I'm curious about how much time you guys spend in the woods before you get your deer. I know it can vary widely year to year but what kind of time do put in ? This year I've got about 20 hours on stand but haven't taken a shot yet.I've let some small ones walk but will probably shoot a doe or two soon if no bigger buck comes along. I can hunt any day so close to two hundred hours a season is typical for me.

I've got about 32 hours on stand so far and I've only seen one doe. I'm not in a deer-rich environment and usually have to put in a lot of hours to get a buck, or doe. I've seen a lot of turkey, squirrels, and one coyote which I shot, so it's still fun but it does get old not seeing deer. I'm with you around 200 hrs.

I have about 12 hours on stand, sad really. Its been a crazy few weeks for me. I don't count hours between bucks, rather I count years. I haven't shot a "mature" buck with a bow in about 8 years. I don't shoot does right away only because I eat one deer per year and I would rather not be done hunting one hunt in to it. I'm fortunate enough to see plenty of deer, so a doe isn't much of a goal for ME to attain. I used to shoot several deer per season, but my taste for venison has waned with age.

Years for bow, hours for gun. I see deer every time out though. I hunt all seasons available. I use my bow during muzz.

I never really thought about how many hours I spent on stand and added it up. That's a pretty interesting question. So far this season, I'd say I have roughly 30ish hours in the woods. I've seen both bucks and does numerous times but not a legal buck in the area I hunt (have to have 4 points on one side). My family will eat 3 deer a year and I'm hoping my 13 year old son will kill a buck and a doe this season so I'm not really in a hurry to kill anything. Our bow season goes until November 28th, the day before rifle season and then comes in the day after Christmas for roughly another month. I've got time but if I get an opportunity on a legal buck, I'll take it.

Southern CT private land, about an hour if I’m not feeling picky.

CT Public... I dunno. I’m about 0 for 50 so far, but have not been getting out until after firearms. Maybe this’ll be my year??

We used to have good hunting, but now the dnr is all about tb, cwd etc. They brought snipers in and did a holocaust. So I went from seeing deer every sit to only one in the last 4. So 32hrs per sighting.

Hours........lol, how about years. I have had entire seasons with seeing a deer!!!

I'm very fortunate to hunt deer rich environments killed 4 does the first week of the season as far as hours hunting ? never gave it much thought I'm also blessed in the fact that my work is 2 miles from my house & most the places I hunt are within a few minutes of my house & I hunt almost every afternoon of the season & every morning on weekends

varrys so mych kinda when it rains it pours just a mater of being there when they are there and temperatures

I actually keep a log including hours hunted, deer sightings, shot opportunities, etc... I have 45 hrs on stand so far this season with 35 deer seen and 12 shot opportunities... decided to take an adult doe on my sixth sit after about 20 hours on stand. I'm lucky in that I still have plenty of tags for MN & WI and will be able to hunt until seasons close in December & January.

So far this year I have been out two evening for a total of about 5 hours. I have passed on two smaller bucks. First it was wind and rain and now the early overlapping muzzleloader season. I hate the early muzzleloader season. Last night on a public piece that is about 500 acres there were 9 gun shots taken, come sunset they all boogied and no one was dragging out a deer. I am guessing long shots across the bottom field, they either missed or hit deer that did not drop on impact because of the long distance. Two local muzzleloader beliefs, 1. muzzleloaders are accurate out to any range you want, even a half mile, apparently. 2. Muzzleloaders have so much power that all hit deer die on the spot, even if they are hundreds of yards away when hit. The one I could see was shooting a cap job, not an inline. He took four shots, he was taking shots way down the field, I could not find the deer he was shooting at in my field of view, even with binoculars. His last shot made a weird double sound. He was looking all over his gun, then he picked up his stuff and walked out.

Timex, I am envious of your ability to hunt every day... hopefully that will be me someday.

I hunt every night for 2.5 to 3 hours. I pass on all immature deer, no fawns, no yearlings. Usually see deer every night. Haven't shot one yet this season, but I'm patient.

Season is 17 days into it, and I have only been out one evening for 25 min. Its early, the good part is coming.

Never counted, and don't plan to. That's a part of your life you'll never get back. ;) I haven't killed a buck with the bow in three years so I'm due. Maybe. )

My numbers for hours/deer make me feel much better than my $$$/deer.

i kept a record years ago and it was typically 5 sits per opportunity. this seems to still hold true

HH, in Pa. you would be out of tags.

I gave it some thought & I'd guess around 250 hours a season & usually 12 to 15 deer per season & 1 big buck every 2 or 3 seasons. in my area it seams to me that the doe population is increasing & the mature buck population is decreasing not saying there isn't big buck's around cause there is. I just don't see as many as I used to

5 min into the hunt this afternoon, I passed on this kid... Five deer seen in two hours, no shooters. A fun hunt, windy and rain, excellend stalking conditions.

Finally arrived here but none came by in the hour there.

I’ve taken deer with in the first hour of opening day and on the last 5 minutes on the last day and every time In between and a lot of frustrating dry spells and love every minute hour and days of it

For 15 years I have been keeping a log of hours vs. flushes vs. kills for ruffed grouse in NY as part of a DEC study . . . but deer I have no such data.

I'd guess for bow my hours/freezer stocking are around 24. Some years 2, some 40. When I first started 40 years ago it was more like 40 or 50, so I have certainly progressed. ;-)

If you are letting deer walk then you can't count that. Now if you asked how many hours do we spend on stand before we decide to shoot, well that is a different question

Where I hunt I see deer everytime out, it's rare if I dont. But I hold out for 180 class deer so that takes longer

If I did that here, I'd have a really long wait. How long of a wait do you have for that in WV?

First sit of the 2019 season was productive after only one hour.

The glove is just for size reference. This was one of four does that offered me easy shots. I was sitting in a favorite stand about 200 yards from the house. One good arrow from the longbow.

Depends on what deer you shoot! You want a special one you might have to go a little while to you get it.

You just want to go shoot a doe 10 minutes in stand the time it takes to climb up.

I once read an article it took an archer all season once to get the one you wanted. It said he hunted everyday. I thought he didn't hunt smart when I read it.

You should be only hunting for a shot any more than that then your just burning your area.

2 years ago I passed 35 plus different bucks till I shot a nice 18 inch 8. wasn't one I wanted but tagged it anyways. Several does but I don't count them because they are baited and there's always does everywhere as long as you feed them.

Keep in mind that in most states the bowhunter is only successful in the harvest about 25 to 30 % of the time. I recently heard that in Ohio those that are successful average about 18 hunting trips to get a deer.

I always said 10% are killers so what's that due to the odds even less.

I see one every 3 hrs on avg. Last one I shot with my bow was in 2015, so somewhere around 600 hrs per kill. I can kill a plate of venison a lot quicker.

Many many hours between the deer I want to shoot. I don't count accurately, but an estimate - maybe 35-40 or maybe 50 hours? Passed on a doe and several fawns. close to legal buck three times but not quite a shot (close but no cigar with trad tackle - w/a rifle would have been venison, of course).

I was in shooting range of a small (illegal) buck twice. Anyhow, that is why they call it (trad) hunting not shopping :-)

Maybe late season!

JW

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