Kind of depends on the situation and most every situation is different.
I typically start with my bow arm in position, and I raise my bow when the opportunity presents itself. That way completing the draw requires minimal movement.
I've drawn behind a tree when I was up and moving and then stepped into position to shoot.
You can also wait until there is an obstruction between you and the deer. Wait until the deer is turned away.
Being able to draw and hold at least at partial draw is very beneficial.
A deer that is moving is less likely to catch your movement. And much to the chagrin of many I don't always wait till the animal is perfectly still to shoot.
You can build a blind that makes it less obvious when you draw.
Ideally, you draw when the deer is looking away, distracted in a different direction than yours. Drawing when they are moving is also more likely to not be noticed. Of course the fewer deer in the area the better. And as you've probably read on here many times, the cover behind you is more important than the cover in front of you as far as not being silhouetted. Regardless you'll get busted more times than you pull it off.
"you'll get busted more times than you pull it off". No, that's not true. Once you learn to read body language, and learn to hunt from the ground the incidents of getting busted should be minimal.
my closest shot on a deer was from a sitting positon by a big log. the 11 pointer came around a big tree to my right and laid down about 10 feet from me as i drew on him he started to come up but my cedar shaft from my widow longbow was already buried behind his shoulder! didn't go far! i was fortunate to get by with it! i would say anybody getting a deer from the ground with a bow is purty sneaky! lol
Agree with fdp. You guys are trying to make it a lot harder than what it is. You draw when they ain't looking at you. It's pretty much a common sense thing; if they are looking at you...you don't move....read the body language and know how to tell when a deer is in relaxed mode. You can eliminate a lot of issues by simply know that stuff...like string jumping, etc.
I'll add if it's calm out your clothes need to be 100 percent quiet at least on hunted deer. If you can rub your hand on the fabric and or fabric to fabric and hear anything your chance of pulling it off probably ain't gonna happen. It's extremely rewarding when it comes together.
So, I tried last night in a clump of trees in a field with a hay bale to my side and had good cover. Had 5 does come out to the field behind me. Went to stand and turn and they busted me. Guess the wind and numbers didn’t help my clumsy attempt. I am thinking that I would do better in the woods with more going on, rather than one of only a couple of trees in a good sized clearing.
. I am coming back to VA in 2 weeks for Muzzleloader, but will continue to hunt with my longbow until I get one.
It's a lot harder when there are multiple deer because you can only watch one at a time. I set up in a new location every time out, depending on time of day, wind, food availability, moon phase, etc. and always sit with existing cover behind me, not in front of me, so I'm never silohuetted and my shot angles arent impeded. I set up far enough off the trail that they shouldnt be looking in my direction.
I mostly stand, but when I do sit, I don't need to stand to shoot. You have to limit your movement. Not only do you create a visual distraction you make noise as well. I can shoot just as well from a sitting position as a standing position so there's no need to make extra movement. Just work on it and it will come around for you.
I set myself up to shoot from a sitting position if I'm in a blind or on a stool with my Ghillie.
I only shoot standing if I have to. As soon as I spot a deer when I'm moving and get in position I get as close to the ground as I can. Usually on both knees.
It's really nice to have a barrier behind you. Those deer that come in unseen from your blind side are the worst. Good sign plus a barrier is better than being surrounded by excellent sign.
As stated, use cover/vision blocks. Also, get low: every critter in the woods is wary of six foot tall bipeds even if motionless. Hide in the ground clutter to disrupt the unmistakeable tall human profile.
Much more often than not, it's the motion of raising the bow that gets me busted regardless of target species. From a raised bow position oriented to the target, a smooth linear motion completes the draw sequence usually unobserved.
Swing, spread and other high movement draws have their place, but ambush tactics dictate extra motion be kept to a bare minimum.
"you'll get busted more times than you pull it off". No, that's not true. Once you learn to read body language, and learn to hunt from the ground the incidents of getting busted should be minimal."
Yep. That's true.
