looking for advice

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Originally Posted by JUDGE

There is no great solution,
Except be where there are deer, you can hunt a long time and never be successful if there are no deer in your area.

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x2. Understanding deer density is important so that you can develop reasonable expectations. The key to hunting is being in the right place at the right time. Deer need food, cover and water. Locate where these areas are in your hunting area, then set up somewhere in the connection.

I also suggest that you read up on deer behaviour and apply what you’ve read to real world situations. Use aerial/satellite imagery in order to analyze the area. You should be able to pick out differences in habitat.

Keep at it and try to learn something every time you go out. Don’t forget to have fun.

depending on where you are hunting you might need to find new spots. if they are shared, other hunters could have burned out your locations.
my best advice is to broaden what you hunt to boost your confidence.
my first deer was during my 4th year hunting. i missed countless times with a bow before shooting my first one with a gun. then came the crossbow and so on. just keep at it.
if you are up for it and have the area for it, hunt squirrles. i learned alot by squirrel hunting with a compound bow. its hard but if you can do that you can usually get a shot on a deer when given the opportunity.
if you are north of the french, small game is so much more fun. the partridge are dumber and rabbits turn white before the snowfall and stand out like a sore thumb. blast them with a shotgun and have some laughs with friends.
if you are in southern ontario, theres alot of public land that you can bushwack that holds more than enough small game and deer. and you dont have to worry about ruining those spots out becasue other hunters have been through and guess what-- there still are deer regardless of what people say.

other than that, first and last light are best times to see critters come out.

My advice to newer deer hunters to maximize your chances of seeing deer is to maximize the amount of time you spend hunting around the rut. Last week of October into mid November are great for deer activity. I have had a few buddies say the same things you are because they are going full throttle the first few weeks of bow season, only to get disheartened and lose their drive when the action is starting to really heat up. And forget about your scent elimination stuff, just pay attention to the wind. And really pay attention to the wind, you will start to see how easy it is to get burned by deer even hundreds of yards away. Milkweed is great for this.

Also, some guys I'm sure will disagree, but I can't stand ground blinds. You have a 180 degree field of view at best at ground level, tree stands get you up and out of the deer's line of sight and you can see 360 degrees around you for a much longer way from up high. My $.02.

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Originally Posted by bassboy19

My advice to newer deer hunters to maximize your chances of seeing deer is to maximize the amount of time you spend hunting around the rut. Last week of October into mid November are great for deer activity. I have had a few buddies say the same things you are because they are going full throttle the first few weeks of bow season, only to get disheartened and lose their drive when the action is starting to really heat up. And forget about your scent elimination stuff, just pay attention to the wind. And really pay attention to the wind, you will start to see how easy it is to get burned by deer even hundreds of yards away. Milkweed is great for this.

Also, some guys I'm sure will disagree, but I can't stand ground blinds. You have a 180 degree field of view at best at ground level, tree stands get you up and out of the deer's line of sight and you can see 360 degrees around you for a much longer way from up high. My $.02.

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Yeh just touching on ground blinds, I used my son's for a few sits this year and like you was not overlay impressed, it was an Ameristep and a good size. He was showing me how to set it up and because it had been out in the elements a few months, we managed to tear a hole in the roof as the material was stressed by sun exposure. In the early mornings all the mesh windows were pretty much covered in frost and not much visibility until the sun got out at 9am. Inside plenty of condensation which overnight was an ice wall in the morning. I think they have their use's in warmer weather and would be great in the rain, but once you get snow and ice down it might be stuck on the ground for awhile.

Less is more.

Throw all the scent control bs in the garbage.

Forget about the trail cams as they can disappoint just as much as they can give ya hope.

Scout hard before and after the season. Find where deer are most likely to travel and where to be so they don't wind you.

Hunt the wind and get out there as much as you can as you don't know when it will happen.

This will be my 20th year deer hunting. I bow hunted 5 years before shooting a deer. I think I hunted 20-21 days sun up to sun down without seeing a buck one year and being so discouraged everytime walking back to the truck empty handed. Then one day, I shot an 8 pointer and it was best day of my life. Huge relief off my shoulders and it made it all worth it.

I think back now and I know guys that have shot deer there very first time hunting. Like first hour of daylight.

I rather do it the way I did then how they did, It made me a better hunter.


