whitetail woods hunting

topside1 · #1 11/01/06, 03:32 PM

Evening fellow hunters, just wanted to tap into your knowledge and experience. I've been hunting for only four years now, with all of my whitetail success in Virginia. The eastern shore of Virginia is all flatland and cropland with very few hunters, so needless to say the deer population was beyond belief.

Since moving to Tennessee a year ago I have only hunted family owned woodland (120 acres) and rarely see signs of deer activitiy. I just pick out the most likely ambush points and hunt them. So my question is, what time of the day should I hunt woodland?? Last year I was in my climber before first light, and leave the woods by 8:30am. I would only see deer movement on about 20% of these hunts. Evening hunts the percentages were even worse. I guess the only time left is the middle of the day??? Lets just concentrate on the month of November when the rut is in high gear. I hunt alot, but rarely see deer, maybe I just stink...Any advice would be helpful.
Tennessee John..

dagwood · #2 11/01/06, 03:34 PM

Late afternoon hunts while the rut is in progress. Been doing it that way for years now. Never been skunked yet.....knock on wood! LOL!

topside1 · #3 11/01/06, 05:30 PM

Dagwood thanks for your input. Any particular reason for late afternoon? What are your thoughts on that time of the day. What state are you hunting in? Just trying to learn, muzzleloader season opens this weekend and would like to take a deer during this one-week secession. Tennessee john

#4 11/01/06, 10:51 PM

In the climber before first light but you leave before 8:30 a.m.!

You maybe abandoning your treestand too early! I get in mine before daylight and don't leave till at least noon. If during the rut, I don't leave at all the whole day unless I shoot one or have to go to work.

I pack a backpack and take with me all my deer calls and tricks. Food, water, hot thermos full of coffee, and snacks. Also, a pee bottle so I don't have to urinate out of my treestand. Toilet paper, it serves two purposes. 1. in case I have to go, I get down out of my treestand and walk over by someone elses treestand.(not really!) But I will walk aways off from my hunting area. 2. In case I shoot one and am barely finding blood, I use white toilet paper to lay down on the blood trail. I can periodically look back and be able to tell just which direction the deer is heading. And, I have even packed study books or homework in case things really seem slow.

So maybe you should try staying put in your stand just a few hours longer.

Bearfootfarm · #5 11/01/06, 11:14 PM

Ive killed deer at all times of the day. Find the food sources and the bedding areas, then set up between them. Deer love the "edges" so any place where things change from one type of cover to another is a good place. Hunt nearer bedding areas in the mornings and food sources in the afternoons. If youre in the hills of TN look for "saddles" where its easy for them to cross over, or along creek bottoms. And pay attention to the winds and thermals. Scent flows uphill in the mornings even on a "calm" day due to the air heating. It sinks downhill in the evenings.

If you can access aerial photos of the land maybe you could zero in on better places to try? Its hard to make suggestions without more info on the area. Around here I just go out and sit most anywhere and a deer is likely to show up LOL

WildBillTN · #6 11/02/06, 06:23 AM

I agree that you may be leaving too early. During the rut you could see a big'un most any time of the day. Many hunters leave the woods in the late morning and at lunch time and the deer pattern them and move at that time. I stay from "can see, to can't see", sunup to sundown. Get in there well before first light to let things settle down.
Good advice has already been given....hang in there for the duration, and good luck!

bargarguy · #7 11/02/06, 08:51 AM

Like some mentioned, you have to find their food source for the time of year you are hunting. Food is KEY for whitetail hunting. Even during the rut, where the does are feeding the bucks will follow. I have had problems hunting bedding areas in the past, getting in without busting them out can be tough, all tho alot of guys swear by bedding areas, thats what makes hunting great, no sure fire method and a lot of trial and error.

topside1 · #8 11/02/06, 09:39 AM

Thanks a million guys. See ya in the woods...Tennessee John

TnTnTn · #9 11/02/06, 10:32 AM

Topside. Like the others have said you are getting down too soon for best results. You can see a deer anytime of the day but it is difficult for me to be patient enough to stay all day or stay in one place for longer than about 3 hours. However I do try to stay on a 'good' stand until about 9:30-10:00 or so. I am one of the hunters that move the deer for the more patient hunters!!!

Anyway on the TN plateau the deer density is probably less that what you are used to in VA. Are you hunting on the top or on the side of the plateau? You do need to find some acorn bearing oaks, thickets, and thick glades. Deer frequent these areas and travel between them. Look for rubbed bushes, and scrapes along travel lines. Position yourself downwind and uplight from them if possible. A flat bench about 2 benches below the bluff line is a likely place on the plateau. I was born and raised on the plateau and am familiar with the terrain. TnTnTn

jross · #10 11/02/06, 08:59 PM

By biggest bucks were killed between 9 am and 2 pm in our swamp.
It seems it is then they cruise in the thick stuff locking for bedded does upwind. The only thing is one has to minimize movement and be ready with bow or gun in hand, because they are on you before you know it. This year I bought a Safari sling for my 20 ga slug gun, to keep it at the ready while sitting in the treestand, rather than holding the gun on my lap, or hanging it on a tree hook.

rwinsouthla · #11 11/03/06, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

Ive killed deer at all times of the day. Find the food sources and the bedding areas, then set up between them. Deer love the "edges" so any place where things change from one type of cover to another is a good place. Hunt nearer bedding areas in the mornings and food sources in the afternoons. If youre in the hills of TN look for "saddles" where its easy for them to cross over, or along creek bottoms. And pay attention to the winds and thermals. Scent flows uphill in the mornings even on a "calm" day due to the air heating. It sinks downhill in the evenings.

If you can access aerial photos of the land maybe you could zero in on better places to try? Its hard to make suggestions without more info on the area. Around here I just go out and sit most anywhere and a deer is likely to show up LOL

Ditto everything Bearfoot says. I'll go one step further. Go to flashearth.com or googleearth.com or terraserver.com for aerial photos. That's what I did and found some natural openings or clearings "INSIDE" the woods that turned out to be key to harvesting a steady number of deer. The opening is next to the cover, holds food, and has a soggy bottom area for water that the deer use. They don't need to go anywhere else than this area. The area is behind my house and I get six deer every year there.