Also, I don't buy into the idea that we should never draw on a deer if it can see us or is 'looking at us'. They have moments when they're too relaxed, preoccupied, or unaware and are 'looking right through us'. If you truly can read them, get in their heads, you'll recognize when they're vulnerable, and if you draw with minimal movement and sound, it can be done, and I mean done face to face just a couple of feet away with no obstructions. You might have to wait until they're distracted and/or close their eyes as they tear off a bite of browse, but it can most certainly be done. Patience, confidence, good instincts, and a steel resolve is what tips the odds in those moments.
I had a doe feeding at 20 yards. I was backed into a dark juniper tree about 6’ up a little hill, sitting on a stool wearing a leafy suit. She came in from my blind side so my string hand wasn’t on the bow yet. She looked at me but didn’t “see” me. She was calm, feeding. When she put her head down behind some tall weeds, I put my tab to string and started to draw. I don’t know if she saw me when her head was down or raised her head at the right time. She might have been watching me out of the corner of her eye. Anyway, she was gone FAST. I thought, How do those guys do it?!?!?!
Blue Duck, it doesn't mean she didn't see you initially. Many times they will put their head down like they are feeding an up it comes again to see if you moved. I've had that happen several times until I caught on and just waited them out.
George and Jeff D. exactly. You have to watch and study there body language. As always, even if you are in a tree. Don't hurry or you will be looking and searching all afternoon or night. Take your time and make it count. JF
shortdraw: that is a powerful graphic, thanks for posting.
Blue Duck: you may have gotten head faked! After any evidence of interest in you, the first drop of the head is likely a sham designed to get a predator to move while the deer's attention is 'diverted'. Freeze and wait for a true feeding/grazing pattern to develop unless ear, tail, and possibly nose twitches tell you the deer truly is unaware of you and relaxed.
Is hard to do and have done it before. There is no rule, just don't move until they look straight away from you and the vitals are exposed. Not easy but not impossible. It was WAY harder to spot and stalk a turkey with no cover. Way harder, but not impossible either. Those are the things that draw me soooo much to hunting with a recurve. If you are hunting because you NEED to feed your family, all bets are off in my books. If it is down to game or starvation, all things go out the window and do whatever you have to to get the meat. Luckily we wont have to go there.
“ Many times they will put their head down like they are feeding an up it comes again to see if you moved.”
Yup. Oldest trick in the book ;)
But do be aware that an animal that has just thrown you a head-fake is going to be lit up for a bit.
As far as getting drawn goes…
If your bowhand is on target to begin with, there really isn’t that much movement involved, and what there is appears to be moving away from them and behind something kinda like a tree stump.
Really simple, wait til head/eyes are obstructed. Maybe not simple to do but that’s it. Their eyes are yo the side of their head you probably can’t draw slow enough if they can see you.
didn't have success until I wore a ghille… I try to draw and then "lean out"... or shoot through a hole. They'll spend a split second seeing movement but not knowing exactly what they are looking at. Also... ground hunting in the wind helps your movement blend in. Best wishes.
Always a ground hunter using a ghillie or brush blinds.I watch the body language and draw when the deer’s attention is diverted or it is feeding. I always pee,before hiding,in a place that will get the deer’s attention. A deer casually wagging its tail while nosing around is a relaxed deer. If tracking, I creep if I sense a deer nearby, and the shots are very quick, snow only. The hardest way to kill a deer with a longbow, but very exciting if you see it first or you just about step on one. A lot of times they will take a couple of jumps and stop and turn to see what it was that scared them. I only track in the boonies where deer haven’t been pressured and you have to walk to get access. I have lost a couple to rifle hunters, one who shot a buck I arrowed right out his truck window.
I have killed deer in a tree and on the ground. The key I always keep in mind is never draw unless their head is down or looking away or they are walking. A walking deer is my favorite. A walking deer is a relaxed deer. Regards
When a deer starts head bobbing that is an indicator he/she has seen you but does not yet know what you are, or has detected motion and is trying to determine what created the motion.
Once I see the head bob start, I usually slowing fade from view or stand rigid and take my eyes off the deer. Seldom will you fool them. I try not to spook deer when on favorite hot spots, because once they have been spooked they will often avoid that spot in future travels.
Thanks Mike! I didn't know about the dawn and dusk scenario, I hunt on the ground in a few places in Northern Il, so knowing this will help me in the last 30 minutes. I tend to move a bit more because I thought they could not pick up the movement.
