to really double down on the scent control.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

In deer hunting, as in real estate, it's location, location, location! Redman made a great point. Is there a time stamp on your pics? It does no good to hunt a spot if the deer are showing up at 2 AM! You have to figure out where they might be during daylight, and this is the prime time of year to do that. But there are no guarantees. You simply can't predict what deer will do despite what some of the hunting shows will tell you.

I once read an article written by a very successful deer hunter. He said that of all the time you spend in the field 20% should be spent hunting and 80% scouting! Well, that sounds great, but how much time do you have? What I tend to do is, especially in the early season, have some days that are basically recon days. I'll carry the bow and stop to hunt a spot, here an there, through the day. But I'm basically out there to have a good look around. 

When you make the decision to concentrate on a certain spot, don't get set in your ways. If it looks like you have to move your stand, move it. If it seems like every deer in the area is crossing a location 120 yards from you at the time you are hunting, then you better move your stand down there! It doesn't matter if you have your stand on the Interstate 80 of deer trails if they're not there when you hunt!

You said you're pretty new at this, and it's all kind of a big puzzle. Well, I've been hunting these boogers for 40+ years, and it's still a big puzzle to me! But part of the fun is figuring out the puzzle!


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## Tritonman (Jul 4, 2004)

Yep frustrating as heck. Only good wind is when it's blowing towards your house. You have no choice if you want to hunt. Scent control for sure. Bait pile is great to get pics and have those buck attractants sticking around. Right now is prolly when your going to see most of your deer. Your wife told you so. Small pieces of land around the neighbor hood can be brutal to your sanity. Pic times are important. My neighborhood deer seem to have a 3 day cycle. For me it's 50/50. I watched my neighbor rake leaves tonight. You know what that can do to your sanity. Stick with it and knowing that you have deer on camera tells you the deer frequent your property. Patience. I should have my buck this week. After the rut I don't hunt behind my house. Ugh. Trail cameras unveil a lot. And I have 3 200 sq ft plots with chicory and clover. They mow it down. Key is to keep the does around. I've created my 10 acres to put myself in the best possible situation. Good luck. Let us know what happens in the next week or two.


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## seang22 (Mar 3, 2014)

I once had a woods to hunt that was 14 acres. Never had deer sighting at all during day light except during the rut come cruisin in . The place just didn't hold any does. There were bigger wood lots all around I know that's why.. The smaller woods can deff be hard to hunt cause once they know u r there gone.


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## JV1 (Apr 18, 2004)

Everyone has their own opinions here is mine, stay out of the woods unless your hunting. Dont spread your scent all over the woods. Dont lay any bait or scents from a bottle. Wash your clothes in scentless soap and keep them in air tight container. Shower with scentless soap. Wear rubber boots and keep them outside. Dont wear them in your truck or at the gas station. Put your boots on and hunting suit on outside. Scent is the most important thing. I dont mean deer scent. I mean yours. Once I learned to control my own scent, i realized all the other things such as bait, deer lure etc are needless and hurt the hunt more often than help.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

That's been my deal for quite some time. When I'm out in the deer woods, I want to smell like "nothing"! At least as much as I can.


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## Redman1776 (Jul 14, 2014)

buckeyebowman said:


> That's been my deal for quite some time. When I'm out in the deer woods, I want to smell like "nothing"! At least as much as I can.


Hardwood smoke. Once you try it you'll never go back.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

JV1 said:


> Everyone has their own opinions here is mine, stay out of the woods unless your hunting. Dont spread your scent all over the woods. Dont lay any bait or scents from a bottle. Wash your clothes in scentless soap and keep them in air tight container. Shower with scentless soap. Wear rubber boots and keep them outside. Dont wear them in your truck or at the gas station. Put your boots on and hunting suit on outside. Scent is the most important thing. I dont mean deer scent. I mean yours. Once I learned to control my own scent, i realized all the other things such as bait, deer lure etc are needless and hurt the hunt more often than help.


Your comment really got me to thinking. As far as staying out of the woods unless you're hunting, well then, how would you know where to hunt? My feeling is, when scouting and putting up stands, spread whatever scent and make whatever noise is necessary. Of course the deer will pick up on that, but as keen as their noses are they are more than capable of knowing if a scent is new or old, near or far. 

There's been a mythology constructed around deer as though they are some sort of magical creatures. And the idea that if they catch the slightest whiff of human scent they are gone forever is outright bunk! Deer live where they live, they like where they live, and they don't give it up easily. 

