Deer Hunting Assets
Deer Hunting Tips: Deer Hunting Assets
There are many assets and tips that can be contributed to successful deer hunting. If you were to poll a group of hunters on what the most important assets are, you may recieve a variety of answers. However, there are a few basics that should be followed by all hunters.
Deer Knowledge
In any aspect of life, knowledge is always beneficial. It only makes since that this will be true in the deer hunting woods as well. Hunters that spend time learning as much as possible about the habits of whitetails generally will be more consistent in harvesting the animal.
In order to gain this knowledge, hunters should take the time to study as much of the available information as one can find on deer. There are tons of articles, videos, seminars, and other learning forms. The hunter also needs to spend as much time as possible in the field hunting, observing, and keeping notes.
Deer Persistence
Another important factor is to be persistent. Especially when it comes to hunting mature deer, it is not uncommon for even the most dedicated of hunters to become frustrated. Mature animals have gained age by being woods wise. They make very few mistakes and offer the greatest of challenges. A persistent hunter overcomes frustrations and other obstacles in order to be successful.
Hunter Intelligence
You don’t need a college degree to hunt deer. You do however need to be willing to put gathered learning to use. Understanding deer activity and movement only adds to hunter intelligence. Make a game plan and hunt smart. Use the deer’s three main defenses to your advantage. Use proper concealment methods, limit noise, and always pay attention to scent.
Weapon Proficiency
When it all boils down to crunch time, the last asset of success falls on being proficient with the weapon of choice. All the previous skills won’t matter if you can’t hit what you are aiming at. Never enter the woods without first mastering your shooting skills. This will require dedication and practice. Understand the effectiveness of the weapon and don’t take shots outside of your skill level. You owe it to yourself and to the deer to be an ethical hunter.
Good luck, be safe, and enjoy your next hunting experience.
Related articles: Deer Hunting
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Deer Hunting Pointers
The first few days of the deer hunting season can be an excellent opportunity to harvest a nice buck. In most cases the deer population has not been spooked or alerted for several months. This is a time to take extra precautions in preparation. For the most part, hunters will be somewhat rusty in their skills. Here are a few pointers to remember.
It is not wise to wait until the day or even week before the season begins to start placing stands, clearing shooting lanes, or walking through the woods scouting. All these task should be done at least a month before opening week. This will reduce the chances of alarming the deer and allow enough time for the woods to settle if early contact is made. Move in and out of the hunting area quickly. Midday is generally considered the best time for stand placement.
Obviously the hunter should have been practicing with the weapon to be used. The next stage is to gather up all gear that is to be used in the field. Go ahead and pack for the hunt. Make a checklist of all items to be used. This will reduce the chances of forgetting gear. Pay close attention to main equipment such as bow releases, face mask, and scent elimination products. This also applies to all safety devices. These items should be packed first as they are a priority.
Use these deer hunting tips to prepare and be ready for that opening season hunt. Be safe and good luck.
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10 Deer Hunting Tips
A list of 10 deer hunting tips.
1. Practice Shooting
Prior to using any weapon in the field, always practice with it first. Shoot at ranges that are expected during the actual hunting season. Always use the same type of arrows or ammunition that will be used in the field. If you will be hunting from a blind or tree stand, practice using this equipment. Never enter the woods with a weapon that you are unfamiliar with.
2. Wear Safety Gear
Always use proper safety gear while climbing or using a tree stand. There have been many improvements over the years to aid hunters. Today’s equipment is made for both support as well as ease of use and comfort. A safety vest works extremely well. It can be worn to and from the stand for convenience.
3. Limit Excess Noise
The hunter will make some noise while walking to a hunting location. To reduce walking sounds, try to walk softly by placing your weight down on the outer edges of your feet first. Then role the feet inward to its normal position. This will take a little practice. If you happen to snap a branch or make some other sound, stop and wait a few minutes before continuing.
4. Scouting Deer
Deer scouting should be done prior to and throughout the hunting season. As the deer activity changes, so should the hunting techniques. Look for signs of food sources, bedding areas, breeding activity, watering holes, and travel routes. Pay attention and adapt to deer movement. Take good field notes and use maps as well as trail cameras. Keep a daily hunting journal that includes wind directions, weather conditions, and any sightings of deer sign or activity.
