Need help with public land deer
01-01-2017, 08:37 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 866
Ok I am new to whitetail hunting and am not having much luck. I hunt a Army base that holds a lot of deer. It gets a fair amount of pressure. It is over 40,000 acres. I have concentrated on a couple sections of approx. 40-60 acres. I am seeing lots of deer signs, but very few deer. Been hunting from the ground. In the mornings setting up on food plot ( no luck, seems to be a lot of acorns in deep wood). But the plots do have good signs of being used. Then scouting around in middle of the day. I have found bedding areas, places they are getting acorns, nice rubs and plenty of scat.
I need all the advice I can get!! Not sure where to set up and sit, or if I should just keep moving around? My 11year old son likes to go with sometimes, so moving around can be noisy. Have been doing my best to keep wind to my face and being quiet.
What am I doing wrong or what should I do different?
Thanks
Roger
I need all the advice I can get!! Not sure where to set up and sit, or if I should just keep moving around? My 11year old son likes to go with sometimes, so moving around can be noisy. Have been doing my best to keep wind to my face and being quiet.
What am I doing wrong or what should I do different?
Thanks
Roger
Put away your deer gun and get out your shotgun for squirrel and rabbits. NOW take your son with you and do your DEER SCOUTING for NEXT YEAR.
All that sign you are seeing, any of that stuff could be laying there for a month. Ignore it and look for deer. There is no better deer sign than seeing deer. Where the deer are right now is where the deer will be next year AFTER OPENING DAY of the season and THIS IS THE STUFF AND THE TIME YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING YOUR KIDS. Not opening day in a spot you heard about from a guy who USED to hunt there. That's not hunting or learning to hunt.
01-01-2017, 08:41 AM
#13
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 866
Thanks for the advice. I feel like its just a matter of time, but only being able to go on Saturdays limits my time.
Will be taking my son on his first active hunt ( he has just been an observer with me ) after Christmas. Would love to get him on a deer. He is getting his first shotgun for Christmas and doesn't know it.
Keep advice coming.
Will be taking my son on his first active hunt ( he has just been an observer with me ) after Christmas. Would love to get him on a deer. He is getting his first shotgun for Christmas and doesn't know it.
Keep advice coming.
Let me ask, have YOU ever killed a deer before?
01-01-2017, 08:46 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I believe if you read the OP again that he already answered your question. Please remember that YOU were a newbie at one time and didn't learn everything over night, so maybe it would be best to let up a little bit on the poor guy!
01-02-2017, 08:01 AM
#15
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 6
Hey jrbdad,
Glad to see you are getting into hunting. My first recommendation would to be get a tree stand. I haven't had much success hunting from the ground myself. I like to be up at least 25 ft up. It gives you a better view, sometimes deer can be around you and you just don't see them. My second recommendation is to target cross trails, this will double your opportunity of seeing deer, and something to consider is deer may be eating at the food plot at night due to the heavy pressure. I am not sure where you are from, but up in MN when we get heavy snow we just sit on the food source and the deer will come.
Hope this helps!
Jake
PS. I don't know what the regulations are on bases. Might have to have a climber.
Glad to see you are getting into hunting. My first recommendation would to be get a tree stand. I haven't had much success hunting from the ground myself. I like to be up at least 25 ft up. It gives you a better view, sometimes deer can be around you and you just don't see them. My second recommendation is to target cross trails, this will double your opportunity of seeing deer, and something to consider is deer may be eating at the food plot at night due to the heavy pressure. I am not sure where you are from, but up in MN when we get heavy snow we just sit on the food source and the deer will come.
Hope this helps!
Jake
PS. I don't know what the regulations are on bases. Might have to have a climber.
01-02-2017, 08:15 AM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
"I like to be up at least 25 ft up"
Cripes, I get nosebleed when I hit 15 feet up, LOL! 25' is awful high up and IMHO you don't need to get anywhere near that high, especially if you have a little cover around you so you don't stand out because deer will look up and don't believe anyone that says they won't.
Cripes, I get nosebleed when I hit 15 feet up, LOL! 25' is awful high up and IMHO you don't need to get anywhere near that high, especially if you have a little cover around you so you don't stand out because deer will look up and don't believe anyone that says they won't.
01-02-2017, 08:30 AM
#18
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 6
Personal preference. I like to be high up, when I first started hunting I would be in ladder stands so you are definitely right, you can have successful hunts 10 to 15 ft. I personally think in some situations 25 ft helps with scent control.