So, when you go to hunt the stand you scouted for, you slide in there scent free and as quietly as possible. A complete 180 from the scouting, stand hanging, scenario. Much less negative stimuli for the deer. 



Redman1776 said:


> Hardwood smoke. Once you try it you'll never go back.


I have heard this forever, and I fully understand the origins of it. However, there's a lot fewer hardwood fires, at least where I hunt, than there used to be. But hey, it still could work. god knows I love that smell!


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## JV1 (Apr 18, 2004)

What I meant by "stay out of the woods" 

I will use my situation for example. I scouted a large private farm 10 years ago with the landowner. He showed me where he see's all the deer in the crop field and I picked a spot in the general area. I put up a ladder stand. It still sits there to this day. I check on it late summer to make sure its still there and every few years the ratchet strap needs replaced. 

Then i dont go back there at all unless im hunting. Not to look for prints scrapes rubs etc.... I know im gonna see deer in the stand and i know there will be slow days and fantastic days. 

I guess its more of a permenant set up with the ladder stand and all and I wouldnt move it for a million bucks. 

Another problem for me was the use of a trail cam. I was addicted to checking the camera and after a few years (as i was learning my scent control) i noticed something. Many times I would get pictures of a bruiser buck , often just once. A hundred other pictures of doe and younger deer but a couple times i only had a single picture of larger bucks. This made me think that the camera may be hurting my hunt as im needlessly spreading my scent. I quit using the camera a few years back.


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## JV1 (Apr 18, 2004)

Come to think of it, i have 4 treestands all ladder and all in the same trees for years. And have scored deer in all but one which i never sit in.


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## BIGDADDYDB (Jul 1, 2006)

Thanks for the replies...ironically about 5 hours after I posted this I saw my first buck...what a rush! Didn't have a shot and I prolly would have let him go (young deer) but it's a start. Hunted this morning didn't see any. I will be out again Friday. I think my scent control is what I'll work on.


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## Redman1776 (Jul 14, 2014)

buckeyebowman said:


> Your comment really got me to thinking. As far as staying out of the woods unless you're hunting, well then, how would you know where to hunt? My feeling is, when scouting and putting up stands, spread whatever scent and make whatever noise is necessary. Of course the deer will pick up on that, but as keen as their noses are they are more than capable of knowing if a scent is new or old, near or far.
> 
> There's been a mythology constructed around deer as though they are some sort of magical creatures. And the idea that if they catch the slightest whiff of human scent they are gone forever is outright bunk! Deer live where they live, they like where they live, and they don't give it up easily.
> 
> ...


There are NO hardwood fires where I hunt. It has nothing to do with smelling like something they are used to. Smoke kills odor causing bacteria, and if you do it right it smells just like fresh cut wood. Biggest thing is IT KILLS ODOR CAUSING BACTERIA.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

It only kills what is present. It won't do any good for what you create while on stand.


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## Redman1776 (Jul 14, 2014)

bobk said:


> It only kills what is present. It won't do any good for what you create while on stand.


Isn't that true about scent killing sprays also?


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## Gills63 (Mar 29, 2012)

Once we get a good snow on the ground you will really be able to see the most heavily used trails in your woods. Scouting season starts right after hunting season.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

Redman1776 said:


> Isn't that true about scent killing sprays also?


Yep, it's all fairly overrated.


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## seang22 (Mar 3, 2014)

bobk said:


> Yep, it's all fairly overrated.


Not all sprays kill bacteria. Some just mask and some attack to stop the growth of the bacteria that smells. Nothing is 100%


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Some excellent replies. JV1 had the advice of the farmer, which anyone with half a brain would be wise to take advantage of! They know where the deer come out, and I imagine that saved him some time. For those without that advantage, it might take more time to find just the right spot. I've driven myself crazy trying to find the "perfect" tree to get into! But, spending the time early can pay off. And keep in mind that patterns can change in season. I have a stand overlooking a crop field edge that is dynamite when the leaves are on, but once the leaves fall it goes dead! That's when another stand I have further back in the woods comes on strong. 

And the idea that hardwood smoke is something that deer are "used to" is something I heard from an old timer years ago. If it kills bacteria, fine. However, I have no place to burn a hardwood fire, or produce smoke from same, so I guess I'll continue washing my clothes in baking soda and cold water, staying as clean as possible, and not getting sweaty on my way to the stand.


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