Learning to have good set ups?

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Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Bobo » Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:15 am

I've been a beast member for 3 years now. I can go out on public and get on deer, but I keep getting get screwed, in the final like 15 yards or so. So I guess is there a learning curve to getting the "right" set ups, where I need to up my game or is there just bad luck? Has anyone else gone through this?


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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Moose » Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:22 am

Explain how you are getting screwed? Could 15yds to close to the bed. Are you checking wind?
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:53 am

Yeah, I agree if you can elaborate a little better. I been hunting public for almost ten years and this is the slowest season I have had in a long time. Im seeing the deer but coming up short. I have drawn back on three different deer so far but the animals have been moving to fast for a shot. I been hunting wide open timber this season more than the usual nasty public marsh this year and the deer glide right through the open timber. I never thought it would be a challenge but getting a shot in the timber has been kicking my hind end. Deer seem to move slower in the thick marshes IMO.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:09 pm

For me, when I find a great spot I’m good enough to just get myself in trouble. I’m in the ballpark but usually get pegged or winded on the first attempt. I figure out what went wrong and then tweak it the following post season and formulate a plan on what put that deer there the year b4. Then I set up on that. By year 3 I usually got it down.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Bobo » Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:24 pm

Moose wrote:Explain how you are getting screwed? Could 15yds to close to the bed. Are you checking wind?


In early season I set up in some oaks. About 20 yards off the bedding transition. I would have liked to set up a little farther back but no trees that had cover. A mature doe, I would have shot, walked right through the open woods, behind me to the oaks instead of walking the transition, and busted me by site not wind.

During late October I set up on 2 fresh scrapes. Being hill country and evening I put them 15 yards above me expecting thermal drop. Every deer went through at least 20 yards above the scrapes and paid them no mind. Had I set up ignorantly I would have been much closer to the deer.

3 days ago I was hunting leeward side of hills in the morning. I set up on top of a cut going up the hill. I wanted to set right where the cut stopped but only had telephone pole-like trees to go up. I new I'd get picked off for sure in one of those, so I went 20 yards farther up to get into a tree with cover. Thinking soon as sun comes out, lite winds, thermals will go up and I'll be good. Even after sun came out, milkweed still dropped. Sure enough doe came through buck following. Neither saw me but both winded me.

I've tried to think out my set ups, but deer keep busting me before I get em shot. What gives??
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby elk yinzer » Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:34 pm

I like to set up right on the X where I expect the deer to be. If there is a travel route, I want to be on it. Doe beds in the rut, screw downwind I am right on top of them. If my eyes tell me sonething different than the sign, I go right at it. Erring cautious too often puts me 30 yards out of the action. I'd rather get busted occassionally than be a textbook reading wallflower.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Smitty » Mon Nov 16, 2020 2:35 pm

Wish I could tell you what the trick is but I am in the same boat as you last year I thought I really had things figured out for this season but I was very wrong. I am on deer this year but so far have been set up just out of range because the deer don’t come out where I think they will. There is clearly a learning curve and I think as long as we learn something from each of our hunts we will eventually have better odds but getting to that point can be frustrating.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:03 pm

It’s an art picking the tree. It happened to me multiple times this year with nice bucks they either got down wind of me before I could get a shot or I was just out of range. Just got my stand hung one time this year and was on the ground about to tie my pull up rope on and had a deer walking in. Was a Pope and young class that busted me . Was 4 hrs before last light thought I was early enough.Had I been up in my stand 5 minutes earlier. Keep going you will connect eventually
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby mauser06 » Mon Nov 16, 2020 3:26 pm

Sounds like mostly "it's deer hunting".


There's no absolutes. If there was, I'd find something different to consume my life with.



It sounds like you are considering many factors when picking out a tree....and you're getting on deer....that's good.


We can only do so much. At the end of the day, deer are deer and going to do what they wanna do.


Friday I approached and area and began my tree selection process...which for me, can take some time. I had a few ideas going into the area. I watched the wind. I surveyed the area. I had predictions of deer movement based on the terrain, habitat and rut phase. I watched a doe and fawn exit the thicket and do exactly what I figured. Bingo. There's my tree. I setup on the outside corner of a thicket where 3 cuts/draws/ditches in the hill meet. Between 2 points which were in the same thicket. I had oaks raining acorns all around. I saw a buck cruising that edge 2 days prior. I saw 2 does come out of one of the thicket points to eat acorns that were being aggressively held hostage by 2 good bucks 2 days before. I thought for sure I'd be in hot action.

About 11 am a 130 class buck came UP one of the cuts through the wide open timber 50-60yds away. I NEVER expected that movement.

About 5 pm I saw a 150+ class buck exit the thicket point. MUCH lower than I expected. No big deal. He'll cut up across here and I'll zap him. HA. He stayed on that elevation and cautiously worked along through the wide open timber. Never expected that movement either.


At the end of the day I was scratching my head. I still am. But thats deer hunting.


Keep at it. Sounds like youre on the right track and it'll start to click.

I find early and late season hunts to be much more predicable...if you have done your homework.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Moose » Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:38 pm

Thats deer hunting. Its not as easy as all the shows make it seem. I get busted alot also. I think the majority of us do but thats what makes it the thrill of the hunt. You dont get a very big window of shot oppurnity before they will wind you, thats why the bucks are there in the first place. Sounds like you have a great idea of whats going on. Just a matter of time before you get the shot. Setups are so important, i screw them up all the time. Its a game of inches with the wind.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Rich M » Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:33 pm

Was talking with a buddy about this just yesterday. He is forced to bow hunt all the time based on where he lives. All the hunting is first come first served and there are a lot of guys - yesterday he went to 6 spots before he could hunt.

