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Getting picked off

B

Bonez

New Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2020
Messages
19
Just spent the last few days hunting out of my cruzr XC for the first time. Absolutely love it! My question to everyone is, how do you not get picked off? I don’t feel as if I was moving any more than being in a lock on. I’m not sure if I wasn’t high enough up(15-18ft) or if just being away from the tree was the issue. Anyone have this problem? And how do you over come it?
 
Were the deer down wind? Did they get some of your ground scent? Did you move at all while the deer could potentially see you?

Anything that would alert a deer could have helped to tip you off to them. They are already the schizophrenic of the woods. I've seen a deer bust from a squirrel. They are so freaking cautious. Unless your in a vehicle going 60mph.....
 
Letemgrowitllshow said:
Were the deer down wind? Did they get some of your ground scent? Did you move at all while the deer could potentially see you?

Anything that would alert a deer could have helped to tip you off to them. They are already the schizophrenic of the woods. I've seen a deer bust from a squirrel. They are so freaking cautious. Unless your in a vehicle going 60mph.....
Click to expand...

Deer gonna deer. Stay still. Have some back cover for your silhouette. Play the wind. Don’t get skylined.


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The deer didn’t get ground scent from where I walked in. The deer didn’t get down wind until well after the walked/trotted away. The only thing I can think of is they saw my silhouette. There wasn’t a ton of cover on my tree but had an ok backdrop. The area I was hunting doesn’t have much for cover unless your 35+ft up. My worry with saddle hunting from the start was being picked off due to being away from the tree. I lean and sit about 50/50. This time I was leaning when I was busted. The wind was also a factor, it was gusting 25+ at times so it could of been that too I guess.
 
Wear an ASAT 3d leafy suit. I have yet to have a deer spook from seeing me...not including a deer that gave me 2 chances and bolted on the 3rd.
 
Where was the deer in relation to your position (e.g. your 9 o'clock)? I always try to set up with likely deer movement anywhere from 9 to 2 o'clock so I can use the tree I'm attached to as cover. Since I started saddle hunting, I pick different setups than when I used a climber. I'm lower so I try to make sure I have a lot of cover fairly close behind me with the tree for cover in front. I'm also pretty small-framed and I think that helps me a ton. I haven't been picked off much.
 
I'm new this year to saddles and was worried I'd be caught often but to my surprise ive had deer all over/under me and yet to be caught. I'm only 15-16ft but I also love hunting tight woods and thickets to where I only have a few lanes so I'm sure that helps.

If your getting caught often it's from movement or smell IMO
 
You can be skylit even if you dont think so. I was in a hang on last year in a tree that split below where i was sitting and a small buck came in..I thought i had decent cover and i didn't move at all..He picked me off at 25 yds,i couldn't believe it.
30 mins later a couple does came in..The lead doe also picked me off at 25 yds,again,i did not move at all.
There was no chance they winded me and i walked in from a different direction. I climbed down and took the stand down after that episode.
Sometimes it is your setup.
 
always try to set up with likely deer movement so that you can keep the tree between you and the deer.
The reason they picked you off could be a number of reasons: wind, thermals, movement, sound. If they were walking up a draw, their natural line of sight will be toward the sky. Perhaps someone already hunted your tree and they spotted that person before. Maybe they saw your steps, or aider, bag, or bow moving. Public land is high pressure, so its normally a good idea to set higher.
 
Bdwilliams said:
Where was the deer in relation to your position (e.g. your 9 o'clock)? I always try to set up with likely deer movement anywhere from 9 to 2 o'clock so I can use the tree I'm attached to as cover. Since I started saddle hunting, I pick different setups than when I used a climber. I'm lower so I try to make sure I have a lot of cover fairly close behind me with the tree for cover in front. I'm also pretty small-framed and I think that helps me a ton. I haven't been picked off much.
Click to expand...

the deer came from my 7 ocolock. Not where I was expecting them to come from at all. I had a decent back drop but the tree I was in didn’t have much Cover. The tree was big enough to where I couldn’t wrap my arms around it and I’m 6’2.
 
I haven't had deer spook or see me at all (unless they get directly downwind) but I attribute it to me climbing higher in my saddle than in my regular treestands and then at times even directly downwind I haven't had many issues. I also tend to set up just where my head is at the cover level and I like to ensure a darker or cover backdrop. Someone posted on this thread in heavy enough cover that you have a couple of beach ball sized shooting holes is all. That's pretty good advice, I don't think all of my areas are that thick but I like setting up in transition areas, especially where there has been logging activity and there is a lot of regeneration around, in those areas where the logging and the mature woods or thick pines or hemlocks meet are good spots if you can find them as they provide a great back drop. I never set up in them too much as it would involve too much cutting to have any shots. I use them in back of me if possible.
 
Yeah I’m either going to have to hang higher or hunt different areas that provide a lot more cover. I hunt a lot of hardwoods with real mature oaks and the only thing with cover are the small saplings that are about 10-12 ft up and the cover is sparse anyway with those trees
 
My preferred spot is the crotch of a large branch or trunk split, I rarely get picked in that location. I also like trees that split at the base and have 3 or more similar sized trunks running parallel, makes a nice nesting spot when setting up on the inside. This works all season, you’re not dependent on leaves for cover.
 
One of the main things to remember about saddle hunting is you have the advantage of using the tree to hide behind the real trick is figuring out exactly which way they are going to come from!!! This is why I like using bigger trees to climb so it hides my silhouette because no matter what cover if they see a object hanging off the side of a tree they are gonna spook, we have to remember also we are in their house and like us if something in our house changes or is added we(they) recognize it!! And if they are super pressured deer it is even worse!! Be diligent in where you set up and use any and everything in your bag of tricks to try and figure out where they are coming from(even though they are gonna come from a different direction alot of the time), do your best! But it is hunting and thats part of the reason we enjoy it cause if it were just killing it would not be as fun!!! Stay safe and good luck brother!!!
 
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