wfmiller

I've got something better then a blind. Camo burlap! Get some of that, Walmart maybe $15. Get 3 or 4 electric fence holders at Tractor Supply. They are about 4 feet long and just stick in the ground. Some zip ties to hold the burlap on, and a 5 gallon bucket to sit on. Put the poles in the ground, tie the burlap to the poles and wait. I would set it up at home and then just roll it all together so when you get there you can just unroll it and push the polls in the ground. Try to make high enough so you just can shoot over it while sitting down on the bucket. Try to back up to some kind of cover to break things up a little. Quick, easy, quiet, and most importantly cheap. I have shot several deer doing this.

We move stands almost every year during the season. We see that they are using a certain area and make an adjustment. Heck a couple of years ago we moved one at noon and my dad hunted it that night and had a deer walk right under it. He never even paid attention to it.

I have to walk through fields also to get in. I found the best thing to do is just walk at your normal pace. Light, no light doesn't matter, they can see you anyways. I get in my stand about 15 minutes before daylight.

Apples and something to drink, usually Mountain Dew. If I bring anything chocolate I will just sit there and eat every piece in a few minutes. Especially them dang peanut butter cups.

7J just found a fresh scrape this morning.

Pictures have really slowed down here the last 2 weeks. I know they are there because I found a nice fresh scrape this morning 40 yards from one of our stands.

I wouldn't want to poison him. If he dies behind the wall he is gonna stink.

I don't pay a dollar. I used to take it somewhere but then I realized not only was it getting expensive, but I wasn't even getting close to all the meat I should get back. I tried 4 different guys and they where all pretty light bags I got back. Now I get twice as much meat and I know it's all mine, and it's all there.

The blat doesn't put them on alert really. Like I said, if you don't shoot they will just walk away and go about their business. Sure they will look, but they will stand there well long enough for you to shoot.

I can't whistle that good so I just blat at them. They stop in their tracks and even if you don't shoot they will just walk away. Heck I stopped 3 does running across the field once, it was great. Soon as they heard me they stopped in their tracks and just stood there. Why shoot at a walking deer, especially during bow season when you don't have too?

It amazes me how many people don't know that. I've seen that several times now.

Chances of me making the first shot, extremely low, and I was right not to take it. The second shot I think about and have know idea. He was 30 yards away and I actually drew back on him, but when I put the pin on him I couldn't even see his body through the weeds, so he walked again. He was like 5 or 6 feet on the other side of the weeds. Had he been right next to them or in them it would have been a different story.

The first chance I would have had to shoot under a branch from a tree in front of me, wasn't sure it would make it under. I would rather pass on the shot then hit that one branch and scare the deer off. So he walked away not knowing I was there. The next time he came in he stopped behind some weeds. I wasn't sure I could punch a hole through with an arrow. So yeah I passed on him twice rather then take a dumb shot. I don't take questionable shots with the bow, that's just dumb if you do.

I passed twice on the same buck last year because I just wasn't 100% sure. The first time I know I made the right decision. The second time I am still kicking myself a little for, but I would rather see him walk then wound him and not find him. A couple people said you will be rewarded for the choice, I sure wasn't. I never got another chance all season, including gun season. That's why I never pass on a buck to wait for a bigger one, because I know I won't get another chance.

Trespassers aren't a concern where we are. We are surrounded by a farm which is leased by a state trooper and everybody in the area knows who is and stays away from there.