Frustrations of a first season

[zim]

Not only my first year bow hunting, but also my first season actively deer hunting. Boys, I am getting driven crazy out there.

I have to be doing something incredibly wrong. Not only am I not getting any deer in range, I'm not even seeing any.

I'm learning all of this on my own. Have permission in a few spots with wooded acreage. I feel like I'm doing the right stuff but just getting my butt kicked (playing the wind, hunting on sign, playing the weather, sitting near acorns, etc.)

I'm gonna continue to grind, just using this forum to air some frustrations. I enjoy seeing y'all's pictures and reading your posts. Hopefully I'll be posting pics myself soon.

 

[Ski]

It can be frustrating for sure. Sometimes it's a feast or famine type of endeavor. Just remember that there's an equal high for every low.

What part of the state are you in?

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Some areas of TN just simply don't have Many deer anymore. I can't imagine being a new hunter in my area, it would really suck. If you are in a good area, then just keep grinding. If you are in a sucky area, I recommend going somewhere with a lot of deer like a lot of Middle TN or areas in West TN.

 

[SES]

I've killed 3 deer in several decades of bow hunting. I would rather be in a tree with a bow hanging next to me than just about anywhere else. Enjoy the experience of being out amongst them. If your easily discouraged, sell your bow. It can be maddening.

 

[rtaylor]

Let me help you feel better about yourself. Back in 2008 I did 19 all day sits before I saw a deer. I finally started telling myself I wasn't going deer hunting just getting out in the woods to relax.

 

[1jamey]

Trail cams do so much scouting for me one of the best tools to use.

 

[Crappieaddict]

Trail cams do so much scouting for me one of the best tools to use.

This!

 

[zim]

Thanks boys. Don't mean to come across as whining . . . just getting it off my chest.

I have some cams out. And see some decent deer on them (I think).

I will keep at it. I'm sure this happens to everyone. I do wish I could figure out my mistakes and correct them.

PS I'm up in NETN.

 

[zim]

I've killed 3 deer in several decades of bow hunting. I would rather be in a tree with a bow hanging next to me than just about anywhere else. Enjoy the experience of being out amongst them. If your easily discouraged, sell your bow. It can be maddening.

Im not gonna quit. That's for sure.

 

[Deer Assassin]

Ne Tn is the problem

Dude I'm in my 20 year and I have had a lot of frustration
It never ends
Take the good with the bad
Enjoy it
Hunt with friends and family

The advice I give every new hunter
You want to kill a deer in Tn

Be in the woods every minute you can in November period

 

[Deer Assassin]

Btw
Good luck to ya

 

[Ladys man]

I've lived in east side most of my life. Now hunting is hard here, November it picks up same places I bow hunt are covered with deer but during bow season I might not even see a deer even if sign was there. Do not let it get you down. I hunted 7 yrs before I could kill my first, then starting putting 1&2 together. Now I'm able to put 2-3 deer a ye in the feeezer, but I will say this year has been different.
Keep your head up and stay in the woods you will figure out what mistakes your making and learn from them.

 

[270MONTS]

It does get frustrating at times. Don't get down. Everyone has slow days or even slow years. When you do get one it will all be worth it.

 

[zim]

Thanks boys

 

[EastTNHunter]

Getting into hunting can be tough. It may sound funny, but you have to learn to see the deer sometimes. I can only imagine how many deer I missed seeing until I learned to look for a flick of a tail or ear, or a moving leg. Sometimes even to this day, a deer will just "appear" out of nowhere, even if I was just watching that spot. You often won't see a whole deer out in the open, especially if you are hunting cover.

You've gotta crawl before you can walk. Don't get discouraged. Learn what you can along the way, but enjoy the ride. Be in the woods and soak it all in.

BTW, I've been told that some parts of NE TN have good deer numbers, but I'm assuming that those areas are more around agricultural areas. Also, this year has a bumper crop of acorns in many areas, so the deer movement can be low during those times. When the white oak acorn supply dries up in a few weeks, focus on remaining food supplies (red oaks, etc) and cover and you should find them. This is often in a totally different place than they were in the summer or early season. Also, food plots and fields sometimes draw hunters, but if the area has much pressure then the deer may not use them during daylight hours... in this case hint travel corridors and staging areas leading to those food sources.