IMHO Noone is going to give you the answer, Getting out and learning how to hunt makes you better. Not all of us are lucky like some lol

When it all comes together it will be worth it, Trust me.



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Originally Posted by SongDog

Less is more.

Throw all the scent control bs in the garbage.

Forget about the trail cams as they can disappoint just as much as they can give ya hope.

Scout hard before and after the season. Find where deer are most likely to travel and where to be so they don't wind you.

Hunt the wind and get out there as much as you can as you don't know when it will happen.

This will be my 20th year deer hunting. I bow hunted 5 years before shooting a deer. I think I hunted 20-21 days sun up to sun down without seeing a buck one year and being so discouraged everytime walking back to the truck empty handed. Then one day, I shot an 8 pointer and it was best day of my life. Huge relief off my shoulders and it made it all worth it.

I think back now and I know guys that have shot deer there very first time hunting. Like first hour of daylight.

I rather do it the way I did then how they did, It made me a better hunter.


IMHO Noone is going to give you the answer, Getting out and learning how to hunt makes you better. Not all of us are lucky like some lol

When it all comes together it will be worth it, Trust me.



Sent from my SM-G781W using Tapatalk

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^^this

I know guys who have been hunting for 5 years and have never even seen a deer. Now I'm not sure if its because theyre just doing something totally wrong or if they just have 0 luck. But it can also just be the area.

Only scent control I use would be buck bomb or the scent sticks there. I spray a whole bottle of buck bomb on the trees surrounding my stand about 6 feet high so the wind drags it along. Now watch out doing this. You will be smelling deer pee all day and It can give you a migrane pretty quick lol.

Best advice I can give is scout hard. Their main routes change with the seasons. When the snow is down on the floor its a great time to go. You'll see where they're going in and out of the fields.

If the properties you are on have fields try finding one of the trails going into the bush. Follow the trail about 50- 100 yards into the bush and you should find other trails that peel off and combine into eachother. Go off about 20ish yards off the trail and set up somewhere there.

Or you could also set up on the field edge watching the trail coming in and out. I find youll have more success doing this either early morning or at sundown though.

I like to use trail cameras not so much to target a specific animal but more to see if anything actually does pass by.


I had a spot last year that I put a trail cam up in and I was getting pictures of bucks and does every day. Sat there for the controlled hunt and had the most action I ever had.

Come this year it was a ghost town though. Scout scout scout. That's the best thing.

My group sets up in the same spots every year and hunts the fields.

Every year I go and find a new spot rather than burn my spots out every year. Good luck and I hope you have some success soon.

If you want to hunt turkeys thats a whole other thing lol. I shot my first one this year. After almost 2 years going after them and seeing them everytime lol. They are smart birds hard to catch them off guard.

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Find someone to go out with, pick their brains, watch some videos and go on a guided hunt. Scout, scout, research and more scouting, long walks in the summer taking note of trails on public lands, permission on some properties. There are some guides listed here, some show up on Kijiji (often for ridiculous prices, skip), many guided hunts you can search and Book your hunt has various guides and animals. Your phone and dropping pins on the map are a good tool, so is google and bing maps (I find some areas Bing has much better images on the satellite view.)

Snow on the ground is a huge help in seeing where and what is moving around, usually overnight, but you know they are there atleast

https://www.bookyourhunt.com/en/Sear...Country=Canada

You need to scout,a lot. All year,then add the info together.

More improtantly-You shoud, work out Your style.
No kidding.
What works for one-does not work for another one.

Like-some have patience to still hunt,some are affraid of heights,so they do not climb trees.Some can not move quietly thru the forest,so they need to sit.
Some can wait for the deer to turn before pulling the string,some can not.Not every method works for everyone.If You stuck Yourself in a method which actually does not work for You,You may go ways without seeing/shooting anything.
Example-i have a buddy,who wants to shoot deer with a compound bow.Period.He did that,several times.But-He has "no"? problem going years without shooting one.

What one successful hunter has-You may never have.
Exclusive acess to prime private property.Just because ppl shoot/talk/boast and post about year to year success,does not mean they have to work"hard"for that.You may have to.

