Hunting Pro

Deer Hunting

Most hunters are well aware of the techniques to employ when hunting deer, but newcomers and novices may need some deer hunting tips to get started in hopes of bagging that first buck. Most beginning hunters have a mentor, an experienced hunter, to take them on their first hunt. Hunters with more experience can give great advice to put you on the right track. If you don’t have one, ask. You’ll be surprised how friendly people are when you are genuinely interested in what they have to say. However, if you don’t have an experienced hunter to take you on your first hunt, you can still have a successful hunt.  I have developed the following tips to get you off to a great start.

Know where you will be hunting.

If on private land get permission ahead of time. Regardless of whether you hunt on private or public land you need to become familiar with the area and scout for deer. Early morning and late evenings are the time to scout as deer are more active. If you live close to the area that you plan to hunt, before and after work is a great time to scout. If you are hunting public land, be sure to find a handful of prospective places to hunt. What may look like a remote hunting area can resemble a Wal-Mart parking lot on opening day. So have a handful of go-to properties.

Dress appropriately

If it’s warm, wear layers. You are likely to be cold in the morning and evening and hot during the day. If you are bow hunting, be sure the layers are all camouflaged. If gun hunting, be sure you have enough orange. Vests work great because they can be worn over parkas or t-shirts. For cold weather situations, coveralls and heavy coats are the norm. Keep your head and neck warm with a neck warmer and cap. Boots are the most important piece of clothing for cold weather hunting. There are several things you can buy on the cheap and get away with. Hunting boots are not one of them. Buy quality waterproof boots. For cold weather hunting, they should have at least 800 grams of Thinsulate. Cold feet ruin weddings and hunts. Keep your feet warm and you can keep hunting.

Know your weapon.

Practice makes perfect. Learn your weapon’s limitations and how to use it safely. Shoot as much as possible in the preseason. You will improve your skills and learn the limits of your abilities and the gun’s. Know what distances you are shooting from. This will help you judge distances in the field. If you plan to hunt in wide open areas, start shooting at 50 and 100 yards, then move up to 200 yards. If hunting in heavily forested areas, 50 yards may be the longest shot required.

Time of day.

You’ll notice that the hunting seasons are limited by dates but also by daylight hours. No guns are to be fired before sunrise or after sunset for the safety of all hunters involved. Those who have gathered knowledge and give out deer hunting tips frequently will tell you that the best times to bag a deer are sunrise and sunset. They will be out in greater numbers looking for a drink and a bite to eat. You should be where you will be hunting before sunrise. In order to get there you will be traveling in the dark. One of the best pieces of equipment is a good quality night vision device. This will keep you from flashing a flash light around tripping over tree roots or other obstacles and scaring off all the wildlife in the vicinity. Another advantage of a night vision device is being able to spot game on the way in to where you plan to hunt and being able to see on the way out after dark.

Scent control.

Whether you hunt from a tree or the ground, know where you are going to sit depending on the wind. You want to hunt with the wind in your face. This will blow your scent away from where deer will most likely approach. Of course, deer don’t always do what you think they will. But you need to play the odds. Avoid scents. Do not wear perfume, cologne, after shave, or even strongly scented deodorant. Keep unnatural smells to a minimum. Human smells spook these animals easily, and one of the best deer hunting tips to keep in mind is to let the wilderness cover your smell. This is one of the few times in life you may be better off showering later rather than in the morning.

Silence is golden.

This is the most important tip among deer hunting tips, as even the slightest sound as you are lining up for a shot can lose that prized buck for you. Deer have a keen sense of hearing and anything above a whisper (and even a whisper if it is a particularly quiet day) can be heard by many cautious deer.

The final moment.

So, you’ve done everything right and a deer is approaching. Would it be great to shoot a trophy buck? Yes. But as a first time hunter, your goal is to fill the tag and learn from the experience. Any legal deer is a good deer. The first thing you need to do is determine if the animal is legal. Some states have buck only regulations, antler restrictions, or requirements to shoot an antlerless deer first. Check regulations in your area first. If you’re still not sure, give your local game and fish department a call. Most are more than happy to help and may even give you some tips.

Once you have decided to shoot, focus on the vitals of the animal. Don’t look at antlers. Don’t look at the surroundings. Wait for the vitals to clear any vegetation and pull the trigger or release the arrow. Target the area just behind and above the front shoulder. Whistle or grunt at a walking deer to stop them for a shot. If you hit the deer in a non-lethal area, try a second shot. If the miss is clean, I recommend letting the deer run. If you missed it clean at a dead stop, your chances of hitting it running are slim. Wait for another deer. If you prepared, practiced, and were relaxed when the shot was taken, missing isn’t a concern.

The best deer hunting tips, like most great advice, seem obvious but are constantly overlooked. Even the best hunter can benefit from reminding himself about the fundamentals. While there are more detailed tips available to make sure you get the most out of your trip, these deer hunting tips are the basics and will get you started down the road to success and enjoyment as a deer hunter.