Apparently I suck at hunting

I don't think you are a bad hunter. Part of hunting is just plain ol' dumb luck... being in the right place at the right time. The only way to guarantee success is be out scouting for weeks or months prior to the season in hopes of spotting the deer and then tracking their movements. But for most of us that just isn't a possibility, we have families and work. I think you can improve your chances by talking to other hunters you know and even asking in local gun shops/sporting good stores before season.

If there is lots of private land in your area, you might be able to build a relationship with a property owner... you know helping fix fences, bucking hay or whatever, that way they may let you hunt on their land. Anyhow, just some thought... I too am not the best hunter, I have friends that hunting is almost all they live for and they do very well, but it's really all they do other then work. They are willing to spend the money and time to pack in to remote areas for trophy size game and even then, they aren't always successful... there is still a certain amount of luck to hunting.

Anyhow, just my observations. Don't give up, to paraphrase... The worst day hunting is better then the best day working...

JohnnyOrygun

If your hunting hilly areas, as the sun warms in the morning thermals push air up hill. In the evening the reverse happens. Get on higher ground in the morning, and mid way in the evening.

Try to find a ridge that connects several hills. Preferably one with oaks and acorns.

A lot of deer move in the middle of the day, between 11 and 3.

I knew an old lady who lived on the property I hunted at one time. The deer always crossed an old garden when her "stories" started on TV in the afternoon, the time; 1 pm.

If you don't know how to find deer sign and trails; walk through the leaves for 50 or 60 feet, turn around and look where you walked. Deer trails look similar, after awhile you'll be able to spot them.

Find one, and set up where you can watch it. I've had good success leaning into the bases of trees. Cedars are great for this, if they are where you need them.

Don't give up, but don't think it's easy either. It's worth the effort whether you get one or not. Some of my best hunts just gave me chance to get away from it all and enjoy the moment.

HI, don't get discouraged. The most important thing is to keep a good attitude and a postive outlook. Get a topo map and study it and look for likely places or routes from one area to another. Hunting during the day is fine, the deer have to be somewhere, right? As far as backpacks go, I have a habit of trying to take the kitchen sink but try to take only what you'll use plus emergency items. Have fun and good luck!

I agree one hundred percent that it's all about being in the right place, at the right time...

The reason why you see it clear out in the afternoon is two fold. First, being in the field ALL day gets tiring quick. If it's warm out - being out in the heat with a bunch of gear on gets tiring even quicker. Hunters need a rest too - and lunch is as great a time as any to take a rest.
Second, it's not that deer magically disappear during the afternoon - but they have patterns to their movements within an area. What i've seen over the years - is they'll typically move from one area to another in the morning - and then back in the evening. Often times it's from an area of comfort towords food and back again.
This is where scouting a location comes in handy. If you know deer start at point A at one time of the day, and move to point B at another - and know the route which they tend to use, you can set up along that route - during that time they're expected to move.

For example:
Where I used to hunt, was a rather large (public) area. There were these areas called "refuge" land - where you could not hunt. These tended to be rather densely wooded and somewhat expansive. In the morning - deer would move from the cornfields on private land, through the public hunting land, and into these refuge areas. So - what we would do, is set up one person just inside the public land from the private farms, set up another person somewhere in the middle, and set up another right along the fence to the refuge. That only worked in the morning though. In the afternoon - if you saw something, chances are it would be a rather large grouping of deer (10-20+ at a time), and spotting 'em was complete random chance. In the afternoon/evening - if we posted up the same way, the guys in the back furthest from the "no fire" zone - wouldn't have a chance. By the time deer got to them, it would probably be too late to shoot. So - we'd post up in other areas along the side or in front of the no-fire zone.

The thing that you have to realize, is deer are generally creatures of habit. If you're in an area with a large herd - you will probably come across a virtual highway of a track that deer use over and over day in and day out. This isn't ALWAYS the case, and depending on your environment, those areas can be hard to find - but they are there if you look for 'em.
This is why you'll see several deer taken in the same area over a span of time - where as if you go 300 yards over, you might not ever even see anything to shoot at. My suggestion would be, go back to that area where you saw the evidence of deer taken - and look around. Look for the path that deer are taking through that area, and follow it. If you're talking about a valley with tall grass, once you get down there and start poking around - you can probably pick up a good well worn trail. That's exactly what you're looking for. You might even find several less worn trails through the same area that criss-cross eachother at various points, but all flow in the same general direction. That's paydirt!

