Advice: Stand burn out vs. October lull...

[OldNewbie]

I am fortunate to be able to walk 5 minutes out back and be in a ground blind just inside a nice 30 acre patch of woods. First two weeks of the season I was sitting AM and PM for an hour or so, and more often than not saw at least one sometimes more doe groups, and the occasional small buck. Activity/sightings have dropped off the past two weeks considerably. I'm wondering if it is 'stand burn out' and the deer have shifted their daily habits to avoid my stands, or maybe they have decided to stay a bit closer to the freshly cut corn fields (and a few remaining uncut). One bit of relevant info.. I can walk to my main stand without crossing or entering the main 30 acres. I live right on the edge of it. I'm to the east so when wind is west as normal, its a good setup. North wind, scent is more a concern as some deer enter/exit to south of me. Initially they did spot me several times, but I got better at seeing them before they saw me. And I improved the blind some too for better concealment. Last several I saw never looked at me, just wandered on by (slightly out of range). But last several sits have seen nothing at all. Oh and the coyotes were out back making a huge ruckus last night.. I'm feeling discouraging and not sure what to do at this point.  All sorts of things are running through my head, like..

1. just give it a rest for say a week, maybe more (hard to resist the temptation though)
2. look for another location within the 30 acres (but would mean tramping all through it.. )
3. look for someplace entirely different (but further away, so will limit number of sits I can do drastically)
4. keep doing short sits every day or two ('eventually they will come back')
5. do some mid-day sits instead of AM or PM (coming later maybe?)
6. do more chores/work.. put some points back in the bank. (or go fishing..)

Thanks for your ideas....

[stoneam2006]

I'd keep hunting it they are there and will be back...maybe try and just sit on logs at different points around perimeter of property just to see if they are crossing at different points then commit to another stand/blind location

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[Buckmaster7600]

I don't hunt the same stand 2 sits in a row unless I'm sure the risk is worth the reward "i.e. Saw the one I'm after in the am ill go right back for pm sit." I'm super fortunate in that I have permission to hunt a ton of land and I own my own so I never over hunt anything I try not to sit the same area more than once a week until the rut kicks in then I hunt the freshest sign I can find.


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[OldNewbie]

1 hour ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

 I have permission to hunt a ton of land and I own my own

I only have permission to hunt the one private parcel. After that, its state forest or park lands.

[Rebel Darling]

I have 13 acres, and a few different areas on which deer travel through.  I'd employ a mix of holding off, and scouting other locations on that 30 to find alternate food sources and travel corridors / funnels, etc.  On my 13, which is half that, I have three different stand locations set up, and other areas on which I plan to use the climber, or hunt from natural blinds. 

If I needed to go out multiple days in a row, I'd hit up state/public land and scout that too.  That's actually what I'm doing now to give my 13 a deserved break and in anticipation of the rut.

[OldNewbie]

Thanks RD, I think that is what I will do. I did a little side trip this afternoon and found a fresh scrape. Tomorrow or next I'll sit on the other end and see what's there (if the wind cooperates). There are some small patches of state land nearby.. some bow hunters but not heavy pressure. I scouted one area this summer and found a water hole up in the woods a ways. Might try visiting that.

[Core]

I feel you. I have some private land a 20 min drive (not too bad) and it was great until October. I have sat a couple of mornings and a few evenings and just nothing ever comes by. In fact tonight is the first time this month I have had a chance to hunt and just didn't really want to. Hoping I can blame the last two hunts' no-sightings on the hard wind. Guess I will be back this weekend *shrug*


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[BigVal]

I always burn out stands early October. I believe it's a real problem for many, haven't been in the woods since opening week so I can't wait for Halloween!

[Buckstopshere]

On 10/24/2016 at 9:14 PM, OldNewbie said:

I am fortunate to be able to walk 5 minutes out back and be in a ground blind just inside a nice 30 acre patch of woods. First two weeks of the season I was sitting AM and PM for an hour or so, and more often than not saw at least one sometimes more doe groups, and the occasional small buck. Activity/sightings have dropped off the past two weeks considerably. I'm wondering if it is 'stand burn out' and the deer have shifted their daily habits to avoid my stands, or maybe they have decided to stay a bit closer to the freshly cut corn fields (and a few remaining uncut). One bit of relevant info.. I can walk to my main stand without crossing or entering the main 30 acres. I live right on the edge of it. I'm to the east so when wind is west as normal, its a good setup. North wind, scent is more a concern as some deer enter/exit to south of me. Initially they did spot me several times, but I got better at seeing them before they saw me. And I improved the blind some too for better concealment. Last several I saw never looked at me, just wandered on by (slightly out of range). But last several sits have seen nothing at all. Oh and the coyotes were out back making a huge ruckus last night.. I'm feeling discouraging and not sure what to do at this point.  All sorts of things are running through my head, like..

1. just give it a rest for say a week, maybe more (hard to resist the temptation though)
2. look for another location within the 30 acres (but would mean tramping all through it.. )
3. look for someplace entirely different (but further away, so will limit number of sits I can do drastically)
4. keep doing short sits every day or two ('eventually they will come back')
5. do some mid-day sits instead of AM or PM (coming later maybe?)
6. do more chores/work.. put some points back in the bank. (or go fishing..)

Thanks for your ideas....

Our scent lingers around a stand for days. Go there twice, three times, four, and it builds up. Deer, especially the older ones know this and pattern us better than we pattern them. To see deer throughout the bow season in October I jump from one property to another, let alone from one stand to another. (I hunt four NY properties.) I've had a two small bucks this season walk under my tree, and smell the climbing steps and slowly sneak away, unaware that I was there. But they don't like it.   Also, a good tactic is to try and access your stands on a different trail, come in from a different way too. Walking on the same trail day after day tells the deer that it is a high traffic area for humans and dangerous, so they shy away. But it is also normal to witness drop offs in deer activity, depending on a lot of factors from food change/availability, to their pre-rut behavior changes, to other hunter pressure, with the latter being as important if not moreso that the other two.

[The_Real_TCIII]

I used to save this one little woodlot for early November and have a shot opp literally every time i hunted it. It was a PITA to get back there with a climber they had stripped the topsoil all around it years ago and the resulting ditch was all grown in with wild rose, brambles etc. Then someone moved in on a nearby road and brush hogged a trail all the way back to it. The last time I went in there were stands and scent drippers all over the place so that was that

[Buckstopshere]

15 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I used to save this one little woodlot for early November and have a shot opp literally every time i hunted it. It was a PITA to get back there with a climber they had stripped the topsoil all around it years ago and the resulting ditch was all grown in with wild rose, brambles etc. Then someone moved in on a nearby road and brush hogged a trail all the way back to it. The last time I went in there were stands and scent drippers all over the place so that was that

That's the story of a bunch of my hunting spots over the years. It sucks...but hey, it adds to the challenge. Back in the day...down here on the NY-Pa. border, long stretches of woods were not even posted. Nobody cared if you bow hunted or spring gobbler hunted, or even rode horses on their property. But that sure has changed!