 

[Mag]

I don't think you said how you're hunting. Ground, stalking, stand etc ?

 

[bwgarrett3]

I'm in East, Tn and it can be extremely frustrating at times. There aren't a ton of deer in most places but there are some good deer!

How far NE are you? You've already gotten some great advice on this thread but I'd be willing to come sometime and help you out with boots on the ground. I don't claim to know it all but wouldn't mind to help if I can.

 

[Bone Collector]

As other have said, the NETN is the issue. Lower deer densities = fewer sightings. I taught myself too many moons ago. It is hard, to see what you are doing wrong if you do not know what is wrong or what is right. It is even harder if you don't see deer to be able to deduce what you are doing wrong (if that makes sense). Just go have fun, learn from your mistakes and your eventual successes, and eventually you will start putting it together and will start killing deer. It gets easier and easier.

That being said, sometimes the chips seemed to be stacked against you. There are no guarantees. Other times even when it shouldn't go your way it does.

 

[zim]

As other have said, the NETN is the issue. Lower deer densities = fewer sightings. I taught myself too many moons ago. It is hard, to see what you are doing wrong if you do not know what is wrong or what is right. It is even harder if you don't see deer to be able to deduce what you are doing wrong (if that makes sense). Just go have fun, learn from your mistakes and your eventual successes, and eventually you will start putting it together and will start killing deer. It gets easier and easier.

That being said, sometimes the chips seemed to be stacked against you. There are no guarantees. Other times even when it shouldn't go your way it does.

That's exactly where I am at right now. I know that I must be doing something wrong, but when you don't know what wrong/right is how do you correct it?

I live in Johnson City. I have hunting permissions in Sullivan Co, Hawkins Co, and Butler. So I'm kind of all over the place. I have a hanging stand that I am using. I am varying the heights that I hang it. Learning to read topography and predict how deer will travel.

I'm definitely still enjoying myself out there. I guess I sound like I'm whining haha.

Appreciate it fellas.

 

[zim]

I'm in East, Tn and it can be extremely frustrating at times. There aren't a ton of deer in most places but there are some good deer!

How far NE are you? You've already gotten some great advice on this thread but I'd be willing to come sometime and help you out with boots on the ground. I don't claim to know it all but wouldn't mind to help if I can.

I live in Johnson City. Hunt in surrounding counties.

 

[JeepKuntry]

There are a few counties your way that have higher deer densities for east TN. I saw 3 does during bow season. All on the same sit. Had areas where cams were active dry up. And A LOT of nighttime pics. October is tough around here. If you can travel towards the middle part of the state I think you will be surprised at sign and sightings. I plan to do more traveling next year for this very reason.

 

[jetwrnch]

You really need to find a hunting partner. Preferably one with experience. Remove all expectations of shooting a deer for now and focus on learning about how they behave and all the other great things going on in the woods. The harvesting problem will solve itself in due time. When you see or shoot one take a minute to figure out why. Wind, weather, date, time etc. are all data points. Keep a log book or excel sheet of every hunt. Over time you'll see patterns develop and hunting goes from luck to skill.

 

[Laxxxxxx]

Get to know your trees and plants. It will help you give a more clear picture on where to wait. Learning topography is a good piece as well. But no food or water no deer. Learned that in the North GA mountains the hard way.

 

[rmmonty32]

I feel your pain. I started hunting in 2016. No experience. I started out only gun hunting. Got my first deer in 2017 but would not get another until this year while crossbow hunting for the first time. I have been countless times with no deer sightings whatsoever. This year is starting to get better as I learn something new everytime I go out. I listen to podcasts and read everything I can get my hands on. Also this site is a wealth of knowledge and instruction. Shout out to catman i have learned a ton from his videos and posts. Also a big fan of the Southern Ground Hunting podcast. Hang in there it will get better, but it is a skill that only develops with time and lots of very high highs and very low lows. Yesterday was one of those days as i shot one but could not find him. Best of Luck.

 

[scn]

I grew up in that part of the world and learned to deer hunt up there. At the time, we were killing around 25,000 deer STATEWIDE. So, I feel your pain. Here are some old guy observations:
1.You won't see deer if they aren't there. Not trying to be a smart butt, but, it really holds true in those mountains. Deer ARE NOT evenly distributed across the acreage. Once you start figuring things out, you will see that they are in pockets up there, with large expanses of land not holding squat.

