I should change my hunting tactics

[fasteddie]

I hunted in Geneseo again today . I was in the tent blind by 6:15 am . Didn't see a thing all morning . Went up to my truck at noon . Had some coffee and a granola bar . Walked around some to get some circulation going . Saw a fox .........
Never saw any deer until about 4 pm . There was 7 of them at the north end of the field about 350 - 400 yards away . They were feeding for quite a while . Herad a shot East of them and they became alert . After a couple minutes , they took of . Had another doe come into the same area from the direction of where I heard the shot . I had the NEF Huntsman 50 cal with me but I wasn't going to try any long distance shot !
 
I havn't been seeing deer in the early morning hours and have been in my blind almost an hour before legal time to shoot . The Deer seem to be coming out about an hour before dark . I might as well sleep in and hunt the afternoons ! Looks like I should set up down by the edge of the thick stuff where they come out ..............

[DeanoZ]

Try setting up somewhere further up between the bedding and feeding area.  If their feeding in the early am, which is typical, they'll begin their trek back to their bedding areas just before first light...also a good chance (if the terrain and cover is right) that just inside the edges of these feeding area fields are buck staging areas...areas where during the rut the buck bed waiting to catch hot does on their way back from feeding.  You'll want to catch them when their done chasing does on their way back to their bedding areas as well.

[JOEL]

they are getting used to be hunted it sounds like.tough call eddie

[stormshooter4]

Fasteddie,
  When you see a fox, keep an eye on the backtrail of it. Everytime I see one wandering thru, right behind it, a deer was following the trail.
  Same thing with turkeys, for some reason they will follow them too. Spring time turkey, I call in more deer than turkeys.

[WayneL]

Nice tip stormshooter. I need to pay attention to that more. It made me remember something......... One time I was in my backyard woods and I was practicing my slate call. A buck jumped over the hill 10 yards from me. It was a scary standoff for almost 3 minutes. I finally had to start stamping my feet and lifting my hands over my head to get him to run off. [8|]

[fasteddie]

Some good info ..........
Nothing was trailing the fox . He headed down where the deer had come out about 2 hours before I saw any deer .
I had deer come in to me during spring turkey season when I was calling . I often thought about using turkey decoys and turkey calls during Deer Season ............but never have .

[stormshooter4]

A friend of mine sent me an article last week about using turkey decoys during deer season. One of the things it did say is make sure they're scent free.
  A couple years ago out spring turkey hunting, I had 12 doe around me one morn, 2 were inspecting and approaching my hen decoy. It was fun to watch them. Plus the deer focused their attention to the decoy vs the lump next to the tree. The show was fantastic.

[stormshooter4]

PS: during archery season early in the year, I taken a slate up in the tree with me. Clucking and purring. Has it worked, can't say it has but I've had turkeys come in and check things out. Usually somewheres behind them would be deer following. Not always in range but you never know.