Pressured Deer Are EASY To Pattern

[Cajun shooter]

Like gg pointed out a few posts back too is you can't make the deer go where you want them to be, you have to slip in on the fringe of where they are and finess them into the hand corn piles. Look at Google and bing maps too and see if there are any acorn flats between drains that you can slip into quietly.

I take corn with me to the stand and sling it out every hunt... usually a big crown royal sack full bc it's quiet.... then Sunday after our last hunt I'll come dump 50 lbs out on ground and spread it thin. They eat it up in a few days but will keep coming back to check if u do it weekly...


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If you look at any map of this property all you see is tree tops. You can look at a topo map and see where the contours are but that just helps a little. I've tried following the creeks but I'd have to go in there in the summer and clear out all the roots, trees and yaupon to be able to use it to travel quietly.

I do carry corn mixed with rice bran in one of the umbrella chair bags every time I hunt an area but they don't find it for a few days and it's gone in about two days.

I really think the best next step is going to be putting out hundreds of pounds of corn so it will last till the next weekend.


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[jimmyjams4110]

I just found this thread yesterday, what a pleasure to read the stories and helpful tips to bagging pressured mature bucks. Thank you Garguy, Jooger, Captain, and others for contributing.

Just started bow hunting three years ago, fishing was always and still is my passion but now I share the same love for spending quiet mornings 30' up with my bow. SHNF is my stomping grounds, would be great to share lunch or beer with any of you if you're ever down.

Couple of questions for the deer whisperers for public land hunting.
How often do you feel comfortable hitting the same area, ? days in a row, once every week, or once a season?

If you are ever winded, would you go back? and how much time would you give it?

Just today, decided to do some scouting with gun in hand before work since it was a week day and I knew I wouldn't be around anybody else and possibly mess up their hunt. Found an almost impenetrable thicket with a bunch of buck sign on the back edge of it. I did jump three doe during my 1.5 mile walk back there though. Would you feel comfortable hunting there the next day or would you wait a while? I'm sure I left scent walking all around. Wind would not be ideal tomorrow, just a theoretical question if it was. I did run into a beast of a boar down there, hiding behind a bush, staring straight at me, while growling... Was nice to have the rifle this time around, proceeded to quickly put a hole in that guy through the bush. He didn't have a good day today.

Again, thank you Garguy for such a brain storming thread, best yet on this forum for me.

[jooger17]

I just found this thread yesterday, what a pleasure to read the stories and helpful tips to bagging pressured mature bucks. Thank you Garguy, Jooger, Captain, and others for contributing.

Just started bow hunting three years ago, fishing was always and still is my passion but now I share the same love for spending quiet mornings 30' up with my bow. SHNF is my stomping grounds, would be great to share lunch or beer with any of you if you're ever down.

Couple of questions for the deer whisperers for public land hunting.
How often do you feel comfortable hitting the same area, ? days in a row, once every week, or once a season?

If you are ever winded, would you go back? and how much time would you give it?

Just today, decided to do some scouting with gun in hand before work since it was a week day and I knew I wouldn't be around anybody else and possibly mess up their hunt. Found an almost impenetrable thicket with a bunch of buck sign on the back edge of it. I did jump three doe during my 1.5 mile walk back there though. Would you feel comfortable hunting there the next day or would you wait a while? I'm sure I left scent walking all around. Wind would not be ideal tomorrow, just a theoretical question if it was. I did run into a beast of a boar down there, hiding behind a bush, staring straight at me, while growling... Was nice to have the rifle this time around, proceeded to quickly put a hole in that guy through the bush. He didn't have a good day today.

Again, thank you Garguy for such a brain storming thread, best yet on this forum for me.

There's a million answers to your question. The easy answer comes with a question. Was it your target buck that winded you? If no proceed to hunt. If yes, I'd still go in and try it but your chances just fell off. He's probably not going to totally disappear from the area. He'll just be way more cautious.

As far as finding an area and hunting it, absolutely. If the sign is hot, get in and try it.

I'll hunt the same stand every day if it's set up correctly and the wind is right. The key to a spot like that is minimal detection. When I was hunting Lop Horn last year, I'd take a steel rake every couple of days and clear my trail in down to bare dirt so I could sneak in quietly.


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[AggieArcher]

I may have missed this awhile back, but why corn piles instead of just spreading it around? I'm setting up a spot off the beaten path this weekend with intention of hunting it thanksgiving week when lots of family will be at the ranch hunting feeders. The deer tend to start to shy away from feeders and respond well to handcorn for sure, just curious as to why the piles!

