The answer to this is, of course you are. And if they are not spooked, they are aware of your presence.

All the pre-scouting and work to get your stand just perfect, might well be all for nothing. Have you ever been on your way to your stand and seen tails fleeing or heard deer snorting? Sure you have, we all have.

Now you get in your stand and your confidence and excitement level is not the same as when you started out. After sitting awhile without seeing a deer, you start to doubt your chances and abandon your stand. If this sounds familiar you’re not alone.

This is something all deer hunters face and no sure-fire solution. I have taken many hunters to a stand over the years, as well as gone to a few stands myself. I have learned some things about how to increase your odds of the deer not knowing you’re in your stand.

There are many products on the market that help hunters get deer to come within sight – scents, calls, camo you name it, it is all for the same goal. The problem is if the deer already know you are there, you’re in for a long day.

Let me tell you about this one occurrence I observed. This one stand I was in is at least a half a mile from any road. It is solid bush and no clearings and you could hear the traffic go by. I had been in the stand about a half-hour, when this 11-point buck appeared. He was slowly walking and feeding without a care in the world. He could hear the traffic as well and paid no attention to it.

Then for some reason, a vehicle that I could hear heading down the road, started slowing down and eventually stopped. Now remember this is a half-mile away from me with solid timber the whole way.

As the vehicle slowed to a stop, the buck lifted his head and totally froze. There was a big broadleaf plant in his mouth and he even stopped chewing. The vehicle eventually started off again and the farther it went the more relaxed the buck got.
The buck eventually fed his way out of sight.

Now you may think that this is nothing new or no big deal but all this took place with the buck only 20 yards from me. He never had a clue I was there. He showed more attention to a sound a half mile away from him, without any concern that I was above him.

Just imagine that vehicle that stopped out at the road was me and I was on my way to the stand that I was already sitting in. Would that buck be in the area by the time I got to the stand? Would I be able to lure him back out with calls? Of course not, he would already be wise to what was going on. Whitetail deer (especially bucks) are creatures of habit and routine.

The plan years ago to get to a stand was to use the four-wheeler the majority of the way, then walk the rest. Makes sense right? Wrong!

In 1995 an older gentleman from New York was hunting with me. Getting off the four-wheeler and starting our walk in the dark was starting to get too much for the hunter. One morning he asked me to take him right to the stand with the four-wheeler. I stated that this would spook the deer and to walk in quiet would be best.

He then stated that we were probably spooking them more by trying to walk in quiet. He said to take him right to the stand but do not turn off the four-wheeler or shine a light up to the stand to help him see to get in. Once he was in the stand and set up, I was then and only then to get out of there.

The old fellow killed a good buck at first light that morning. He told me that evening that as soon as I left him he was watching the lights of the four-wheeler weave its way back through the bush when two bucks started to spar about 100-yards from him.

Now those bucks were probably sparring while we were on our way in and saw and heard the four-wheeler coming. They simply stopped and watched the four-wheeler come and then go and resumed their match. As daylight approached they had no idea the hunter was in the stand.

The 11 pointer I had watched from the stand that listened to the traffic, I had someone bring me to the stand with the four-wheeler that day. Once I was in the stand, the four-wheeler left. Eventually it got back to the road and I could hear it being loaded into the truck. I heard all of that and so did the deer.

If you can get the deer in your area to get accustomed to hearing a four-wheeler coming in and going out, I would bet that you would see more deer. To the deer when they hear you coming in, they think trouble is arriving. When the four-wheeler leaves, they think trouble has gone. Do not shut the motor off though. Let the deer concentrate on the bike.

My trail camera pictures also prove this method works. I have pictures of deer looking in the direction that I always approach when I come to exchange the card in the camera. Then I get photos of deer right after I have gone.

Try it this fall for yourself. Early in the year, start riding into your stand, sit a few minutes with the motor running then leave. The deer will get accustomed to this activity and you can figure they have you patterned. Have a friend bring you in to your stand when season starts. Maybe you can return the favor to your friend. I hope this helps someone get the trophy buck of there dreams.

Shane Gulbrandsen www.gulbrandsenoutfitters.com

Available in Audio

“Taking a stand” is an expression that is used in hunting in perhaps two different ways. For many hunters, it means going to your favorite location where you have erected your tree stand or blind and getting into it to wait for the trophy buck to come along. For others, including many Maine hunters, taking a stand means to locate yourself in a specific area and wait for that trophy deer to come by. That specific area is determined by occurrences that are taking place in the area you are hunting. Let me give you some examples of what I mean.