2. So, how do you find those pockets? Shoe leather is usually the best currency. In a lot of that range, if you have three days to hunt, you will see many more deer if you scout 1.5-2 of those days and only hunt a day. Just sitting somewhere in a tree because you saw a track and it looks pretty can be a big time waster.

3. When the oaks start dropping, a good tree can really concentrate some deer. It will be your key food source most of the season. Outside of the oak game and an occasional persimmon tree, you are basically going to see a lot of browsing. They feed on greenbrier year round up there. Since it is everywhere, it doesn't concentrate the deer.

4. There is NO place that you will hunt where terrain features such as saddle, benches, etc come into play like they do in the mountains. Until you learn how to recognize those and how they concentrate the movements, it will be tough. By far, the best source of information on learning how terrain features focus deer movement is this book: https://www.amazon.com/Brad-Herndon...?dchild=1&keywords=Mapping+Trophy+deer&sr=8-4
For hunting up there, it will be the best thirty some dollars you will ever spend. Read it, and then read it a couple of more times. Invest in some good topo maps. GPS are good for getting you in and out, but don't do much for showing you the big picture of an area. After seeing Brad's diagrams and discussions, you will start picking it out when you hit the woods. Once you get comfortable with it, you will be able to take a topo map, look at it, and oftentimes go right to a hotspot. It certainly cuts down on the scouting time.

5. You have to understand thermals to see deer up there. The book will have some explanations.

6. January and February are you best friends up there. After the season, with all of the leaves off is the absolute best time to scout. If you bust a bedding area, no biggy. Trails, scrapes, rubs, etc are really visible. You will start to see how that sign is influenced by the terrain features.

In closing, it takes paying some dues. Next year will be easier. And, at some point, a lot of it will become second nature.

Hang in there!

 

[Grill-n-man]

First thing to help you is to take a deep breath, relax, and calm down. This is hunting not killing. Remember its about the hunt not the killing. The hunt is more than seeing the animal your after, its watching and learning about all the other things around you thats going on. Figuring out the why of all those other things will help more than you now. When i started if you saw 5 all season you were extremely lucky. You are learning and knowledge takes patience. Also stop watching these science fiction shows they call hunting shows. If you want to watch some real hunting shows and learn a few things watch the ones from people like Dan Fitzgerald back in the 80s. You need to put the time and work in to figure it out. And I dont mean deer hunting. You need to be in the woods at all times of the year looking and learning. You are in an age of where electronics has taken the place of boots to the ground. Don't be afraid to put some miles on those boots. If your acorns (mast) and water is anything like around here, deer do not have to travel very far to eat and drink so they are not covering much ground. Cameras only help at a minimal, they only tell you a what and when not the most important thing the why. Talking to other more experienced hunters, not facebook and forums, but real words face to face is a tremendous help. Those lost check stations have greatly impacted new hunters in a negative way. So much has been taught and learned leaning over truck beds than most will ever know. A good example of being the new hunter is when I started Ft. Campbell. I had never been there before and spent several days for the first couple years not seeing deer like most. But what I did do is listen to the stories and how each hunter liked to hunt while standing in line for hours. After a few years of listening to the stories I got to figuring out what areas has or didnt have, the walkers, the all day sitters, the field watchers, the thicket hunters, and was able to use this to my advantage. So as soon as let the frustration go and the knowledge sink, not only did I start seeing but killing deer. So in short, take a deep breath and relax and let what your eyes and ears are telling you sink in. Dont be afraid to try new things. If you find yourself sitting there wondering why all the squirrels seem to want to be on the other side of the ridge then go look and find out.

 

[zim]

I grew up in that part of the world and learned to deer hunt up there. At the time, we were killing around 25,000 deer STATEWIDE. So, I feel your pain. Here are some old guy observations:
1.You won't see deer if they aren't there. Not trying to be a smart butt, but, it really holds true in those mountains. Deer ARE NOT evenly distributed across the acreage. Once you start figuring things out, you will see that they are in pockets up there, with large expanses of land not holding squat.

