Are you trying to hunt deer around your state? Do you want to have a bag full of deer this season? Hunting a fast-moving deer has its own level of adventure, but it also comes with its own challenges. Not knowing the right tactics might make your hunting expedition a big failure. In the worst-case scenario, you might get injured. 

You must know the right tricks and tactics to hunt in the right manner. You can find your target and get a clear shot using these tips and tricks. It will definitely give you a great hunting experience in the field.  

1. Collect Information

When you are out hunting, it is better to have all-around information about what you are heading for. You must gather information about the licenses, public or private area permissions, and other legal stuff.

Most importantly, you should have an idea about the deer’s behavior. Read about deers’ strengths and weaknesses and their movement. Talk to the people around the area and gather all possible intel about the animal. This practice will not only make your hunt make you more aware of deer but also contribute to your hunting experience.

2. Scouting The Area

Once you have collected all details about the deer, it is time to do some fieldwork. Access the place where you are to hunt by searching for signs of deer. Keep a pen and paper to note every detail that seems necessary. Check the area where the deer bed is and the feeding area. Use your trail camera to notice the movements of deer and plan your hunt day accordingly.

3. Wind And Scent Control

A good hunter should be aware of utilizing the wind in its favor. Deers have a very keen nose. It is very difficult to trick the odor receptors in a deer. Hence it is necessary to stay downwind from the area of deer.

You can also use the wind to decide the timing of your hunt. Thermals, the rising air during morning and evening, are liked by deer. They follow these thermals, which becomes a huge hint of their movement path.

Removing your body odor only by using some soup won’t work for deer. Deer can get your smell from a long distance. You must be conscious of taking a special scent covering your odor from deer. Carry it to the woods and keep using it at regular intervals. Keep your gears in a chest that is filled with leaves to cover the smell to show it naturally.

4. Right Hunting Time

You should know the perfect time to head out if you want to hunt a deer. Deers move around mostly during dawn and dusk. They do not come out when extreme climatic conditions like extreme heat or cold. Sometimes due to weather conditions, they are out during the mid-days also. Hunters have to access these conditions and plan their journey to hunt.

5. Inspect The Area and choose The Best Position For The Tree Stand

Selecting a place for a good stand needs a good terrain assessment. Check out the area in person where you expect deer to appear. If you don’t want to go, then at least inspect the area with satellite images.

Setting up your stand in a Ridges will always give you an upper hand. A clear view of the area will be there in front of you and restrict your scent from reaching out to the deer’s nose. The Corners of a field are where deers feed. Put your stand somewhere near that area and get easy hunting. The best place to set your stand is in the deer’s everyday path of feeding and sleeping. You get the best chance to spot a deer in the path.

6. Clean Your Area of Setups

It is important to clean the area where you are willing to set up. Clear all the leaves, twigs, and exposed sharp pieces of rock. If you are setting up a blind over many unwanted elements in it, it can hurt you while focusing. It may force you to produce noise, making the sensitive deer run when it’s your best shot.

7. Practice Getting Into Your Tree Stand

Practicing getting into the Stand may sound naive, but it greatly impacts the hunt. Getting into position quickly will make the hunt easier and faster. Deers are extremely sensitive and react very quickly. Hence to match the reflexes of a deer, you also need to practice getting into the tree stand to get the best out of you. 

8. Keep Quiet!

Deers have better hearing power than humans. It is really necessary to maintain silence when you’re hunting deer. Don’t rush into the area where deer are present. You set up a bit away from the deer.

Don’t make loud noises while setting your stuff; deer won’t even come to those areas. Walk with short footsteps and ignore as much human sound as possible. If you make a loud noise, they stop without any movement to calm them up.

9. Deer Decoy

Decoy is one of the essential gears when it comes to hunting. Carry a proper deer decoy that looks realistic and is extremely durable. It is important to clear all the scents of the decoy and apply deer scent to it. You put them in the deer’s food-to-bed path and set up near it.

10. Clear Shot

Don’t shoot the deer until you have a perfect shot. Deers have a very strong reflex. They react to every small suspension they get. They are extremely fast. Hence if you are not confident about the shot, wait patiently until the deer comes closer enough to get a clear shot. Make your stand comfortable so you won’t face any difficulty while shooting.

11. Don’t Call To Often

The deer call is a very important element of hunting but using it frequently for deer hunting is not a very good idea. You have to wait for the deer that have heard the call and come to you.

Frequently calling can create a messy situation where the noise may spook the deer grazing nearby. It can also create suspicion in the deer’s mind, and they won’t appear in that direction.

12. Let The Deer Run

After you get your shot, don’t jump out of your stand and follow the deer. A properly shot deer won’t be able to run more than 100 yards. If you don’t follow it, it will bed down somewhere close and die due to blood loss.

You must wait for around 30 minutes and then go out and follow the blood stains to reach the dead deer. If you follow it instantly, it will run a lot faster and also cover more distance. There is a high chance that you will lose your hunt.

13. Notice The Kill Positions

When you have a shot from a distance, keep a keen eye on the place you had a shot. Note the places where you took the target and then wait for some time.

The deer that had dropped immediately may get up and run again. Wait until their blood is shaded and then go out to search. Dead deer often go unfound after being shot if the accurate place goes unnoticed.

14. Perform Proper Field Dressing

After you hunt your prey, performing field dressing on the deer is necessary. A dead deer decomposes much faster if it has entrails and whilst. You have to remove those organs to decrease bacterial growth. This bacterial growth affects hunting as it produces an extremely pungent smell.

Conclusion

To have a great deer hunting session, you must get all the gear and carry along some tips and tactics. It will polish your prerequisite skills. With the tactics mentioned above, you can get a fully satisfying experience. Just practice and go on for this deer season!

Frequently Ask Questions

1. If I shot a deer and it jumped to the neighboring area. Do I have legal permission to get the deer back?

You don’t have legal permission until you ask the land owner of the neighborhood land. Make written permission to retrieve your shot deer from the neighbor’s area. The local Conservation Officer will help you in this situation. Contact him.

2. How many oranges do you need to wear for deer hunting?

Wearing orange is required in almost every deer hunting season. You must always wear it, even before walking to the hunting location. Your ground blind should have at least 144 square inches of orange in it.

3. What firearms are legal in the firearm season?

 During the firearm season, you can use Shotgun, Handgun, CenterFire Rifles( of particular cartridge dimensions), Muzzleloading Long Guns, and Muzzleloading handguns.

4. What can I do if the landowner doesn’t permit me to recover the shot deer from his area?

You can contact and consult the Local Conservation Officer for help in situations like these.

5. Is it legal to use a crossbow with a deer bundle?

Yes, you can use it but make sure your season allows this equipment. Use only legal gear.