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Post by Sasquatch on Oct 18, 2024 22:43:02 GMT -5
Monday evening I decided to deploy my Cross-Mars blind, a gift from my brother. I mostly wanted to get it out there, something I should have done in September. I discovered a scrape barely ten yards away. A bit close but the location was really the only suitable one for that ridge.Eventually I decided that I might as well hunt since the wind was perfect. Right about sunset I heard the unmistakable footsteps of a sizable deer approaching. Slow, deliberate, almost casual steps. Due to the topography ( see my elaborate illustration)I couldn’t see the deer, even though by the sound the deer was well within bow range. It stopped probably 20 yards away, if not closer. I never heard it move again. Eventually it got dark and I heard it take off from probably 50 yards away. I don’t know for the life of me how it got there. Talking with a friend about it later, he asked “Did you grunt at it?” *facepalm*. I never even thought of it! I never grunt at deer that I think are or even are likely approaching. I’ve seen way too many stop and immediately circle downwind after hearing a call. But I can’t believe I didn’t think of it when the deer hung up! Whoops! 😂 What would you have done?  |
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Post by duff on Oct 19, 2024 4:59:20 GMT -5
Nice art work. I would move my blind only because I can feel the anxiety of being too close to the valley of death ravine
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Post by sculver7 on Oct 19, 2024 5:09:39 GMT -5
Great illustration. I too, am extremely conservative with calling. I had a big buck last night get hung up about 20 yards too far from me. I too, did not grunt. Who knows? You may have grunted and he would have came right in…. Or you could have grunted and he ran like he saw a ghost.
I would maybe move the blind to the top of the ridge so that you can see both sides. In the evening, the thermals will pull your scent down the ridge, so maybe set up slightly on one side but more on top than you are. But what do I know? I always find a way to not shoot big deer so I don’t have it figured out. 😂
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Post by bill9068 on Oct 19, 2024 7:25:07 GMT -5
If he 20 yards away I would not have grunted. Big deer spook too easily. You did what you could but sometimes that what happens. Are you in a ground blind? If you can climb a tree, so you can see over the hill. That buck wasn’t spooked so chances are he’ll be back. Good luck.
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Post by scrub-buster on Oct 19, 2024 7:40:42 GMT -5
I built a natural ground blind on the hillside above a small pond in a wooded valley. I had trail camera pictures of a decent buck coming to the pond. For several hunts I would hear a deer approaching right before dark and then it would just stop. I guess it was waiting until dark to come out in the open to drink. I was using a longbow and really wanted to get that deer from the ground. This scenario happened a few times. On my next hunt I moved to a stand I had set up 60 yards into the woods in the direction that the deer was coming from. Right before dark a nice buck came walking by headed to the pond. I put an arrow through its lungs. I'm sure that buck heard me walking out the previous hunts but it stayed on its routine and I was able to kill it.
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Post by greghopper on Oct 19, 2024 7:54:19 GMT -5
Nice art work. I would move my blind only because I can feel the anxiety of being too close to the valley of death ravine I agree.… that has to be some tuff hunting in a open field and big drop off area.🎯 |
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Post by titanium700 on Oct 19, 2024 9:13:01 GMT -5
If it were me my luck would be I’d end up shooting the buck but he would end up running to and jumping off the cliff of death.
Don’t ask me how I know this scenario would turn out.
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Post by Ahawkeye on Oct 19, 2024 20:51:16 GMT -5
Not saying it doesn't work but grunting and or rattling has never worked for me.
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Post by esshup on Oct 19, 2024 21:24:34 GMT -5
I'd think long and hard about moving the blind so I could see over the ridge.
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Post by steiny on Oct 21, 2024 8:23:27 GMT -5
Yep, ground blinds are best set up on high ground.
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