I patiently sit waiting for the sun to get lower, straining to listen for deer over the passing vehicle traffic down on the road. While I practice good scent control, I feel it is not quite as important in some of these suburban environments. Deer are used to some human scent. The wind is marginal but light, and I know once the downhill thermals kick in all will be good. I can smell the scent of fabric softener blowing from one of the subdivisions as someone is doing Sunday laundry.
The sun drops lower toward the horizon and the thermals begin to blow down away from the bedding area. Right on cue at 4:30 I catch movement coming down the mountain. Through my binoculars I can see it is a lone mature doe about 150 yards away. As she makes her way toward me, additional movement behind her make me raise my binos again. It is a very nice buck on her trail. I study him for a good while, getting glimpses of him as he weaves through the trees. He is a heavy ten point, probably about a 140 inch deer. He is definitely a shooter and I lower my binos and grab my bow.
Both deer are slowly heading right toward my stand with the buck staying 20-30 yards behind the doe, but following her exact trail. When she stops, he stops, and when she starts walking again he follows. The doe passes my stand at 25 yards and I am squared up with my release on the string waiting on the buck. Looks like this is going to happen. The buck stops at 35 yards behind some trees. Another ten yards and he will present a shot opportunity. He is intently watching the doe, but will only move when she moves.
... and then the unimaginable happens! Loud music begins blaring from a passing vehicle down on the road. It is not the heavy bass thumping rap music, it is a tinny sounding, organ grinder type music. It's the dang Ice Cream Man!!! You know, the "serve you one time and you'll be my regular stop" Ice Cream Man, with his brightly colored refrigerated box truck with the exterior speakers. I glance down at the doe as she snaps her head up. What are the chances that the Ice Cream Man is going to drive by and crank up his music just as I was about to get a shot???
The doe will not stand for this and turns around trotting back by me on her back trail. She runs past the buck back going the way she came, and of course he follows her never offering a shot. There is still about 40 minutes of light left and I hope the deer will calm down and come back... but it is not to be.
... oh, the joys of suburban hunting.
1/2 of my stands I can watch tv from... Also when you hear walking in the woods its 60/40 that its a person and not a deer...LOL
Cool story..thanks
Urban deer hunting is fun. Deer are so conditioned to human smell, sound and sight. It is iteresting to observe deer as they react to their environment. (Our environment)
It was really hard to concentrate during those Sunday PM hunts while trying to tune out the sounds of conflicting football games being broadcast and and ignoring the aroma of steaks or burgers on the grill.
We quit hunting there shortly after losing our ground blinds.
This same reason why I have been trying to talk my hunting buddy into applying for an easy draw backpack Wyoming elk unit instead of his preferred road camp unit. Just want to gat farther away from folks for a better hunting experience.
Dang it.
oz
Also last year, I had a guy walking through the woods and he stopped to pick up some trash. He does a major head swivel and I thought "Good for him". NOT! He dropped trouw and deposited a plookie 30 yards from my stand! (What do you do!) About 1/2 hour after he slinked out of there, I had 4 deer come up and smell EXACTLY where he left his deposit.
CR@P happens on suburban hunts!
Sure enough, here they come, a big doe and a yearling doe. I shot mom and she takes off in the worst direction with the smaller one in toe. She runs up hill into this 20 yd long splinter next to the gardrail and disappears heading towards the road. I new the yearling would come back. She did once, stopped and went back up, 20 seconds later here she comes again. I drill her too.
I knew momma was down but, puzzled as to where she was. I get down and bolt up there in full camo cause I knew it couldn.t be good. She ran up that little short spike towards the rd. By the way , there 3" of snow on the ground. She ran 50 yds, spun and dropped in clear view (10 yds) of a major rd. and 10 yds from the appartment parking lot in the middle of a grass opening, blood all over the place--YIKES!!! I ran over and drug her over to and under a pine, then waited for it to get dark.
Weird thing was, there was a bus stop across the road that was at eye level to me as the ground went downward on my side of the road. There was a guy at the stop looking right at me for 15 min, I guess worndering what the heck I was doing over there, lol !
Suburban huntings great. Bill V.
Somehow I still managed to kill a doe. LOL
"OK, I've decided to spill my guts. I'm sure many of you will be skeptical but I know this stuff works.
Ive been culling for a local police dept for the last few years, on VERY small woodlots in developed (to say the least) suburban areas in NJ.
Consider: I live on 70,000 acres of federal land on the Delaware river where I've killed a pile of deer, and I'm driving 1 1/2 hrs through rush hour traffic to hunt deer in the suburbs.
I can watch TV through peoples' windows. Sometimes I even bring my own remote so I can change channels.
Old women have approached me and asked if I would shoot the deer eating their roses. I think the 50 or so deer I've killed in the last couple years is evidence enough to support my tips. Don't get all indignant. The cops threatened to get in white RINO if we archers didn't kill enough, so we can hunt 'em like rabbits with a clear conscience. Ok here goes:
1. Stalk as the corporate jets are taking off. They'll never hear you. Traffic noise, sirens, church bells and loudspeakers from car dealers also work.
2. Carry a leaf blower and the deer will think you're a Mexican and ignore you.
3. Try a ghillie suit. I killed one from the ground at about 30 inches! My arrow barely cleared the shelf. I got splattered. They really don't get it.
***NOTE: I hunt on the ground in a ghillie suit, and this is TRUE! They don't get it!!!***
4. When blood trailing, listen for the sound of hooves on the pavement. It's audible for a long way. Don't forget to check the sides of parked vehicles for blood.
5. Gasoline makes a great cover scent.
6. Where multiple deer are legal, always shoot the lead doe first. The rest of them are helpless.
7. Never accept money from people who want you to hunt in their yards(lunch is OK). Word will spread and you'll have more places to hunt and more free lunches.
Bill V.
Had a similar experience but with a twist. My stand is behind the landowners house, maybe 60 yards. When the leaves fall, you're looking right at the back deck...and the hot tub! You can probably guess the rest. They had to know I was there as my truck was right in the driveway. Didn't kill a deer but it was a memorable hunt.
BC
