Give one tip on deer hunting

[bigmike23]

Stop listening to schmucks like us on the internet, and become your own best teacher. Seems the deer I pursue do the exact opposite of what the experts tell you they do

 

[Lowg08]

Stop listening to smucks like us on the internet, and become your own best teacher. Seems the deer I pursue do the exact opposite of what the experts tell you they do

I don’t know if anyone on here could exactly give spot on advice for where I hunt lol. I find stuff like slow down, sit still, scout and etc to be universal though. Heck I can’t go learn right now. I’m stuck to the couch. Shiny new plate I. My ankle lol

 

[Robert loper]

I map trails too, and work backwards too. Figure out where they're going and then look at why. Of course I'm yet to kill a deer so put some extra salt with that one lol

Keep at it and always stay on thise thick edges or almost in them snd you will get one.
please keep us posted as ur season progresses.
i love seeing guys get their first deer. Man there is nothing like that feeling
Pm me anytime

 

[Robert loper]

Stop listening to smucks like us on the internet, and become your own best teacher. Seems the deer I pursue do the exact opposite of what the experts tell you they do

Be honest i do love this advice.
Most of us older fellas had to do just that years ago when there was no internet.

 

[Horn]

Keep at it and always stay on thise thick edges or almost in them snd you will get one.
please keep us posted as ur season progresses.
i love seeing guys get their first deer. Man there is nothing like that feeling
Pm me anytime

Going into my first season, hopefully it'll be successful! And thanks!

 

[Loopwing]

Above all, take what all of us say with a grain of salt and GO HUNT! There is no perfect day, tree, wind, scenario. A truck, coyote, another hunter, anything can screw up or push something to you in a matter of seconds. I have had a deer change direction because a squirrel was protecting it's acorns and I never got a shot. I have also had a squirrel start barking at a buck that I had no idea was there and killed him dead in his tracks (rifle less than 50 yards). He was in the thick stuff I was in. He had no idea I was there.

 

[Plebe]

Above all, take what all of us say with a grain of salt and GO HUNT! There is no perfect day, tree, wind, scenario. A truck, coyote, another hunter, anything can screw up or push something to you in a matter of seconds. I have had a deer change direction because a squirrel was protecting it's acorns and I never got a shot. I have also had a squirrel start barking at a buck that I had no idea was there and killed him dead in his tracks (rifle less than 50 yards). He was in the thick stuff I was in. He had no idea I was there.

This one still pains me. Cost me one heck of a buck. Coming in on a string, I was drawn and waiting for one more step to get that front leg forward, when mad squirrel charged this bruiser and he jumped and trotted up the ridge. Damnedest thing. Probably the longest bodied buck I've ever seen, and good antlers to boot, super wide. Had all the trees in the area shredded.

Feel for ya on that one.

 

[BTaylor]

To play off of @BigAl, learn to see the forest AND the trees. Obvious spots are anywhere that has a hard edge like a lake or river bank, rock bluffs, inside corners of fields. If you are on public expect you could have company in those places because they are the obvious ones. Learn to pay attention to the the subtle edges like vegetative changes, esp that run between bed and food.

Also previously mentioned is food. Really key in on learning every key food source and when deer are hitting it during the season. Everyone is looking for the hot oaks but again, on public, you may have company. Find the honeysuckle or dewberry patches, find a mulberry tree if they are in your area, honey locust if the pods are juicy, wild pecan, whatever is in your area that are not the primary mast trees for your area. The sign may not be as abundant and you may not see as many deer as hunting on a hot oak but you may have undisturbed hunting where deer are not accustomed to pressure.

Pay attention to the association between deer movement, lunar cycle and weather. use those tendencies to determine where you will hunt. For example, if you have deer actively up and moving before daylight maybe choose to slip slowly into a pinch point spot between bed and food rather than trying to go right in on the food. Save the food sit for the afternoon hunt so you can lower the odds of bumping deer off the destination.

Really start putting a lot of effort into understanding how the air moves where you are hunting. That means predominant winds, thermals, etc in all conditions...hot, cold, sunny or overcast. The better you learn how the air moves in your hunting areas the tighter you can hunt deer on the "wrong" wind. This may actually be the most important aspect of significantly improving success. You have to learn food, travel, bedding, etc. to know where deer are or should be at certain times of the day but learning how to setup to hunt them when they feel like they have the wind advantage tips the scales significantly.

Finally, hunt when you are hunting. Leave your phone in your pocket and leave the books at the house if you want to really learn how to and get good at killing stuff. If you want to have a leisurely hunt with a chance that something might walk by that is fine too so piddle fart off as much as you like in the stand. However, getting good at killing takes paying attention to the details and it takes shooting stuff.

