Deer Hunting Tips-Still Hunting Pointers
Still hunting for deer is an excellent way to spend time in the woods. The hunter can learn much about terrain and deer habitat by spending time on the ground. Here are a few pointers for success.
Dress Appropriately
The weather will dictate what clothing to wear. Wet weather will rquire rain gear. Warm weather will require a lighter amount of clothing. Colder weather will require warmer clothing but not too much to limit movement.
Don’t Sweat
By being on the ground and moving, the hunter needs to be careful with scent control. One key issue is sweating. This creates odor. Take your time while easing through the woods. If you begin to sweat, you are moving too fast.
Get In Shape
Exercising before the season should be considered if not in good physical shape. This will improve on endurance to make it easier to cover a lot of terrain. Of course it also helps improve on overall health.
Take Your Time
The key to successful still hunting for deer is slow movement. Take your time when out in the woods. Move short distances and stop to listen and watch for deer activity. By spending more time observing and less time moving, deer sightings will improve.
Know Your Terrain
An understanding of the terrain is very important. This will allow the hunter to move into the most realistic areas that may hold deer. It will also prevent moving through areas that will alert the deer of hunter presence.
Take your time, be observant, control odors, and deer sightings will occur more often.
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Still Hunting And Stalking Tips
Deer hunting from the ground can at times offer hunters a better chance at success. These are some tips for better still hunting and stalking for deer.
Safety
The first thing that hunters need to consider before anything else is safety. Since the hunter will be deer hunting from the ground and on foot, extra precautions must be taken. It is best to hunt on private property in which no other hunters will be nearby. Always wear hunter orange. Always be aware of the set up boundaries and terrain of the land to be hunted.
Shooting
Before firing at any deer from the ground, make sure that the shot is a safe one. This requires knowledge of what is beyond the deer. Take your time and make an accurate shot. Never rush, and if the shot is risky, don’t take it. This will help reduce any chances of accidents.
Clothing
The clothing to be worn by the hunter should be made of a soft, noise resistant material. Being on the ground dictates that the hunter will come in contact with branches, briers, undergrowth, or other natural objects that may cause noises when brushed up against. Wearing quiet clothing will reduce any unwanted sounds. It is also important that the clothing be camouflaged with patterns that blend in naturally with the terrain to be hunted.
Hunting Conditions
One of the best times to use still hunting tactics is during wet weather. The ground will be soft and wet which allows the hunter to move more quietly. Light rain or snow days offer ideal conditions. Another condition to consider is the wind. The best approach is to have the wind in the face while moving about.
Hunting Technique
The best technique for still hunting is to move slowly and methodically throughout the woods. Walk short distances as quietly as possible. Stop and look around the area thoroughly before moving on. Listen for any sounds that may be related to deer activity.
Locating Deer
To be successful, the hunter must have a good knowledge of the land and be aware of the areas that are most likely to have deer activity. These may be feeding, bedding, or travel areas. Look for fresh deer sign that indicates current deer movement. When attempting to spot the deer, look for legs or body movement, head turning, ears or tails moving, white hair patches, antlers, or even deer bedded down. A good pair of binoculars is suggested.
The key to success when it comes to still hunting or stalking for deer is to spot the deer before being detected. Use a slow quiet approach and spend enough time looking and listening before moving again.
Still Hunting Tactics
Deer hunting tips: Still hunting is the art of moving slowly and quietly through the woods in an attempt to stalk or sneak up on a deer. Still hunting by far is one of the most challenging of all deer hunting tactics. With that being said, it is also one of the most rewarding. Many hunters have never experienced this type of hunting. They spend most of their time sitting in trees or blinds. But if one is to give this form of hunting a try, it will be worth the effort, regardless if deer are taken or not.
Learning how to still hunt and using these skills will greatly increase the overall success in the field. The hunter gathers more information about his quarry that can then be used in other forms of hunting. The hunter becomes closer in spirit and nature allowing for more productive hunts. This learning takes time and in most cases lots of trial and error.
Deer Movement Knowledge
To start, hunters must have a good idea of movement patterns used by deer. This information, gathered through scouting and observing, is critical if the hunter is to incorporate still hunting into one’s bag of tricks. One has to know where the deer are coming from and where they are headed to. Once this knowledge has been gathered, following basic guidelines will give the hunter the chance of seeing and possibly taking deer while still hunting.
Fundamentals
Before the hunter begins, there are a few fundamentals that need to occur. Dressing in a camouflage pattern that is relevant to the area to be hunted is highly important. This includes face and hands. The clothing should be a style that is soft to touch and does not make any noise when pressed against limbs or bushes. The boots worn need to be flat bottomed with soft soles. All equipment including weapon must be camouflaged and noise proof. The hunter should be scent free and use cover scent.
Timing
Assuming the hunter has found and understands deer movement, the early morning hours are generally considered the best times to still hunt. This is because deer are at their most relaxed during this time of day and somewhat less cautious, if that is at all possible. Being at a good location at daybreak when deer are in a moving pattern is the best approach.
Sight And Movement
The hunter needs to condition one’s self to do more watching with less moving. Taking three to five short, extremely slow steps, then observing for ten to twenty minutes before moving again. Effort should be made to avoid stepping on and breaking any branches or walking through thick dry leaves. Slow is the way to go. Again slow is the way to go. Understand, move extremely slowly.
Each step made by the hunter changes the field of view. Therefore watchful eyes are important. The hunter needs to look for parts of a deer, not the whole deer. Tails flickering, ears twitching, antlers, white patches, and horizontal lines moving through vertical trees. The hunter spends more time observing and less time walking.
The hunter should try and stay downwind of deer if at all possible. The best approach on deer is from behind. If the hunter is able to use these two conditions properly, the odds will always be in the hunter’s favor. Also, move towards located deer while they have their heads down or are facing away from the hunter. Always moving extremely on final approach.
Deer have extremely good eyesight, excellent hearing, and of course the best nose in the woods. By moving slowly, using cover scent, and not making unnecessary sounds, the hunter can counter attack these defenses. The hunter must however be able to see the deer before being detected in order to be successful.
These deer hunting tips about still hunting are based on the knowledge that the hunter has educated himself in deer movement and knowledge of the area to be hunted. Use these to add excitement to the hunting adventure. Expect failure but enjoy the hunt. In time, when success happens, the hunter will greatly appreciate the newly found tactics. As always good luck and be safe.
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