5. Scent Control
Always use scent control products while deer hunting. This includes proper boots and clothing as well as soaps, shampoo, and detergents. Use wafers or sprays while in the woods. Since smell is a deer’s primary weapon, controlling human odors needs to be a priority. Never enter the woods without proper scent control.
6. Pay Attention To The Wind
The wind can often play a factor in hunting situations. It is not uncommon to have wind directions change while on stand. If this occurs, often it is better to leave and return under better conditions. Especially if hunting a mature buck, it is better to be safe than sorry. Ideally you want to be set up downwind of suspected deer movement.
7. Proper Clothing
Since the hunting season is filled with changing conditions, always pack enough clothing to adjust as needed. Often in the early season the mornings and evenings are cooler than midday temperatures. Add a jacket or coveralls to your backpack. During the colder periods of the season, it is better to have too much clothing than not enough. You can always remove items if need be but you can’t add what you don’t pack. Also don’t forget the rain suit.
8. Hunt Water Holes
Although a watering hole hunt may not seem overly exciting, done properly it may produce a surprise chance at a good buck. Deer need water several times a day during warm weather and also during rutting periods. Deer prefer watering areas that are surrounded by or offer good cover. Clean, fresh water is not necessarily the best as deer are often found near swamps or ponds.
9. Use Equipment
There are many different types of equipment that can be used in the field. Take advantage of such things as binoculars, trail cameras, tree stands, and ground blinds. Don’t be afraid to experiment with rattling antlers, grunt calls, decoys, and deer lures. Other such tools such as folding saws and hand shears will always come in handy.
10. Change Tactics
Learn to use and take advantage of the different deer hunting tactics. If you primarily hunt from a stand or blind, try giving still hunting or stalking a chance. If you are a gun hunter, take up bow hunting. The more time spent in the woods during changing seasonal conditions only offers a better chance for success.
Use these deer hunting tips to improve your skills. As always be safe and good luck.
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3 Early Deer Hunting Tips
During the early deer hunting season many hunters prefer to take up stands on field edges. This is a worthy approach since there are often numerous field crops available for food. There are however other methods that can be very effective. Here are 3 deer hunting tips to get you started.
Morning Bedding Areas
Locate bedding areas that deer are using after feeding in the morning. Most deer will leave a food crop field before or shortly after day break. Instead of trying to hunt the fields, move deeper into the woods near the bedding areas. This will provide an opportunity to catch the deer during early daylight hours.
The secret to hunting these areas is to get as close as possible without being detected. Find an approach that avoids the travel areas of the deer allowing for an easy entrance and exit. Taking a long way around to these locations is often the better approach.
Find Staging Areas
Once the hunting season starts, often deer will wait until after dark before entering fields to feed. They wait in staging areas. A staging area is simply a location inside the woods that provide secure cover for the deer. These areas are where deer come after getting up from their beds. The staging areas are usually 25-50 or more yards away from the chosen food source.
Placing a stand in these locations often provides the opportunity for a shot during day light hours. The hunter needs to be in such locations early enough as to not spook deer headed towards them. A two hour minimum is suggested.
Early Acorns
Acorns are a favorite food source of deer. Even though field crops are in abundance during the early hunting season, deer will seek out the acorns. There is a problem for hunters though, often there are too many places that hold acorns. This provides many options for deer to feed.
The secret to hunting around acorns is to locate places that have a limited surplus. This will reduce the options for the deer and increase the chances for the hunter. Since the deer will have fewer choices, the hunter can set up a stand with a greater chance at seeing deer.
Following these deer hunting tips may offer a better chance at success. As always good luck and be safe.
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Deer Basics
Deer Hunting Tips: Deer Basics
Deer hunting is by no means easy. But for one to be able to increase the odds for success, one needs to understand the basics of deer habits. The hunter needs to take advantage of these basic factors in order to bring home the meat.
Food Sources
During the early parts of the deer hunting season, deer will be eating mostly on field crops. They will spend time throughout the day browsing on corn, beans, or other crops. This is simply because these are the most available food sources. As the season progresses, deer add acorns, persimmons, and other such temporary food sources to their diets.
The hunter needs to scout his hunting area to locate all available food sources at any given time of the season. Stands or blinds need to be set up near these areas. As the food changes, so do the set up locations.
Water Sources
Deer will require watering sources frequently during the early hunting season. They will need to hydrate several times during each day. Depending on the area, there may be many watering holes or only a select few. Deer will use lakes, ponds, swamps, creeks, and any other location that holds water.
