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Deer hunting tips.

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River1

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Lets do something with all this experience that Old Buck got us to reveal. How about offering just ONE hunting tip that you live by year to year. One you're sure would make a difference if someone decided to adopt it into their bag of tricks.

Mine is:

Use more synthetic materials in your hunting clothing.

I've noticed that synthetic fibres such as polyester and polypro are MUCH easier to make and keep scent free. After years of using cotton clothing for bowhunting I also noticed that cotton lost it's camo print quicker than the synthetics. Synthetics also regulate body moisture extremely better. I still use some cotton blends, but as little as possible.
 
It's hard to just give one tip but I'll keep it to one.

Never set up a stand when you can cover just 1 trail. Never cover 2 trails when you can cover 3. Never cover 3 if you can cover 4 etc...The point is don't let that mysterious trail get away without you knowing it's there.

Pupster
 
If you really want to see your sightings of mature bucks change (assuming your hunting in an area that holds mature bucks)..... in my opinion the BEST advise/tip that any hunter can utilize is........ ALWAYS hunt paying attention to the WIND!!!!!

and I mean religiously..... never set in a hot stand site with the wrong wind...... and never HESITATE to leave the area if the wind changes. Anyone who thinks that buying a carbon suit enables you to hunt any wind is only kidding themselves. You can stink, use poor camo, etc. and if you religiously hunt the proper wind setups, I guarantee that you will see more mature bucks.
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Moosehunter and Cornfed stole my first two choices, there's no magic formula that can be bought and there's no fooling buck nose other than using the wind.

So I'll add the desire to learn, I spend most weekends during the winter in the woods and some afternoon after the time changes. I think scouting is 80% of hunt with the actual hunt and shot only accounting for 20%.

One more for bowhunters "pick a spot." You can't say it enough.
 
cornfed took my #1 so Ill go with have plenty of stands up or trees picked out.Dont over hunt your spots and only hunt your good stands when everthing is perfect.
 
Good job with the tips guys.

I'm sure some good ideas will be expressed before someone gets a chance to post them. I was hoping that if we left it to just ONE tip, we would see some diversity in responses. Maybe something someone else has never heard or thought of.

Keep em coming.
 
Try to utilize ariel photos before scouting. Getting ariel photos of your land is an awesome tool especially when you know there are mature bucks in your area. This way you can pinpoint a few spots directly from the photo and go "RIGHT TO" them instead of stomping around every part of the woods looking for that "perfect" spot. One of the easieast things to spot are those funnel areas. These are the areas you want to concentrate most of your time hunting for those magic 3 or 4 weeks in late October and early November. You can also pick the best route on how to get to and from the those locations using the wind in your favor. Right now is one of the best times to scout. The season is over and the sign is still there rubs, old scrapes, etc. The deer have the whole off season to get over the fact that you invaded an area that usually was never messed with. This method works the best just prior to or during the season. The less you go undetected the better chance you will have at bagging that monster. Try to give your stands a month or two before hunting them and ALWAYS monitor that wind. I know from personal experience that you can't always leave your stands hanging in the woods because of the lack of trust sometimes but if you have to mark a spot and utilize a climber so be it at least you will have the general area picked out. I have been lucky enough to harvest a few nice bucks hunting set ups the first time and being patient. Hope this helps you a little it sure works for me.

Give it a try you won't be dissapointed.

Bob
 
Make use of camo makeup even if you wear a mask,apply it around your eyes ,leave no bare flesh exposed.........When the big boy comes in avoid making eye contact with him.........
 
Go to HyVee and find the cheapest tampons you can, unscented of course. Put them in your pack and use as scent wicks. They work better than the wicks out on the market, are a hell of a lot cheaper, and will absorb a lot more pee. Just make sure you tip the bottle of pee on to the tampon, if you stick it into the bottle it will expand and be a pain to get out. Plus they already have a handy dandy string to tie onto a branch.
 
The biggest thing that has helped me with harvesting several mature deer is listening to the landowner when he says he has been seeing a big one crossing in a certain area. They are out in the field all day every day and they know what they are talking about. Also, in a 40 acre woodlot that I hunted this year there were 5 white oak trees that produced and 8 that did not. Pay attention which ones bear and which do not, because they will not bear every year.
 
If you are a bow hunter and use fixed position stand take some practice shots from the stand when you hang it. Shoot different angles, sitting, standing, and at spots where you don't expect to see a deer. It doesn't hurt to wear your hunting duds either. Helps with clearing shooting lanes and establishing yardages. Do this early when you first put up the stand and then things can settle down before you hunt it.
 
The late season deer will be in different locations that the deer were in the rut. Take sometime to scout where the deer you are hunting are at. Scout more so you do not waste your time in unproductive areas.
 
Don't be afraid to move on a buck! I had a big buck wind me this past November and he fled 300 yds to a corner of timer. I got down from my stand, snuck to another stand near where I last saw him, and arrowed him 20 minutes later as he calmly trailed a doe.
 
"One night stands"

I've had my best luck by doing my homework and going in and harvesting my buck in one night stands. Do this by long range scouting while hunting and talking to farmers or other hunters. Happened 2 winters ago on a really nice muzzleloader buck and again this fall with my bow buck. Your first hunt is generally going to be the best since you'll start laying down a scent trail and the deer will start to "sense" that something isn't quite right. This philosophy tends to work in early season and late season when the deer are a little more predictable. During the rut these rules don't tend to apply much.

Don't be afraid to try something new. Rattle, call, stalk, set up in weird places...throw a curve ball at those bucks and see what happens. A climber treestand or a quality ground blind could do the trick.
 
Hunters can empty thier bank account on all the latest and greatest gizmo's. Scents, clothing, stands, bows, guns, optics, and every other thing all the "pro's" on the outdoor channel peddle.
I believe hunting and harvesting a trophy buck is 80% luck. You can do everything that you know..............right, and still just miss him. We've all had that happen to us. Think of the times that you may have been a little to early or late to the stand. Or once you were there, the wind shifted. Or he came by but just out of range or behind some brush.
Still, you have to do everything the best you know how and learn from mistakes made in the past. Deer learn from our mistakes too!Deer will always have the advantage in my book.
So, in my humble opinion, don't get caught up in all the stuff for sale that's only designed to relieve you of your money. Go out and increase you chances of being lucky by being out there as much as you can
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!!!!!
 
Hunting your lands best area is only good if you can make it to the stand undetected. I go out of my way to avoid deer trails and funnels on the way to my stands and use a steath approach often from creek bottoms. A lot of times, I will not use the same approach as I did the previous time in hunting the stand
 
Keep a notes on each time out hunting or scouting. Read over it often! Look for pieces of the puzzle for each area you hunt in! It will put you a step closer to that big buck you are looking for.

Always keep two things in mind!
1) You can't kill big bucks where there isn't any. (location is the number one reason for killing big bucks)

2) Nothing replaces time on stand. If you spend enough time on stand you will get a shot at that monster you are chasing, but its up to you to prepare for and make the shot!
 
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