If you heed these deer hunting tips carefully you will find your hunting success multiply rapidly. As a deer hunter, you’ll only succeed as far as your dedication and knowledge will take you. 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 true deer hunting masters know the following advanced deer hunting tips I am about to share with you.
1. Scout Your Hunting Area - This does not simply mean know where you are going to sit while you are hunting. It means to go out and truly get to know your hunting location. The most successful hunters actually start hunting months prior to the first day of the hunting season. I developed the habit of getting permission to check out the lease where I was going to hunt, then I scouted out the surrounding areas. I would survey all the available hunting sites and “dry hunt.” Act just like I was hunting but not bring a gun (only a camera) to evaluate which areas had the most deer movement, biggest bucks and highest buck to doe ratios. And at noon I walked around the lease, looking for signs of big bucks. And speaking of big bucks….
2. Learn to Recognize Big Buck Signs - In order to find out where the trophy bucks reside, learn what to search for. Spot any tracks. Note the size, quantity and direction of the tracks to indicate the size, quantity and movement patterns of the deer. Look for Scrapes. These are the areas where bucks scratch against the ground and urinate to mark their territory and attract does. Usually scrapes are beneath low-hanging tree branches along the edges of heavy brush. Look for Rubs - Areas on trees or posts where bucks rub the velvet off their new antlers or mark their territory during rutting season. A “rub line” is a series of a half-dozen or more rubs within a 100-yard area. Bucks usually rub on the side of the tree or post that he is traveling from. With this in mind, if you pay attention to which side of the trees are being rubbed you can have a clue as to which way the deer is moving. Observe how big the bedding areas are once you find them. No bucks will go through that area without leaving signs!
3. Know Your Firearm and Ammo - You need to know the ballistics of the bullet and cartridge you shoot. Know the distance you will need to shoot and be able to make adjustments for geography; for example, the rise on short shoots and the fall for long shots. You should practice judging how far your shots are and maybe even walk off the distances to possible sighting areas. This will allow you to know if you are making a 400 yard shot and also know how much your bullet is likely to drop making this shot. Doing this will enable you to be able to adjust your aim to make a quality shot.
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. No matter where you hit the neck, you’ll get him very effectively; you’ll either sever the carotid artery or breach the spinal column, or some variation thereof, depending on how high or low the bullet lands. If you’re hitting the dear from a broadside or quarter angle, you’ll hit the neck just as easily as the lower shoulder target area, and you’ll bring it down faster. Don’t ever try a full rear shot, unless it’s the only way to get a fantastic trophy buck; you won’t be nearly as effective at bringing down the buck, and it’ll be very uncomfortable to have to clean a butt-shot deer. Always make wise shooting decisions; making a fast, efficient kill is be the goal of all advanced deer hunters.
5. Attractants, Calls and Rattling- Without being able to go into too much depth here, the last or our advanced deer hunting tips involves attractants (natural food plots, salt licks/mineral blocks, feeders, and flavored blocks) , deer calls, and rattling techniques. The food related attractants require previous preparation. You’ll have to put in enough time and effort into a food plot as you would a garden. You should set out food attractants in an area weeks or even months prior to hunting season, so that the deer will become familiar with their feeding times and the location of their meals. Usually calling or rattling will only work occasionally and only during the rut. I have had bucks come to my rattling slowly and cautiously out of curiosity when they were not in rut, but typically when it works well they tend to come rushing. There have been times when I have almost been run over by a buck while I was rattling. With this in mind, if you choose to use this technique you need to be prepared to react quickly. It takes time to learn how to rattle and react proficiently. 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 wants to display a trophy buck at some point, and some of us can’t rest unless we bag at least one grand creature every season. If you are going to join the ranks of the elite hunters, then you need to know the advanced deer hunting tips the elite hunters know.
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.