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Post by ecgreen on Aug 4, 2009 6:25:53 GMT -5
Hey guys,
Well I got permission to bowhunt (deer only) a nice 25 acre parcel on Grand Island this year that holds enormous deer. It is a .5 mile long slice of land. To the west is 100s of acres of forest, but to the east is a lot of homes. I have permission to recover game if it runs to the west.
So, how close do you guys get to dwellings when bowhunting? This is my first year, so I am not sure how much room to give the animal to run.
Sean
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Post by steinea286 on Aug 4, 2009 10:44:00 GMT -5
As long as you have permission you can bowhunt as close as you want. Find where the best trails are. Find where they bed and where they feed. They will travel between the two daily. Suburban bowhunting is the best because there is no pressure and the deer are used to human scent so consider yourself lucky because its not that easy to find places like that.
As for allowing the deer to run.....thats a completely different ball game. You have to gain confidence through practice. Sometimes things happen as to where your nervous and you make a bad shot. None of us want to do that, but it happens to the best of us. Once fatally hit, a deer will typically head downhill, towards water or thick cover. But if a deer is bumped after a bad shot, it may go anywhere. Just use your best judgement and I cant stress enough that practice is key.
Keep scouting and looking for the best areas on the property. You'll do fine. Best of luck!
-Andy
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Post by pettit877 on Aug 4, 2009 15:38:32 GMT -5
Miss?!! idk anyone that has ever missed a deer lol good advise there but you got to keep in mind of that deer that you may hit that runs to the houses and dies in the middle of a cul-da-sac where the kids are playing hop scotch! That does not do use hunters any favors there....always make sure of your shot and make it count.
Eric
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traps82
#3 Newhouse
Hope is always alive
Posts: 3,208
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Post by traps82 on Aug 4, 2009 20:11:21 GMT -5
I am no expert on bowhunting, but I am 2 for 2 the last two years. First one I got, double lung pass through.. She hopped 2x then stopped, wobbled and went down in sight. Second one, arrow went in in the near side and exited through the far shoulder blade (love those Muzzys!). That deer ran right across the face of the hill and up to the top. Went about a 100 yards on a dead run. Probably was alive for maybe 10 seconds after the hit. My take on the difference is on the doe, it was a clean pass through the ribs, no big bones hit. She didn't know what happened. The buck had the far shoulder blade broken. He knew something happened. Just my take on it.. You'll do fine. Probably will get a HUGE buck!!
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 4, 2009 21:14:05 GMT -5
You'll do fine. Probably will get a HUGE buck!! i like the sound of that!!!!
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Post by Spikehorn11 on Aug 5, 2009 0:51:36 GMT -5
Those are the best spots to hunt. Many of my sopts are close to city limits.
Good luck!
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Post by rufus on Aug 8, 2009 20:00:00 GMT -5
Sean,
On how close should you hunt to the houses? You need to be at least 500 feet from any house or building same a with a gun, unless you have permission form that person. So you can have permission form the land owner but also need permission from anyone who's house is within 500 feet. A lot of guys don't know that and when they are in their back yard shooting arrows at a target they are risking a ticket if someone complained.
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 9, 2009 14:36:42 GMT -5
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 20, 2009 6:52:33 GMT -5
So here is my next question: When you shoot a deer with an arrow, do they usually run in the direction they were initially traveling? Do they ever spring around and run the opposite direction?
I am just wondering if I can "Steer" the deer in the right direction, by waiting for the right shot.
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Post by steinea286 on Aug 20, 2009 7:15:37 GMT -5
Once a deer is hit, there is no telling what may happen. Spining the deer will drop them dead in there tracks but is very risky with archery equipment. A mortally wounded deer typically runs towards water, thick cover, and/or down hit. Thats just in my experience....
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Woj
#3 Newhouse
Posts: 3,381
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Post by Woj on Aug 20, 2009 8:03:25 GMT -5
Like Andy said, there is no telling what a deer will do. The last two deer that I got with the bow ran 75 yards uphill before they dropped. Both were double lung shots too if that makes a different. I always aim for lungs because I have chased too many heart shot deer through the woods. I hear other guys talking about how they drop when hit in the heart. 5 out of the 6 I have hit in the heart ran forever. One I didn't find until the next day and when I opened it up, the heart had a perfect broadhead shape through it.
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Post by trappermac on Aug 20, 2009 12:26:03 GMT -5
I've taken a fair number of deer with the bow over the years, and yeah, when hit they'll go in any direction that looks safe to them in that instant. Areas I hunt typically have some swamp and I've had them head right into the swamp on many occasions.
Main thing is to always take a shot that is lethal, know your effective range (I shoot traditional and my effective range is 17 yards)....sure, I can hit targets darn good at 20 and beyond, but my killing range is 17 yards. Biggest mistake bowhunters make is thinking if they can stab em on the 3D range or in their backyards, then they can do it during the hunt. Nope. Big mistake. My killing range means that 10 out of 10 times I can place that broadhead in the boiler room. At 20 yards I'm maybe 9 out of 10. That's not good enough.
And know how to track, understand that part of it better than your bow. EC, I know you were at the show in Catt on Saturday, too bad you didn't catch the presentation by Deer Search, they did an hour long show at their booth that was extremely educational. I was amazed that only 4 people bothered to listen to these guys, most of the presentation was on tracking. Very well done, they made me want to join them, I enjoy that part of the hunt (tracking) very much.
