*** An important note here is that any time you include something in your hunting technique that is not natural to the deer it potentially becomes an alarm.
Scents and lures, calls and decoys, all can serve to warn deer of danger if timing, authenticity or preparation are not correct.
8. Initial Methods For Deciding Where To Hunt.
Often, the biggest challenge for the hunter is just plain knowing where to go. We can have all the equipment, skills and dedication needed but, if they are applied in an area lacking deer, then they are wasted.
(A) The Spot And Hunt Method.
A common scenario is that a hunter spots a huntable buck in the evening feeding on the edge of a field. If it is early evening, logic tells us that the buck has just entered the field in recent moments -- or perhaps we saw him come into the field.
It is then fair to assume that he entered from the nearest cover of woods or brushy ravine. A reasonable deduction follows that we now know in what general area his bedding area is.
From that, and with some other basic knowledge, we can determine his general route of travel. Deer generally bed on benches or hillsides that provide a view and thermal flows to bring scent uphill to them during the day while they are bedded.
They rely on cover and prevailing wind to provide protection and warn of danger from other directions.
There are differing opinions of how far from food sources deer will bed. It seems that younger deer will bed closer than older deer -- even sometimes right on the field edge.
My interpretation is that the younger bucks know there will be human activity in fields but have not thoroughly learned of the possible degree of danger involved with that activity.
They may bed very close to the food source where they can also monitor activity and leave only when they feel they need to.
Older bucks it seems are more cognizant of the dangers and are not so concerned about being first at the food sources. Consequently, they seem to bed in the swamps, thickets and more removed areas.
*** There are always stories of the monster buck that was caught bedding in a fence row, weed patch or some other, nearly wide-open, place. My thought is that these are the exception rather than the rule.
Once spotting a buck emerging from the woods to feed, I would back track his route and look for a "red light --- green light" zone, a crossing of trails, or a dry creek bed or other depression.
The same approach can be used for morning spottings.
The spot where a buck is seen entering the woods after a night of feeding is generally very close to the head of a trail which will lead to his bedding area.
When he enters the woods it is fair to say he is heading for his bedding area.
*** Note that during rut periods bucks will detour to check out doe bedding areas.
Often it is difficult to discern where deer travel.
Tracks, bent-over grasses or weeds, old rubs and general knowledge of edge cover, depressions and benches are sometimes our only hope to glean a reasonable theory pertaining to travel routes.
*** All the previously mentioned cautions of wind direction, thermals, cover, access and exit concerns need to be considered when selecting a stand site.
(B) Using "Deer Lore Or Deer Sign" As An Indicator Of Where To Hunt.
Sometimes we just don't have the option of watching for feeding deer in the evening or mornings. It is sometimes the case that we may arrive at a hunting location with limited time to hunt and less time to scout. This situation is referred to as "going in cold."
These conditions mandate either taking a shot-in-the-dark approach or relying on basic deer lore to assist us in choosing a stand location.
Obvious deer sign would consist of rubs, scrapes, tracks and trails.
Ignore rubs and scrapes that are on field edges or along open areas. Also, it pays to remember that studies show that a relatively small percentage of scrapes are made during daylight hours in areas with unbalanced doe to buck ratios.
If I am dealing with an accelerated hunt I will typically look for areas that fall mid-way between food sources and typical bedding areas.
First a food source needs to be identified. Then look for adjoining cover that reveals a ravine or other area that is lower than the surrounding area.
A bench overlooking or bordering the ravine will be a travel route. A brushy edge along the bench is a bonus. Stay within 100 to 175 yards of the edge of the food source and set a stand on the uphill side of the bench.
In other words the edge of the ravine would border the bench on the low side and your stand will border the bench on the uphill side.
If there are also scrapes nearby then consider that a bonus but, for me, benches, trails and obvious travel routes take precedence over scrapes.
More times than not, you will see deer traffic along a bench which borders a ravine, depression or creek.
In the absence of distinguishable ravines, look for "bowls" or shallow areas leading away from the field. Bucks seem to prefer to travel with the low areas in their view so that they can dive into them should they be threatened.
