Help!!! New hunter this season -- haven't seen a deer yet

[Hank]

2 minutes ago, Steve D said:

Patience grasshopper.....In 2017 I gun hunted 28 times and put over 60 hrs. sitting in stands along with countless hrs. of scouting and exploring. I never saw a deer the entire season. Counting on road kills and deer feeding in fields is not going to do anything to contribute to you success and should not affect your frustration level whatsoever. Deer hunting especially gun hunting can be a world of frustration and is part of the game.

 There are a lot of experienced hunters on here that go through the frustrations of deer hunting every year. Read some of "Cabin Fever"s posts to get an example of someone putting their time in and not getting any reward for it.

It is not an easy sport and anyone leading you to believe it is nuts. Read what you can, spend time in the field, learn from your experiences, and eventually it will come together.

Thanks a lot, Steve. I am SO GLAD I found this forum. All of your posts have made me feel so much better and re-energized to go back out this weekend. I was just worried that I was doing something completely wrong and will never see a deer. I feel much better now. If nothing else, I will just take it as hiking trips and enjoy the nature, which I rarely got to do before I started hunting.

[Al Bundy]

For the first bunch of years I deer hunted I didnt see much of anything until I figured that getting into a tree was what I needed.  A stand, a climber, or even a ground blind. In my opinion it allows you to squirm a bit more than if you were directly on the ground. You may be moving more than you think. I also went the entire season of I think 2014 without seeing a single deer. I suspect I was patterned as I only have one real place I was hunting from.

On your private land, can you see any heavy used paths? Is your private land woods? Or open fields?  Are you taking into account the wind and your smell? Hunting clothes aired out? What is the layout of your private land? Next to corn, heavy thick, very open?? 

 

 

[Steve D]

10 minutes ago, Hank said:

 If nothing else, I will just take it as hiking trips and enjoy the nature, which I rarely got to do before I started hunting.

That's what is all about...enjoying the experience. I can have a great day in the woods and never see a thing. Just remember to load the gun while you are "hiking"

[AuburnNYC]

6 minutes ago, Hank said:

Thanks a lot, Steve. I am SO GLAD I found this forum. All of your posts have made me feel so much better and re-energized to go back out this weekend. I was just worried that I was doing something completely wrong and will never see a deer. I feel much better now. If nothing else, I will just take it as hiking trips and enjoy the nature, which I rarely got to do before I started hunting.

Above all be patient - the best part of hunting is getting back to nature. Remember that hunting on TV/internet is either (a) on land specifically designed for hunting where there is almost no pressure or (b) being filmed by someone with a massive amount of experience. Hunting is part art and part science but once you have experience things will start to "click" and you will be able to pick out "deery" areas much more quickly, and start seeing deer.  

You may be getting busted and not even know it is happening - hunting from the ground is much more difficult than a stand. When hunting from the ground I use an ASAT 3d ghillie, the clothes I wear never leave a plastic tub with a small ozone generator that I run between each hunt, and I still get busted sometimes on the ground. Beating a deer's nose and ability to detect movement with their peripheral vision is very difficult unless you're elevated.

In a stand I've seen a deer hit my entry path, or hit my scent downwind, then quietly turn around and creep away. Other times I've seen them hit my scent, think something is up then back far away and loop downwind a couple hundred yards away. They confirm the smell then leave. From the ground I wouldn't have even known they were there.

Are you seeing a lot of deer sign where you hunting beyond rubs? The reason I ask is that rubbing can often be done nocturnally, and unless done super recently, buck patterns can change a lot this time of year, the buck that was putting up those rubs two weeks ago could be a mile down the road chasing does. I've had more luck on scrapes than rubs in general, once the rut begins to heat up.

Questions you should be asking yourself about your area:

You said that you've been seeing droppings, are they fresh or old? - fresh droppings look very moist. Where the droppings are, are there still a lot of acorns or other food sources on the ground, or have they been mostly exhausted? Are deer trails apparent or are there funnels leading into and out of the area? When walking in are you making a lot of noise or walking through a thick bedding area where you may be pushing deer out before you even get there? Where you're sitting do you have a good vantage point so that you can see deer movement so that you can adjust your position in future hunts? Is the wind blowing your scent into "thick" areas where deer may be scenting you before even coming out to feed?