Woj - I've hit many deer in the heart, they will run very fast and hard (and pump alot of blood) but always crumpled up at 100 yards or so. That's been my experience.
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 20, 2009 15:25:35 GMT -5
I did catch that demo trappermac. It was really informative! Thanks for sharing your experience.
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Post by Spikehorn11 on Aug 22, 2009 12:53:25 GMT -5
Most of the deer I got don't even know there hit. they take a few steps of bounds and look around like "what happened."
The couple bad hits I had went to water.
Every shot is different with how a deer will react.
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 25, 2009 6:40:00 GMT -5
So whats the smallest piece of property you guys would hunt?
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traps82
#3 Newhouse
Hope is always alive
Posts: 3,208
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Post by traps82 on Aug 25, 2009 18:29:32 GMT -5
That is a tough one.. Depends on the folks around the spot IMO and how populated it is.. I would say 4-5 acres.. But it all depends..
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Post by steinea286 on Aug 26, 2009 8:35:10 GMT -5
size shouldn't matter. Its like trapping, location location location. That cant be said enough in the outdoor world. If you have food, water, and shelter in a nearby area, then deer will be in there. When I scout for deer I start by looking at aerial photos. Look for connecting stands of woods that cross roads and drainages (deer a lot of times travel ridges to get from place to place). Then go on foot and walk the property to determine the crop and determine where possible bedding areas may be. Hopefully your location intercepts the two areas or is close to one or the other....
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 28, 2009 20:41:41 GMT -5
I am bored, overtired and cant sleep, so I am posting this. Here is a pic of a my house and I might bowhunt in the back this year. Just curious what you guys think. The property is 3 acres, in yellow. All houses and roads are 500 feet or more away from where I might place a stand (labeled). The house to the west is only 200 feet from the stand site, but I have permission to use a bow that close to his house. I have permission to retrieve deer on all surrounding land to the east and south (to the south there is at least 200 acres of woods. The only rub is that the lady in the small plot to the north west doesn't like killing deer, so out of respect I would like a deer to not die in her yard ;D. If you notice there is a little pond near the stand. There is a trail to the pond that is loaded with deer tracks. In addition, there is a bedding area due south of the stand about 200 yards or so. What do you think? Doable? Maybe I can sleep now. Been up too long Sean
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traps82
#3 Newhouse
Hope is always alive
Posts: 3,208
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Post by traps82 on Aug 28, 2009 21:07:22 GMT -5
Yep.. I'll see ya in October!! Only kidding!!! Looks very do able!!
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Post by rufus on Aug 29, 2009 6:14:20 GMT -5
Anytime you can be in the woods its doable, Just go enjoy yourself, you might not see deer everyday but you should see some. If the road is to the North, then it looks like you could put in a small food plot just North of the pond. I would recommend a plot of clover for bowhunting early part of the season. then all you have to do is mow a couple times a year to maintain it. If you want a late season plot plant Bio logic maximum. After about 3rd frost make sure you get there after 2 or 3rd frost or they will consume it in a few days. You may also want to consider cutting a path through the brush past you stand. The deer will use it as a travel lane. If you are smart cut so you leave some overhanging branches and the buck will create scrapes. Or you can do some mock scrapes.
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Post by steinea286 on Aug 31, 2009 7:59:55 GMT -5
That is a beautiful spot. Your spot should definately be productive and the wood lot behind your lot is definately going to hold some bruiser bucks. Anything can happen out there and it looks like it will work out for ya. GOOD LUCK!!
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Post by ecgreen on Aug 31, 2009 8:26:34 GMT -5
Rufus,
What time of year do you start the mock scrapes?
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Post by hunt6246 on Sept 5, 2009 15:24:52 GMT -5
EC - I used to hunt a spot near West Almond that had a 90 degree 'El' type turn in a tall pine area. It looked like a real 'nothing' area, but turned out to be a real hotspot for deer and turkey. They'd walk just inside the heavy (shaded) cover to avoid being exposed. I'd suggest putting a treestand 5-10 yds into the woods at either the lower left or right hand corner of that open area shown on your photo. I'm located in Newfane, not to far from you so our usual SE or West wind direction may effect your stand selection. Based on cover, I'd try the location in the lower right hand corner. Remember you can always set up in one spot to watch another and then fine tune your stand site.
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Post by hunt6246 on Sept 5, 2009 15:34:36 GMT -5
EC - a couple of other things. Some place I have a book or video about hunting backyard bucks. If I can find it, I'll get you information on it. Remember that these deer are used to encountering (and dealing with) humans and pets/ dogs on a daily basis. I think that they can be the toughest deer of all to hunt. Much tougher that southern tier deer! I hunt behind my house and have only tagged a few here. The one's that I have got have all been very big - definately 200# class animals. The last buck only had three teeth hanging out beyond his gums and I caught him walking in an open field at dusk during a rainy sloppy evening. (I still think he was senile). It took four of us to get him over two fences and loaded onto a cart so that we could get him home. There are some great deer around our area - Good Luck!
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Post by ecgreen on Sept 19, 2009 9:31:35 GMT -5
OK, here is another suburban property I have permission to hunt. The property is partially outlined in red and there is a road to the north. It is about 25 acres total. The length of the property is about 0.5 miles. The long diagonal strip of grass is actually an airstrip! The guys wants me to hunt it to help reduce the damage the deer do to his strip. Options are REALLY limited here because of houses. How would you guys hunt this little piece of property? PS -> ignore the tag that says 'propline'. The white line just measures the width of the property.
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