A general reccommendation would be to place a stand within 40-yards of the bottom of the shallow area.
Often this method for locating stands is done with the aid of topo maps or aerial photos. Trails and tracks are confidence builders if they are also visible once you enter these locations. Take a few minutes to at least attempt to identify one or two trails.
When going in "cold" to hunt, refer to the earlier chapters on the effects of weather, rut stages and time of day to further help define promising areas.
9. The Confidence Factor Of Successful Deer Hunting.
There are hunters who go to the woods for 25 years or more without using their deer tags. Then there are those who consistently "tag out" each season.
Good areas, ample time to hunt, lack of hunting pressure and luck, play a role to some degree in every hunt.
However, some successful hunters just seem to have a calm confidence when speculating on the outcome of their hunting efforts.
Arriving at that point of confidence is no different than it is for a negotiator, boxer, farmer or doctor. Knowing what your capabilities are and knowing within reason what the challenge is and what mistakes to avoid making is 75 percent of the battle.
Think of the buck as your adversary. Also, think of him as "belonging" to you. He is "your" buck and you are there to kill him.
Lets look at some practical and philosophical ways to achieve superiority over your buck and bring you to the first level of confidence.
A Whitetail buck is constantly analyzing his periphery for danger. Think about what he can do to expose or discover your presence.
He will use one of four methods to discover you. He will look for you, listen for you, smell for you and watch other deer for signs that they have detected your presence.
It is up to you to be fully comfortable that you have done all you can to foil his senses.
(A) Looking For You.
There are several requirements needed to defeat his eyes.
The most effective method is to travel when and where he can't see you and then place yourself above his normal line of vision while hunting.
The neccessity for special camo clothing is highly overstated in most instances. However, even with high stands, a deer will occasionally look up if noise or slight scent reaches him.
All new camo should be washed in a UV Brightener reducing formula before being used for hunting.
(B) Listening For You.
Hearing is one of the easiest senses to defeat on a deer if the hunter remains conscious of his movement and noises.
One method I've used to relax deer that have spotted me in a tree is to hoot like an owl.
Most hunters are aware of the deers incredible sense of smell. Some writers claim deer have olfactory powers 10,000 times greater than a human's. I doubt that their powers are deserving of such lengendary heights but do not dispute that their olfactory sense is the one they rely on most to detect danger.
There are dozens of expensive commercial products designed to defeat a deers nose. I believe most work fairly well but find plain baking soda to be the best.
Clothes washed in baking soda and boots wiped with it have gotten me directly upwind at just a few feet from deer without being detected many times.
Deer have a system of communicating danger status or concerns. Snorts, tucked tails and erect tails, panic running and hoof stomping actions all have specific meaning as to the percieved level of danger.
Bucks, especially, will hang back and watch as does enter fields or move well in front of them to and from food sources and bedding areas.
Take the approach that every deer seen is a trophy buck and when deer aren't seen, assume they are nearby watching for you! Live, relaxed deer are the best possible decoys there are.
The most significant factor in hunter confidence is knowing that you can make the shot when the opportunity arises. Even less-than-perfect situations sometimes result in opportunity. If you are not capable with your weapon it will simply be a opportunity lost or it will result in a deer wounded.
10. Some General Thoughts, Observations And Suggestions
When deer leave their beds in the evening to feed they are leaving an area that they are familar with and entering a world that is less familar. They are aware that people enter the woods, work the fields and occupy some areas. Therefore it is fair to assume that they are somewhat alert for danger.
Evening hunts can also be good but require that more detailed preparation be done.
Often hunters leaving morning stands will recount how they got on the ground and turned to see a buck watching them.
No doubt luck has played a major part in many hunters success. However, there are skills and knowledge which enhance the odds dramatically in favor of the hunter.
I will rank some of these in their order of importance to me:
Somewhat lower stands can be functional if there is very good leaf and branch cover and favorable wind.
In situations where the noise or scent is not enough to cause immediate alarm, good camo can save the hunt. Camo should be on a par with the surrounding foilage in depth of tone. If dark green leaves are still on the trees then camo that is on the dark side will work best.
