I will start: 1. Sure we all know of the pine squirrels going nuts over a buck or predator but do you know how many times I have had a flock of crows going nuts over deer in the morning hour hunts.
2. Dont overhunt your land or spot in early and mid October. ...I know from expierence!
3. Deer dont care about guns blazing. I duck hunt the same land I hunt and they dont seem to care. Also outside of public land the gun season doesnt seem to bother them....private land!
4. When hunting late season its amazing what 2 pair of socks and a set of hand warmers will do to help stay warm in the stand. Sure its about layers but when I hunt in the cold without the extra socks on or hand warmers I am always much colder regardless of how much clothing I have on.
5. Always make sure you know that all the deer in view are not looking at you when lifting your bow off the hook....this mistake cost me the biggest buck I have ever seen in the wild at 18 yards. A doe that came in I took my eyes off of to look at the buck and grab my bow. Yeah, she saw me and boy did they blow out of there!
Theres much more I can add but I really want to hear from you guys! Remember it can be anything: secrets, tips, how to, mistakes, etc.
I used to think that as I got more experienced at deer hunting, it would get easier. It doesn't. I do kill more deer now, but I still get busted by a fawn every now and then and I feel like an amateur. I've just come to accept the fact that more often than not I'm going to look like a fool. Their senses are so amazing.
Always look in the direction you do not expect deer to come from .....often.
Take the time to enjoy all of the creatures in the woods as you wait for your deer. It is educational and relieves boredom.
Know your maximum range and cut it in half rather than stretching your limits.
Enjoy your hunt, the kill is a bonus.
Practice twisted around, or opposite of the direction you used to.
Take for example. On stand is in a pinch point between two big blocks if woods. Sure I seen deer movement through there. But after decoying that tree for so many years I changed there travel routes. No more decoy in that tree.
I have learned how terrain features will change wind currents. It can be a subtle thing like a river that changes it.
I have learned a lot about those wind patterns under different wind and barometric conditions using those smoke bombs.
1-Deer pattern you far quicker than you pattern them. 2-Deer are not as smart as we think they are. 3-When hunting public land, the best stand is often within sight of the truck. Most hunters walk past more deer than they will see and deer quickly learn, few hunters are within sight of the road.
4- MOST IMPORTANTLY-Marry a woman with good job and high toelrance. 5- MOST IMPORTANTLY #2- Learn how to scout. 80% of the deer hunters I have met, really have no idea what to look for when scouting and even less idea how to pick the exactly right tree to climb.
Deer will always show up on the wrong side of your tree stand, regardless how you position it.
I always carry a compass, even if I'm hunting within sight of a house. When I take a shot, I take a compass bearing on where I last saw the deer BEFORE I climb out of the tree. When I do get out of the tree then I stand at the same side of the tree from where I took the shot and then use the compass to take me to the spot where I last saw the animal to start looking for sign. The cover many times looks a lot different when you are on the ground from when you were in the tree and this helps a lot to orient you.
Oh...and to reinforce this there's one more point...
DEER CAN'T READ OR TELL TIME, so they really don't have a clue as to all these things that are written about that they are "supposed" to do and when. So whenever you hear the terms "always" and "never" associated with deer hunting, you can generally dismiss it out of hand.
That is going to be in one of my future columns for sure. No more writing about red and white corncobs.
2. Just because dogs have run through, the farmer starts his tractor or someone is running a chain saw on the next ridge, the hunt aint over....
3. No matter how good you think the hit was, if he is still walking shoot again!
Clear a path to your stand, if possible - I have gone as far as using an old lawn mower and mow a path (private land obviously).
Wear rubber boots and spray them with some kind of scent eliminator - I use scent shield (no affiliation what-so-ever). I spray my boots and my pant legs and don't touch anything with your hands.
Hunt "bottle necks" and "edges".
If you shoot a big buck from an area - normally another big one will take it's place in short order.
When walking in noisy leaves or dry grasses - walk Heel-toe, heal-toe very "matter of fact" it's amazing how much you will sound just like a deer.
100% disagree. Please ignore that. Practice like you hunt. If elevated - practice same. Bend at the waist. Understand angles. Visualize your exit hole, shoot through your target to your exit hole . Study anatomy. Shoot accurate heads, that penetrate well. If it's cold out, practice with your cold weather gear, while you are cold. There is no excuse for not preparing, but if you plan to fail as someone just suggested, you will fail. Study this diagram, and intersect the green dot regardless of angle. Hitting the hams, the guts, the shoulder - not acceptable so don't plan for it. Plan and practice for a double lung or top of heart hit, with precision and 100% confidence.
