Question about being busted by deer vs just not seeing them

[bowhuntntxn]

All the sent control in the world is ruined when you sit on your four wheeler, and the exhaust blows all over you. And even with the wind in your face, it is blowing all over you. How big is the place you are hunting? That could determine if the deer you see on camera are just passing through, or actually live on your place. Early and late sightings indicates that your area is a feeding area and not a bedding area.

Walk the fence lines and glass the edges as far as you can see. It will cost you a couple of hunts, but finding where they enter the place, and the most likely route to your feeders could pay off huge.

[bowhuntntxn]

And a pair of these in your back pack will. Help tremendously with the cold feet issue!

http://www.cabelas.com/footwear-accessories-icebreaker-insulated-boot-blanket-overboots-1.shtml

[TxAg]

BigThicket...thanks for the advice, but that ain't happening. I tried golf once, I'm pretty sure I could make a better score if they'd let me shoot at the ball with my rifles....308 for a driver, 17 for a putter, I bet I could get closer to the hole with less shots than I can with clubs. As far as getting high up in a tree....that won't work either, the whole place is almost nothing but cedars and the few bigger trees don't have many places to hang a stand, although I do have a couple of tree stands set, but about 10-15 feet is as high as I can get them, and even then, they're not really set up as well as I would like, just limited options with these trees.

EastTx, I do have a loud truck, but only take my 4 wheeler to the field anymore. It's louder than some because it's a continuously variable automatic transmission, so the motor stays at a higher RPM than it would if I could shift into a higher gear and drop the RPM down. I have different parking areas, but they are generally at least a couple hundred yards away from the blind, and recently, I've been parking even further away, like 400-600 yards away I'm guessing.

TxAg, thanks, I may try hunting a trail with no bait other than a block and a camera that's been there for a few months and the deer have been hitting it every day (or evening/night/morning rather, they show up about dark and stay until about daylight), but I always hand corn there to get them to stop where I need them to, maybe I'll try it without the corn. I have tried the smoke from the camp fire with no luck, and today I went in as normal, as I had Kaitlin with me and she had come straight from work yesterday, no scent free routine at all, no luck.

Roland, I'll give the rubber boots a shot too, I wonder if my neoprene duck waders would work. They ain't real comfy, but the're warm, and they'll ad a thin layer of padding for me to sit on. I just have a hard time paying for insulated rubber boots, and I need the insulation, my feet get COLD when it's chilly out and I'm not moving, I currently wear Danner Pronghorns with 800 grams of Thinsulate and they still get cold. The lease manager was telling me about a month ago that he has started putting small kitchen trashbags over his boots and holding them up with a small bungee cord just beneath his knees and said it seemed to help keep them from busting on his trail.

Thanks to all, keep the ideas coming. My main question was whether or not it's common for deer to catch scent of a human and just ease off instead of blowing like a shop-vac in reverse and leaving nothing but a dust cloud. I don't think it's just me either, because nobody on the lease has seen much, but we all have shot at least one deer, I'm the only one with two recovered deer. I'm just getting tired of feeding deer I never see, and hearing about guys passing on deer for whatever reason, and seeing deer every sit, when I'm just the opposite, if I SEE a deer, much less get a shot, it's been a good hunt.

To answer your question, yes I think it is common for deer to "avoid" humans by easing off rather than going through the whole snort and stop routine.

[klepdo]

I think deer know when we are there.

[lameduck]

It may be the4 wheeler that is warning them that you are there. I have watched deer at our lease while I am sitting in my tower stand hunting. A tuck could drive by 300yds away and they would just look up and then go back to what they were doing. If a 4 wheeler or ranger gets within 600 yds they freeze up and then haul a** as fast as they can!!!!

^^^^^^ This

[wlfhound27]

Get away from the feeder. It should be for early and late season, as in the last few weeks of hunting. Thats my rule anyways. Hand corn some spots and stay off the 4 wheeler. Rubber boots or scentblocker boots. Thats what I wear. One thing I have done different is Nose Jammer. It has been really effective because some trails I cant avoid to walk down. Just spray on your boots and in your blind. It works!

[HeyMikey]

Is anybody else on your lease having the same problems, or is it just you? If it's just you, your luck will eventually change. It it's everybody.............time for a new lease, IMO.

[txfireguy2003]

Thanks for the tips guys. It's not just me, but I'm beginning to think it's time for a new lease anyway. These deer are just too danged smart.

