strategies for deer moving at night

Hey guys,
I have permission for a 20 acre piece of bush, which is part of a massive mixed bush which covers about a 1/2 concession (plus more in other concessions) and has lots of deer activity.
the problem is I am still mostly getting deer on camera right before dark, or mostly at night and this pattern has shifted more towards the night time in the last few weeks.

I have hunted once or maybe twice a week (at two locations on the property, but mostly one), which i know might be too much for this sized bush, but since I have had continuous activity on my cams and through scouting, I am just trying to put in the time to seal the deal.

One major problem I am having is the farmers puppy keeps following me out to my stand. he has done this a few times, but left before i got to my stand, but the last two times he has followed me right to my stand and stuck around for 30 minutes this last time, so i gave up and went to still hunt and check my cams. Wouldn't you know it he followed me around the whole property even after i tried chasing him off and swatting at him. I checked my cams anyways and had my first pic of a nice buck, but he was traveling at night during two nights in the last week. This made me extra pissed at this dog situation, so i hurried off the property to not cause anymore disturbance.
I dont want to complain to the farmer, since he is an outside dog, so theres not much he can do. I brought a couple of PB sandwiches yesterday, and chucked them into the corn hoping to distract him until i got to my stand, but all it did was attract him back to me for more.
My next step is to get a kong and put peanut butter and dog food in it and tie it to something near the barns. This will keep him busy until he forgets about me and hopefully until my scent dies down a bit.

My second problems is this is the only private bush i have permission for, and it is fairly small. I have hunted only about 4-8 hours in 1-2 visits per week. Ive only gone scouting into the bush once since the season started to put down some rackstacker, and that was last friday. Otherwise all cameras and bait have been during or after hunting since the season started. I have baited with apples, and rackstacker, and the apples attracted a few does, but mostly they have been untouched (theres tons of large nut producing trees in the area)
I dont really want to reduce my time out hunting, as the rut is ramping up, and i am still seeing deer on cam, even a few does during daylight, and i will shoot any legal animal this year (i still havent killed a deer personally).

One more thing i am trying to do with my cameras is pin point a better stand location where they might be during the day, but so far my stand and blind are in the best two locations and seeing mostly deer at night for the past few weeks.

what would you guys do:

• to get rid of the puppy (no i am not going to kill it)
• to increase deer activity during the day. should i try different attractants like doe urine, or I have a small pile of apples left in the freezer, or corn and molasses?
• any other ideas?

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Ask to tie the dog up in the barn for the few hrs at night. Maybe head out a bit earlier so if he follows you he'll leave sooner?

Cayenne pepper in the PB
You need to convince the dog you are bad news rather than a friendly chat and a food source

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Originally Posted by Horridfiber101

Cayenne pepper in the PB
You need to convince the dog you are bad news rather than a friendly chat and a food source

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Agreed. Just before the season he started chasing my car and visiting me while i got ready so I immediately stopped showing him any attention.
Someone suggested the peanut butter sandwich trick, but it had the opposite effect.

Do you think leaving the kong tied up at the barn (about 200 yds away) would still make him come see me after he's finished?

Chloroform. It just isn't for first dates anymore. :thumbup:

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Originally Posted by Dythbringer

Chloroform. It just isn't for first dates anymore. :thumbup:

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Damn PC police ruining a good time.

Maybe a spray bottle full of water and every time the dog comes around you spray it in the face with the water. Most dogs hate that. I think as the rut heats up that buck will show up during daylight. Good luck.

I think that spray bottle thing (water in his face-harmless enough) will work.... Or if he only sticks around for 30 minutes, go in earlier than normal, he will get bored and leave...

Train the dog to push deer!! But on a semi serious note, the deer have prob patterned you. My experience a small bush the deer here you, smell you comin and too much pressure can turn them nocturnal or change their patterns. As the rut is heating up I would do your best to keep wind in your favour getting to stand and try using scent. In saying this, 1 stand in a small bush based on winds may not be best hunted. All the best!!

Where are you parking? Can you change your parking location, that way the dog does not know you are there. How far is the dog's home from where you hunt? I used to live on 100 acres, and the deer would come right into the back yard and literally bed behind the dogs kennel, they got used to the scent and found the dogs no threat, if the dog is anywhere near the dear his/her scent will be familiar with the dear so use that to your advantage, go in earlier and ignore the dog, totally , it will get bored quick and leave, and his scent will be there making dear feel secure....If the dear are not familiar with dogs scent, as soon as you get there go to the dog, where it lays, and take a soup bone, lots of marrow, and if its frozen even better, that will occupy for hours. You may need to get the farmers permission for this. I had a farm with same scenario and that's what I did and never saw the dog, problem is every time you go the dog will expect a bone, go to grocery store you can get a pack of 3 for like $3 or $4, so not bad really.