deer hunting tips?

[hunter1992]

Any one have any good deer hunting trips or secrets?

[grayling]

Can you be more specific? What type of hunting, where, bow or gun. Pre-rut, rut, or post-rut. I would be happy to help you if I can.

Best tip: Food Plots!

Good luck,

Grayling

[hunter1992]

I was thinking mor any thing that had to do with deer hunting. tips on scent control, ways to distribute deer scents, etc.

[elk killer wannabe]

Scent control is a somewhat controversial topic. Everyone agrees that you must set up downwind of where you expect the deer to be (requires some scouting in some cases). Scent control clothing is another story. I do own and use a scent-lock suit but I was hunting this past weekend and decided not to wear it due to the heat. I had 2 deer go almost directly under my stand about 4 yards away twice and neither one knew I was there, even though I was not wearing my suit and I was sweaty. It was all because of wind direction. I think the suits and soaps and shampoos are a good idea but they have a limited effectiveness. Another effective method for scent control is just getting yourself high off the ground, 15 feet minimum, preferably 18-20 feet. It helps control your scent on the ground and makes it less likely for deer to spot you.

I am a firm believer in wearing rubber boots and dragging a scent rag. I clean my boots with scent-killer detergent before I go out and spray them with scent killer spray. I then drag a rag or use boot pads with doe pee on them. I also usually wear latex gloves when I am walking through the woods so I don't leave my scent where I touch things. I think you need to make sure you leave as little trace of yourself in the woods as possible. Especiallly if you are going for decent sized bucks. (A young buck during the rut is about the easiest deer to kill I think)

I also like to set up near a scrape or maybe make a scrape myself and put doe pee down on it everytime I am out there around the rut. I always make sure I wear rubber boots and latex gloves when I do this. I killed a nice buck last year about 3 yards from a fresh scrape. He wasn't working the scrape at the time but he was chasing a doe right by it.

I am writing this from the point of view of a bowhunter. If you only gun hunt then you may or may not be hunting during the rut. You will obviously have a shorter time frime to work with and much more pressure from other hunters to deal with.

These are just my thoughts on the matter. There are certainly more knowledgable people out there than me. Good luck and be patient.

EKW

[hunter1992]

Thanks for posting EKW.

[hunter1992]

how about telling us your tips and secrets about deer hunting.

[Flatcoat1]

Deer Hunting Tips? The best I can say is first be comfortable with your weapon of choice. Practice, practice, practice. Then once you have found a place, hunt. Get some good sleep before you go and stay on stand as long as possible. I have killed many deer, some at first light, most between 10 am & 2 pm, and some even in the afternoon near the end of the day. Be patient and watch how much you move and be ready. Good Luck.

Flatcoat1

[garrymny]

I am a still hunter. I have killed many deer and more than my share of mature bucks. I hunt deer in the two most heavily hunted states in the Union, and therefore probably the most skittish deer you will find anywhere. I can pass on a couple things that I think will help you. Use binoculars in the thick brush and woods. They open up the wall of brush and allow you to see far into the thicket and will allow you to see deer first. Without them all you see is wall of trees. Secondly, wear wool clothing, period. Third, watch the wind. Fourth, practice so you can make the inevitable difficult running through the brush or field shots that will come. If you get good at it, most of your shots will be less than 100 yards at un disturbed deer. Forget brush guns. Get a highly accurate high velocity round, and thread the needle through a clear hole in brush.

[rlb444]

I know this is contrary to popular beliefs but where I get my big Bucks they always come from down wind. Course I use a little bait so the bigger smarter ones usually scent check from down wind. To counter this I get about 18 feet up in a tree when the wind is slight and not with a down draft so that it is horizontal and I use scent lock sometimes. If the wind is right you dont even need scent lock, but the wind must be pefectly horizontal. Also most of them scent check out of your visual range but not theirs so you need to control your movents. Works every time for me.

[big350]

I know this is contrary to popular beliefs but where I get my big Bucks they always come from down wind. Course I use a little bait so the bigger smarter ones usually scent check from down wind. To counter this I get about 18 feet up in a tree when the wind is slight and not with a down draft so that it is horizontal and I use scent lock sometimes. If the wind is right you dont even need scent lock, but the wind must be pefectly horizontal. Also most of them scent check out of your visual range but not theirs so you need to control your movents. Works every time for me.

Take some of this information with a grain of salt, nothing works all the time. It would be nice to know a little bit more about your hunting area. I do most of my hunting in the midwest, farm country in Indiana mostly. Your area and your choice of weapon will dictate how you should set up. If you are trying to kill a big buck, hunt the thickest area you can find in the mornings. Get in there early and as quietly as possible, use the wind to your advantage. I think for the most part scent lock clothing is just a gimmick, like camoflauged flashlights, but if you have confidence in them, knock yourself out! I've killed over a hundred deer in my long life, some 170 class, probably 80% of them I had a cigarette in my mouth as I shot. I do not smoke any more and hope you don't (terrible habit) I only mention this to prove deer are'nt as nasally savvy as some would let on. If you hunt in an area that allows high powered rifles or pistols, hunt the large fields in the evenings. Push the legal shooting time to the limit as the big deer are usually the last to come out to feed. Set up as far away as you are proficient, meaning if you can't make a killing shot everytime from that range get closer. I cannot think of anything worse in hunting than wounding and losing one of these grand creatures.

[garrymny]

did I mention wool?

