How to keep yourself motivated when you aren't seeing anything??

What's the secret? This is my 9th hunt since archery season, hunting gun since gin started. Hunted 8 times at the family ranch. 100 acres, have hunted sone mornings, some afternoons, and a few all dayers. Setup the trail cam exactly one year ago and only got deer on it in august. 3 bucks, 2 8 pointers and a 6poibter that showed up for 3 days consistently at the feeder. Hogs are nocturnal. Never showing themselves on the daylight. I started hunting the ranch exactly 1 year ago as well and have only taken 1 turkey which was on opening weekend. Haven't seen any deer, which is what I'm after. What keep y'all motivated after striking out on deer for so long?!?!?

wow, I'd relook your setup. does wind mess you up?

to keep yourself motivated you must think....if I weren't in the woods, what kind of work could I get done.

Yea I always go by the "you never know unless your out there" line. I wouldn't say I do anything wrong. I park at the beginning of the ranch and walk all the way down. I spray myself with scent killer, I have 2 feeders at my blind, each facing the opposite location. I'm thinking it's the area that I hunt in. No close water supply. I mean, is the fact that the neighbor ranches don't feed year round a good thing if I do?

I always bring my ipod touch with me, so if i get too bored I will play games on it or pop in the earphones and listen to music. I pull all day hunts sometimes too, i know how bad it can get lol.

Without seeing your land and the area, it's gonna be a little hard to give you a definitive answer. Are there any "natural" attactants to your area such as acorns, wild plums, persimmons, and other wild fruits and natural covers? If there are no neghboring crops, you might consider a large food plot.

But the best recommendation is to get with your local Ag Agent or if there is a TPWD biologist for your area. Get their suggestions on what can be done in your area to help draw the deer in.

Sounds good jdickey. As far as I know, nobody around has food plots, there are no trees for acorns or any other fruit. Just feeders. I'm just north of freer, tx.

Sleeping in the blind is the surest way to have deer around your feeder.

The deer where I hunt are nocturnal until this time of year. Thanksgiving usually marks our rut and from that point forward the hunting gets better with a lot more daylight activity. I think it is a direct result of the cold weather and wintertime lack of available groceries in the pastures. I have learned to make myself wait till this time of year to start hunting hard so I don't get burned out. Not much you can do when you're bow hunting that won't get you busted unless you're hunting out of a box blind of some sort.

Lot's of high fence in that area...maybe part of the problem by restricting deer movement. Check with the Ag Agent for probable crops to plant for a food plot in that area. Rye and oats are the easiest, but with the low amount of rain for the past few weeks, the agent may suggest something more tolerant to dry weather.

Tecomate has a good blend for that area, but it is expensive. You need seeds to bring in turkey, so look at chufa or Egyptian wheat as possible seed crops.

It can take months before deer start associating your place as a source of food. But that will give you something to do.....!

Question: Are you hunting in downtown Houston?

Seriously, that sucks. Maybe there just aren't many deer in your area? That seems pretty bad.

Sounds like no water supply will equal no deer. Unless you have some water then don't expect much. I guess you hunt it b/c it is free?

My mantra... "Man I love bein out here!"

Then I find "something" to watch, birds, coons, even yellow jackets or lady bugs in the blind.

In your situation I'd get out and walk and look for sign, 100 ac isn't much you should be able to learn every inch of it.

Ok you asked how to keep motovated and I answered that, then people started telling how to maybe seen more deer... here's my answer to that.
Feed a little year round and bury some salt to make a salt lick.

If you think water might help and you can haul water, get one of those big square containers like everybody is using and set it to drip very slowly.

I know your pain well. Keeping motivated is hard. The best advice I can tell you is to change thing up. get out of the blind, walk around, climb a tree or sit at the base of one. If you aren't seeing deer, screw them. Hunt squirrel, ducks, rabbits etc for a while until the deer come. Just stay out doors and have fun. Do not let your mind start drifting towards "what a waste of time, I could be with my wife/kids or fixing that barn door or changing my oil instead of this crap".

You'll prolly start to see more deer when the rut picks up down there in 2-3 weeks. And with all the rain during the summer, deer can eat things other than corn.

i get up and walk around....

When I am bored I either turn to my I Phone or read for a bit. Then I am ready to be attentive again. It really sucks you are having such tough luck. I hope it gets better

I feel your pain. I hunted the day after thanksgiving and o sat in te blind for 9hrs. I saw one rabbit 2 squirrels an owl and a hawk. Just remember you could be at work!!!

yes i hunt for free. we do feed year round, i think were the only ranch around that feeds yearly. there are plenty signs that deer are around, but i guess in this area, its more the fact that they "pass through" instead of bedding somewhere near. there are tracks, poop, heck, a cousin even took out an 8pointer this past saturday. but nothing consistent. actually, i hunted this morning and shot 1 turkey at the end of the hunt.

Like any animal the deer have to have food, water and sherlter. If you've got typical s.tx. brush then the food and shelter are covered.

With the temps usually warmer in S.Tx. the deer are going to need water. On my last trip to my lease near Hebbronville one afternoon got to 92*F. I had 4 seperate bucks come to a water trough near my stand in less than one hour.