[NoFence]

I may have missed this awhile back, but why corn piles instead of just spreading it around? I'm setting up a spot off the beaten path this weekend with intention of hunting it thanksgiving week when lots of family will be at the ranch hunting feeders. The deer tend to start to shy away from feeders and respond well to handcorn for sure, just curious as to why the piles!

I'm no expert and I just kinda scanned these posts but my guess is so you can attract deer to a precise location. That way you've already got the yardage and you don't have to worry about finding a shooting lane or stopping them.

[Cajun shooter]

I may have missed this awhile back, but why corn piles instead of just spreading it around? I'm setting up a spot off the beaten path this weekend with intention of hunting it thanksgiving week when lots of family will be at the ranch hunting feeders. The deer tend to start to shy away from feeders and respond well to handcorn for sure, just curious as to why the piles!

Also I think it makes it easier for a deer to spot and smell from a distance when it's piled up. I know I can see it from a lot further away.


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[Backwoods101]

IMO the corn piles vs spreading it is for the more mature dominate bucks. I place the piles where I want the boss to feed while I spread it from the does and lesser bucks. Last time I hunted behind the house I saw the possession of the corn pile change 4 times, each time it was taken over by a larger more dominant buck. The last one won the prize, a brand new spitfire maxx!





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[jooger17]

I may have missed this awhile back, but why corn piles instead of just spreading it around? I'm setting up a spot off the beaten path this weekend with intention of hunting it thanksgiving week when lots of family will be at the ranch hunting feeders. The deer tend to start to shy away from feeders and respond well to handcorn for sure, just curious as to why the piles!

It's a dominance thing. The more mature deer prefer the piles. They can take them over easier and not have to share if they don't want to.


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[EastTexasMan]

Well if i pour a 50 lbs corn pile it just makes it easier for the pigs to suck up! I spread it to make em work for it lol


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[Gil67]

This is easierly the best thread I've read on here , and I've been lurking on here for several years . Garguy you should really consider writing a book, there's lots of information and tips that you could pass on plus all the story's

[Grndchecker]

Deer in different areas tolerate disturbance better than others.

One of my places I can go in the afternoon before and do whatever and not change anything that will happen the next morning. Vehicle traffic bothers these deer none.

The other place the deer are ultra sensitive to any intrusion including a vehicle. When we go there we usually arrive around 10pm and I would run around on the Ranger and grab camera cards that night and then we wouldn't see squat all weekend. Now we do not do not drive anywhere near stands at until the last day of the hunt to top off feeders. After the hunt Sat morning we will each slip down and change cards and slip out. This has made a huge difference.

I CANNOT convince most on my lease that driving their ATV's around and especially by my stands changes or can alter a mature buck's habits. I take the extra effort to get my areas set up early in the year and stay out. I try not to drive by unless I am spreading corn on the right of way for hunting. I also park a minimum of 300 yards away and walk in 30-45 minutes before daylight.
It burns me up to have my efforts ruined by people that think driving and parking their UTV under their stand doesn't hurt anything when they still see yearlings, does, and young bucks.
Sorry, rant over. I try to follow and try what I have learned from this thread. It works when used.

[bboswell]

Pressured Deer Are EASY To Pattern

I CANNOT convince most on my lease that driving their ATV's around and especially by my stands changes or can alter a mature buck's habits. I take the extra effort to get my areas set up early in the year and stay out. I try not to drive by unless I am spreading corn on the right of way for hunting. I also park a minimum of 300 yards away and walk in 30-45 minutes before daylight.

It burns me up to have my efforts ruined by people that think driving and parking their UTV under their stand doesn't hurt anything when they still see yearlings, does, and young bucks.

Sorry, rant over. I try to follow and try what I have learned from this thread. It works when used.

Like I said, this varies. I have one place that the best you can do is drive up to the base of the stand, let a hunter out and then let the deer watch you drive off. This bothers them far less than a hundred man walking through the middle of them and never leaving.

The other place just the shining of lights from a truck/ranger parked in the distance can cut sightings in 1/2

But your frustrations are exactly why I have no interest in getting on a big lease....

[U.S.ArmyRetired]

Do any of you guys use any grunting or bleat calls successfully? If so, which ones are the best? Or is it best to just sit back quietly and wait?

[JayB]

I grunted 2 in this am....gentle buck locators is all I have been doing. One came in rubbed a tree and stood on the downwind side of me. He was a youngster.

I am sure I am hunting, or thinking about hunting.

[JayB]

Using a True Talker grunt tube that is about 5 years old.

I am sure I am hunting, or thinking about hunting.