[H2O Dog]

hunter1992;

I've deer hunted for several years and always learn something new as well as do something wrong every year. There's a lot of good books at your local book store I would suggest picking one up and looking through it. However, hunting (espically deer hunting) is a sport where you learn the most when your actually in the woods.
I have a few pointer I believe are most important. First, wind direction is key. Deer more often than not will approach from down wind so pay atttention. Also remember that wind direction changes and this might mean changing spots. I do the majority of my hunting from the ground and as long as I pay attention to wind direction I'm in good shape.
I would say scent control is next and this is a touchy subject. I have both scent-lock and regular clothing and have had equal success with both. No matter which you choose you need to limit the "unnatural" scent on the outside of your clothing as well. Some folks think that because your wearing scent-lock clothing your covered and don't even realize that odors get trapped on the outside of these clothes as well. Keep your clothes clean and wash them in scent-free soap. Use a masking spray on you entire hunting outfit including your pack just before you walk into the woods and re-apply at your hunting spot.
Lastly, you must be confident in your weapon (bow or gun) as wella as confident in your shot. Before the season you should go out and shoot a few times and establish your comfort with the weapon. When you have those cross-hairs on the deer, believing you can make a good shot will make all of the difference.
I'm no expert these a just a few tips. There is no substitute for "time" in the woods. Good luck.

H2O Dog

[garrymny]

The best book I have ever read on deer hunting was called I believe, deer and deer hunting, written by Ken Heuser (not sure about the spelling). IOt covers everything you need to know about the animal, then gives a chapter on all the methods of hunting them. get the book, you will not regret it.

[MOhunter]

on hard up days when nothings moveing. use two different grunt calls and rattle bag and the horns with a doe in heat call tossed in. ohh and roll on the ground like a deer tossed down. stomp and stuff. like a knock down drag out fight.

it will turn most deer stupid. sometimes people to.

just don't over do it.

if nothing else you'll entertain yourself for a bit.

[garrymny]

I gotta say if I see some guy rolling around on the ground grunting and kicking and smacking horns together, I'd run the other way. seriously, I have had good success rattling, but I've never rolled around on the ground.

[garrymny]

the aprt where you said "don't over do it" made me laugh out loud

[highcountry]

if you want to kill big bucks:

know when the rut is on in your area and take the week off, hunt everyday and pack your lunch so you can stay in the field.

I do believe in scent control, but during the pre rut and peak it seems as they have lost any fears, do what you can to control your scent, but don't lose any time or sleep over it.

Be ready 100% of the time, I have seen huge bucks come running while getting my gun out of the truck.

If you ever smell a hot doe, keep your eyes peeled and stay with her.

be confident in your gear and skill, but know your limits.

BE QUIET

know where thick areas the bucks can go have some relations with does are and check them often

ues your binos till your eye hurt, then use em some more.

pack enough gear to keep warm and dry so you can hunt happily

never base your success on what you kill, the hunt is good every time, sometimes the harvest is just a bit better.

I hunt areas where calling is 100% ineffective, quiet pays off , you may have different results.

realize that the rut rules overall other senses, they can go w/o food and water, cover and safety for a shot at a doe.

[rooster52]

My 2 biggest whitetails I took durring the rut in middle of the day.They were both chasing does.I do believe in scent control but do not go out and spend tons of money on it.
I wash my clothes in baking soda and hang my hunting clothes outside when possible and always hunt the wind.I have several stand locations and watch the wind to where I hunt and seldom hunt the same stand two days in a row. Have been pretty successful ,have taken over fifty bucks with my bow and that many more with my rifle.Though mostly hunt Michigan,I have took bucks in Wyoming,Colorado,South Dakota and Kansas. Yea I've had agood life!

[bc338]

I am no big guru but i did notice that I started getting a lot more mature white tail bucks when I started placing treestands in the right places. ( wildlife corridors, funnels, bottlenecks, etc...) narrow strips of trees that join two larger wooded areas, smaller areas with geographical features that funnel deer through and past your stand -for example a river one one side of your stand and a cliff on the other. or mabye a logging road 100 yards away on one side of your stand and a steep mountain side on the other. once the rut starts these corridors get a lot of action . Deer do pick the easiest route from point A to point B. If they can stay hidden while sneaking through you have hit paydirt. if you LOCATE A WILDLIFE FUNNEL, BLAZED WITH FRESH RUBS AND WELL USED TRAILS-GET READY TO SEE SOME ACTION. I used to set up a stand for one reason like a set of rubs, or a well used trail etc.... and it sucked - now i only set up if there are about four reasons to set up there. Such as- it's a funnel foresure, there are fresh rubs, there are four different trails running through this little area, there is cover from the ground but not from a well placed and hidden treestand. keep the morning sun at your back so they have a hard time seeing you !! they feel safe in the christmas tree size cover, yet you can still see them perfectly. sneak in quietly to your well placed stand before first light and wait patiently. I hunt in the wilderness of canada so I can't just watch a cornfield and tag a monster. I have to peice together the sign so to speak. no diss to cornfield hunters - if it ain't broke -don't fix it !!!

[steller]

Here's a tip:

Something not everyone realizes is that if a deer is running, you can often get it to stop by simply yelling "Stop!", or some other loud command. Now, this doesn't work if they are running FROM you. But if they are just running on their own accord, it works wonders.

The first time I tried this, I was shocked - the deer stopped dead in its tracks and turned to look at me. Needless to say, it was the last thing that deer ever did!

[awinn]

I want to know what tddeangelo, Mark, and cschutte and dubyam, amonst others, think, especially about mulies.