Again, with the habit thing - being near a no-hunting zone is actually a good thing. Deer learn over time that they don't get shot at in certain areas, and will use those areas as cover if/when they feel threatened. Going back to where I used to hunt, i've seen a group of 10-12 deer about a 150 yards out from the "no fire" zone turn around and sprint all the way back over the fence as soon as the first shot went off. They're smarter then we give 'em credit for sometimes,but they can be predictable. My guess is where you saw deer were taken earlier - is along a route between "unsafe" and "safe" territory. If you can figure out a good place to use that to your advantage, it will go a long way.

As far as the no-scent detergent thing - your best bet is one of the hippie-dippie all natural detergents. If you have a whole foods, trader joe's,or target near by, look for "seventh generation". What you're looking for is no-scent, but more importantly - no phosphates. Aside from being bad for the environment - in certain situations it apparently makes you "glow" to a deer's vision, and stand out like a sore thumb. Your better bet would probably be something like the nikwax or rivivex tech-wash. These are made specifically for water resistant clothing. They'll remove funk and dirt - but not destroy your waterproofing the way regular detergent will, and won't leave behind funny smells. It's more like a powerful rinse then a wash. They're a bit more expensive, but you don't have to use 'em very often.

6 or 7 dead deer carcasses, and a few fresh ones?

Your in the woods, no better way to spend the day. I like a camping stool for a new area, then put up a ladder stand if it is legal.

My three best bucks came between 10:00 and 15:00 hours, 8pt., 8pt. with pistol and a wide 6 pt.

Hey Drake, Like others have said, luck plays a big part in deer hunting. And btw they call it hunting and not shopping. Everyone has to pay their dues and put in hours and hours sometimes to just "see" a deer. Just look at it this way you are enjoying the great outdoors and might come home with some nice tasting venison. Be patient, persistent, and most of all be vewy,vewy qwuiet!!

Deer smarten up real quick, at least the older, wiser ones. After a few shots in the area, they probably headed back to Shenandoah National Park (where hunting is illegal). They'll often change their habits after being pursued. You absolutely need to keep track of air movement.

NCsmitty

Brother, don't get discouraged.

I live in the country in Southern Indiana. We have some big deer. I hunt on several properties farm lands and woods with several creeks in the areas. I have been hunting these areas for several years. Last year and this year the deer have been few and far between. I put 4 in the freezer last year and have 3 so far this year(2 donated). Some will say that is a good season, but for the hours I spend out I should have a full freezer. The #s of deer are not like they have been in the past. Partly because of poachers and partly due to deer still running at night for the most part.:banghead:

All previous post are full of helpful hints. Its rarely easy like on T.V. If it was they would call it killing not hunting

All in all be safe and enjoy

Dont feel bad this is my first year hunting. I love it, and havent even gotten one yet. I bought a used bow at the begining of the season and couldnt put it down. My 3rd trip out I finally saw a small doe and a spike buck. I figured more would come into range, as I heard a lot of movement. I had a perfect shot on the spike buck, but passed. I have only had one other shot since (and have gone out a dozen times.) when I did get that 2nd shot, that mornig I had refletched my arrows with smaller veines, and did not check to see if they shot different. Well, they shot a lot different. I shot 6" high and grazed the does back, she ran off,and I havent seen a deer since. HAng in there. It will happen. I have realized its just a waiting game. All that said, I still love it and get so excited before a hunt I can barley sleep. Good luck! I get to go out tomorrow with a friend who leases some land near by, I get to take my shotgun. Hopefully I will get my chance.

Or...maybe there really are just fewer deer in those places where people are
finding fewer deer. If everyone takes 3-4 deer/year and more hunters are
added to the same area who also take 1-4 deer, then you will have...guess
what? Fewer deer. Deer naturally balance to the food resources available
in their habitat. They don't re-balance by supposedly over-reproducing
above and beyond that natural balance in advance to compensate for more
and more hunters being added every year. If deer are "harvested" reducing
their population far below that natural threshhold, then how long does it take
for them to get back to that balance?