 

 

 

[Hank]

3 hours ago, AuburnNYC said:

Above all be patient - the best part of hunting is getting back to nature. Remember that hunting on TV/internet is either (a) on land specifically designed for hunting where there is almost no pressure or (b) being filmed by someone with a massive amount of experience. Hunting is part art and part science but once you have experience things will start to "click" and you will be able to pick out "deery" areas much more quickly, and start seeing deer.  

You may be getting busted and not even know it is happening - hunting from the ground is much more difficult than a stand. When hunting from the ground I use an ASAT 3d ghillie, the clothes I wear never leave a plastic tub with a small ozone generator that I run between each hunt, and I still get busted sometimes on the ground. Beating a deer's nose and ability to detect movement with their peripheral vision is very difficult unless you're elevated.

In a stand I've seen a deer hit my entry path, or hit my scent downwind, then quietly turn around and creep away. Other times I've seen them hit my scent, think something is up then back far away and loop downwind a couple hundred yards away. They confirm the smell then leave. From the ground I wouldn't have even known they were there.

Are you seeing a lot of deer sign where you hunting beyond rubs? The reason I ask is that rubbing can often be done nocturnally, and unless done super recently, buck patterns can change a lot this time of year, the buck that was putting up those rubs two weeks ago could be a mile down the road chasing does. I've had more luck on scrapes than rubs in general, once the rut begins to heat up.

Questions you should be asking yourself about your area:

You said that you've been seeing droppings, are they fresh or old? - fresh droppings look very moist. Where the droppings are, are there still a lot of acorns or other food sources on the ground, or have they been mostly exhausted? Are deer trails apparent or are there funnels leading into and out of the area? When walking in are you making a lot of noise or walking through a thick bedding area where you may be pushing deer out before you even get there? Where you're sitting do you have a good vantage point so that you can see deer movement so that you can adjust your position in future hunts? Is the wind blowing your scent into "thick" areas where deer may be scenting you before even coming out to feed?

 

 

 

Thank you so much! I try to pay attention to wind direction. However, my biggest problem is I don't know where bedding area is. There are thick areas in different directions. I really have no idea where the deer may come from, even if I see a track. I am hunting in public land (I don't have a big private land to hunt; I got permission from a private land owner, but his land is adjacent to public land, I saw a lot of hunter going in and out -- I don't think they all have permission) -- Connecticut Hill. I can't tell where food source will be, where deer will come and go. I just try to go to the middle of the Connecticut Hill (where I think other hunters will less likely to go). I find a valley where several valleys come together with a creek. I am hoping that is a deer corridor (based on what I saw on youtube), and did see a lot of tracks and droppings (as far as I can tell, they are fresh). But I really have no idea.

Edited November 22, 2019 by Hank

[Duncan]

Man, reading your posts sure sounds a lot like my experience. I'm a new hunter this year as well and just trying to figure things out using youtube and internet searches. It is definitely disheartening to drive 45 minutes to Connecticut Hill WMA and not see a single deer. 

[Robhuntandfish]

i think it can be said that the most consistantly successful hunters are sometimes very good hunters or have very good locations. Hunting a public area with a lot of competition is def one of the biggest challenges.  As i got older i sure got a lot more deer but i think its mostly because i got better locations to access.  Now i certainly have to work to get a deer still as my locations are not prime by any means (this has been my worst year in many many years) but having access to private land is prob the best move one can make.  Ask people you know well even if they dont own land - a lot of times some family might.  The better the hunting ground goes a long way in deer hunting  success.  But by no means give up what you have, just means it might be a bit tougher but maybe even more rewarding.  There are some guys on here that hunt deer heavens - lol - and some hike for miles and miles to find a deer but all have done one thing or another to set themselves up for success as best they could.   

