I just don't get it................

I have deer on my camera coming to my feeder EVERY evening. Well, they never show when I'm there for some reason. Wind is good, scent control is to the extreme, they can't see me, sound is non existent. I do ALL I can to make this happen but geez, it's getting ridiculous. I'm silent on my walk in, quiet while I'm there, wind in my face, corn on the ground, scent control to the extreme. What's the deal?

Pigs do me that way all the time.

Are you hunting out of a pop up?

Maybe your'e moving too much?

I used to not see much until I hunted with a seasoned bow hunter. You have to incredibly still, whether it be pop up or tree stand.

I am in a pop up but I have the mesh windows up. I've stood outside of it & tried seeing in & I can't see anything in there. Also, I'm wearing all black. EVEN my socks!lol

I can see pigs doing it cuz they seem to be a lot harder to pattern but these dang bucks are like clockwork. 7:10 to 7:44 every night! Second season of me dealing w/this crap. Put 2 lock on stands in the woods yesterday.Maybe that will help?????????

How far to you park from your stand? you may check and see if your not walkin in right were the deer would be movin through...i had a problem similar to this..but i would get busted everytime i walked in...i finally just started driving up to the blind with the truck or 4 weeler just like i do when i fill the feeder then go park and walk in...it worked like a charm...instead of a strange thing their not use to walkin in to there..the truck would get them to leave but they were use to it so guess they didnt mind coming back...

My advice would be to pick a spot that is about 150 to 200 yards away. Make sure that you can see around your stand, around the feeder and even better if you can see some of the trails coming to the feeder. Park farther away and try to avoid walking through anything that resembles a bedding area.

Burn a hunt to figure out how the deer are coming in and if they are checking the pop-up from your "blind-spots."

You would be surprised what you can learn from a distance, but it only works if the terrain in your area will allow it.

Good luck

Do you have your pop-up brushed in well.


I've learned from a wise old indian, that your best success will come at a spot you can literately get into with deer at the feeder. One of my most prolific stands this year basically is a clearing between two woods, you walk through the woods then right up into the hang on. Deer can be at the feeder and due to clearing out the leaves/sticks on the path they don't bust us when we go in.


My experience with a pop-up is the process of getting outside the pop-up to in can be a pain and is hard to do without some commotion.

I have had situations where deer come and then all of the sudden stop at the season, but if they are hitting the camera but not hitting with you, you've got to try and change your approach becuase something is telling them to be on the look-out.

So many times game is just beyond your feeder area, so if you are coming out at all they know and know not to come in.

Do you leave the pop-up set up while you're gone?

Are you walking across deer trails on your way in? Or through bedding areas?

Are you parking too close to your stand?

Are you making a lot of noise on the lease on days you are there?

All things to consider, IMO

Deer will pattern you fast than you can pattern them. Don't go in the same way every time.

I don't think I'm walking thru bedding area because they always approach/depart the feeder on the north & I always enter area from the south. I drive an electric buggy & it is super stealthy. I usually park it about 300 yds to the south. I walked in from my truck, which was about 2/3's of a mile away, on a different route than I usually drive. Pop up is brushed in real well & I always get in the stand 1-2 hrs before feeder goes off in the am & pm. The only way I've never approached the area is from the north west but I've seen them multiple times walking in/out from that direction & that's why I don't use that route. Keep the ideas coming!

I would tend to put most of my suspicion of the pop-up. I know that many have had alot of success from them, but for 2 seasons I used them and every single trail within 20 yards of where I'd brush it in would be completely dead, but the sign would suggest that they are very much in use. I've had them stay at the very least 30 yards away and be on full alert even then. I have reasoned that pop-ups are easier for the deer to see even after going to great lengths to conceal them with brush, and they pose more problems for scent control. I abandoned them for an 8-10 platform/ladder stand and took deer as close as 11 yards and right on schedule to boot. I would definately suggest leaving the pop up permanently installed where you hunt.

Running any other feeders?

Thats what im sayin what do you fill the feeders with? the truck or the cart?

It still isn't clear if the pop-up stays out there or not?

And can you set up from a distance to observe the trail you walk in on and see what is going on around the feeder?

I'll look for the answer to Navasotbred's question about truck or cart, but are you parking the vehical in the same spot all the time?

