Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Deer at dark?

Sunday evening as it was approaching last shooting light a group of 3 does and two fawns came in. One doe directly under my stand. I had no intention of shooting any of these deer but like them around for buck attractants and I might shoot one another time.

What do you do when you are ready to leave your stand and have deer around?

Just get down and bust them? I hate to give these old girls any more intel than they earn on their own. They never seem to forget anything. I would swear that one old doe recognizes my truck and walks around the woods looking for me blowing the whole time. I would really like to shoot her.

Since I was close to home I just waited them out and they wandered off eventually but I did jump them walking out.

I grunt like a feral hog. Our deer are used to them running them off.

I wait them out.

You could wait until they got a little farther away from the tree then try howling like a coyote. That should make them run but not associate that spot with human intrusion.

PLuck that.... I grunt like a pig or moo like a cow or bull...

I've tried the waiting game some.... ended up texting the wife to come drive over to the other side with headlights to run em off...I ain't got hours and hours to sit in the dark waiting.

Sometimes I've just lowered my bow on the haul rope and watched their reaction which surprisingly is minimal but encourages them to move on.

Got a rubber blunt? They sell em Then you can REALLY know when it is too dark 2 shoot.

I generally try to wait them out, but I've dropped an item from the pack, thrown a limb, etc, to get them to move.

I just try to avoid anything that will get them to focus directly on me, while still up in the stand.