Elmo's 2012 Bowhunt

[Meat Manager]

Maybe this will make you feel better, Fail Post #2:

Got into my new oak stand yesterday at 1pm...nothing until 5:30.

Then a huge doe comes straight towards me, I draw as she gets behind a tree (15yds out 25ft down) but I have no time to do my normal stand/draw and as soon as she gets around that tree she stops broadside and looks right up at me, not spooked yet, but staring, so I close my eyes, count to 5, she is still looking...close em again, same thing, finally she goes down for a munch for a second and then looks right back up, I pick my spot and release...follow the arrow as it flies over her back...UGGGHHHH!

Went and checked the arrow after she totally left the area, totally clean and montec broadhead embedded in a stump.

Got back in my tree for the last hour pretty hot at myself, but I could smell deer from several directions as the wind swirled so I stayed...at 6:30 I lowered my bow figuring that the rain may come soon and I did not want to wound an animal late with the warm and rainy evening ahead...

As soon as I lowered my bow a nice (still smaller than the doe) 6-8 point walks slowly and stops right into my best lane, I never saw or heard him enter my zone (and I had my phone away the entire hunt) and when I tried to haul my bow back up into the treestand I got busted...SONOFA!

Went back this morning and saw a doe in the distance but nothing else, and I'm definitely still shook a bit from last night. I relearned three old lessons I've learned in the past, but I guess I needed an early season refresher:

1. Don't rush a shot because you think the deer is gonna take off, if you have lanes ahead wait for a better shot after you have calmed down and the deer isn't staring back and forth in your direction anymore.

2. Practice as many shooting situations as possible during offseason, I try not to do seated shots but I should still practice them as regularly as anything else or not attempt them in the field.

3. Stay in your stand until legal shooting time is over, let the situation happen and then judge if you have an ethical shot and recovery chance.

Edited October 3, 2012 by 7J Everyday

[Elmo]

After taking tuesday off, I went back at it today. I got there at 5AM hoping to be up in the tree by 6AM. One thing I didn't take into account. All the rain has completely changed the landscape. At night, with the fog disrupting my headlamp, I couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of me. To get to my spot, I'm required to follow a dry creek bed that crosses several live creeks, and go around several heavy vegatation. Guess what? Now the a live creek and I'm looking at a live creek crossing a live creek. When I had to go around a dense vegatation, I lost my orientation and was completely lost. Grounds that were completely dry when I scouted the area is now a marsh. I went ankle deep in water. Bushwacking in the dark with 40-50 lbs of gear is not fun. I checked my coordinates and noticed that I had actually doubled back futher up north. At this point, I realized I'm not going to make it to my spot in time even if I could and decided to head back out. I made it back to my car by 7AM. Not one to give up easily, I dropped off my stand and hiked back in a few hundred yards and hope maybe I can still catch coming up while hiding behind boulders and trees. Strained 1/2 a cup of water out of each sock and waited till 8AM. Didn't see a thing so I started to stark my way to all the spots I've kicked up deer. Again, nothing. Walked around till 9:30AM and called it quits because my feet were starting to sting.

Not faulting anyone because I honestly believe the advices I've been given are sound advice but I need to rethink this strategy. There's absolute no way I can make it down to that funnel point in the dark when there is no visible trail. I'm going to have to hunt from a location shortly before the creek hits it's first vegatation road block. After the funnel, the deer spreads out in different locations but there are tracks on both sides of the creek so even though I can only cover 2 travel routes it is better than nothing.

I will try to take another stab at it tomorrow. I might not be a successful hunter but I won't let "lack of effort" be the cause of it.

[Meat Manager]

Elmo all of the sudden I don't feel as bad about my bad luck yesterday. I'm glad you are alright man.

Get yourself some type of non-destructive reflective trail markers to clearly mark a trail so that you can easily get in and out in the pitch black...I started in this morning at 5am and it was foggy to-boot, but at the critical turns on the main trail I have a double marker, and when i get back into the hardwoods and pines I have a double mark (marking my corridor) every 15-50 yds depending on density of the woods.

