Whitetails in turkey season.

[allaboutshooting]

It seems that this happens in some way every turkey season, spring and fall.

I'll be out sitting up against a tree, in full camo and a deer or several deer will come right up to me. They never seem to see me or smell me. I've had them, like this year, less than 5 feet from me.

I used to bow hunt for deer many days each season. I'd wash my clothes in baking soda or some scent free detergent, air dry them and then put them in a plastic bag with pine boughs and pine cone or some "fresh earth" wafers.

I showered in scent free soap wouldn't even use a scented Kleenex to blow my nose.

I watched what I ate and avoided foods with lingering odors.

I wore "appropriate" camo and none of my body was exposed.

I'd carefully avoid cooking odors, gasoline and put a cover scent on my boot soles. I'd sit painfully still for what seemed to be hours, with a full bladder.

Still, many times I'd get busted. A deer would look at me, snort and be gone.

When I'm turkey hunting, I can get up in the morning,fry eggs and bacon, wear clothes that haven't been laundered in weeks, pay no attention to the wind direction, move occasionally and still have deer try to run over me.

What gives? Do any of you have the same experience?

Thanks,
Clark

[Turkeybuster]

I always see some of my best buck in turkey season when I should have a bow. It just works that way and when gun season rolls around somebody else will shoot them.

Jon

[charlie elk]

Yep, happens spring and fall the deer give a turkey hunter no respect even if his dog is with him. So when the need for venison arises I setup for deer just like I would for a turkey. Wearing the same clothes, sitting on the same stool against a tree and it works like a charm. Sometimes the deer come in to the yelps from a wingbone, I believe it acts as a confidence decoy does.

[allaboutshooting]

I've been hunting deer from a ground blind for the past 6 years. It's just very comfortable, easy to get in and out and if I go to sleep, I never have to worry about falling...very far anyway.

Thanks,
Clark

[ylpnfol]

have had this happen alot in fall, can't recall any really close encounters in spring, too much bug spray i guess, 3 years ago i had a nice 10 pt buck walk by at 20 yds while turkey hunting during bow season, after that i picked the bow back up, never saw that deer again.....i guess we can file these under dumb luck.....

[Steve_In]

It might be the clothes you have on are covered in turkey scent from carrying out birds in the past. Deer have incredible sense of smell and the scent of turkey might overcome what human smell you are giving off. I have had them close too. I had a button buck within 15 feet of me in squirrl season. He watched as I puffed on a cigar rubbernecking everytime I let out a puff of smoke. I just about notched his ear with my .22 just to see if me or one of my buddies would get him later. But on the other hand in the spring I have had deer bust me and go snorting and blowing right under the roost tree. Or worse yet they just stand between you and the turkeys and blow and snort again and again.

[Uncle Nicky2]

I've had the same luck with squirrels....I've had them run across my boots before or climb the same tree I'm in when deer hunting. But any time I take the shotgun out & specifically target squirrels, they suddenly get cautious. What gives???

[kygobbler]

I gotta agree with ya, it seems like what ever Im hunting for I see plenty of other animals. Since we are talking about whitetails in turkey season I have a question for ya. Have any of you ever noticed that if you see a whitetail in an area in the woods that within in the next 30 mins to an hour you will see turkeys coming thru in the same spot? I dont know if its just dumb luck or what but I've come across this scenerio several times with good success. It seems like the turkeys use the deer to scout out the area to see if its safe and follow behind. Its just something I've noticed the last couple years in couple of hunting spots and was just curious if anyone else has noticed something similiar.

[Steve_In]

I've had the same luck with squirrels....I've had them run across my boots before or climb the same tree I'm in when deer hunting.

I have hunted squirrel in the same woods I deer hunt. I have to work for 2 or 3. In deer season I have counted 10 to 15 from my stand. Go back 2 weeks later and no squirrel, go figure.