Hi I am new to hunting and I guess am a wannabe bow hunter. I have been trying to get my first deer in the Ocala national forest pipeline unit and have sat 5 hole days and only ever seen a doe stalking. what im getting at is can anyone from the area help with advice? do deer bed down in the clear cuts full of scrub oak wich I notice are full of acorns this time of year or are they  there during the night and bed down in the pines and thickit? when should I go sit in the morning im out there by 5 or 6am and no one is out there I here cars going by around 8am? any help would be appreciated would love to bag my first buck this year.

Not from FL, but whitetails tend to do the same thing everywhere.  Typically, once it gets to be hunting season, deer will bed down in the inaccessible thick stuff, or swamps all day long and come out at night to feed in the open oaks, etc.  Well before daylight, they'll begin leaving the food and heading into the bedding areas, so if you can sneak in between the bed and feeding areas and be set up for the first minutes of legal shooting time, then you might intercept a big one coming in to bed.   Otherwise, once they get bedded in, it pretty much takes something or someone to go into those thick places and scare them out and get them moving around.  Sometimes though, on nice days, deer will come out naturally during the day to feed, especially around mid-day and afternoon, but these will usually be younger, smaller, less experienced deer.  I also like being near a water source, like a small clean flowing stream or near the head of a creek.   Because deer like to come out and get water throughout the day too.

Stalking is a very challenging way to hunt deer, especially with a bow.   They usually hear and see you coming and take off well before you see them.  The easiest and most successful way is to hunt is set-up an elevated stand off to the side and downwind of a trail or natural funnel, then be absolutely still and silent and wait.   Deer tend to scan the ground level, so if you elevate yourself above their line of sight, then movements (such as getting up and drawing your bow) will be easier to do without being noticed.

Deer have radar dishes for earlobes and can hear a mouse fart 200 yards away when they scan those things around.  So don't even breathe heavily and certainly don't talk to yourself even in whisper.  Rustling potato chip bags are out of the question.    They also have the nose of a bloodhound and are constantly checking the air currents for odors.   Though their eyesight is nowhere near as good as humans, they look for movement.  Movement is very easy to spot in the woods for both animals and humans alike, that's why it is important to be absolutely still.  A deer can be standing right in front of you, looking at you, but if you don't twitch a muscle and don't make a sound, they won't know what you are -- just some strange figure that suddenly showed up in their living room.  They'll stomp their hoof, do head bobs at you to try to make you move, and maybe even wheeze, but if you stay absolutely motionless (and are downwind), they will lose their curiosity after a while and begin to let their guard down again.  

But always remember, you are in their house, and a big, smart buck, like the one everybody wants, will easily notice things that seem out of place.   They don't get old and magnificent by accident.

thanks I really appreciate the response. I sat in my climber on the wood line of a field today from before sunrise till 8pm and saw raccoon, a jake, and another hunter so the stand works. hunter was standing right under me looking in field. I spooked some dear on the way in with flashlight should I have gone home at that point or do they come back? I never saw another dear after that.

walked in on other side of field today about 5:30am no flashlight creeping in along woodline down wind of field deer busted me at 10 yards. I didn't know it was there seems that no matter how I go to hunting spot I get busted. I left climber on a tree for sunday. there was a rub around where I got busted so I move 50 yards towardentry made a mock scrape and rub pissed in it and hung stand for sunday. going to try and sneek in better I guess. I heard a gobbler but I had decided to leave my box call at home when he didn't sound like he was getting any closer I made a couple retarded sounds and muffled them really good wich seemed like it was working he was coming then I made a realy stupid one and he was getting more distant I climbed down to se if I could stalk him but he vanished.

anyone have any opinions?wanna pick on me? tell me how im messing up? any criticism, advice,anything welcome..

It's tough hunting the WMA's around central Florida. There is alot of traffic around the Pipeline…..I ride Dual Sport bikes in there as well; We do stay out for the most part during the season. Sounds like your doing it right…you just haven't caught a break. I will say though, our lease is just north of Ocala and the deer have been fickle this year I think because it's been so hot…last year at this time they would about run through the woods and knock you down if you weren't paying attention. I've been out 5 weekends, and haven't been in position to get a shot on one worth taking. My BIL got a nice 8 pointer two weeks ago though, so they are there.

sorry posted twice somehow. just saw a edit no delete

hey thanks for the support think I got the bucks figured out in my spot now I sat where I thought they would bed in the thick stuff in the morning and saw a big buck at 830am I was raining and I was bordering hypothermia was like 40 or 50 and I was soaked for hours so I didn't have a shot and he did stick around long... so shivering and fingers not working anymore I tear of towards the way he came about a quarter mile a way I had hidden a climbing stand under burlap.. I grab it and run back set it on a nice pine I saw while sitting in the thick stuff and book it to the truck drive home wash and dry clothes and head back out to sit the evening.. well walking in south of the location know I wont se nothing cause the are heading from the north toward the thickit in the morning but f it right well I stuble on a 6 pointer or bigger bedded down in the field 20 yards from me he had just stood up in front of me and laid back down.. the leaves are wet so im stealth no crunching well I stood there I could breath he was behind brush I thought if I could only get closer well I moved closer he stands up still behind bushed walks behind thick stuff I walk back down wind around the other side he probably halled id when outa sight . I should have just fired a arrow I hate myself lol! PS next hunt im taking my gun 5 rounds threw the bushed would have done it.. and im not religious but when I saw the buck in the morning shivering and almost defeated I said please god let me se a buck and 10 seconds later there he was.. next hunt I will be more specific or ask for a big screen  ;p

Lol....yeah, that about how it works. So you got the basics down. I got winded 20 minutes into the stand this past Saturday...so I'm right there with ya....we did wind up with a couple nice does by the end of the day though. Wound up sitting in the blind Sunday looking at no less than 6 gobblers/jakes and 25 hens 25 yards away with my Turkey gun and my bow back at the house;. didn't want to use a 30-30......Doh!

lol I sat in a climber sunday but the wind was wrong out of the south and swirling and still saw 4 doe that came in to 40 yard range before turning around. but you cant shoot them in pipeline :( also had a bear 15 feet from tree think he was actually looking for me brought the rifle but no sight of buck going for a couple thanksgiving morning seems like they drop in the middle of field when they are cold. here is bear video kind of crappy but it is what it is..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HICWpa_wGDs