If tan and yellow leaves are on, go with a lighter camo pattern.
If there are no leaves on, go with very light patterns, keeping in mind that the sky may be the prominent background from a deer's view point.
Avoid camo that has blobs that are larger than real leaves. And avoid camo that runs lots of dark images together. Good camo will have light relief areas in between the dark areas and will serve to break up your outline.
Deer appear unconcerned about distant noises and seem to differentiate between non-threatening noise and threatening noise based on how far away the noise is.
Gun shots from two hundred yards away will typically not concern a deer as much as the sound of a twig snapping just twenty yards away.
Sounds that are not natural such as; metalic noises, human voices, motor vehicles, hammering and banging noise will quickly put a deer on alert.
In areas where farm activity and logging or firewood cutting takes place, the deer seem to tolerate noise associated with those activities.
(C) Smelling You.
The problem is that it is unhandy to use and it is messy.
I also believe that the problem is not what is used to control scent as much as it is one of paying attention to detail when using any product.
When attempting to be scent free don't forget to treat, belts, watch bands, safety harnesses, hats, gloves, underwear, boots and ropes or cords used to lift your bow or gun.
To de-scent ones clothes and then stand next to a vehicle that is running is counter-productive.
The same applies for riding in a vehicle that has perfume scent or other objectionable smells.
Gun oil, candy, mints and other foods eaten on stand can also give you away.
Objectionable smells can also come from eating, smoking, and drinking prior to going out to hunt.
Some products that can be used to help minimize such smells are: charcoal capsules, zinc tablets and chlorophyl tablets.
Of course, being on the right side of the wind is the best defense against a deers nose.
(D) Watching Other Deer For Danger Signals.
Buck hunters sometime tire of watching does and assume that is all they will see. Often we become careless and allow ourselves to be detected or even shoo the does away from our stand.
It is advisable to never alert any deer to your presence as their danger signals are thought to travel and be relayed across wide spread areas.
We may not even hear a distant snort or foot stomping but other deer will certainly be aware of it.
Nothing builds shooting confidence like practice and familiarity with your weapon. Shooting should be second nature --- an automatic response.
(A) Deer Behavior.
As darkness takes over deer relax because they do not associate human activity with dark hours. As morning approaches they will begin their return to a known core area. Generally speaking, deer are more relaxed as they come off a night of no stress and head back to their "safe" area.
Morning hunts provide better than average opportunities if done with calculated strategy that does not expose your presence.
Quiet and scent free access, good cover and sitting still until morning movement is done are basic requirements of good strategy.
Remember, deer are naturally alert to danger at this time and will check out tree stands and flee at the slightlest hint of change or percieved danger.
Be in stands well before deer movement begins.
Avoid walking near bedding areas when going to evening stands.
Do not exit an evening stand in a way that will spook deer that may be near by.
If you are about to leave your stand and are afraid that there are deer nearby, then bark like a dog, or howl like coyote --- make some noise to spook them before you get close enough that they can identify you as a human.
Deer are curious creatures within certain limits. The noise of lowering a bow onto the leaves, scraping bark as you descend a tree and other "natural" sounding noises could well suggest to a buck that another buck is in the area and is making a scrape or rub.
A good practice is to give one last rattling sequence 15 minutes before you leave your stand. Look around very thoroughly before climbing down and then do so as quietly as possible.
There is no benefit to having a buck sneak in on you while you are unable to shoot him.
(B) Priorities Of Hunter Skills And Knowledge
1. Shooting ability.
2. Knowing bedding areas or probable bedding areas.
3. Knowing food sources or suspected food sources.
4. Identifying travel routes.
5. Having basic knowledge of deer behavior.
6. Knowing how to take advantage or deers behavorial weaknesses.
7. Having safe, (quiet, good cover and scent free), access routes to the stand.
8. Being able to sit still and observe.
9. Knowing how weather, time of day and seasonal changes affects deer behavior.
10. Having good exit or return routes from a stand.