What way of hunting You can afford/allow or do-other hunter may trump it 10 times.One successful hunter shoots really nice deer yearly-while You just look ,shake Your head and listen.
I have a buddy who has exclusive acess to a prime private patch-he baits every year,he dumps the bait straight from his truck on the ground,he goes to his "only"spot at the place(year after year),he drives in his"never"washed clothes almost to the spot,sits 0.5-1 hr a sit,and shoots deer yearly there.Mostly within 1-3 sits.
You may never be able to do this.So judging Yourself agains him can be outright an -I give up notion!

There is this other guy,who lives beside a prime-Pay for Use public land.Good area for deer.Because he is the only neighbor(the whole area sits on a river)he can and Do draw deer onto his property by baiting,and shoots "Public land " deer on his property, regularly.I know a good and 100% focused and dedicated hunter who hunted there at least 20 times(on the Public side)and saw 1 x a deer.......You may never be able to comparet Yourself and your success ,,,,,,,to this guy.

Some take hail Mary shots at deer,at unreasonable distances(unethical at least)You may never do that.You may take less deer home,but You will have no "remorse"of the deer You lost,and you will have no shot to be "quiet" about.

Last ,but not least-understand the properties You have(scouting)and understand how other hunters impact your success there .Then work around them.
One big name hunter states-use them as deer "deflectors".

So-do not dispair,be on the ground,and work with what you are dealt with.
Eventulally you will find YOUR ways for your area,and you will besuccessfull,most likley very often (given time and patience.).

Simply, these are the steps to becoming a successful hunter:
1) Learn whatever you can about your quarry including biology, physiology, basic needs, habits, and behaviour. Without a proper mentor, the only way to quickly pick up knowledge is to read books and magazine articles, and watch videos. The risk with this is that there is a lot of crap out there which can fill your head with nonsense. If there was one expert that I would recommend for deer behaviour it would be John Ozoga who worked as a deer researcher for the state of Michigan. He has several books out and “Whitetail Intrigue” would be a good first read. Leonard Lee Rue III also has good books. Many hunters, including some on this forum, downplay the importance of learning through books and videos and claim the only way to learn anything is through experience. In my view, “book learning” can quickly build a foundation that will complement practical experience. Book learning won’t teach you everything, but it can help you make connections out in the woods.
2) Learn woodsmanship which includes: map reading, using a compass and GPS, navigating in the woods without aids, tree and plant identification, how to maintain your gear, how to read sign, animal knowledge and identification, insect identification, basic geology and forestry, understanding current weather and forecasts… just to name a few.
3) Choose the correct firearm and sight. Whether it’s a rifle, bow, or crossbow you need to pick the right tool that will get the job done. It must be comfortable to carry as well as be a good physical fit. It also must be reliable.
4) Be a proficient shooter; practice regularly and shoot from different positions.
5) Learn and become proficient with different tactics and techniques and incorporate them into your repertoire. Don’t hunt from the same spot and in the same way every time. Be adaptive.
7) Hunt where the game is and base your expectations on the population density. Animals are not evenly spread out across the range. Agricultural areas tend to support more deer than forested areas. Deer travel from feeding to bedding areas. They often follow topographical or vegetative boundaries. Funnels or pinch-points are great places to intercept deer.
8) Hunt for as long as you are able to. Get to your stand early and stay late. Have a backup plan if plan “A” doesn’t work.
9) Be patient, use your time to watch, listen, and learn. Don’t rush to shoot, do it right.
10) Don’t always shoot the first one that comes along, or right away. Pay attention to what the animal is doing and why. You can learn a lot by watching animals interact.
11) Respect the animal’s senses. They can smell and hear better than you, and their vision doesn’t get enough respect. Pay attention to the wind as a deer will trust it’s sense of smell over anything else.
12) Learn from your mistakes (we all make them). What could you have done differently?

Successful hunting requires you to be in the right place at the right time. Having the proper foundation will help you get there.

There are many on here that would like to help you get your deer. You can reach out broadly through the forum or pm someone with questions. I suggest that you post an image of your area along with a description of what you are doing and seeing. You’ll get some suggestions on what to try.

Not being facetious, the number one thing I can offer is to be where the animals are.

No matter how good a spot looks to you, or the sightlines are for shooing, or how good it feels, if the animals dont agree you wont find one.

Scouting is important. If you dont ahve time to scout, try just slowly walking the property, scouting as you go. Sit often. Walk quietly. You might learn something, bump an animal, or even have one stand there and let you shoot it.