I knew I was being watched...Any Advice?

[KPnorthdakota]

Well, I'm hunting a spot for the second year. Last year I got a nice 200-250lb 8 point. I posted it in the forums last year. This year I'm seeing some really nice bucks again. I'm seeing lots of deer activity and, right now, rut activity is pretty high. So, my last few sits I haven't seen anything...NOTHING. They're all over my spot before and after, but not while I'm there. So, I realized that they must be watching me. I knew of the SE Buck Bed because I walked right by a big buck last year sitting in it and just walked by him letting him think he won the day. I figured there is a buck bed in the NW corner but I'm not scouting up there because another guy hunts up there. The bed I was unaware of and that I've scouted last year and there was no sign is the SW Buck Bed.

Well, yesterday afternoon I thought I'd go in via the dotted line hoping to allude the NW Buck Bed from seeing me enter. Guess what, as I climbed the slope from the creek bottom I looked left and there he was standing up and staring at me. So, I kept walking to my stand and acted as if I didn't see him and let him, hopefully think that he won the day.

I write all of this to say that I have no confident way to access this stand. Yesterday's wind was 8mph (which feels like 0mph) out of the SW. So, he's letting the scent from the field SW of him blow in on him and he's looking in the woods???? I didn't figure this would be the case and got busted going in. I sat anyway hoping that someone else would come along, but nothing.

Any suggestions? This is public land and has very limited access and a few other hunters that I know that I don't want to walk in their area. Here's a map...

[RiverBottoms]

Have you tried a two man approach? Have a friend walk with you to your stand and then walk right back out the exact way you came in...

[stash59]

Have you tried a two man approach? Have a friend walk with you to your stand and then walk right back out the exact way you came in...

Only if he hasn't learned to count!!!

Seriously this may work. Worth a try in my book.

[KPnorthdakota]

Have you tried a two man approach? Have a friend walk with you to your stand and then walk right back out the exact way you came in...

I have given it some thought. I’ll have to drive my truck up and let my Dad hunt the spot and I’ll drive off and hunt somewhere else.

For my Dad to do it and drop me off might be a little precarious. He’s 71 and I don’t want him walking too much in the snow and ice. But, I’ll probably give that a try.

I wish they were more predictable according to the wind, but they don’t seem to be on this land.

[Redman232]

Given the time of the year, I would assume he was scent checking the down wind side of the field, if he was already standing when you saw him, I'm guessing you weren't close enough to the bed for him to see you from it?
It looks like any buck bedded where you have identified would have to from the NW,SW & SE to get to your stand location. Why not access from the NE? Use the creek bottom to hide your movement?

[greenhorndave]

I was wondering about NE access as well, even if that means starting at your car on the East parking spot, then going straight North and bending around out of sight.

Not sure where the borders of the public are with that approach to understand if it's even a possible.

I have similar dilemmas in some public I'm looking at thats have small and limited access points.

[KPnorthdakota]

I can access my stand from the large draw on the east side by the barns. However, I have a feeling there is some major bedding on the top 1/3 of the slope just NE of my stand. They will most likely spot me walking up. But, I’m not afraid to try it.

I, also, want to figure out how to hun the island on the south side where there is a Buck Bed at the NW tip.

Regarding the buck, standing up. You make a good point. I thought he was standing because he heard me coming in and thought I was a deer coming in as the trail I took in has never been used by me or anyone else I know. Or he was getting ready to escape. But, I see your point.

I’ll give the large draw to the bottom a shot and see what happens.

[Paca]

So was the buck just standing or it stood up?
I think your observations support all the telemetry and gps studies. Deer avoid hunting pressure. You seen good movement at the beginning part of your season, and sightings have went to zero. It happens every year in almost all places. Pressure kills deer movement. Deer will avoid pressure. About 7 years ago I started catching on to how a family friend was consistently killing whopper bucks in the later days of wi gun season. He didn’t hunt opening weekend or the first half of the season. The bucks moved in and he cashed out. I do the same thing on a piece I own. Works great
Your best bet is to move on to a place w less pressure

[KPnorthdakota]

So was the buck just standing or it stood up?
I think your observations support all the telemetry and gps studies. Deer avoid hunting pressure. You seen good movement at the beginning part of your season, and sightings have went to zero. It happens every year in almost all places. Pressure kills deer movement. Deer will avoid pressure. About 7 years ago I started catching on to how a family friend was consistently killing whopper bucks in the later days of wi gun season. He didn’t hunt opening weekend or the first half of the season. The bucks moved in and he cashed out. I do the same thing on a piece I own. Works great
Your best bet is to move on to a place w less pressure

The deer are still there. They’re there during the day and at night. But, the last few times I’ve hunted they have not shown up while I’m there. But, they’re before after I’m there...every time.

That is what inspired me to take a different access. But, that different access got me busted by a Buck that was not where I suspected him to be. He was standing when I saw him. So, it is possible that he was not bedding there and he was walking before me. I don’t know.

But, believe me, there are some nice bucks still working the area. I just have to figure out how to get in without being watched.

[KPnorthdakota]

I can access my stand from the large draw on the east side by the barns. However, I have a feeling there is some major bedding on the top 1/3 of the slope just NE of my stand. They will most likely spot me walking up. But, I’m not afraid to try it.

I, also, want to figure out how to hun the island on the south side where there is a Buck Bed at the NW tip.

Regarding the buck, standing up. You make a good point. I thought he was standing because he heard me coming in and thought I was a deer coming in as the trail I took in has never been used by me or anyone else I know. Or he was getting ready to escape. But, I see your point.

I’ll give the large draw to the bottom a shot and see what happens.

This is my above post.

The only way this works is if I walk past a known large doe bedding area in the draw that leads to creek east of my stand starting at the barn area.