My trail lights up like a highway as soon as my headlamp gets near it. Here are the ones I use: http://www.dicksspor...rabber:12269917

You may also want to consider giving it a day or two rest, especially after your ordeal this morning. It is probably going to be raining my way, if it is yours I suggest taking a day off and going and getting some reflective trail markers.

Glad you haven't lost any will or spirit, that is awesome. Just remember, lots of deer season, tons of archery still! Don't exhaust yourself before the rutt kicks in.

Edited October 3, 2012 by 7J Everyday

[steve863]

Things can look WAY different in the dark. Even on familiar grounds things can look different on a very dark night. Add fog and things are even worse. I don't know if it's allowed on public grounds, but nailing those reflector tacks onto a tree can surely help you navigate in the dark. They can reflect a long way, although fog might hamper things a bit.

[13BVET]

Elmo, mark the trail to your stand. Use surveyors tape. That's what I used to do.

[mike rossi]

This is your own words: "so even though I can only cover 2 travel routes it is better than nothing". It might be more than better than nothing and better than Plan A because logistics plays a big role - select waiting spots not only because deer are using them, but also because you can access them quick & quietly...

[Doewhacker]

my 2 cents here.. go to where you jumped the deer out of but get in there on time and wait. I wouldn't bother with hiking a mile in if the deer are right where you begin. Just hunt the right times.

Edited October 3, 2012 by Doewhacker

[Meat Manager]

my 2 cents here.. go to where you jumped the deer out of but get in there on time and wait. I wouldn't bother with hiking a mile in if the deer are right where you begin. Just hunt the right times.

I agree with this essentially, get deep enough in that you are sure you are legal and you are confident a wounded deer will not take off onto private or residential property if possible, then set up. Still use reflective trail markers.

Finally, it is really warm and wet around here...if it is the same where you are I really suggest taking a break. Not only is the weather terrible for tracking and recovering a deer, but you run the risk of pushing the deer nocturnal REALLY early in the season if you beat that spot up too much. Try to scout a few different places to hunt if you are going to give it a go on a near daily basis or you may be sitting and not seeing much after a week or two.

[jetmec]

Rubber boots is a good investment. They will not hold scent like other materials and will eliminate the need for you to wring out your wet socks in the woods. Remember scent control is the biggest key! Airing out a sweaty foot in the woods is asking to hear a dear snort at you! If you never had that happen yet. Hope you don't experience it when it's pitch black out like I did!

[Elmo]

The wind here consistently blows up the hill here and towards te entrance so once they get pass me and close to the houses, there really no way I can come up on them unless I sneak up during a brief windshift like last time.

Right now, I've been hitting the spot every other day. Don't want to "waste" a day marking the trail just yet since i took this week off to hunt. I head back to work on Wednesday. What I'll do is I'll mark it during my last day off to use during the next time I come back here.

So far today, I followed my plan B. Put on some heavier duty waterproof boots. Followed the creek to the second spot I picked out and up into the tree by 5:45AM. No deer so far. Decided to use a fawn distress hand call at around 9AM. No response. Stopped calling at 9:30AM.

[mxsmitz201]

id be careful using that call because if you do attract a deer they wont be there on their own will and they will be on the alert and probably wont stick around very long. that said, with blind calling, youll have no idea where they come from. they might be in close to you and you dont even realize it and give yourself away with movements or calling too much or too loud, you never know. especially since the leaves and ground are wet you wont hear a deer until they are on top of you especially when they are on the alert. when the woods are dry, with all my experience ive figured out i wont usually see a deer until they have come within 60-70 yds of me. that seems to be the range when i first pick up the noise and catch a glimpse of them.

i prefer to remain quiet and if i know there is a deer in the area then ill use a call to draw it in closer IF i think it will help my odds. but rarely do i want to put the deer on the alert with any sort of call. patience is key. if you can sit, be silent, play the wind right and let the deer come in on their own you will have the upper hand in any situation.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Just remember when calling, the deer are more likely to be looking for you rather than just wandering through the woods. You may compromise the element of surprise.