guess what i am trying to say is that put most of us in that same area you are hunting and we prob dont see much more than you do and would have to learn it all as well.  Guys who are seeing 20 deer a day for the most part are seeing that because of the location they have or that they have worked hard to get or improved over the years.  A lot of hunting has to do with being in the right spot at the right time.  And part of improving your hunting skill is to work to upgrade or find better locations.  Saw an interview with Roger Raglin - an older guy that has a hunting show and he said one of the toughest things to tell people when they ask about getting a big buck - he has told them where you hunt your chances are very slim.  That its often about the location - that big buck they have on cam at night just isnt very huntable where you are and if he is the only one that is even more difficult. 

And i love when people say they see deer all over the road and on their lawns and think it is so easy to get one.  One of the reasons they are on your lawn in back of your house is because they are safe there.  And that person usually also isnt letting you hunt there.  

Usually consistent success is either having a very good spot and/or a lot of time in the woods scouting and planning and just plain hunting.  But dont be down cause you havent seen a deer in a few days and others here are seeing 20 a day.  They arent hunting public land for the most part with multiple other hunters.    

Edited November 22, 2019 by Robhuntandfish

[Moho81]

Lots of good advice here already

Just be patient you will sit and not see deer more times than you will see deer. Bow season when deer are suppose to be everywhere I went 8 straight sits without seeing a deer. It can and will get frustrating and it will be a battle of mental toughness. It's easy to throw in the towel and quit it's much harder to stick with it but let me say its very rewarding and you will forget all those sits of not seeing anything. 

I like to joke around when people ask me if I am going out hunting. I will sometimes reply nope just gonna take my gun/bow for a walk in the woods because the reality is that's pretty much what will happen. I will go for a walk in the woods with my gun/bow and not see a thing. 

[Hank]

Thanks a lot, Rob and Moho81. I will keep going. And hopefully report back with some good news.


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[Steve D]

6 hours ago, Hank said:

Connecticut Hill. I can't tell where food source will be, where deer will come and go. I just try to go to the middle of the Connecticut Hill

Please don't take this the wrong way but Connecticut Hill is one of the worst places to try to learn deer hunting. With over 11,000 acres and all kinds of terrain you could spend the rest of your life there and never pattern the deer.

Don't get me wrong Connecticut hill is a great place to hunt if you want room to roam and  be away from everyone else. I hunted it a lot years ago and enjoyed every minute of. There is plenty of game there but anyone that shoots a deer there just happens to be in the right place at the right time.

 It is definitely not an easy place to hunt because of the terrain and the amount of areas a deer can hide..

Another thing to keep in mind is if the snow comes there is no access unless you ski or snowmobile. They do not plow the roads.

 Good luck there.

[Hank]

2 hours ago, Steve D said:

Please don't take this the wrong way but Connecticut Hill is one of the worst places to try to learn deer hunting. With over 11,000 acres and all kinds of terrain you could spend the rest of your life there and never pattern the deer.

Don't get me wrong Connecticut hill is a great place to hunt if you want room to roam and  be away from everyone else. I hunted it a lot years ago and enjoyed every minute of. There is plenty of game there but anyone that shoots a deer there just happens to be in the right place at the right time.

 It is definitely not an easy place to hunt because of the terrain and the amount of areas a deer can hide..

Another thing to keep in mind is if the snow comes there is no access unless you ski or snowmobile. They do not plow the roads.

 Good luck there.

I always thought bigger is better, such that I can get away from other hunters. I have also tried Bull Hill (especially on the side of Rt 13, where I even got permission to hunt within Mazourek Farm property. However, as I said, I saw at least 5 - 6 other hunters (and several other cars driving by) on opening day. I am worried that deer have been pushed out of that area.

Yes, I am driving a Corolla, which is pathetic, got stuck on Bull Hill on opening day. Access is definitely a problem. I need to buy a truck.

Thanks, Steve!

[Swamp_bucks]

Why dont you and duncan(posted above) meet up since you guys hunt the same piece of land.  Might be a good way for you both to learn together since your both newer hunters.  Hell you might even make a new friend.  

