Five Keys to
Whitetail Deer Hunting Success
Regardless of where you are at in your whitetail deer hunting career,
there are a few basic steps that you should know or perhaps review,
prior to your hunting endeavors this year. If you are new to this
sport, these ideas may be new to you. If you are experienced, perhaps
reviewing these will be of benefit to you.
1. Scent Control
While this can be taken to any level of extremes, I guess you really
cannot be too careful with regard to this matter. Some basic steps you
can take include the following things. Do not wear the
clothes you will be in while hunting until you are heading into field.
Consider keeping your clothes in some form of scent proof bags until
you get out of your vehicle (or camper, tent, cabin,
etc.) and then slip them on just as you are ready to
head out. Don't get up and cook breakfast for example and then wear
these clothes to the field.
Remember this for sure; do not wear the boots you will wear in the
field until heading out in the field. On that point, it is pretty well
established that rubber boots carry the minimal scent
of any other type of boots. If you are not in a cold place, cheap
rubber boots are fine. More expensive lined (thinsulate is
usually the material) boots may be required in colder
climates. Scent-Lok materials are available for clothing and boots if
you wish. Not required. Also, there are laundry detergents, deodorants,
and scent-blocks available and these may be
advisable, but again, are not absolutely necessary.
2. Colors
When I began hunting I did not know very much about this and I really
wondered. Here's what I have learned, and perhaps more importantly,
have experienced in the field. First, do not wear blue jeans. Blue is
the one color I know deer can really see. Second, blaze orange is not a
problem. No matter what you wear (as long as not blue), deer will not
see you if you remain still.
3. Tree Stands
I hunt exclusively from a climbing stand and almost exclusively on
public land. Here are the basics with regard to stand placement. Wind
direction is vital. Know the prevailing wind direction where you will
place your stand, whether it is fixed or portable.Always wear a safety
harness...at all times from ground to ground.Scout the area ahead of
time. This is not optional. You can get lucky if you happen to be in an
area with lots of deer, but you do not want to rely on luck. I will
expand on scouting in a later section so will leave it at that for
now.Height is important, but you do not need to be 30 feet high to be
successful. In fact, for the purpose of good shots, the higher you go,
the harder it is to adjust for angle of shot. I often hunt between 12
and 20 feet and believe this is adequate in most all cases.If you are
stand hunting, stay in your stand. Many deer are taken mid-day by
hunters who have the perseverance to stay in their stand. An unpleasant
reality is that you may need to relieve yourself at some point. Bring a
container with you for this purpose. I just use a water bottle.
4. Firearms/Bows
I can only be general here because this article is not designed to
address in detail the issues of firearm or bow choice. There are too
many variations to detail here. But here are a few commonsense
items
Be very familiar with your weapon. Know how to fix minor problems that
might arise in the field and deal with them in a safe manner. For
example, if you are hunting with a firearm, you will eventually get
dirt in your barrel. Have the resources to clean your weapon should
this happen.
Put in the necessary time practicing at the range prior to hunting. It
is unacceptable to hunt with a weapon not properly sighted in. If you
are lucky enough to hit anything, you may very well injure a deer with
little chance for recovery.
Practice every safety precaution you can. This is especially true in
bringing your weapon into your stand. Do it the right way. Never carry
any kind of a weapon as you climb the tree.
5. Scouting
This is not something you should just do if you get a chance. It is
part of the hunting process and can be a lot of fun. Do it at least a
week or so prior to when you will hunt so as not to disturb the area
too much just before hunting.
Look for trails and sign. There is much to this as there are a variety
of factors that can make an area look great, but then not yield any
signs of life at the time of the hunt. One thing to keep in mind is
that during the rut, many bucks do not follow their prior behavior.
There is some evidence however, that some bucks do. In regard to
potential stand placement, keep wind direction in mind. Once you have
chosen a spot, make sure you have adequate vision of trails and
shooting lanes. If you are hunting a deer trail, consider how deer are
traveling the trail. Are you trying to catch deer as they enter or exit
a food plot or are you trying to catch them as they enter or exit a
bedding area? Have an entry/exit plan to your stand sight planned out.
Use reflective tacks you can see with a flashlight or headlamp, or use
surveyors tape to mark your route. This part is critical as your
approach may be the deciding factor on success or failure. Use Google
Earth as a staring point for your scouting endeavors. This does not in
any way replace on the ground scouting, but it gives you a tremendous
head start. Especially for those of us who are hunting public ground.
If hunting public ground, try and scout areas at least ¼ mile
from any road, trail, or access point. Believe it or not, just this
level of effort will separate you from the majority of hunting
pressure. Also, try and have a heads up on the pressure level you will
experience for the season you will hunt. As an example of this, there
are areas that I will hunt in the Missouri antlerless season that I
will not venture near during the regular firearms season.These basic
ideas are vitally important to your hunting success. There are clearly
planning issues beyond these that are necessary. Knowing what gear to
bring for example, is of critical importance. Knowing all pertinent
regulations is vital. Most importantly, keep in mind that hunting is a
sport that can be fulfilling without regard to whether you harvest a
deer. I enjoy immensely that time I spend in the Fall woods. A deer is
nothing more than a bonus.
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