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It’s uncanny, lol
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Deer that come from behind you
- Thread starter Bowtech12
- Start date
It’s uncanny, lol
Do they still sell that Deerview mirror?
TJutte
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2020
- Messages
- 74
Grab a bicycle or smallish personal mirror from Walmart and hold it in your hand, turning it to view behind you.
Bowtech12
Well-Known Member
Really? Have you done this?
I have killed a bunch of deer that cam from behind me from a saddle, but I’ve been saddle hunting a long time. I’ve also been winded by deer coming from behind me (and probably more times than I realize).
I don’t think you are at any real disadvantage vs conventional stand, but I understand the perceived benefit of having the tree blocking your blind spot.
I don’t think you are at any real disadvantage vs conventional stand, but I understand the perceived benefit of having the tree blocking your blind spot.
I have thought about this a lot in the stand. My concerns have been sun glare, and working in reverse against me. I still have an old snowmobile hand mirror you wear on your wrist to check what's behind you. I have contemplated attaching it to a tree to help me see behind me. But you would have to make sure sunlight isn't bouncing off it and giving you away I think. Not sure how well deer might be able to catch the reflection..
TJutte
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2020
- Messages
- 74
No I haven’t. I turn every now and then, and really focus on listening. A little movement, quiet and slow shouldn’t be an issue especially if leaves and branches are moving above you
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One of the little mirrors that attach to a cycling helmet might work ok if you could figure out how to mount it to a ball cap. Doubt you would be able to spot deer at much distance but if you heard one coming from your 6 you could probably spot it once it got fairly close and be able to know when you could safely move into position for a shot.
Bowtech12
Well-Known Member
All good comments
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2018
- Messages
- 1,377
Let's face it, no matter how well you set up deer are going to come in from your blind side, be it while you're hunting from a saddle or treestand. You can't say "if I was in a treestand he would be right in front of me" because if you were in a tree stand you would or should be facing the same way except that your tree stand would be on the opposite side of the tree.
If a deer picks you off when it comes in behind you that means it either got your scent or you've been seen because of moving too much/too fast. The tree should hide your silhouette for the most part unless you're in a small diameter tree.
This past season I was hunting from a maple up in a tight fork where the main trunk branched in two about 18' up on a bright sunny morning with a deer trail out front running perpendicular to me. The leaves on the ground were wet from the rain during the night which was good for me to sneak in before dawn but also hampered my ability to hear deer. This tree sits on the edge of a relatively steep drop off, the kind where you slide down more than walk so my back was facing that way. After a few hours passed my body decided I needed to go back to the house to answer natures call so I began my customary slow scan of the area to verify the coast was clear to depart. After a few minutes and confident that nothing was around me for 360 degrees within my visual range I slowly swung out of the fork and was reaching for my pack hanging on the other trunk when HE appeared, standing not five feet off the base of my tree at what would have been my 3 o'clock had I not moved! I never heard him come in and I literally just verified the area was clear and never saw him. He was a big bodied six with a wide rack standing there with an uneasiness, he knew I was in the area but couldn't figure out where. He nervously scent checked the air and ground numerous times and even looked up at me twice. When he finally decided he should get out of the area I could see he was going to do so with intent. He took four strides but my arrow was quicker than him and he wound up in my freezer.
What I am trying to get at is that buck appeared from nowhere and caught me by complete surprise and yet didn't bust me, even when I was moving. Why? Nothing ground breaking in my approach really and I'm sure everyone knows all this stuff but is it being applied correctly? Knowing how to do something and actually doing something correctly are two different things.
Try to sit as still as possible and use only your eyes to scan your immediate area within your shooting range. Swiveling your head to peek behind you or slowly leaning to the side to scan the area in front of the tree should take time and these movements should not be rushed. Very slow deliberate movements do not attract attention compared to quick sudden ones. If you're constantly moving and twisting at every sound you'll always get busted and you wont even realize it's happened most times.
Once you spot a deer keep your eyes on it WHILE you reach for your bow, position yourself for the shot, grab your grunt tube or whatever else you do before you draw. Be ready to freeze the moment the deer looks your way and be prepared to hold that position for as long as it takes until the deer either looks away or it's vision is obstructed in some way. You can learn just how much movement you can and can't get away with by doing this. And once you are able to move again remember to do it very slowly. It has an idea something isn't right, that's why it looked your way. If it catches movement from the same spot a second time chances are that deer will be leaving the area quickly.
And of course your scent control measures come into play at such a close range along with the height you are hunting from. There is no magic formula that will prevent you from ever getting busted, it will happen sometimes for no logical reason and it may very well be nothing you did wrong but you can definitely put the odds in your favor for a positive outcome by employing the tips outlined here.
If a deer picks you off when it comes in behind you that means it either got your scent or you've been seen because of moving too much/too fast. The tree should hide your silhouette for the most part unless you're in a small diameter tree.
This past season I was hunting from a maple up in a tight fork where the main trunk branched in two about 18' up on a bright sunny morning with a deer trail out front running perpendicular to me. The leaves on the ground were wet from the rain during the night which was good for me to sneak in before dawn but also hampered my ability to hear deer. This tree sits on the edge of a relatively steep drop off, the kind where you slide down more than walk so my back was facing that way. After a few hours passed my body decided I needed to go back to the house to answer natures call so I began my customary slow scan of the area to verify the coast was clear to depart. After a few minutes and confident that nothing was around me for 360 degrees within my visual range I slowly swung out of the fork and was reaching for my pack hanging on the other trunk when HE appeared, standing not five feet off the base of my tree at what would have been my 3 o'clock had I not moved! I never heard him come in and I literally just verified the area was clear and never saw him. He was a big bodied six with a wide rack standing there with an uneasiness, he knew I was in the area but couldn't figure out where. He nervously scent checked the air and ground numerous times and even looked up at me twice. When he finally decided he should get out of the area I could see he was going to do so with intent. He took four strides but my arrow was quicker than him and he wound up in my freezer.
What I am trying to get at is that buck appeared from nowhere and caught me by complete surprise and yet didn't bust me, even when I was moving. Why? Nothing ground breaking in my approach really and I'm sure everyone knows all this stuff but is it being applied correctly? Knowing how to do something and actually doing something correctly are two different things.
Try to sit as still as possible and use only your eyes to scan your immediate area within your shooting range. Swiveling your head to peek behind you or slowly leaning to the side to scan the area in front of the tree should take time and these movements should not be rushed. Very slow deliberate movements do not attract attention compared to quick sudden ones. If you're constantly moving and twisting at every sound you'll always get busted and you wont even realize it's happened most times.
Once you spot a deer keep your eyes on it WHILE you reach for your bow, position yourself for the shot, grab your grunt tube or whatever else you do before you draw. Be ready to freeze the moment the deer looks your way and be prepared to hold that position for as long as it takes until the deer either looks away or it's vision is obstructed in some way. You can learn just how much movement you can and can't get away with by doing this. And once you are able to move again remember to do it very slowly. It has an idea something isn't right, that's why it looked your way. If it catches movement from the same spot a second time chances are that deer will be leaving the area quickly.
And of course your scent control measures come into play at such a close range along with the height you are hunting from. There is no magic formula that will prevent you from ever getting busted, it will happen sometimes for no logical reason and it may very well be nothing you did wrong but you can definitely put the odds in your favor for a positive outcome by employing the tips outlined here.
Bowtech12
Well-Known Member
^^^^^^
very well written
very well written