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Old 12-04-2013, 01:48 PM
Hanson Hanson is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 12
Default 0 for 5 and looking for advice

Hello all. I've been bow hunting for the past 5 years now and have been skunked each and every time. I know there are bucks in the area I hunt as I have multiple cameras up on a couple very well used trails and get beauty pictures of all sized bucks, one that has to be north of the 140s. I'm looking for different advice and tips I can use in the field. I currently am just a sitter, I find some thick cover along these trails and wait. I've tried different scent cover-ups thinking that might help, still nothing. The part that frustrates me the most is I know the pattern of the deer in this area very well but can't seem to capitalize. Every day I'm hunting it's almost as if their pattern changes, every time I pass the area early or late, to or from work, they are exactly where I expect them to be. Just wondering if there are any ideas that I can use next weekend to tag my first bow taken buck after 6 years of trying very hard. Thank you.
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Old 12-04-2013, 05:13 PM
calgarychef calgarychef is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,667
Default Frustrating

Do you use a treestand or ground hunting? Some folks have a hard time sitting absolutely still and this is important even up a tree. If you over hunt an area they will for sure figure YOU out. Try a little calling but don't over do it. A decoy is my secret weapon but its gotta be positioned right too.

Read books by the Wensel brothers, good info there. You deserve a deer after all these years.
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Old 12-05-2013, 08:47 AM
L.O.S.T.Arrow's Avatar
L.O.S.T.Arrow L.O.S.T.Arrow is offline
 
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Location: Wainwright
Posts: 4,499
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Hang in there it will come...if it was easy everyone would do it and is why we call it hunting not killing...

One can sit forever but it most likely wont do any good if wind is wrong, if your set up is wrong and you are skylined or stand out oviously and/or one is fidgety and moves a lot as mentioned above...

If its been five years with no shot something is wrong...

Find that funnel between feeding and bedding areas, and watch the wind which is very important...

Try a ladder stand..watch wind and being sky lined..provide back cover in stand...scent is better dissapated in stand but still is a factor...practise shooting from stand...

where is their water source...another good place to set up...they have to have water twice a day at least...


They have to bed mid day to process and digest food...

Early morning and late evening they will feed and water

Above is most effective early and pre-rut

During rut all bets are off and may be harder to pattern

couple factors to ponder...

Neil
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Old 12-05-2013, 10:22 AM
muzzy muzzy is offline
 
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Location: St. Albert, AB
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You say you know ipattern well and if you "drive" by they are where they should be. So in my opinion they obviously know you are there when you "walk" in to hunt or when sitting. Are you considering the wind direction carefully, especially from where you walk in to where they bed. Is your scent drifting right in on them so they know you are there and therefore avoid you. Consider this for both the walk in and where you sit to ambush. Perhaps as mentioned above you are fidgety when sitting They can pick off movement in a heart beat Maybe a ground blind can cover that up or a tree stand to get you above their line of site. Change your approach to your ambush spot, only hunt when wind direction is good. Turn off that AC/DC CD Hopefully a few suggestions

Gord
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Old 12-05-2013, 12:31 PM
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smith88 smith88 is offline
 
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Sounds like they are winding you to me because for them to see you move (if that is what is spooking them) you PROBABLY should have at least seen or heard something. Make sure you are walking in quietly and before they are moving. When I first started bow hunting (and occasionaly still) deer busted me as I was going to sit.
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Old 12-08-2013, 10:33 AM
Hanson Hanson is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 12
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Thanks for the tips I will be trying some of those ideas next year.
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