Every hunter has their own ideas as to what makes them a successful deer hunter. Hey, I won’t be the guy to tell them if they are right or wrong, because if it works for them then that is all that matters. I am going to stick to the basics, and cover what I believe are the 2 best ways to become a better deer hunter. So let’s jump right in.
#1: Scent Control
There is no denying that the strongest sense a deer has is its nose.
Whether you believe in “scent-free” products or not, you can not argue the importance of scent control.
Now, when I say “scent control”, I am not necessarily referring to some fancy soap, nor am I referring to a machine that makes all of your smell go away.
I’m talking about being aware of where the deer are coming from, and where your scent is being pushed to.
Whether you are the type of deer hunter to have every article of clothing on you”scent-free”, or if you don’t pay any attention to that at all, you must play the wind.
The reason I say this is because odds are, even with the best scent-free sprays and ozone machines known to man, a mature buck’s nose is very unlikely to be beaten.
Your best odds of being the best deer hunter you can be come from playing the wind. So, if the wind is blowing towards the bedding areas, or where your deer usually come from, often times your best bet is to not hunt that spot on that particular day. It is very possible, and sometimes likely that hunting when the wind is bad is actually doing more harm to your spot than it is good.
To learn more about playing the wind, check out this article: https://www.fieldandstream.com/story/hunting/ultimate-deer-hunters-guide-playing-the-wind/
#2: Be Still
I feel like there’s a large number of deer hunters that totally miss the boat on the eyesight of deer. There is so much speculation about what deer can and can’t see, and what camo pattern works best.
Here’s the fact of the matter. I don’t know if deer can see Realtree better than they can see Sitka, but I do know one thing for certain. Deer can see movement.
So, aside from the two colors that deer see very well, which are blue and yellow, your camo pattern doesn’t mean a whole heck of a lot. Sure, different patterns can break up the light and dark colors better than others. I get that. However, none of that matters if you can’t sit still.
Unlike humans, deer can’t focus in on one particular thing with their eyes. This is why if you’ve ever been spotted by a deer, they do that weird head bob thing. If you’ve been a deer hunter long enough, you know exactly what I’m talking about. My point is, the reason they are doing that is to see from different perspectives, while also trying to entice you to move. Due to their lack of ability to see most colors, deer are wired to see movement more than anything. So next time you’re in the woods, do a little less leg-bouncing or scratching your head, and see if you don’t get busted less.
As I mentioned earlier, there are so many more ways that you can improve your hunting success. I picked the two biggest issues I personally see hunters make. So, if you haven’t already perfected the two things I discussed, give it a try and see if you notice more meat in the freezer, and racks on the wall.
Hunt hard, hunt safe, and God Bless.