Deer hunting near a watering hole, especially during warm weather, may offer the hunter an additional chance at that buck. An ideal set up location would be near a heavily used creel crossing or near a small pond.
Bedding Areas
The deer bedding areas will often be found in the thickest terrain found on the property. However, they will bed down in tall grass, corn fields, small patches of woods, or the top edges of hills. Deer will have several bedding areas on any given piece of land. Again, proper scouting of the area to be hunted is a must.
Set up stand locations around bedding areas. Don’t get too close as to spook the deer. Depending upon the type of area, try to stay back at least fifty to seventy five yards if possible.
Travel Zones
The travel zones are areas used by deer to move from a bedding area to a food source area, and then back again. These travel zones will change depending upon what type of food the deer are currently dieting on. A small patch of woods that leads from a bedding area to a crop field would be an obvious travel zone. But deer will take advantage of ditch banks, creek banks, and even a man made cut through.
Hunters need to place stands throughout these travel zones. Hunting the travel areas is one of the most effective ways of taking deer consistently.
Wind Direction
Always remember to keep track of wind direction. If the wind is wrong for any given stand location, don’t hunt it. Move to another area that offers a better set up. This will reduce the chances of being detected by deer. Always have several stand options available. Set up downwind of suspected deer movement.
Follow these deer hunting tips for a better chance of success. As always good luck and be safe.
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Binoculars For Deer
It has been my observation over the years that many hunters fail to take advantage of a wide selection of tools that can be used for hunting. An example of this is the use of binoculars for deer hunting. We have all seen those so called professional hunting programs that show the hunter taking out a pair of compact binoculars and glassing around in search of that monster buck.
But how many hunters actually use this technique. Most of the hunters that I have made contact with over the years don’t. They may have a pair of binoculars that stay inside a case for years without use. In talking with them, in many cases they don’t have an answer as to why they’re not used. Its just not part of their equipment list.
I started using binoculars many years ago before the compact versions were a hot commodity. Although I do now possess a compact pair. Although I spend plenty of time in a stand, a majority of the deer that I take each year is from the ground. I enjoy still hunting or stalking as some folks call it. So it is important to me to make sure the binoculars are in the backpack.
The prices on binoculars can vary depending on manufacturer and field of view. The reality is that you can get a nice pair for around a hundred dollars that will be more than adequate for the average deer hunting set up. Most compact versions are suitable out to about one hundred yards. Larger more open areas will need the full sized longer ranged versions. In either case, make sure they are waterproof.
The use of binoculars is relatively simple by following the manufacturers directions. Just adjust them to your face and eyesight and you’re good to go. Any other adjustments that need to be made in the field are easy as well.
While deer hunting, whether on stand or on the ground, a good approach for using binoculars is to break the area to be glassed down to small sections. Thoroughly glass each section slowly. I generally start my glassing up close about twenty five yards or so and slowly move out further as far as I can see. I then move over slightly to the right, overlapping my previous field of view and repeat, and repeat the process until each section is covered.
Make sure to identify any objects that may resemble deer before continuing. Look for antlers, tails, white hairs, ears, as well as the whole deer. Pay extra attention to clumps that may be bedded deer. Also look for any horizontal movements across the vertical terrain. When you are satisfied, move on to another section.
It is also a good idea to give yourself breaks from extended binocular use. I normally glass for a minute or so and then watch with the naked eye for a few minutes. This will help reduce eye fatigue. Once I have completed all sections, after a brief break, I start again.
I have had good success with the use of binoculars while deer hunting. I have been able to locate many deer that I never knew were nearby. This early detection tool has provided a great advantage on many occasions. So if you haven’t added the binoculars to your accessory list yet, maybe you should give them a try.
As always be safe and good luck.
Deer Hunting Preparation
This deer hunting tips article provides helpful information for preparing for the deer hunting season.
Prepare Your Equipment
Deer hunting requires a variety of equipment that needs to be prepared prior to the season. All weapons to be used should be checked for proper function and safety. Rangefinders if used, should be checked for accuracy. Scopes and binoculars should be cleaned. Clothing needs to be cleaned and made scent free. Clothing also needs to be checked for wear and tear as well as comfort and fit. Tree stands should be checked to make sure bolts and screws are secure, proper function, and safety. All other equipment to be used in the field should be checked for proper function.