[Nomad]

I try not to blind call. I only call if I see a buck way off in a field and looks like he's not coming towards me.When I just blind call,I only see them when they start to run away from me after sneaking in .

If I see one off a ways and call, I stay readybeecause I know he's sneaking in.

[Elmo]

Skipped a couple of days so this is an update of past events.

It was completely quiet that day so I decided I was going to come down, walk around a bit, grab some food and then maybe head back up. As I was coming down, the tree stand incidence occur.

I packed my broken stand back into the car and decided to walk around a bit. Yes, falling out of the tree didn't faze me at all. The comments you guys gave were correct. My activities here has caused the deer to change patterns. I found tons of new activity further south of where I had been setup. The great news is that along with those activities was a couple of fresh rubs. Of of which, snapped a young tree.

The problem with this area is that it is a big wide open. Big patches of tall grass. Only a few scattered trees here and there. Not that it'll do me any good anyway since now I don't have a tree stand but a tree stand won't do me much good here anyway.

I any event, I think I should give this place a little rest and let the "dust settle" a bit. Maybe do some squirrel hunting or something and come back to it on Monday or Tuesday.

[hunter]

Elmo, for a novice you are finding deer and getting within 20 yards, you are doing good. Second, you knew not to take a frontal shot, good call. Remember the spot that was too open for bow cause you might get a shot during gun. You might try going in for an evening hunt at the first spot and mark the backtrail so you can find your way out and hopefully not help someone else find his way in. It is state land. Glad you survived the treestand collapse. You are lucky not to have major injuries.

[Elmo]

Thanks for the encouragement hunter. Yeah, shotgun would works wonders in that open spot. I don't have a doe tag for that area but I might have a shot at that buck now that I know it's there.

[Elmo]

Hunting new spot with heavy buck signs. Wind has shifted today and is blowing towards the direction of the deer. Hoping he takes the side entrance today. It's cold and raining. Odds are against me but I guess you have to be in it to win it. =/ *shrug*

[Elmo]

Damn it! Dow came within 10 feet of me but got spooked!!! I was hiding behind a tree waiting for her to clear but something gave me away.

[Elmo]

Back at work. Can't wait for the weekend to come.

[132 eight pointer]

Hunting new spot with heavy buck signs. Wind has shifted today and is blowing towards the direction of the deer. Hoping he takes the side entrance today. It's cold and raining. Odds are against me but I guess you have to be in it to win it. =/ *shrug*

Look at all the fun you are having and gaining invaluable experience at the same time.Now if you could just figure out how to make a living at this, and of course tell me how to also.Keep at it.This time last year we hadn't even started bowhunting yet.

[Elmo]

Rabbit chasing dogs to my right and duck hunters blasting away behind me means no deer in front of me.

[13BVET]

That sucks! Have you tried the other DEP properties we went squirrel hunting on?

[Elmo]

That sucks! Have you tried the other DEP properties we went squirrel hunting on?

Been hitting these two spots I've scouted that had good deer signs. They're still there because when I go back after giving the areas a break, I'll find some fresh activity. Came real close on a several of occasions.

[erussell]

Not that it will help you now, but for the future if you will. I like to get into my areas in the winter every once in a while after the season and just start pushing the deer around and follow thier tracks. That way when I run into some pressure in one spot I know right where to head to next. Just something to think about.

[Elmo]

Not that it will help you now, but for the future if you will. I like to get into my areas in the winter every once in a while after the season and just start pushing the deer around and follow thier tracks. That way when I run into some pressure in one spot I know right where to head to next. Just something to think about.

Never tought of that but that sounds like a great idea. Will definitely do that this year.