2. So, how do you find those pockets? Shoe leather is usually the best currency. In a lot of that range, if you have three days to hunt, you will see many more deer if you scout 1.5-2 of those days and only hunt a day. Just sitting somewhere in a tree because you saw a track and it looks pretty can be a big time waster.

3. When the oaks start dropping, a good tree can really concentrate some deer. It will be your key food source most of the season. Outside of the oak game and an occasional persimmon tree, you are basically going to see a lot of browsing. They feed on greenbrier year round up there. Since it is everywhere, it doesn't concentrate the deer.

4. There is NO place that you will hunt where terrain features such as saddle, benches, etc come into play like they do in the mountains. Until you learn how to recognize those and how they concentrate the movements, it will be tough. By far, the best source of information on learning how terrain features focus deer movement is this book: https://www.amazon.com/Brad-Herndon...?dchild=1&keywords=Mapping+Trophy+deer&sr=8-4
For hunting up there, it will be the best thirty some dollars you will ever spend. Read it, and then read it a couple of more times. Invest in some good topo maps. GPS are good for getting you in and out, but don't do much for showing you the big picture of an area. After seeing Brad's diagrams and discussions, you will start picking it out when you hit the woods. Once you get comfortable with it, you will be able to take a topo map, look at it, and oftentimes go right to a hotspot. It certainly cuts down on the scouting time.

5. You have to understand thermals to see deer up there. The book will have some explanations.

6. January and February are you best friends up there. After the season, with all of the leaves off is the absolute best time to scout. If you bust a bedding area, no biggy. Trails, scrapes, rubs, etc are really visible. You will start to see how that sign is influenced by the terrain features.

In closing, it takes paying some dues. Next year will be easier. And, at some point, a lot of it will become second nature.

Hang in there!

Now that is what I'm talking about! You essentially confirmed my thinking in that I am on the right track, but I have a lot to learn. At least I'm focusing on the right things!

Thank you sir.

 

[T. J. Mercer]

Adding to what others have said ...

If the deer aren't there, you have two choices:
1) bring them to you, or
2) go to them

Trail cams can get pricey, and some don't last more than a few seasons, but having at least one gives you a better picture of whether they're in the area.
I swear by trophy rocks.
I've been able to pull deer across property lines where I couldn't hunt to areas where I could with simple attractants. Drop a $15 trophy rock, half a bag of a $6 50lb bag of corn, and slap a camera on it in late June, and check the camera in two weeks. If the deer are there, you'll see em.
We have strict laws against baiting, so obviously be careful with that during season, but some attractants are allowed. Learn them and use them.

I once moved my climber 50 yards and saw more deer than I ever had before. Trails in some places are your bread and butter. A camera will help you either find them or learn if they're there with attractants.
As stated above, put in the legwork of scouting. Cameras can time lapse a spot, but your eyes can canvas an area.

 

[T. J. Mercer]

Also, when I began hunting, I wanted to hunt the fields to see farther and thus, more deer. Imho, this is not the way of the bowhunter. Get in the thick stuff, if you can. You gotta get up close and personal. And it's harder to draw when the deer can see you move.

 

[zim]

Adding to what others have said ...

If the deer aren't there, you have two choices:
1) bring them to you, or
2) go to them

Trail cams can get pricey, and some don't last more than a few seasons, but having at least one gives you a better picture of whether they're in the area.
I swear by trophy rocks.
I've been able to pull deer across property lines where I couldn't hunt to areas where I could with simple attractants. Drop a $15 trophy rock, half a bag of a $6 50lb bag of corn, and slap a camera on it in late June, and check the camera in two weeks. If the deer are there, you'll see em.
We have strict laws against baiting, so obviously be careful with that during season, but some attractants are allowed. Learn them and use them.

I once moved my climber 50 yards and saw more deer than I ever had before. Trails in some places are your bread and butter. A camera will help you either find them or learn if they're there with attractants.
As stated above, put in the legwork of scouting. Cameras can time lapse a spot, but your eyes can canvas an area.

I will absolutely be doing this kind of stuff next year. With this being my first season, I have just gotten permission on these spots. By next season I will have had an entire year to find bedding areas, travel routes, movement patterns, etc . . .