Hunting Whitetail deer

[scotto]

There is basically three ways to hunt whitetail.

Drives, stands and stillhunting


Driving deer you’re teaming up with several others in your party. These should be people you know and trust and in an area everyone in your party knows well. An area is sectioned off with posters spaced out in a line just out of sight of each other. The drivers will be spaced out equally on the other end of the parcel of land to be hunted. All the drivers should have a compass and should walk SLOWLEY towards the posters. The drivers should just “mosey” along you don’t want to spook the deer ya just want to push them so the deer’s wondering “Hmm, some coming but I’m not to worried” this way the drivers have a good chance of getting a shot. If the drivers walk to fast or go stomping through the woods the deer will spook and it’s easier to shoot a standing deer then a running deer. Also the drivers should not wonder off on a fresh deer trail but should keep walking in a striate line as there will be other drivers on either side of you just out of sight. The wind should also be a factor as when deer senses danger they will turn there nose to the wind. You don’t want the deer to be down wind of the drivers like I said you want the deer to wonder what’s coming and if they smell you they know what’s coming. The deer will smell the posters but that’s ok the posters aren’t moving. This way your slowly squeezing the deer towards the posters. There also should be a “back poster” someone posting where the drivers started. The back posters usually are the ones who get the BIG BUCK. The wise old buck is on to drives and wont allowed him self to be pushed but will lay down in the brush and let the drivers walk buy then try to sneak out the back door.

To be successful in still hunting and stand hunting you got to be familiar the habit of deer. White tail spend there entire year doing 2 things, eating and sleeping, moving between there bedding area and there feeding area. But for several weeks in the fall and again in early winter bucks will go in to “rut” and do 3 things, eating, sleeping and sex. It is at that time when your chances of bagging that big buck are the best. When a buck is in rut he has dows on his mind and will throw all caution to the wind. BUT the real big bucks that have survived many deer seasons will realize this and go nocturnal.

Stand hunters should have 2 stands, a morning stand and an evening stand and should be able to chouse the witch stand to use according to the wind. When hunting from a stand be prepared to sit for a very long time The stands should be located near known deer trails but remember that really big buck is on to this and will stay off of the main trail and make his own,, usually in the thickest nastiest brush.

Sill hunting is my favorite way to hunt. Scouting the area to be hunted is a must. As the weather gets colder and the rut is nearing bucks will mark off there territory with rubs and scraps. The buck will use there antlers and rub the bark off trees. This does 2 thing, rubbing his antlers on trees helps him remove the velvet from his antlers but it also lets other bucks in the area know that this territory is his. The buck will also make scraps on the ground. He will scrap a patch of ground with his hooves clearing away the grass and leaves right down to the dirt. He will then squat down and piss in the dirt. Scrapes are located under a low hanging branch that he will break up by rubbing his sent glands that are located at the base of his antlers. You can also make “mock scrapes” near known real scrapes. To do this you make a scrap on the ground, drip deer piss in it, then brake up the overhang branches and put some deer sent on them. If done correctly it will piss off the dominate buck in the area thinking that another buck has intruded in his domain making him more bold looking for the intruder (you) When you are familiar with the area and it’s time to hunt be mind full of the wind, move only short distances at a time stopping motionless for long periods of time, blend into your surroundings, listen for movement and watch for movement. Still hunting is a more advanced way to hunt and takes experience to get it right.

Examples of rubs


This buck left me a buck..


Example of a scrap


Branches over hanging a scrap

[conlor]

Hubby saw a doe and fawn run along the side of our house today. This is only the third year we've seen deer on our property. I went out today and got a salt block and apple-flavored mineral block, hoping they'll come out where we can see them more often. Hubby hunts, but won't shoot the deer here. They're more like pets.