It was over before it started.

Somebody tipped them off.

It was an hour before first light when he parked in the field approach.  Headlights showed a half dozen deer in the field.  He smiled at his fortune, and felt good about his spot.  By the time he got his gear out of the truck, all 6 of those deer had run off the field to hunker down for the day in the swamp on the neighbors land.  On their way through the woods, the 4 deer that were feeding in the oak flat sensed something was wrong and followed them out of the woods.  The hunting grounds was now empty, and the deer would not return until well after dark.

If you are hearing deer blow or seeing them flag as you enter or exit the woods, your burning your spots quickly.  Alerting the local deer that you are hunting them is the kiss of death for any hunting parcel.  Learn where they bed.  Learn where they feed in at night, and during the day, and keep your sounds, sightings, and smells out of those areas.

Play it smart with a legitimate access plan, or it may be over before it starts.