When the rut picks up and the bucks are running does they have got to have water daily.

First thing I'd do is get some water in there ASAP.

I hate to say it but I hit a dry spell yrs ago the hogs were dominating the area so my intrest in deer disappeared.

I feel your pain! I've spent 11 sessions in the stand and have seen nothing but squirrels and a couple of snakes! My motivation is that if I'm not out there, I can't get anything.

There have been many times where I have hunted all day with little to no activity and then just before dark I end up shooting a nice buck. I always remind myself that if I am in a decent area and I am putting forth effort, I might see an animal at any time. For the most part this is true. Another mistake a guy can make when discouraged is letting your guard down.

Killer will you ever have an interest in deer again?... that makes me sad, but I guess it has allowed you to take your hog killin to an entirely different level.

as for the OP just be patient and get those deer some water. I also agree with the others about it just now getting good where youre at down south. i hope it gets better for you.

Feed year round and give them water!!!

I'm in somewhat the same boat as you this year. Plenty of bucks on camera for this year, but no day pictures. All I've seen so far are 8 does and one tiny fork-horn during a 5 day/4 night hunt. I'm in a NO-DOE county. I know they're there, but they're never there when I am or can legally harvest them.

Heck I just wish I had the time to hunt that much. I've been out exactly once this season...

That's hunting, my friend. No worries; you're not alone. It took my 12th or 13th trip before I got a doe. Get off of the feeder and try sitting somewhere in a natural blind like a cedar tree. Get a view of several hundred yards. If they cross out of bow range, that's where you sit next time. Maybe try doe-in-heat urine or something like that. Set up your trail cams somewhere else.

we do have a tank on the ranch but it never retains water.

sleepin in the blind sounds like my cousin an he seems to have the best luck ? go figure ?

I read Louis L'Amour paperbacks.

I'll sometimes mess with my phone but never during prime time of course. But even with that twice this year I've looked up and had a deer standing in front of me and I'm holding my phone instead of my bow. That kind of pissed me off so I quit doing it.

But I think your problems are different I think I agree with others here maybe need some water in there. That's a tough one.

It's tough--I always say the same thing after I get out of the
blind and see nothing.(for hours) "That's why they call it
hunting and not shooting"

Sometimes I pass the time by eating food at different intervals. As long as I'm at a blind some distance away from my shot. Peanuts at 4:00. Beef jerky at 4:30, Sunflower seeds,
apple, etc. you get the point. Sometimes I get my knife out and mess with it.

Remember, back a few years--you could hunt the whole season and be lucky to see a doe. It will get better.

The number one rule to killing deer is to hunt where there are deer. Sounds like your game cams indicated you have few (if any) deer and your time in the stand has corroborated that.It's like fishing in a swimming pool.

HAHA! the guy who is against feeders is all about doe-in-heat! Now thats funny stuff right there. Why is one worse than the other? And I don't know about you guys or the area of the state the OP is hunting in, but 'round here you never get "view of several hundred yards" .

How too keep entertained...hmmm...
Playing Angry Birds on the smartphone comes in handy! ha ha..

Relocate your set up. Make sure livestock are not messing with it. Talk with your neighbors and see what they are seeing.

Talk a Hooters girl into joining you...

pick on the ol guitar perhaps???

haha you guys are some of the funniest dudes!!! anyways, gonna try to get some water stored over there and accessible. Angry Birds has come in handy. Not to mention Facebook! hope its gets better down area and anyone else in my area.

Add something new each week until you find something they like..peanuts...mistletoe.....hay...etc

Hunted full time for three years. Only two does to show for it. And both of those were high-fence cull deer. I hunt in Gatesville and feed almost year round. Before the season, not a single kernal of corn was left under the feeder. Since the season started there is so much corn piled up, it is starting to sprout.
I turkey hunted last year; no luck. I've been on a guided duck hunt, and only saw three ducks all day. They were about a mile away.
I know it can get frustrating, but hey, its called hunting - not shooting!

(Hoping this is the year I finally get to use a tag off of my license)

I get frustrated when I don't see deer but I love just being out there. The solitude, the feeling off not knowing what will pop up, etc. I hunt all day and take an Ipod, psp, Iphone to help time pass time. If I start getting cramped I walk around etc. Worse case scenario I leave and come home and come back the following weekend. I am not preaching but for me hunting is more than killing a deer (although I pray everyday I am out there that a monster will come) I like seeing cardinals flying around, squirrels. I have tons of pictures of birds/squirrels/lizards etc that catch my eye.

I always need to catch up on some sleep! Best part is usually when I wake up there is deer out there watching me snore.

matt

It happened to me the other day!

I was sitting in my stand and I hadn't seen anything all morning and it was already around 10:30. I had been sitting and my feet were cold and I was stiff so I stood up and stretched and moved around a little in my blind to get the blood flowing before I attempted to climb down the ladder and call it a morning.

Another hunter in a blind on the next ridge could see my stand and later when I talked to him he asked my why I didn't shoot that big buck that walked nearly under my stand, an that he was waiting for the shot and it never came?

Well putting two and two together I figured that it was about the time I was doing all that stretching and standing in the stand and not paying attention to what was going on for those twenty minutes that the buck appeared.

Dang deer!