It’s amazing what we hunters put up with.
I hunted this morning, although I had stomach issues all night and didn’t get much sleep. I was in my suburban stand around 5:30 AM, and about 5:45 I saw the shadowy outlines of two deer pass behind my stand. I immediately clipped my release on my bowstring and waited for daylight.
I hoped that the two deer bedded down near my stand, but daylight revealed nothing. Around 6:20, I saw a doe, a fawn, and a 3-pointer walking on the woods edge 100 yards to my right. They weren’t interested in coming my way. About 7:00, I saw a lone fawn browsing along a hedgerow, but it was soon spooked when a landscaping crew pulled up to the adjacent property.
A couple guys with rakes wouldn’t have been a big problem. But three trucks, a tractor (complete with audible reverse signal), and a crew of 6 can ruin a hunt pretty quickly. Now keep in mind that suburban deer are used to the sights and sounds of people, pets, vehicles, etc., and they will tolerate some human encroachment into ‘their’ woods. However, in this case, the excessive noise and activity would have scared even the bravest deer away.
I was out of my stand, in my truck, and home by 8:00 AM.