Junior Member
Thanks all! Agreed next season I’ll set up a tree stand. As for my last ditch chance this weekend is 1 deer for an all day sit at the tail end of the rut an unproductive site and will the slightly disturbed buck return in a week? Best guesses? Or should I just go back to my favourite way to hunt (still hunting) or are whitetails too spooky? Appreciate this thread!!
Bushwhacker
^^^^I bow hunt with a recurve, I have to be 20 yards or less...not easy still hunting with a bow on WT because they are so cagey but once I spotted a couple bedded from 70 yards away and was able to close the distance to 20 yards (still didn't successfully get a shot off) but to close that 50 yard distance it took me over an hour..thrilling hunt though...
enjoying the place
Make your blind more of a house shoe shape and try to set it up so nothing can come from behind and helps break up your outline (use large trees, a bunch of regen etc.) Obviously move slow and steady. If you are raising your bow and buck is watching, I find that keeping raising it will work just as much as lowering it, its all movement. As long as it is slow and steady.Originally Posted by VI Hunter
As for seeing deer, I sat in a ground blind for this year for 46 hours and saw 5 deer; doe/fawn, fawn and two bucks, on of which I shot. During the November season of sitting, I usually see 4-7 deer for 40+ hours of sitting. While still hunting the timber, I will see 4-7 deer in a day, but trying to still hunt AND kill a deer with a crossbow is a real challenge. That's why I sit.
Tree stand or ground blind, which ever you chose, make sure that you set it up early enough that the deer get used to it. I don't really brush mine in; I usually just set it up where it offers the best shot at an animal with the prevailing winds. Set it up early enough and the deer will get used to it. Although, this year, I gambled as I found a great spot with deer moving through a funnel between a road and swamp. So I gambled, went and grabbed a blind from another spot, set it up and cleared a shooting lane in the dark. Set up my buddy there the next morning and half an hour later he killed a good buck chasing a doe. So sometimes thinking outside the box and gambling will pay off.....sometimes
If there is one thing I have learned playing this game is that you have to be fluid and be ready to change as they don't follow any rule book.
Cheers
SS
Originally Posted by 358mag
Pack Mule
After pouring over much inventory, a couple members of our crew headed out for a few days, prepared for some long sits dark to dark if necessary. Got to camp and a couple guys got things set up while I grabbed another partner and went to swap out a few cards from our numerous camera sites. Pulled in to the first spot and found there was someone there, who had walked my tracks in on the snow and set up over my site. While annoying, it's crown land and people are free to hunt where they want. Gut pile chasers have become the norm in busy areas like this. My partner and I had a chuckle and just carried on. We've seen this story play out a time or two.
The cards showed a bunch of the usual suspects and a couple new bucks had showed up. We were getting lots of daytime activity although some sites that were slower in previous years were much busier now and vice versa with some of the more tried and true sites being a little slower. Nevertheless, my partners had daylight videos of target bucks on all our sites so anticipation was high. I was still looking for a buck to hang my hat on however.
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."
Pack Mule
The bully buck was frequenting a different spot than previous years, although we had him in daylight on a couple different spots.
Last edited by HighCountryBC; 12-05-2020 at 11:54 AM.
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."
Pack Mule
This guy made his first appearance on the evening of the 23rd and quickly made the No Shoot List for this season as he has a lovely frame and length. Pretty sure I have him from 2018 and 2019 as a youngster but I need to review some older cam footage. He would make a daylight appearance the next day...
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."
Pack Mule
After a couple days our game pole was getting a little heavy. Left enough room to get the fourth tag filled a few hours later.
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."
Pack Mule
We had success and killed some good bucks but the lesson here is that it wasn't random or luck. I have cameras out 24/7/365 in most places and am always reviewing the inventory. I know who most of the bucks are (there are always random flyers that show up during the peak of the rut) and the locations of our sites and timing of our sits is calculated.
I still hear from guys who swear the length of season or antlerless opening is killing off the whitetail. This spot is one of the busiest in Region 8 and we've got great numbers of deer showing up at all of our spots. Hearing gun shots from the blind is common throughout the day but whitetails just keep going about their business and do what they do best - thrive in busy areas.
Will be doing a cam pull next week and follow with an update.
"The farther one gets into the wilderness, the greater is the attraction of its lonely freedom."
Mule Skinner
Good job Highcountry
I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with keyboards and forums. - F L Wright
Try and be kind to everyone but fear no one. - Ourea
Bushwhacker
^^^^look forward to it....I agree they're amazing survivors....I too have a cam in a busy area of reg 8 but the area still holds good WT...
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