Never Hunted Whitetail

[SkookumHntr]

What about hunting out of a ground blind? Anybody try that?

[CP]

But once spooked, I've never seen a whitetail stop and look back.

Sometimes, if they haven’t been pressured too much, they will stop in response to a whistle, howl or a grunt.  But they catch on to that trick pretty quickly.

[CP]

What about hunting out of a ground blind? Anybody try that?

Ground blinds can work but getting higher increases your visibility and helps disperse your scent.

[Chesapeake]

Never specificaly hunted them, but have hunted mule deer in areas with some whitetails.
Everyone I've seen or busted hit the cover running, not stotting like a mule deer, but running, never looked back, and didnt stop or break cover while in my sight.

Kind of funny to watch for a mule deer and blacktail hunter.

[Miles]

My observations are a Whitetails nature is to run (to the next county) when it is scared or spooked, a Mule deer runs off 100 yards then stops and looks back to see what it was that spooked them.

X2

I would add that I have also seen mature bucks hold somewhere tighter then a pheasant if they think they haven't been seen and the danger is going to walk by. But once spooked, I've never seen a whitetail stop and look back.

This is different from back east. Unless they get two senses of you, back east they usually stop and then get curious and often come back. Not as much the bucks as the does, but I've had bucks do it, too.
[/quote]

I'm not sure where you hunted back east...but in northern NH and NW Maine, the deer don't ever "come back" or stop and get curious.  Maybe 1 out of 10 will stop after they are in some thick brush... maybe.   Most hunting back there is done by tracking, or still hunting.   I'm guessing you hunted more around the Mass line and southern NH/ME...?

I have found that still hunting and covering some ground in WA works fairly well.  If you find a high traffic area while hunting, then sit and wait for a while.  If you don't, keep moving and make something happen.  It works, but you've got to be on your toes.  Don't count on having that perfect broadside shot with the deer standing still though.

[Miles]

Take a walk if you want to see whiteails.
Sit still if you want to kill whitetails.
As told to me by a wise old man, with lots of nice whitetail racks on the wall.
Dont get wrong i have killed bucks still hunting, also have been waved goodbye to alot.

Cute saying, but I grew up with someone who would laugh at the idea of sitting in a tree all day waiting for a whitetail.  There were plenty of 140+ bucks hanging on the wall as well.  Still hunting/tracking is a lot more than just "walking through the woods".  I'm glad that he never brought me out in the woods to sit in a tree and call it hunting.  To me that's just "waiting".    There's a lot more to be learned by still hunting (in my opinion).  Anyone can find a game trail and sit on it for hours/days on end.

[pianoman9701]

My observations are a Whitetails nature is to run (to the next county) when it is scared or spooked, a Mule deer runs off 100 yards then stops and looks back to see what it was that spooked them.

X2

I would add that I have also seen mature bucks hold somewhere tighter then a pheasant if they think they haven't been seen and the danger is going to walk by. But once spooked, I've never seen a whitetail stop and look back.

This is different from back east. Unless they get two senses of you, back east they usually stop and then get curious and often come back. Not as much the bucks as the does, but I've had bucks do it, too.

I'm not sure where you hunted back east...but in northern NH and NW Maine, the deer don't ever "come back" or stop and get curious.  Maybe 1 out of 10 will stop after they are in some thick brush... maybe.   Most hunting back there is done by tracking, or still hunting.   I'm guessing you hunted more around the Mass line and southern NH/ME...?

I have found that still hunting and covering some ground in WA works fairly well.  If you find a high traffic area while hunting, then sit and wait for a while.  If you don't, keep moving and make something happen.  It works, but you've got to be on your toes.  Don't count on having that perfect broadside shot with the deer standing still though.
[/quote]

Miles, Northern NH and ME is where I hunted. Colebrook, Stark, and Moosehead lake near Greenville. Whitetails have come back to me several times resulting in the ultimate demise.

Maybe I'm just better at it than you!

[Miles]

Maybe...

Did you bathe in applesauce?



What years did you hunt that area?   Got any pics of the bucks?

[pianoman9701]

Maybe...

Did you bathe in applesauce?



What years did you hunt that area?   Got any pics of the bucks?

Nope, no pics. I hunted in NH and Me for about 30 years until I moved out here.

[pianoman9701]

sorry, 20 years. Bad math.

[Miles]

Most of my pics are on film (no digital cameras then), but here's a buck that was taken close to your old hunting grounds by my father last year.  Someday I'd like to make it back there around Thanksgiving week to do some tracking/hunting in the snow.

[pianoman9701]

That's a beautiful buck. congrats to your dad. I've never done a mount. I've only shot one buck back there worthy of it and didn't have it done.

[smdave]

Here are last years opening morning deer both shot before 9:00am public land. Going in before light and watching known paths.

[Miles]

Here are last years opening morning deer both shot before 9:00am public land. Going in before light and watching known paths.

Nice bucks!

[Miles]

That's a beautiful buck. congrats to your dad. I've never done a mount. I've only shot one buck back there worthy of it and didn't have it done.

Me either, I'm a big fan of the Euro mounts and thought I had dad converted over...then he went ahead and had another mount done.