Study that anatomy chart...notice the bone structure, especially the shoulder. I think some guys hold too far back by not realizing the real structure and toy with the liver/paunch area.
Tuck that bad boy in there. I switched to the Grizzly 2 blade single bevel head outa my recurve for contingency reasons...it does some serious damage on bone should such an encounter arise.
Read Dr Ed Ashby's studies on it...a real eye opener.
;-)
2. Have a spool of white tread handy in backpack and tie 12" piece to nearest branche for windcater. Works excellent.
3. Keep movements in stand to a bare minimum at all times and when moving, move like you are being watched.
Really good tips. Keep them coming. Always learning on this site.
Also, a broadhead can 'nick' a major blood vessel, causing certain death soon thereafter, without leaving much blood at all on the arrow that passed through the deer.
A broadhead and arrow covered with stomach contents may have gotten that way AFTER passing through lungs or liver, giving the impression you hit gut only.
A Rage, or other very wide head can pass through a deer's heart and lungs, even with a low exit wound and STILL NOT LEAVE A GOOD BLOOD TRAIL, and despite the 2 inch hole through its heart/lungs, the deer may still travel 80 yards!
All four of these scenarios are not the 'norm' but they do happen, if they happened to me they can happen to you, and the bottom line is to not assume your deer cannot be recovered until you have done an exhaustive, lengthy search.
And pass up the 'iffy' shots, unless you want to spend the rest of the day potentially looking for a deer you will never find.
Hunt the area with the right wind, figure out the best way in and out of the area, and shoot 'em.
I second the idea of pulling your bow up to your stand as soon as you've secured yourself to the tree. I've had to watch deer walk past me right after climbing into a tree for an afternoon hunt, because my bow is still hanging just above the ground. Good Hunting.
When in a deer camp, never EVER take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time. It will not end well.
I missed another deer years ago, only to find out my pin sight was bent and off target. 2. Check your equipment often and shoot throughout the season.
I laid my bow on the ground beside my truck as I was packing to leave and realized it was missing after a two hour drive home from a hunt. 3. Always do a walk around your truck to make sure you didn't leave or drop something on the ground.
I have cut off my underwear on more than one occasion and went commando. 4. Always carry toilet paper for obvious reasons and it helps tremendously when marking a blood trail.
I fell out of a tree. I spent all night looking for a hunting partner that was lost in the woods. I had to carry my Dad out of the woods after an injury that left him unable to walk out on his own. I stopped a major artery from bleeding and helped safe a life. I managed to get unstuck in what seemed like a hopeless case in my truck. I fought off a highly pissed off wounded bobcat and survived. I fell in a creek over my head, in the middle of the night, in the freezing cold and I knew what to do afterwards. I'm sure there's more and you probably have a couple yourself. 5. Stay Safe. Learn First Aid and tell someone where you will be.
And, some days it don't !!!
I hunt public land very often, spend time scouting, no time out there is a waste of time, go out with the intent of learning something new and you will.
More often than not my stand locations almost always end up where two or more habitat types come together, pay attention to transitions in the woods.
Don't let hunting control your life, no one will remember you for your hunting, be remembered as a great person who liked to hunt.
I spent a good part of my life pushing the envelope when it came to hunting, there was just as much failure as success fighting life to be out there. I made many mistakes and poor decisions while hunting because my mind was not there a 100 percent. Bottom line, don't go unless you I's are dotted and your T's crossed. You will enjoy your time far more rather than sitting there thinking about what you should be doing!
Cherish your time alone, cherish your times with friends and family while hunting. Take lots of pictures, life will clutter your mind with things not as important to you.
As much as it gets in the way, and is one more thing to have with you, wear a safety harness, your loved ones may not even be aware but you owe it to them, don't be a statistic.
Treat every hunt like it's your last, enjoy it, and always have fun!!
Earlier Jack said to practice like you hunt, shooting from treestands if you hunt elevated. I take this a bit further when possible, I actually try shooting from the stand I’ll hunt from (at least once) to ensure my shooting lanes are as clear as possible. (This isn’t always possible on public land, I know but I haven’t hunted public land since I was a pup.)