In any case, tell me more about the carcasses that were just left sitting there?

It sounds like you were in the right area to find deer --they were just dead for
some reason. Had they been shot?

It sounds like you are in a good environment, but it is suffering from very
poor management by other people also hunting the area.

It takes some experience.

It's a process, not a destination. You'll get more successful as you stay with it.

Here's my deer from yesterday. I've been hunting this little piece of land for....30 years. It gets a little better every year. Deer really coming back. I use game cams and run them all year to keep up with what is going on. Makes the hunt longer and more fun.

Here's the deer I was after.

Blew it by shooting the other. He's still out there. At least three trophy bucks in the area.

Note the blood on his back tines on the left in one photo. Still fighting and fighting hard. Only a buck his size would dare fight him.

What killed the deer that you saw by the river? Hemmoragic fever has killed a lot of deer here and it's taken a toll in the east in the last few years. Many of the deer die near water, the disease makes them thirsty and they end up dying there and then the deer tick, the vector, move to other deer when they come for water.
You've got to spend a lot of time in the woods prior to hunting, there are areas where there are deer and places there aren't for many reasons. Also deer are smart, when firearms seasons start they move away from the noise and pressure into areas where there is no hunting.

yeah whats up with all the deer carcasses?

Dont feel bad, i'm in the same place you are. If youre feeling discouraged, take an old shotgun and go blast some little critters . thats what i always do when i get distracted.

Note the blood on his back tines on the left in one photo. Still fighting and fighting hard. Only a buck his size would dare fight him.

Click to expand...

I don't see any blood.

well, after finishing my 40th year as a hunter, who by the way, also did not bring home an animal, i can assure you of this. there are going to be bad years when hunting. hence, the name. it is not called "harvesting" it is called hunting.
the only guys i know that consistently bring home deer, are guys who have farm leases, or freinds that are farmers who let them hunt on their farms. i am not saying that a great hunter can not come home most years with a deer from the wild. it is just way more dififcult than farm hunting.
when you hunt out in their element, they have the upper hand. not only do they have way better senses (hearing, smell, sight, etc) but they know every nook and cranny of every inch of their turf. you are simply a visitor.
i have had spells where i have brought home deer 6 years in a row. but i have also has times where i have not brought home a deer for at least five, and maybe more.
you just have to take it in stride. i am now disabled, and it really limits what i can do, and how i hunt. but i am not giving up, yet. there will come a time where i know i can no longer make this work, no matter how bad i want it. i just hope i can teach my kids how to hunt before that day comes.
just keep plugging along, chances are, next year will be better. and, you can help yourself. get ahold of some good books, and see where you can improve your skills. also, try to spend more time in the woods where you will be hunting next year. that way, you can find some of those hiding places that the deer know about.

"...Your in the woods, no better way to spend the day..." Exactly. The best nap I've ever had was while sitting under a tree in the bush. It's not about how much game you harvest. Just being out there is good.
You enjoy your time hunting?

DDrake, I've had great luck over the years hunting from 9 in the morning till 4 or so. Lots more deer move when spooked by other hunters going in for lunch than in the mornings!

We were told when we were young that a deer was the result of a hunt. NOT the reason for it. And a bad day in the woods beats a good day at work, every time.

Baking soda will work better than new and fangled no scent detergents and for a lot less money.

Do not fill up the vehicle with fuel ( gas or diesel) wearing footwear for the woods. The fuel fumes are in the asphalt and get onto soles of foot wear.
Use soap and water ( Ivory bar soap with a tooth brush, or dishwashing soap like Palmolive) to remove fuel smells from footwear, and follow up using Baking Soda.

Naturally avoid Kerosene for the same reason.

Al Thompson and I agree on times.

Let other hunters that go in for lunch , do some of the work for you as they come out more noisy for lunch than they went in that morning to [strike] sleep [/strike] hunt...

None of us suck at hunting, some of us just suck at finding Hang in there!