 

[cynthiafu]

Listen to the blue Jay's.  My dad always taught me to listen to them.  they will tell you where the deer are. They both feed on same nuts . That's why some of these guys on here have to be careful  ( just joking  guys ) .

[Todd67]

I feel your pain. Also a new hunter, shot a wild boar in TX, but haven’t gotten a deer yet in 2+ yrs of hunting in NY. Startled a doe last year just as I was aiming. Need to learn the ropes from someone with experience. I’m close to hiring a guide...


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[Hank]

15 minutes ago, Todd67 said:

I feel your pain. Also a new hunter, shot a wild boar in TX, but haven’t gotten a deer yet in 2+ yrs of hunting in NY. Startled a doe last year just as I was aiming. Need to learn the ropes from someone with experience. I’m close to hiring a guide...


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Yes, I went out last weekend (got up really early at 5) again, but saw no deer. It is definitely not as easy as seen on TV or Youtube.

Edited November 28, 2019 by Hank

[BowmanMike]

19 minutes ago, Hank said:

Yes, I went out last weekend (got up really early at 5) again, but saw no deer. It is definitely not as easy as seen on TV or Youtube.

They dont show you all the times nothing happens,who wants to watch that. Also,gun season is the hardest season to even find deer on private land,all the human scent in the woods has the deer on high alert and almost completely nocturnal.

I much prefer bow season and muzzle loader season,by then the deer are almost back to normal.

And i agree that a lot of hunting is being on the right spot at the right time,which mostly comes down to luck. I almost feel like i know less now than when i started hunting 8 years ago. I have been watching lots of THP and the hunting beast and i can't figure out bedding areas for the life of me. Seems the deer lay down when they feel like it. And i haven't jumped a buck this season at all,so no clue where they spend the day.

 It is a fun sport though just because it isn't easy.

[grampy]

To simplify deer hunting, deer need two basic things.....food and cover. No matter where they live. Narrow down where they bed. Narrow down what they are feeding on (close to where they are bedding) and set up in between the two. If need be Google what deer eat. It can vary greatly from area to area, depending what is available. Once you learn what deer eat and where, the puzzle will become easier to solve.

Bedding, when human pressure is involved, (like gun season) is usually the thickest, nastiest, most impenetrable thickets on the property. Set up down wind of these areas. 

Try to sit as still as possible. Turn your head slowly, as you scan with your eyes. Move in slow motion when you do move on stand. Deer are very good at picking out motion. 

And as some have said, public land is tough to hunt! It will take patience and dedication to detail to be consistently successful hunting there. But it CAN be done! Learn something with every trip afield! Soon, it all starts to come together. It's not as complicated as it seems at first.

My public land bucks are definitely my most prized ones. They will be for you too. Hang in there. It will happen.

[Nomad]

26 minutes ago, Hank said:

Yes, I went out last weekend (got up really early at 5) again, but saw no deer. It is definitely not as easy as seen on TV or Youtube.

Ever see the “ Hot / Crazy matrix about women ? Well deer hunting it’s, Land / Time Matrix . Good land ( lots of deer ) and lots in time makes for the easiest hunting , poor land and little time the hardest . So increasing  one or both will help a lot . 

Now let everyone you know ,you starred hunting but finding land is hard , that’s about all you have to say , most will not be of help , but you’ll find you’ll get and offer from out of the blue at times.

I was in a gift shop in Fla, my brother in law asked how last deer season was, when a lady near by said “ I wish someone will come kill the deer on my farm.”

I asked where she lived , “ Iowa ! “ the best deer hunting state around  ! we talked but I never followed through . Another time an insurance adjuster was at the house ,saw that I hunted , by the time he left, I had his card and permission to hunt his land in Steuben county .

I have a card in my truck right now ,from a guy I used to work with, ran into him at a tire shop, he  wrote his number on Firestone’s card , said he inherited his father in laws camp and to come anytime .

Spread the word , you might be surprised.