Inspect my equipment before leaving the house/camp and again before leaving the vehicle. It could save you the embarrassment of leaving a release, or even your arrows behind. (Happened to an old friend several years ago – he had the buck of a lifetime spend 20 minutes in front of him and was unable to shoot – his arrows were in his truck. He got great pics though.)
In addition to snacks, something to read, water, I always carry a backup release, extra batteries for the flashlight and GPS and a note pad. The pad is to jot down the direction the deer took off in when I shot it so I’m sure to remember it when I get down from the stand 20 minutes later.
In addition to carrying a bit of TP, I learned to carry a roll of white and yellow crepe paper with me to the woods for tracking (it’s small, compresses easy and is easily seen.)
Years ago I learned that Jays and Crows are my friend when tracking a deer (or any animal) during the day – they seem to sound an ‘Intruder Alarm’ when something looks out of place, like a dead deer. I learned that insects (ants, spiders etc) can help you get back on a track that’s been temporarily lost because they will feed on blood left along the trail especially during dry conditions. This has helped me get back on a trail more than once during evening or night tracking jobs.
After tracking many animals ‘UP HILLS’, I also learned the tale that mortally wounded deer won’t travel uphill is a bunch of hogwash.
I wish you would tell that to the deer I shoot. They all run to the deepest bottom they can find before dying. LOL
You're the one that chose to be there!
Pull up your pull up rope. Hanging there under you is like a scent wick, with your scent on it.
Check your tree stand cables and straps regularly. Cables rust and squirrels chew.
Do not burn out a good stand on a bad day.
Wait for optimal conditions if possible if you have a truly great stand on an exceptional buck.
Movement in the stand is more critical than most will ever imagine.
Typically when a big buck decides to come he is coming so get your bow ready for the shot.
Do not take a bad shot on on a any deer but especially a big deer. It will haunt you in ways far worse than letting walk. I have passed two shots in three years at giants because of a narrow window and a poor angle. I can live with those decisions but cannot imagine the torture of knowing those magnificent animals rotted in some briar patch.
X2 Matt Rehor, Try to set up your stands so if deer get past you or you want them to pass you, they will not wind you.
You cannot wait too long to take up the trail.
Spend more time shooting animals if at all possible. I waste lots of money on arrows shooting pigs but I think it is invaluable practice.
The biggest buck does not always equate to the most rewarding hunt.
Success is your not someone elses...
A lot of times when you get down out of a tree things look different from the ground. After you hit a deer and it runs off you can use your compass to get a bearing to the last spot you saw the deer and you can also use your rangefinder to shoot the distance to the spot. Most GPS's have a feature where you can project a waypoint from where you're at. You can use the bearing and distance that you measured and create a waypoint where you last saw the deer. It might help in finding the spot once you get down out of the tree. Just be aware of GPS accuracies and make sure to let your GPS run long enough to get an accurate position fix before you project the waypoint.
No matter how much time you spend with your girlfriend before hunting season and how much you try to prepare her, she's still going to get upset and complain that hunting season is too long and you hunt too much...
Whenever I set up a new stand I trim the obvious lanes but after multiple encounters and viewing of deer coming and going I hone every shooting lane. I have got quite a few deer because I am a fanatic about clearing shooting lanes. If you can't shoot a deer under 20 yards because it is in brush you have failed needlessly. Take your time triming an area as the deer OFTEN come and go in areas you don't anticipate.
There are stands and places where you can kill deer easier based on the time of season and there are many stands that are just stands. I want killing stands not viewing stands. Can't wait until late season! C
Empty out a nasal spray bottle and fill it with vegetable or olive oil and keep in your pack. . . perfect for squeaky tree stands.
Change the battery to your rangefinder before the season starts. Ranging an animal is a bad time for that battery to fail
As I get fatter, I find myself hanging stands lower, and I like to look for multi-trunked trees for concealment (and I'm more comfortable having another tree trunk to lean on, brace on)
And to Cheesehead Mike's point. . . a dozen roses of appreciation goes a long ways in November :) I also shamelessly suck-up and am more helpful with laundry and dishes and all that other crap I hate during the month of November :)
Bake
You will be surprised how physical (an productive) a whitetail hunt can be....
Good stuff!
????????? I know I'll probably regret this, but WTH are dude pads?