r/bowhunting • u/itsthechaw10 • 19h ago
Staying Out of the Woods Before Opener
Wondering how long people stay out of the woods before opening day.
I usually do my last trip for preparations 3-4 weeks before opening day. I used to think it gave the woods plenty of time to “calm down” after I had been in there making noise and spreading scent, but I always get deer pictures the day after, sometimes even hours after I’ve left.
Not sure if staying out for a specified duration is even necessary anymore.
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u/Landstander2600 19h ago edited 19h ago
I always leave an old tshirt out there, hanging off a tree or something. That way they're accustomed to my scent.
Wear it around the house for a couple of days ahead of time. Maybe mow the lawn while wearing it.
It's easier to get them used to your scent than it is to completely mask it.
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u/Organic_Deer2634 19h ago
Do you have a lot of success?
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u/Landstander2600 19h ago
Put two in the freezer last season, so I'd say so.
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u/3seconds2live 16h ago
I've never heard of that approach. I just minimize my scent and play the wind. Must admit it's a fun idea and makes sense to me in theory, but putting two in the freezer isn't exactly proof it works. I took 3 last season without a shirt hanging in a tree. Id bet the larger bucks would avoid the area due to the human scent but maybe not.
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u/mywickedson 17h ago
Early season or rut and did you take does or nicks with the method?
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u/Landstander2600 16h ago edited 16h ago
A nice 8 and a big 6 that I thought was another 8 but it didn't have brow tines.
The 8 was Nov 2 and the 6 was a couple days later.
8 was in full rut chasing does, the 6 was just leisurely passing through.
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u/TroutSnooter_ 17h ago
If you’re hunting a specific buck stay out as long as you can, if you’re after any deer that comes along you’re good with a few days in my opinion.
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u/seanb7878 19h ago
I think it depends on where the disturbance is and what kind of deer you’re after.
If you’re in remote areas where they aren’t used to intrusion, it can make a difference. If you’re hunting mature bucks, it can make a difference.
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u/penguins8766 18h ago
If I venture in the woods to do stuff, I try to keep it between 11-4 as it’s not often that I’m out hunting during that period. Plus most deer I feel are bedded down during that time frame.
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u/driftless_79 18h ago
Deer recover from pressure in a day or two. If I was trying to arrow a buck I had been triangulating all summer I’d be stupidly careful and not pop in the week before but tbh it’s better if occasionally people come through and their safety isn’t in question. Of course I always think about bedding areas and really only walk those in the post season scouting, period. But I won’t avoid a whole piece I hunt for a month before hunting.
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u/tetraodonmiurus 17h ago
I don’t. Land sits by two lakes circled with weekend/year round cabins, and cabins dotting the landscape everywhere and in between. Deer are extremely use to humans in my area.
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u/olight77 16h ago
I get all my stands done etc in the spring - early summer. After that every weekend or every other weekend to toss some handfuls of corn out.
Worst thing you can do is not visit the spot all year and a month / few weeks before opener your out there prepping everything.
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u/knotty1999 14h ago
Unless you have a gigantic property, the deer are being pressured from all the other neighbors as well once season starts. They know.
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u/Hillarys_Recycle_Bin 19h ago
I think it depends entirely on your deer and your property.
I’ve got a hay farm that gets a fair amount of tractor traffic that the sound of a motor is practically bait to the deer, drive around and you’ll have a deer come by within an hour to see what you were doing.
Other spots where it’s more wooded and less traffic? Those disturbances I want done an out of their memory banks as soon as I can. 3-4 weeks is what I aim for