Practice
Target practice with the deer hunting weapon of choice. Become proficient with all aspects of the weapon. Practice shooting the same distances expected to have in the field. Practice under similar conditions such as from a tree stand or from a sitting or standing position. Also consider low light situations while practicing. Wearing hunting clothing while practicing can also be useful.
The hunter should also be proficient with any other equipment to be used in the field. Rangefinders, binoculars, and GPS type equipment require familiarity. Rattling antlers, grunt, or other type calls should be practiced with as well.
Prepare Shooting Lanes
Shooting lanes need to be prepared prior to the hunt. A good pair of pruning shears is usually all that is needed. For larger limbs, a nice folding pruning saw may be needed. Remember not to trim too much. Always leave plenty of back ground cover for the stand or blind. Also leave enough cover to help break the outline of the hunter. Try to provide clear shooting lanes in all areas in which deer are expected to move through.
Prepare Tree Stands Or Blinds
Tree stands or blinds need to be properly placed prior to the deer hunting season if possible. Try to place stands or blinds in locations that provide good hunter cover but still allows for accurate shot attempts. Stands or blinds should be placed in positions that are downwind from suspected deer movement. Try placing them 15-20 yards away from trails to limit being detected by deer. If using a stand, always use safety climbing equipment. These devices should be inspected prior to use.
Scent Control
Anything that is to be used in the field needs to be prepared for scent control. There are a variety of sprays, detergents, soaps, wafers, and other products that can be used. All clothing as well as equipment should be washed or sprayed down with odor elimination products. Scent control should always be used prior to and during hunting trips.
Use these deer hunting tips to prepare for the upcoming hunting season. Be safe and good luck.
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Deer Hunting Permission
Deer hunting tips: The spring and early summer months are probably the best times of the year to ask permission to deer hunt on private land. Most land owners prefer that you not wait until the season starts.
So what is the best approach on getting permission? Most land owners, myself included, prefer to get to know the person long before the deer hunting season starts. So start early and make follow up visits during the year.
This lets the land owner know that you are more serious about hunting than the guy who waits to knock on the land owners door the day of or day before the hunting season. Also most land owners only allow so many hunters on their land at a time. So starting early gives you an edge.
If the land owner denies you permission on the first attempt, be courteous, leave your name and number, and ask them to call you if they change their minds. You should also check back a little later in the year just to be friendly, which also goes down in your favor for reconsideration. Just don’t become a nuisance.
If you grow things in a garden and have extras, drop them off to the land owner. Giving them a basket full of fruits or vegetables is a way to make a good follow up impression. This tells the land owner that you appreciate the opportunity and shows good character values.
If you happen to see the land owner in the yard raking leaves or picking up sticks, stop and lend a hand. Be a good person to them first and they may reward you later. Even if you already have permission to hunt, this keeps you in the good graces for the future.
These deer hunting tips for obtaining permission are just a few suggestions that can be used. Come up with your own ideas if these don’t suit you. In any event always be respectful and maybe you will find yourself hunting that land come deer season.
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Early Season Preparation
This article provides deer hunting tips in preparing for early season success.
Pre Season Scouting
The hunter should spend time in the area to be hunted doing some pre-season scouting. This needs to be done as early as possible. Scouting will provide helpful information that can be used to determine hunting locations. Early season deer food areas need to be located as well as trails leading to the bedding and food sources. These areas are considered hot zones for the warm month hunting. Make plenty of notes and maps of the areas and write down any details found during scouting.
Tree Stands
Tree stand locations need to be prepared as also. The areas will need to be trimmed for excess leaves and limbs. Make sure to remove as little cover as possible to maintain good concealment. Shooting lanes around the stand will need to be cleared as well. Preparing these areas ahead of the season will allow the area to settle and deer will get used to it.
Scent Control
Early season usually means hot weather. The hunter should take extra care with scent control. Taking showers before heading to the woods is a requirement this time of year. Also use cover scent for masking human odors. This will insure that the area stays human scent free for the coming season.
Trail Cameras
The use of trail cameras has become very popular. Placing them out before the season will aid in proper set up locations. Just try not to over check the cameras to alert the deer. Also whenever possible, check them during midday to limit any deer contact.
Bugs
The early season is also known for its wide selection of bugs from ticks to mosquitoes. There are many scent free repellent sprays available that are made specifically for hunters. There are also mechanical devices that work well although a little more expensive. Proper clothing such as bug suits can also be used effectively.
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