I am about to kick off my 41st bow season and I am still learning almost every time I go in the woods because I want to get better. Right now the deer still have a chance, by the time I am done I intend to fix that problem.

 

[WISCO]

If you are hunting public land that has a fair amount of pressure try to sit full days. Most hunters go in early and leave around 10-12 then come back into the woods around 2-3 to sit the evening. Just like others have stated deer move throughout the day and other hunters / animals will kick the deer around.

I will have to respectfully disagree with anyone saying not to be in your stand an hour before shooting time. Getting to my stand an hour before legal shooting time allows me to be in my stand before most of the forest wakes up, then all the birds and creatures start making noise and I'm sitting there like a ninja in silence.

Like others have stated we can sit here and tell you what works for us but in reality every piece of property is different and how the deer use it is different. I hunt properties where the deer only come through in the morning and you would waste your day hunting it all day or in the evening, I have some where I can see deer throughout the day. Best piece of advice is scout, find food source, bedding and routes between them and get some seat time in. Good luck this season.

 

[FLYIN_HAYN]

I think the biggest realization for me was going slow..... if you think your going slow, slow down even more, then slow down even more...... im talking very subtle movements.. if you gotta move be smart and work behind cover not in the open.... Also go where most people think there's no deer... deer tend to be where people arnt....

 

[DooleyVT]

Hunt between 10 AM and 2 PM. I also need to take my own advice more often.

 

[Loopwing]

I am a firm believer also with being in my stand an hour before legal hunting time, IF I have a stand set up, or know exactly where I am going. If I am going into a new spot I like to wait until gray light at least.

 

[Robert loper]

Great tips.
Hunt what you want and shoot what you want
Me? I like to try to go after thr biggest buck in a certain area.
So With that said
Here is another tip that I believe in and my bro @Jhand reminds me of all the time.
(Outside of the rut).
If your seeing alot of does and young bucks your probably not set up in the right spot to get eyes on your target buck.
remember a big old educated buck is not gonna act or do the same thing the restof the deer do.

 

[Noonespecial]

Do what others are not.

 

[raisins]

I don’t even attempt to get in somewhere before daylight in the morning, I go in at first light or usually later, I go slow the whole way in and usually hunt from lunch time until dark, sometimes 10 am until dark, I have zero presets, 100% mobile, I think we just had a thread about this but I will say it again, it’s my opinion more good spots are ruined by people trying to push the issue of hunting them first thing in the morning, where if they would just wait until later when everything is already bedded, and there is more daytime noise to hide you while your sneaking in, versus somebody trying to climb a tree in the dark before sunrise with not a lick of wind blowing and the entire woods is dead silent with game moving all over the place and here some hunter is who sounds like a bear climbing a tree waving a flashlight around trying to beat the clock and be in the tree before sunrise while not bumping deer and everything else, that’s not for me, it takes a special place for me to hunt mornings, good, with easy access.

i never go in before dark to a new area

i used to do that (go somewhere new and try to find a tree that works and climb in the dark)

this is a recipe for me getting PO'd at the world and racing against a rising sun, plus i hate getting up that early

then you set up and you have a big branch in your way.....the only way to not have this happen is to walk where the deer will be for a shot and shine up at your possible spot with a powerful flashlight....but then you've alerted the whole world where you are and laid down ground scent

i'll add one tip then: be careful about your entry and exit and what you do at your spot....try not to walk where deer you might want to shoot will be walking and smelling your boot tracks

also, and i ignored this when much younger, don't make noise on the way out

 

[Jason79]

I’ve bought a permit before. I just had a bad ankle injury which has landed me with new hardware. So I just grabbed an e-bike so I think it’s going to open up some really good things for me

I hear ya on that one, just learned about saddle hunting 2 years ago an started getting things together….an 2broken ankles, a lot of screws and some plates later an here we are bro!

 

[Jason79]

I’ve bought a permit before. I just had a bad ankle injury which has landed me with new hardware. So I just grabbed an e-bike so I think it’s going to open up some really good things for me

I hear ya on that one, just learned about saddle hunting 2 years ago an started getting things together….an 2broken ankles, a lot of screws and some plates later an here we are bro!

 

[Tot]

Scout 80%, hunt 20%


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[liv2hnt]

Stop listening to strangers on the internet and go walk the properties you intend to hunt. With no weapon. And no plan. Keep walking till you find deer in the flesh. Don’t hunt until you can repeatedly perform this task.

This is spot on. First hand knowledge kills deer. Make sure you are scouting hard in January and February for the deer you will kill in the Fall. Spend more time behind a bow and gear, than a keyboard and it will all fall into place.

 

[LtMoe66]

You could have a list here but Patience & keeping still are huge!