Opportunity or cover?

[bigcat93]

Been thinking about this since the buck I almost drew on this morning silhouetted me (just my shoulder and arm, I think)

The tree I was in is devoid of leaves now, good branch cover on one side and 4-5’ behind me is another decent sized trunk. However I’m only maybe 12-14’ up, can’t go any higher in this tree. This one provides more shot opportunities and lanes.

Would you guys opt for a high climb in tree with? The one I’m thinking about is a split V trunk with one trunk in front and behind me. This will offer less shot opportunity but I can get significantly higher.

Late season, With everything else being equal; deer/buck sightings, location etc. what’s your go to and why?

 

[Pic1]

Split V trunk seems ideal, and you don't necessarily have to go higher. You will be mostly obscured from view if you are facing the opposite trunk tree in line with their direction of travel. Shot opportunities will be somewhat perpendicular to side of the tree but this is one of my favorite setups if there isn't a lot of backdrop to break up my outline from being skylined. I like a hang on rather than a saddle for these setups.

If you are after that particular deer I definitely wouldn't hang from same tree for a while.

 

[elk yinzer]

Sometimes the deer win, that's part of bowhunting. And late season they're going to win more than any other time of year. But I'd rather be 10' with good cover than 20' without. Doesn't take a lot for cover just a good clump of trees.

 

[Robert loper]

Cover 100%

 

[Seekbigger]

I always go with cover, I’m my opinion I would rather see my target buck and not get a shot than for him to bust me. Usually when a mature buck busts you then he will either skirt that area for a long while or go nocturnal in that area.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

All things being equal cover probably wins but I have noticed that they seem to be much better at playing "Where's Waldo" if I am under about 22 feet to my feet. I remember last season I had 4 mature does all around me while I was 30 feet up a giant white oak. I think that main thing with height is you can get away with a lot more movement. The nice thing about a tree saddle is you can use the tree itself as the cover.

 

[ricky racer]

Late season lack of cover really magnifies the shortcomings of todays camo clothing. Nearly all popular camo patterns make you look like a big dark blob up in a tree (or on the ground). If you lack cover try lighter colored camo. Snow camo works well even with no snow on the ground. One thing to keep in mind is deer have no natural predators that are white in color. All their lives they've been pursued by predators that are dark in color. I've had deer totally ignore me while wearing white camo. You can buy coverings in snow camo fairly cheaply to slip on over your current wardrobe.
Nothing beats good cover but in late season, good cover is rare. I'm just giving you something to think about.

 

[woodsdog2]

I don’t like being a slave to any tree. I like to look for set ups where my hang location is now no longer in that deer’s area of concern. Bends in their trails where now the deer is heading almost perpendicular to my location, strips of cover or tangles where the deer must move through them feeling secure and you’re watching them move through it thinking they’re secure and you have shot opportunities all through their “secure” cover, or just after a rise where they will stop to scan an area and then they begin to move on…. find those “after thought” locations where the deer is ready to flick its tail to keep moving and try to be in shot distance to them. Whenever I set up in my saddle the tree is typically my 12 o clock position where I feel a majority of the deer movement will be coming from. Then I have the tree covering me from oncoming deer and if I can set up with another terrain feature blocks most movement on my weak side than all the better.

 

[Hall17]

Late season this yr has been very mild. If I still had a buck tag my percentage of killing one would be slim. If it was cold then I’d focus on food

cover late season we all know is hard. Depends on the situation. If I know where deer are coming from I’ll pick the best tree to hide in and use the tree to hide as well as I can

if I don’t know where they are coming from then I’ll seek out the best tree for cover and in this situation I would be extremely mindful of all my movements

 

[NMSbowhunter]

That's a good point about camo color. I think most camo is too dark for late season too. I've never used snow camo since we only get about 1 inch of snow a year here. lol. I do have a Sitka coat that I thought was too light colored but proved to be great for late season. I just picked up a Rivers West rain jacket in Mossy Oak Mountain County that has a lot of white in it. I picked that camo scheme for just that reason.

 

[ricky racer]

Late season lack of cover really magnifies the shortcomings of todays camo clothing. Nearly all popular camo patterns make you look like a big dark blob up in a tree (or on the ground). If you lack cover try lighter colored camo. Snow camo works well even with no snow on the ground. One thing to keep in mind is deer have no natural predators that are white in color. All their lives they've been pursued by predators that are dark in color. I've had deer totally ignore me while wearing white camo. You can buy coverings in snow camo fairly cheaply to slip on over your current wardrobe.
Nothing beats good cover but in late season, good cover is rare. I'm just giving you something to think about.

