As with most anything in life, the best tips and tricks you are going to pick up are going to be from interaction with an experienced hunter or through trial and error. There is a lot that can be said for experience, but one of the most important tidbits I have ever picked up is to study your quarry. In order to study the habits of an animal like the whitetail deer, you should consider reading as much as you can. There is a wealth of knowledge right at the tip of your fingertips through the Internet and whether it be whitepapers based on true scientific study in the field or an article posted in Field & Stream by a staff writer, take the time to soak up as much knowledge as possible. Doing this will give you a head start on most hunters as they will not take the time to do the research, which ultimately leads to unfilled tags at the end of the season and an empty freezer when a pot of venison chili sounds good.


From my own research, I have been able to compile a list of tips that will hopefully be useful in future hunts:

As a general rule of thumb, deer are crepuscular. What this means is that they are more active at dawn and dusk (more apt to feed and move around). Additionally, this means that they are typically less active during mid-day hours and at night, but for those of us that have had a close encounter with a deer at night may argue this point. Of course as it is with most things, this is not a hard and fast rule and deer have been known to throw a curveball every once in awhile and feed during the day.


Scout your intended hunting ground thoroughly and take notes if needed. Take the time during the summer months and off-season time to build up a wealth of knowledge of the area. Also, when you do scout, do so as if you were hunting, with the utmost attention being paid to stealth, scent cover, etc. Believe it or not, deer have a memory and an excellent sense of smell and you may be out of luck when the season begins and the trail you put your stand up over remains empty because you took a leak next to the tree.

Locate and take note of the food sources available to deer in the area you are planning on hunting. In a post-rut hunt, this is a crucial piece of info due to deer taking the time to feed voraciously (bucks especially), due to energy expenditure during their mating season.


Find the oak trees with the most acorns underneath them. This is a dining favorite of whitetail deer.


Additionally, try to find fields with good clover or rye coverage. Deer absolutely love this type of forage as well.


Locate and take note of prominent trails. These are utilized by deer and other animals as their highways in the forest.


When you set up a stand, do so in the time in-between seasons so as not to disturb travel and feeding patterns of the deer.


If you own a GPS unit, make sure to mark feeding areas, stands, etc. for future reference.


By observing trees in the area, you will be able to find where bucks rub during the rut. Since deer are territorial animals, there is a good chance that the buck making those rubs will continue to return year after year (unless he is displaced by a more dominant buck, in which case you may be even better off).


Another important thing to look out for is scrapes or areas where bucks rub their scent into the ground (typically near the base of trees). This is also another good sign of buck activity.


When hunting, remember that deer have evolved over thousands of years to keep themselves out of danger. Their sense of smell and eyesight is legendary so keep movement to an absolute minimum.


Additionally, it is good practice to use a scent mask and camouflage (don’t forget to wear your blaze orange though!).


Always consider the direction the wind is blowing as your scent can carry for miles. This is especially important when stalking deer.


If you are going to be hunting from a stand, use a safety harness. This could save your life.


Whenever possible, avoid using game trails to get to your stand. Take the back way in or walk to the side so as not to disturb the trail and introduce a foreign scent.


Make sure you are always ready and aware. You do not want to be caught off guard when a deer approaches.


Finally, a majority of deer are harvested downwind from a food source, keep this in mind. If there is a prevailing wind in the area, use this to your advantage when putting up a stand or blind.


By no means is this list exhaustive, but it is a good start. From your own research, you should be able to continue to increase your knowledge base and increase your odds for a successful hunt.


For a wealth of knowledge on deer hunting purchase the book Deer Hunting Secrets Exposed

Tags: , , , ,