Morning breaks and you are headed for one of your favorite hunting spots and on the way in, you notice other hunters in the area. You think about it a minute and realize that often when this happens you know exactly where deer like to cross when pushed by other hunters. Another example may be when you are hunting with one, two or three other hunters and once you have discussed what each of the hunters in your party are going to do, you decide to go sit or wait at one of your favorite places you know deer travel through when hunted by other hunters.

Whatever the reasons are that you might decide to “take a stand”, you are not equipped with portable blind or tree stand – there is just you, your rifle, a survival pack and perhaps a “hot seat” to sit on. There are proper ways or should I say less intrusive ways to take a stand that will increase your chances at seeing or bagging a deer.

Deer, and especially the trophy bucks, are not stupid animals. They are much like us in that they are creatures of habit and what seems to have worked for them once or twice, their instincts will direct them in that same manner more often than not. You as a hunter need to learn what those habits are and apply them to your hunting strategies.

Here are a few examples of how deer might react under certain circumstances. When you hunt an area often, it shouldn’t take you too long to learn the layout of the land – deer know this layout better than you do. Remember what transpires each and every time you hunt in a particular section. If deer get pushed or jumped, where do the go? What direction were you traveling, what was the weather, what direction was the wind blowing and what was the time of day, just to name a few. This may seem like a lot of information to process but it is what makes hunting enjoyable. It is part of the chase.

By learning these bits of information, you can determine better how to hunt that area. If you know that under most circumstances when deer are pushed out of that area from hunting pressure, the deer escape via a well hidden ravine on the west end of the land it would only seem logical that that would be a good location to take a stand and wait.

Over time, you will discover some very rewarding places to take a stand. Perhaps that place will be a favorite knoll, ravine, crossing on an old logging road, ledge, swamp, field or next to an apple orchard. Wherever it is, once you get there, don’t ruin a good opportunity by not knowing how to take a stand.

I repeat, deer are not stupid nor are they blind. One of the biggest mistakes inexperienced hunters make in taking a stand is to remain in the open. Many times I have suggested to a fellow hunter to go to a particular spot on an old woods road and wait. When I arrive at that point, I find them standing smack dab in the middle of the road.

When taking a stand, you want to be able to see well enough to spot a deer and that can be accomplished without standing in the middle of the wide open area. Look around for a minute or two when you get there. You should have knowledge of what direction you think a deer might come and where the favorite crossing spot is. Assess the wind direction, sun, etc. and from that determine in what general area you should be, i.e.. put the wind in your face and sun to your back if you can.

Once you’ve determined in what general area you should take a stand, now is the time to find the best strategic spot available to you. Is there a bit of a rise or knoll that would give you a better view? If so, use it. Find a place on that rise where you can camouflage yourself with the natural surroundings. If you are standing alone in the open and a deer comes by, chances are that deer may not recognize you as a human and danger but it will more than likely determine that you are something that doesn’t belong there. The deer will turn and go in another direction and you are left looking like a fool.

Put your back to a clump of trees or underbrush. If you can put some small bushes in front of you – enough to help blend you into the surroundings without impeding your site to shoot. If you are going to sit down, find the spot and clean it up. Make it so any small movement on your part doesn’t create noise – deer have acute hearing. Sit in a manner that is conducive to making shooting more easily accomplished. What I mean by this is simple. The spot you are watching for deer is more than likely relatively small. Hopefully small enough so that you don’t have to keep turning your head from side to side – that’s too much movement. Sit so you can see and you can raise your rifle easily when needed.

If you opt to literally stand when you take your stand, again find a place where you are best camouflaged and clean the area where you will stand. Move the dry leaves and branches from under foot. The result should be a moist dirt area free of crackling leaves and twigs. Any movement by you of your feet should be silent. Stand in a position that affords you the best sight and when necessary you can raise your rifle to shoot with the least amount of movement – deer will spot the slightest amount of movement or noise on your part.

The bottom line is to use common sense. This is actually a game of hide and seek. The better you can hide yourself and at the same time making every effort to keep a clear vision for yourself, you are increasing your chances at success.

One last thing that I will add to this is to have patience. I know in my early years of hunting, I would take a stand somewhere and run out of patience. I would decide to move to another spot or get antsy and start shifting positions only to hear a deer running off in the other direction. The hunter with the most patience will in the end be the one that brings home the deer while your buddies, family and other hunters will be wondering why you and not them.

Happy hunting.