Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Help getting to my stand, please

Looks like I'm going to have to take up golf. Not only does this deer hunting stuff seem overly complex but now I have to give up meat during deer season.

Nope, just hunt the wind. Take a look at vintage deer camp photos, you will see no camo, no scent-lock, pipes, cigars, woodsmoke, beer, gas lanterns, and all sorts of smelly things (including the men. Most bathed seldom). You will also see a dozen bucks and does hanging in the background. Hunt the wind.

Check the backgrounds on Pa vintage Deer pics and most times you can't find a tall tree. They didn't have woods, they had never ending mountains of regenerating forest and perfect Deer habitat and more Deer than they knew what to do with. Fires were pretty much allowed to run their course. I knew some of those boys and their Deer hunting was the Golden Age of Deer hunting in Pa. it was much different than our hunting today. You can't compare the two. Hunting the wind wasn't the reason for their success. An excess of Deer played a bigger part.

You're right, you can't. Deer were nearly hunted to extinction in some parts. Market hunting was a big reason and no seasons. There are more deer here now, than when Columbus landed!

I'm not referencing the entire U.S. However, if you think there are more Deer in the Pa mountains of today than there were in the 1920's-1950's, you probably also believe in global warming. Because you believe everything you read.

Ever wonder why the Pa game pole pics of today rarely equal the ones of the 20-50's. You need to wonder a little more.

Hunted Pike,Wayne ,Potter and Tioga counties in the 70's and 80's sounded like a battlezone, there were a ton of deer everywhere. My friend who lives near State College experienced the same thing.

Deer are really tame at the zoo. I think it's those quarter machines full of corn or pellets that helps them to become tame.

I kid. If you've never had one spook from your scent, you're either extremely lucky or know how to play the wind like a mo fo!

Dang it anyway!

I had a boss that used to hunt Idaho with some resident guys. He told me about the crazy azz diets these guys would go on a couple of months prior to hunting season all in the name of scent control. I can't remember what they ate but it was some weird s hit!


To the OP:

Knee high rubber boots sprayed down with Scent Killer has worked for me.

And there were more in the 50-60's. Today there isn't 1/100 of those years past. In the 60's we would see 100 plus per day in Warren and Forest. 100 and you may see a 3inch spike or a few small forks. Spotting at night you quit counting. There were too many for the habitat. Of course they were few and far between below I80.

Grouse were like ticks today. The old Boys talked about 40-50 flushes per day just walking down the trails. No need to bust into the thick stuff. Then again if you believe yesterday was the same as your today, you never will get it. The world never cooled and warmed in the past, it's all about today.

If you like those old deer camp photos, here is a collection.

http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsoci...e-gallery-page/vintage-pics?page_id=2661

Bruce

Very cool, thank you. Been a while since I saw a vintage quad-runner like that.....

If i thought I needed a zip line to hunt a spot, I think I'd find another spot😊

It was a unique situation. I set it up in summer for a winter hunt.

I have seen mixed reactions to deer crossing my trail from none to bolting and snorting. Some of the best hunters I have seen are the Kalahari Bushman many have never had a bath in their life. When Bow hunting I was more conscious of scent than for rifle hunting. I have used Fox pee, skunk, cedar, deep woods off, sage and doe scents with differing results. Campfire smoke seems to work well and is universal.I have also intentionally stepped on every cow pie I run across and done the same thing soaking my boots in an Elk wallow to mask scent. This makes you real popular in the truck later.

One hunter I read about was trying for a big buck that only would be seen off season. Apparently a vehicle would spook it so the hunter road a mountain bike in one day and got the deer. Might be worth trying and with a cart would be a great way to get a big deer out especially if down hill.

Farm tractor works too.

We have 600 acres in Woodville MS, hunting pressure is our biggest problem. It took us years to learn this. NOISE is bad for our property. We stopped using 4 wheelers during deer season, except to remove a dead deer that is deep in the woods. We bought a old quiet 4 wheel drive truck and everyone gets put out via the truck. It has made a huge difference. You keep making constant noise on our place AND you will see/kill small young bucks only BTDT.

As for scent, I agree with Skane, I have used all kinds of scents and the last 12 years I just hunt as clean as I can. That includes scent control at the camp, my hunting gear and clothes don't stay in the camp with all the food smells etc...

Also I use knee high Rubber boots only, and for cold weather I put on boot blankets.

And last, ALWAYS hunt the wind, never get in a stand with a bad wind and funk up the area.

You're always going to alert some deer while moving through the woods. I would think that on public ground, the movement of other hunters would be more of a factor than the stink you make going in. Unless the deer are taking the same path to your spot you do, I don't see a problem. It also occurs to me that a sweaty guy hiking half-nekked is going to lay down more stink than if he was covered up a bit.

Like somebody said, only hunt your spot on a good wind, and try very hard not to alert any deer with sound or sight while you're there. Hunting in the rain, when possible, would be a good strategy too.

During hunting season, deer encounter hunter scent all the time. It might put them on alert, but they don't go running off in a panic every time they run across a spot where somebody peed, or leaned on a tree. If they did, they'd die from nervous exhaustion. Unless your area is a very small one, with "safe zones" nearby the deer can flee to for the duration, the deer will deal with hunter pressure by lying low and going nocturnal. When that happens, it's the movement of other hunters that's going to run something past your stand, and they'll likely be moving quickly, so you've got to stay alert and be ready to shoot.

Good post Pappy

You know when I was young and inexperienced I used to worry about all this crap. Either move the stand or walk to it and live with the situation. However if there is a cattle farm near where you hunt? I have been told if you rub your body with cow pie the deer won't know your there