I've posted this before but it's worth another look:

Take a few minutes and look at this video posted by BobinTN. Go to somewhere around the 3:10-3:20 minute mark when the he is leaning against his saddle and pause the video. Maximize the screen. Now scan across the ground like you were looking for a deer in the heavy cover. Notice how the hunters legs nearly disappear from your vision? His dark jacket stands out like a sore thumb but you hardly notice his legs. That's a perfect example of how most camo patterns are too dark to work well in a tree. I've been saying it for years, light colored camo is much better than dark tree bark camo. I just thought I mention it one more time but this really show what I'm talking about.

 

[woodsdog2]

If you lack cover try lighter colored camo. Snow camo works well even with no snow on the ground. One thing to keep in mind is deer have no natural predators that are white in color. All their lives they've been pursued by predators that are dark in color. I've had deer totally ignore me while wearing white camo. You can buy coverings in snow camo fairly cheaply to slip on over your current wardrobe.
Nothing beats good cover but in late season, good cover is rare. I'm just giving you something to think about.

^^^^^^^ I’ve been doing this more and more now. Lighter, brighter patterns when hunting in a tree should be the rule. I carry a snow camo cover with me at all times now for this setup locations where the sky is literally your only backdrop. The deer look through you. This past muzzleloader season I was wearing an iwom in predator gray camo which has a lot of white and light gray in it. I had four or five does milling about in front of me where I was overlooking a powerline, the buck came out and I had to move slightly to get into a better position to shoot him which made some noise, this was late season hunting in the middle of December, the deer heard something that perked up their attention ion but they could not see me at all. Took the shot and the buck ran like he was scalded, the does stood there. One doe stood facing me for several minutes before moving on. Even after the shot and all that commotion I’m convinced now they look for dark blobs and when they don’t see them they don’t see you!! It works. I’m trying to pic out lighter and lighter camo ir ASAT style camo more and more now. I like that MOssy Oake Terra Gil’s but haven’t bought any yet but the Predator Fall gray is probably my favorite overall hunting at height camo.

 

[ricky racer]

^^^^^^^ I’ve been doing this more and more now. Lighter, brighter patterns when hunting in a tree should be the rule. I carry a snow camo cover with me at all times now for this setup locations where the sky is literally your only backdrop. The deer look through you. This past muzzleloader season I was wearing an iwom in predator gray camo which has a lot of white and light gray in it. I had four or five does milling about in front of me where I was overlooking a powerline, the buck came out and I had to move slightly to get into a better position to shoot him which made some noise, this was late season hunting in the middle of December, the deer heard something that perked up their attention ion but they could not see me at all. Took the shot and the buck ran like he was scalded, the does stood there. One doe stood facing me for several minutes before moving on. Even after the shot and all that commotion I’m convinced now they look for dark blobs and when they don’t see them they don’t see you!! It works. I’m trying to pic out lighter and lighter camo ir ASAT style camo more and more now. I like that MOssy Oake Terra Gil’s but haven’t bought any yet but the Predator Fall gray is probably my favorite overall hunting at height camo.

Yeah, I mention snow camo but anything light in color is better than the more popular camo colors. Even a light gray or tan will work. It doesn't even need to be camo, just like the pants on the guy in the video.
The brute I shot this year looked right at me and I thought I was busted but the ASAT camo I was wearing was light enough that he didn't see me as a threat. He looked directly at me and continued on his way allowing me to get a shot. I had little cover and was in a maple only about 6" in diameter at my hunting height.

 

[bigcat93]

Yeh I switched trees, like I said a good bit higher and the does coming through are definitely less weary and not noticing me. 1 week left to try and connect on that buck again, but if not I have a doe tag burning a hole in pocket


About the camo, I’m REALLY liking the Code to Silence Versa 7 jacket.

 

[Loopwing]

I climb and hunt a lot of holly trees this time of year. If a good climbing tree has a holly in front or behind it makes it easier. I despise holly trees all the rest of the year! I can tell you the block of woods I am hunting and if I am in a holly trees you will not see me until it is too late.