[Daniel75]

Thanks for the tips guys. It's not just me, but I'm beginning to think it's time for a new lease anyway. These deer are just too danged smart.

I think all of the above responses and I wouldn't go back there. If it was a day lease at one time, that's a LOT of pressure. I do also believe that momma teaches baby how to avoid human contact and it sounds like you hit a herd that's both smart and still skittish. I think the 4 wheeler has alot to do with it. I would just find a new spot if I were you. It might take another 3, 4, 5 years to lower the pressure meter on them?? It sounds like the deer have an excellent safety routine to know when you're there and when you're not. The place I hunted in Montague Co this year has zero hunting pressure and I still watched those smart momma does use ravines and ditches as cover when traveling, like woods ninjas. I have been where you're at (going time and time again and not seeing any deer) and it will mentally destroy your will to hunt and your morale. I feel for you, I've seen you post on here about it several times. Sometimes you gotta know when to cut your losses....seems like you're paddling upstream at that lease.

[EastTx]

EastTx, I do have a loud truck, but only take my 4 wheeler to the field anymore. It's louder than some because it's a continuously variable automatic transmission, so the motor stays at a higher RPM than it would if I could shift into a higher gear and drop the RPM down. I have different parking areas, but they are generally at least a couple hundred yards away from the blind, and recently, I've been parking even further away, like 400-600 yards away I'm guessing.

.

Going off your original post I would say the deer hear you coming. Get someone to drop you off or walk in from out of ear shot of your area. I like to get in the stand early and on my lease I can tell exactly who's hunting by listening to them drive in on four wheelers and utvs. I don't think it is the noise of the vehicle running that alerts deer because I have watched deer ignore passing trucks and four wheelers. It is when that truck or four wheeler suddenly stops nearby and the motor is killed when they go on full alert. If I can hear it you know the deer hear it and know what's going on. Just my opinion. Good luck.

[gigem95]

Thanks for the tips guys. It's not just me, but I'm beginning to think it's time for a new lease anyway. These deer are just too danged smart.

We must be on the same lease! It's frustrating. I know because I'm going through exact same thing. I have same experience with hand corn. They never hit it while I'm there. My only thoughts are like above, try to trick them. Change your route to stand frequently. Having someone drop you off is even better. I've started moving away from feeder but maybe not far enough. As far as hunting trails it's tough when you hunt the " big woods" and there are trails everywhere. Hang in there.

[Tylerbost33]

Man I'm having the same problems. It used to be rare to get skunked out at my place, not its rare to go out and see anything.

[txfireguy2003]

It's good to know that we're not the only ones. I also kind of wonder about the hunting pressure around us. We are bordered on the south by HWY 29 and commercial property across the road, but to the west and north I know is hunted, just not sure how hard, and the east is residential properties, small acreage but not a subdivision. Occasionally hear a rifle shot or two from various directions, but frequently (like almost every sit) I will hear rapid fire, like somebody out plinking with handguns and maybe an AR or something. There is also the Burnet Co SO firing range on the south east border of the property, but these other shots come from other directions and I've never seen a vehicle at that range. I would think the deer would be used to the shots by now though, it seems to be an every weekend occurance.

I will try the walk in method though. Come to think of it, one of the guys shot a deer a few weeks back, and everyone was making fun of him because he parked so far away, like nearly a mile, maybe that's the golden ticket. I do know that these dang deer know I can't shoot them at night though, because not too long ago, I had parked my 4 wheeler closer than normal for some reason, can't remember what it was, but anyway, when I crawled out of the blind, I shined my light over in the direction of my 4 wheeler, and at first I thought they were sitting on it waiting for me, but they were about 20 yards past it in the dark....and they barely trotted off when I got on it and rode away, ticked off. It was like they were taunting me.

[Right_wing]

Stands can be overhunted really easy. It's nice when you can have enough stands to only hunt one every few days.

I think deer figure us out pretty quick when going to and from a feeder/stand twice a day. I think this is one reason people have such good luck with handcorning. If you can have 6 or 8 stand locations and hand feed it a couple days or so before hunting it, I think your luck may improve. A forecast of wind direction will tell you which stands to hunt and when to corn them.

Good luck

I agree with those above about 4-wheelers have negative affect on deer.

[lonestararcher]

if you have a gravity protein feeder they may be eating all night and avoiding it during the day. Plug up your protein feeders during deer season so they hit the corn feeders more often.