Need a new strategy

[Bayou Stalker]

Ok, I need some input from you guys. I have been hunting an 80 acre plot for the last 10 hunts, 3 of which were practically all day hunts. I walked up on a doe and yearling, and almost got a shot off, on my first outing and thought I had it made. I haven't seen a deer since and I'm thinking of giving up on this patch of land. There are about 6 or 7 main trails that were cleared with a bulldozer and planted with rye grass as well in an attempt to keep them in the 80 acre patch. There are tons of tracks on the trails, where they are crossing. The woods are a thick 15 year old pine timber with some scattered hard woods. The underbrush is very thick outside of the trails. We have 6 stands and a blind setup, and 3 trail cameras. Except for a couple mid-day movements, the cameras are showing movement almost exclusively 45 minutes before and after daylight. The woods are surrounded by rye grass owned by someone else too. We have not identified their bedding area and suspect that it deep in the thick woods. Am I wasting my time here until the rut, or have I just not done enough crawling into the thick underbrush?

Thanks
Kendall[/img]

[FredBear]

Id move your cameras closer to their beds. Not to close but think of where they are coming from in those 45 minutes before your getting your pictures. It sounds like you have some good time on your hands. You may need to spend more time watching and less time hunting before the rut kicks in. If you just get into a good positon to glass your area, and scout that way. You can cover a lot of ground that way. That's what I would do. Good luck!

[GA.crossbowhunt]

i would put it in or near the hard woods. also if you have any water or creeks near by see were they are crossing from thier. you also say its a old planted pine area. and look for a old or a new fire beak, deer love to walk down them

[Limbs and Sticks]

KENDALL FIND A PLACE WHERE TWO OR MORE TRAILS COME TOGETHER. DON'T WORRY ABOUT MOURNING OR EVENING HUNT, DEER DO MOVE MID DAY I'VE DONE WELL BETWEEN 10AM / 2PM PUT THE WIND IN YOUR FAVOR.GO GET A FEW I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT

WES

[TPM]

I think you're pressuring the bush way too hard. How many guys are going in at a time? Staying out all day? You've driven the deer nocturnal. They don't feel safe moving during the day. Stay out of their heavy cover and certainly stay out of their bedding areas.

[FredBear]

Why would sitting out all day drive the deer away?

[dutchhunter]

sitting all day in one spot can drive the deer to move at night.as the wind shifts thru the day as the day warm up the wind will change .remember the deer see us many more times then we see them most time we do not even know we were busted .small tracks of land are hard to hunt.somtimes the deer can know you are coming 200yards before you even get near the bush my 2 cents DUTCH

[vixenmaster]

ok lets get to basic deer hunting 101 here. the deer showing movement just before dark and abit after sunrise. if they are not bedding on the 80 acres. find the trails the lead to their bedding area. setup a stand to intercept them in the woods as they head to chow down. watch those trails

[FredBear]

sitting all day in one spot can drive the deer to move at night.as the wind shifts thru the day as the day warm up the wind will change .remember the deer see us many more times then we see them most time we do not even know we were busted .small tracks of land are hard to hunt.somtimes the deer can know you are coming 200yards before you even get near the bush my 2 cents DUTCH

This theory is hunting a stand under bad wind conditions. Not hunting all day. While I do agree with you that, if you hunt a stand with unfavorable wind conditions. You will get busted! I've made many all day stands with the wind in my favor every minute of the hunt. I don't think sittng all day is a bad thing at all. In my opinion its better. We often bump deer coming in and out of the woods. If you go in once and out once in a day. Its better than going in twice and out twice? That's my experiences anyway...

[pdislow]

old mossy horns may well check out the open areas quiet a while before he actually walks out near dark. from the down wind side of the opening and from just inside the woods not far at all. i have seen a few patrol the down wind side of a field for quiet a while first. good luck and be sure to post pics.