I offer these deer hunting tips to help you advance your hunting success. The average deer hunter who has average skills and an average commitment to the hunt, usually get average results for his efforts. It’s likely that every hunter will manage to bag a small buck every year or two, and maybe will even get lucky and hit his target more often. But it takes a deep understanding of hunting and the dedication to do whatever is required to bag a majestic trophy buck.
The following contains some deer hunting tips that the experts of deer hunting use every day to get the big ones.
1. Do Some Pre Hunting Scouting – Days, even weeks before you start hunting, find out more about the terrain you’ll be hunting in so that you can know where best to find deer. The most successful hunters actually start hunting months prior to the first day of the hunting season. Scout all the areas where you plan to hunt, being sure that you have permission to do that first. I surveyed all the potential hunting sites and then did a “dry hunt” — went through the motions of hunting but without a gun, so I could get to know the areas that had the most deer movement, the largest bucks, and the best buck-to-doe ratios. And at noon I walked around the lease, looking for signs of big bucks. And speaking of big bucks….
2. Know the Signs of Big Bucks. When you know what you’re looking for, you can zero in on the spots where the trophy deer gather. Look for tracks. Note the size, quantity and direction of the tracks to indicate the size, quantity and movement patterns of the deer. Look for Scrapes – areas where bucks scratch the ground accompanied with urination to mark territory and attract does, typically below low hanging tree branches at the border of heavy brush during the rut. Rubs – If the bucks rub the velvet off fresh antlers on posts and trees, be sure to see it and mark where they are. A “rub line” is a series of rubs, six or more within about a 100 yard space. You’ll usually find rubs beside a tree on the side that the buck’s traveling from, so you can get an idea of where the deer is moving and mark it down, making it easier to find them. Also scout for and note the size of bedding areas. No signs of bucks means no bucks!
3. Know How Your Firearm Shoots – Know the ballistics of the caliber and cartridge you are using. Realize and be able to adjust for the distance you are shooting; the rise on short shoots and the fall on longer shoots. Take some time to practice estimating distances. If possible, walk around the likely sighting areas ahead of the hunt, so you’ll know what length of shots you’ll be making and what sort of drop your bullet will make at that distance.
4. Know Where To Place Your Shot – Once you fully understand the aim and ballistics of your deer hunting rifle, you will be able to concentrate on where you are going to place your shot. Personally, I am a “neck shooter.” While many hunters do not agree with this technique, a properly placed shot anywhere along the neck will drop your deer instantly. If your shot lands on the lower part of the neck you are likely to sever the carotid arteries; a shot high on the neck can damage the spinal cord; and a hit to the center of the neck can result in a combination of these fatal effects. No matter what angle the deer is at, whether it is broadside, front or rear quarter angle, or head-on, the neck will be as large of a target area as the typical “behind the lower shoulder” targets. The difference is that the neck target is much more effective. I don’t recommend full rear shot attempts at all unless you are looking at a trophy buck you just can’t pass up; cleaning a deer that has been shot up the rectum is not a pleasant task to say the least. Always make wise shooting decisions; making a fast, efficient kill is be the goal of all advanced deer hunters.
5. Attactants, Calls, and Rattling – While we do not have time to go into a lot of detail, it is an important deer hunting tip to use attractants (like natural food plots, salt licks/mineral blocks, feeders, and flavored blocks), deer calls, and rattling methods. The food related attractants require previous preparation. Just like any garden, food plots takes a lot of time and attention. Continuous feeding of an area should start weeks or even months ahead of the hunting season so the deer get used to the location and timing of their free meals. Calling or rattling up bucks is a hit and miss technique that normally only works during a rut. Occasionally I have been able to bring a buck in slowly and cautiously by rattling outside of the rutting season, but during the rut, they tend to rush right in. I have almost been run over by bucks when rattling in the field, so if you become proficient at this technique be prepared for quick action. It’ll take a lot of time to get good at this. There is a learning curve associated with being able to actually mimic a call or recreate the sound of two bucks fighting. However, once you learn them, they can prove to be very effective.
Every deer hunter wishes he or she could display a trophy buck at some time during their hunting career, some of us are not happy unless we bag at least one monster every season. If you want to be able to regularly bag trophy bucks on a regular basis, you need to know and understand the deer hunting tips explained here.
You are welcome to use these deer hunting tips in the coming deer hunting season. We also welcome you to visit Deer-HuntingTips.com to get more useful deer hunting tips to help make this your best deer hunting year ever.