Deer get use to farm equipment...trucks, tractors, 4weelers...iv seen deer spook from electirc carts more than equipment thats always being used on the ranch

You say most of the time you walk in from the South. Just guessing, but most of your hunts this year were with a South wind. No scent control is even close to 100% so your spreading your scent over the area. Walk in with the wind in your face or at least a good cross wind..

wind,,,,scent,,,,location,,,,movement. Goodluck buddy

I use an electric buggy to fill feeder. When I said I enter from the south it's actually south east with a wind from blowing northwest and the pop up is to the southwest of feeder. The pop up has been out since August & stays there. I park the buggy in different locations. I can see the feeder once I'm about 225 yds from feeder. According to the cam that's set up on the feeder I've never spooked any deer upon my arrival. Last year I was in the pop-up @ a different location & had several does, several times, feed w/in 7 yds of me. I think next outing, if the wind is from the south/southeast I'm going to enter from the west but that means I cross about 200 acres of my property as opposed to about 100 coming from the way I normally do. I can shoot pigs on a pretty regular basis from this exact set-up/location but these bucks have my number! I can't afford a tri-pod right now or I'd have one to the north.

Not sure where you are hunting but 80% of the time we get a south wind in texas. Although opening weekend and yesterday we did have a north wind. However for most of it though they could have your scent form a long way off.

Perhaps you have deer following you on twitter?

They have you patterned. Close more windows on your popup? Are you getting blown?

Try not wearing scent control next time

Part of your problem might be the full moon and the deer are feeding at night right now. Also how long has the blind been in place?

I agree, if u are hunting every Saturday, or like every 3 days ect.... They will get u on that. Change it up if u can, let it go with disturbance thru one of your hunts, then hit it the next day. Might throw them off

Lots of good ideas. The ones that have busted me are parking my truck in a pinch point even though it is 500 yards away. It isn't normal and it stops any deer from coming from that direction. The other thing is the zipper on the popup. Make sure it doesn't make noise. The two worst noises in the woods are zippers and velcro.

Good Luck.

get off the ground and in a tree if you can. older the deer smarter the deer.

Where I hunt most of my deer will come into the feeder on the downwind side. I watch them come in from the upwind side and circle around to approach the feeder with the wind in their face. Might want to relocate your pop up so that your on a cross wind. I've had little to no success hunting out of a pop up, movemment and scent is much easier for them to pick up on from graound level. Like txhntr said, burn a hunt and watch your feeder from a distance and see how the deer are moving, and their reaction to your blind. Good luck!

They are on my game cam coming in @ 7:11-7:44 every evening EXCEPT when I'm there. Blinds been out since September. Someone mentioned parking in a pinch point. That may be happening for me but last hunt I walked in from the furthest point possible, about 100 2/3 of a mile away!. If I'm geeting winded then it's from a LOOONG ways away, like 100 yds or more. But I don't think that's happening due to my scent control. I've set in a blind w/a guy smoking w/ZERO scent control & the wind blowing straight @ the deer & wasn't winded from 75 yds away(rifle season). I need a tripod set up in the tree line about 45 yds to the north I think. There's no other place in the area to put my pop up due to the cover situation.

How many time do I have to tell you to stop using that nasty after shave? HUH?

Long story but I'll try to keep it short. When I hunted a lease with stands and feeders, I put my tripod in a Cedar tree 25 yards from my feeder. Deer would always come in from upwind, stand around, and circle downwind. After 3 weekends in a row (twice a day) of this, I got mad and jerked my stand out of the Cedar. I moved it about 30 yards against a Mesquite on the other side of the trail they were useing. At the regular time, I see them poke their heads out of the brush a couple hundred yards out and look towards the feeder. They walk a ways then stop and look at the feeder. Finally, they just walk right in on the upwind side. Problem is that they walked by 10 yards from me in my new stand placement and never looked my way. At least it was a problem for one of them. As far as I knew, I'd never been seen getting in or out of the stand but they had me pegged. That was the last "permanent" bow stand I hunted out of. Since then if I use a stand, I move it every day. Maybe not far but to a different place.

Whatever is wrong is wrong. You won't win this game especially if you have overstayed your welcome. Relocate and maybe you can come back later in the season. Some nice tips in the thread put them to use at a new location and let us know what happens. G'luck