Bob Foulkrod often compares a deer’s core area to a person living room. “If someone moved the sofa, you’d notice immediately,” he reasons. He believes that’s why deer can pick out a person even when that person is well camouflaged and being still. When a new shape appears in a buck’s area, the intrusion is noticed. One hunter took this idea to the next level and intentionally placed a replica of a human in his tree stand so that local wildlife would become used to its presence. Here’s a closer look at the ingenious and easily replicated tactic.

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Your ladder stands and lock-ons are probably already deployed for the coming deer hunting season, like mine, and hopefully deer are becoming accustomed to seeing them in the landscape. But have you ever wondered if they might notice the camouflaged silhouette that suddenly appears in the stand on opening morning? QDMA member Jim Sollecito of New York recently shared a technique he has used successfully to prevent this: He places what he calls a “Shadow Man” in his stands.

“By having the shape up in a tree well before the season starts, the deer get used to it,” Jim told me. “Then, when I hunt, the Shadow Man also acts as a windbreak, and it’s a nice, flat surface to lean against that doesn’t make noise when I move. Plus, depending on where the deer is located, it allows my movements to be screened. I’ve used these for 10 years, and I cannot tell you the number of times a deer was approaching behind me and my Shadow Man screen allowed me to pivot for the shot and kill the deer.” … [continued]

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