Deer live their entire lives on the run. They have to. Especially when they don’t know where danger is lurking in something as huge as a forest. If they don’t, they’ll be dinner for a hungry predator.
So, don’t just go around thinking that you can go in a forest all carefree and walk out with a deer corpse. These animals have had their entire lives to practice their evasion skills, which is why you also need to up your game. (pun intended)
Having a myriad of hunting tips can help you adapt to wherever the deer you are aiming for is and help you bring home a successful hunt. And it always pays to be prepared for as many situations and anomalies as possible when hunting deer.
But first, we need to reduce the chances of these anomalies from happening in the first place, which is what this article is here for.
Cover your scent
The nose of a deer can be anywhere between 500 to 1000 times stronger than a human’s nose. They have 297 million olfactory receptors in their noses. Compare that to a dog’s 220 million, and a human’s measly 5 million.
You probably already know that a deer’s nose is quite strong, but likely to not what extent. Some say that their nose can smell as far as a few hundred yards away, which is practically the amount of 3 to 4 football fields! But some have even reported that on perfect conditions, deer can smell even farther, possibly even extending to a mile or more!
What’s the deal? Well, it turns out that deer are not really interested in being observed on how strong their noses are if it will give them a disadvantage in survival.
You can’t fully eliminate human odor, it’s just an innate part of us, but you can mask it as much as possible by using scent eliminators and spraying onto your gear.
Using scentless soap helps too. Sure, you won’t be smelling like the lemon fresh scent of your soap, but it’s much better than the deer easily picking up on this foreign scent, turning you into an anti-deer beacon.
Finally, making sure that you are downwind reduces the chances of deer smelling you in the first place.
Muffle your noise
It turns out that deer hearing isn’t actually much better than a human’s. But before you start trudging around the forest all carefree, you still need to mind the noise you’re making.
The forest is the home of the deer, and they “know” which sounds are natural and belong and which ones don’t. The sounds of human footsteps, the clanging of metal and other items in a backpack, or even your voices alarm the deer that something foreign has arrived. The foreign thing being you.
You do not want that; this will make them liable to run off.
To avoid this, it would be best to set up your deer stand around a day or so before you start hunting.
Minimize sound from movement by walking carefully, and if you can, wear hunting boots that can muffle your footsteps to not get the deer’s attention.
Deer stand placement
You can’t just place your deer stand anywhere and wait for the deer to come to you, you need to choose a proper tree and location that will help keep you hidden while also giving you a clear shot.
If your stand is surrounded by too many trees, you may be unable to see nearby or approaching deer until it’s too late. On the other side of the spectrum, if your stand does not have enough trees, deer from far away will see you long before you even see them.
Choosing the best tree for your stand will help keep you well-hidden without attracting attention. Of course, these aren’t the only things to factor in. Things like wind speed, and elevation matter too. Sometimes leaf color from trees might even play a role. It all depends on the environment of where you are hunting.
The best time to hunt?
Yes, there are best times to hunt deer.
Deer are the most active during dawn and dusk. If you’re thinking of hunting deer in the early morning, think about where they will be sleeping. If you instead choose to hunt in the evening, try to consider their feeding grounds.
Deer will still appear throughout the day, but if you are willing to wake up early or stay around late, you may have a better shot (pun intended) at finding them.
Choose the perfect deer stand
Not every stand is created equally. In fact, there are 3 main types of deer stand that you can use to give you an advantage in your expeditions: Hang-on stands, ladder stands, and climbing tree stands.
Each stand has its own pros and cons, and it is up to your discretion as to which you think will fit you best. Feel athletic? Hang-on stands might be up your alley, they are simple and can be attached to a tree by a belt or chain. Have a hunting friend? Ladder stands are stable but heavy and may require an extra hand. Want some portability? Climbing tree can easily be carried around when desired.
There are many things to consider when choosing a deer stand too; What side do you want it? What about height? Color? How is its safety harness?
Having the right stand with the proper elevation can give you the edge you need while hunting.
Practice deer stand setting up before the season
This is related to muffling your noise from earlier. If you are inexperienced with your deer stand (Especially if it is new, for instance), you would want to get some practice on how to use it before you actually start hunting.
This would lessen the chance of potential disasters while also training you to get more used with your stand. Being able to enter and exit your stand as quiet as possible is invaluable in making sure you do not draw attention to yourself.
Wrapping Up
Experienced or not, these tips will serve to help any hunter hoping to bag a buck for the day.
But even then, there are other outside factors that should be taken note of. For instance, ticks can be plentiful in the forest, so taking preventive measures will prevent your hunting trip from turning into a hospital one 5 days later.
Your tree stand can be dangerous too: Most hunter accidents and deaths are caused by tree stand falls, which is why you should always wear a full body safety harness to protect yourself and reduce chances of injury should the unthinkable happen and you fall off.
While hunting deer, personal safety should not be neglected. You still need to bring it home, after all.