Busted big time

[Buckfever]

With a south wind I really had only one setup, same as last week. It "was" an excellent setup. To the south is a buck bedding area and with them clearcutting the powerlines it forces a creek crossing, right at the edge of the thick, directly to the East to another bedding area that is also closed to hunting. I carefully selected this tree so as not to be detected by deer coming out of the bedding area to the south. However, this evening I got busted by a deer coming from the east bedding area to cross the creek just as the 7 pointer crossed last week. Thing is I didn't even see this deer. It was blowing from it must have been 50-65 yards, I couldn't even see it. At first I though no way, the wind is from the south and that deer is due East. But I moved my head again and it blew again and continued to blow all the while I was tearing it down. It kept blowing for at least 10 minutes. And as I considered it I realize that I was back lit from that deers view. I hadn't considered getting busted from accross the creek on movement when I'm 20 feet up. It never ceases to amaze me how I am continuously humbled out there. Especially by these public land deer.

I still like the general setup, but I'll have to move directly into the thick stuff closer to the bedding area to the South. Not for at least a few weeks in any event.

[eshoremd]

getting busted really makes you feel good about your skills as a hunter doesnt it? hey! i got busted on monday and killed the buck on saturday in the same spot. ;D its a CRAZY place in the deer woods, THATS FOR SURE!

[Buckfever]

Todd, that deer blew every 20 seconds for the 10 minutes it took me to tear it down. Last year I had one bust me in another part of that park, the same deal it would not leave, just kept blowing. I do not view it negatively. It just teaches me to look at the big picture a little better. Before I went up the stand yesterday, my first thought when I looked up was that a lot of leaves had dropped and I had lost cover. I had actually lost the canopy that I was setup under. I actually welcome the education that these "educated" deer give me.

As far as that spot, that I was busted so badly in that setup is something that I may be able to use to my advantage. I'll leave the area alone for a couple of weeks as I have other setups I want to hunt. But I'll come back to it and consider how the deer will check the area going forward and setup accordingly. Plus some of it will show up in the sign.

I've killed deer simply by moving over 1 tree in good cover and nailing them as they were checking the other tree.