Anyway, he's been within 40 yards of 3-4 bucks, 2 mature including a 140 this season. It's like something clicked inside him and he's just setting up better.

I'll just say that there is a learning curve and the only way we learn the curve is by doing it - you're doing great seeing all the deer. Be encouraged by that.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby PK_ » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:33 am

Bobo wrote:
Moose wrote:Explain how you are getting screwed? Could 15yds to close to the bed. Are you checking wind?


In early season I set up in some oaks. About 20 yards off the bedding transition. I would have liked to set up a little farther back but no trees that had cover. A mature doe, I would have shot, walked right through the open woods, behind me to the oaks instead of walking the transition, and busted me by site not wind.

During late October I set up on 2 fresh scrapes. Being hill country and evening I put them 15 yards above me expecting thermal drop. Every deer went through at least 20 yards above the scrapes and paid them no mind. Had I set up ignorantly I would have been much closer to the deer.

3 days ago I was hunting leeward side of hills in the morning. I set up on top of a cut going up the hill. I wanted to set right where the cut stopped but only had telephone pole-like trees to go up. I new I'd get picked off for sure in one of those, so I went 20 yards farther up to get into a tree with cover. Thinking soon as sun comes out, lite winds, thermals will go up and I'll be good. Even after sun came out, milkweed still dropped. Sure enough doe came through buck following. Neither saw me but both winded me.

I've tried to think out my set ups, but deer keep busting me before I get em shot. What gives??



You are learning man. It’s constant. The fact that you are thinking it thru means you will figure it out.

I think you were setup correctly in the scrape scenario. Most of the deer activity was above the scrapes but were there any shooters? I would think any shooters would have likely cruised down lower than majority of deer movement and that’s why those scrapes are down there where the bucks are cruising, crossing each other’s paths and scenting the doe movement with falling thermals.

It will take time but you will learn to break down areas and figure out your killing trees where you are untouchable and also in the action. Some properties don’t have these setups and you just have to go in knowing that you have to sacrifice something and you can’t hunt those spots too much in a season without blowing them up and there’s a chance deer are going to peg you, it just is what it is.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:53 am

PK_ wrote:
Bobo wrote:
Moose wrote:Explain how you are getting screwed? Could 15yds to close to the bed. Are you checking wind?


In early season I set up in some oaks. About 20 yards off the bedding transition. I would have liked to set up a little farther back but no trees that had cover. A mature doe, I would have shot, walked right through the open woods, behind me to the oaks instead of walking the transition, and busted me by site not wind.

During late October I set up on 2 fresh scrapes. Being hill country and evening I put them 15 yards above me expecting thermal drop. Every deer went through at least 20 yards above the scrapes and paid them no mind. Had I set up ignorantly I would have been much closer to the deer.

3 days ago I was hunting leeward side of hills in the morning. I set up on top of a cut going up the hill. I wanted to set right where the cut stopped but only had telephone pole-like trees to go up. I new I'd get picked off for sure in one of those, so I went 20 yards farther up to get into a tree with cover. Thinking soon as sun comes out, lite winds, thermals will go up and I'll be good. Even after sun came out, milkweed still dropped. Sure enough doe came through buck following. Neither saw me but both winded me.

I've tried to think out my set ups, but deer keep busting me before I get em shot. What gives??



You are learning man. It’s constant. The fact that you are thinking it thru means you will figure it out.

I think you were setup correctly in the scrape scenario. Most of the deer activity was above the scrapes but were there any shooters? I would think any shooters would have likely cruised down lower than majority of deer movement and that’s why those scrapes are down there where the bucks are cruising, crossing each other’s paths and scenting the doe movement with falling thermals.

It will take time but you will learn to break down areas and figure out your killing trees where you are untouchable and also in the action. Some properties don’t have these setups and you just have to go in knowing that you have to sacrifice something and you can’t hunt those spots too much in a season without blowing them up and there’s a chance deer are going to peg you, it just is what it is.


I agree w PK

I hunt alot of hills and timber. I can say every first time sit is a learning exp, especially w the wind currents. Take note, make the adjustments and try again. Check it while you scout nc even if the wind is wrong for when you plan to hunt - if there is something odd going on you can probably still see it.

Your oak setup sounds ok to me. At least it was a doe and not a shooter that busted you. You setup on the transition which is how id expect a buck to travel. Your scrape setup sounds ok like PK said. Just wasnt your day. Your cut setup sounds like you just went too high. If I setup above the cut then I usually have to get pretty high up the tree to beat that top deer trail. Sometimes when I have lack of cover ill break a few branches and wedge them into my stand. I used some 3D leaf wrap on it as well, although im not yet convinced it helps.

Sounds like mobile hunting to me! Lol If you're pushing the envelope on the wind then expect some bad days. Sometimes I have to shoot them just before being down wind of me or right when they hit it. One tough task is being solid enough to beat the does and young bucks before the big one comes thru.
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Bio1 » Tue Nov 17, 2020 5:43 am

If you are seeing deer you are doing something right. When you see them pay attention to how they move through an area and pick a tree based on that if you aren’t quite in the right spot. Definitely an art to getting it right the first time. It will come with time and experience. Sounds to me like you are thinking everything out which is much more than many do. I find stands all the time that I can’t for the life of me figure out why it is there or what wind they are hunting it on. Sometimes it is just plain old bad luck!

Good luck
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Re: Learning to have good set ups?

Unread postby Bobo » Tue Nov 17, 2020 1:00 pm

Thank you guys for your help! :clap:


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