Through time, mule deer hunting has gained popularity among most people because of the challenge of actually catching a mule deer, as well as in coming up with tactics that can give one a head start advantage over other hunters.
However, if you wish to be part of the growing number of people who enjoy mule deer hunting, there are several things that you need to remember first before you can go out and have your own hunting experience.
First, you need to remember that you need to prepare the hunting equipment that you will need for glassing, or “scouting” as it alternately called. For these particular equipments, it is advisable to get a good pair of binoculars in the 9 or 10 power ranges. You should not also forget to have with you your spotting scope. Glassing can be a tricky part of the process — but you just need to remember to initially use your binoculars well, since if you do so, it can help make the hunt easier for you. You can do this by checking on open spaces from a strategic vantage point early on in the hunt. After you do this, you can make another scan using your binoculars so you can be sure that you did not miss any obvious bucks and does.
The next equipment that you then need to use is the spotting scope. This can be very useful for you as you search for bits of a deer that may be hidden by expansive fields and grassy cover. You may be required to adjust your thinking, so that you would not be seeking for a whole deer, but just visible parts of a deer that may not be as concealed in cover. Naturally, this necessitates some learning, but you can always learn it through time — and you will find that it is easier to spot hidden deer as you gain more experience and acquire newer skills.
The last thing that you ought to remember about mule deer hunting is that it is necessary to take note of every deer that you spot with your binoculars. This can be pretty helpful because you will want this note/list for the next part of your hunt: stalking deer.
These are some of the things that you ought to remember about this particular activity — and you need to remember too, that although hunting mule deer may initially be hard, you can become better at it by constantly applying your present learning in the next hunting activities that you will be doing.
Not sure what you really want or need when looking for your first hunting scope? They make entry-level riflescopes created for hunters on a budget. Educate yourself and look at how you think you will be hunting. Big game hunting like elk or bear, or will you be hunting pheasant and birds, rabbit or other small game? There is nothing wrong when you purchase your first hunting scope to go with inexpensive optics. Go hunting, is this something you enjoyed, hunting is not for everyone. So give it a try, don’t deck yourself out with all the latest and greatest hunting gear only to find out this was not for you. If you find out on the other hand you really enjoyed shooting and hunting then look for the features that make shooting more pleasurable. Decide what your sport will be, competition shooting, hand gun, varmint hunting, or big game, tactical?
The more features you have in a rifle scope the more expensive it will be obviously. Most optics will have the standard features such as waterproof and fog proof, but may not be shock proof. Does it have a wire or an etched reticle? A wire reticle can be knocked out of place making the scope unusable. Some reticles offer to illuminate red or green with multiple brightness settings. Green is the easiest light or color for the human eye to see and causes no typical “night blindness” associated with standard or high intensity flashlights. High power green laser light reflects intensely off the eyes of animals allowing quick detection this works well for both night hunting and game spotting. Is it compatible with every generation of night vision devices? Is there laser emission that could be harmful to your eyes? Camera quality glass is offered on some models. How the scope is mounted, by rings, rail and does the scope have the mounting system built in or is it separate? Weight is always a concern yet you want it to be rugged and of durable construction.
Is the rifle scope built for the intended purpose, rifles, carbines, shotguns, or handguns? Trying to adapt a scope to something it is not intended to be use for is trouble waiting to happen. Do the power ring and parallax adjust ring provide a firm, no-nonsense grip relief grooves? Are they built primarily for use in daylight and in low light conditions or for law enforcement and military applications? Any hazardous materials, nitrogen filled, built-in sunshade, scope covers? What is the warranty, limited, lifetime, replacement, repair?
As always it does not matter how much you’re optics cost if you don’t know how and when to use them. Practice makes perfect, knowing your equipment makes it safe, and everyone making it safely home should be in everyone sight.
Every hunter in the world is looking for the best trophy, a “Big Buck”. Chances are, some of these enthusiastic hunters will actually have the opportunity to bring down a deer or two. Other hunters will spot these animals and make a shot but unfortunately miss, while others have no luck at all, they don’t detect any whitetail deer movement. Of course, it isn’t all about luck because meticulous preparation is required. Every whitetail deer hunter should comprehend five skills:
* Stalking – this method consists of following the natural signs and the movement trails of the whitetail deer. This requires the ability to be very quiet so that the deer won’t suspect anything and also it requires basic knowledge of their habits.
* Spot & stalk hunting – this is a variation of the stalking hunting technique but in this case the deer has been seen. The whitetail hunter uses his hunting skills in order to get close to the animal as much as he can so that he will have great chances for an efficient shot.
* Stand hunting – this technique can be used from a tree or even on the ground. Both techniques require a great deal of patience. The deer hunter sets up his tree stand or he finds a place where he can hide and wait for the animal. With some rigorously pre-season investigation, whitetail deer runs can be easily detected, greatly improving the chances for an efficient hunting season.
* Still hunting – with this method, the hunter walks silently then stops to listen and wait for the prey. This still hunting method is recommended when deer haven’t been seen but are known that they are in that area.
* Line hunting – this method is used by a group of hunters. The main idea of it is that the deer are flushed out towards a line of whitetail hunters. This cooperative technique can bring great results if done properly.
The choice of weapon for a whitetail deer hunting adventure greatly depends on the area where the hunter lives but basically these animals are hunted with a gun such as a rifle or a shotgun. In some legal circumstances, hunters have the possibility to use muzzleloaders and handguns. Some old-fashioned hunters still use their bows and crossbows for their deer hunting adventure, it can be a very exciting thing to do but at the same time it is way harder in comparison with using a rifle. The bow hunting season usually starts before the regular gun season and will start again after the gun season is over.
Don’t forget about dry clothing as well as waterproof boots because low temperatures and soggy clothes increase the chances of hypothermia. Layers work better to keep you warm rather than bulky items. This also gives you more freedom to move around. Camouflage is very important and it greatly depends on the hunting area. Luckily, camouflage clothing comes in all sizes and shapes you could think of.
All things considered, planning a whitetail deer hunting adventure isn’t as easy as you might have thought but taking things nice and slow you will be fully equipped for a rewarding hunting adventure that you will remember for a long time.
It’s that time of year when outdoorsmen feel a certain giddy longing that they don’t feel during the hot summer months. They can feel it coming on stronger like a quickening and can smell it in the crisp clean fall air. It’s a feeling like no other. Like a deeply planted seed rooted completely into your soul. And when this feeling comes around. The big game deer hunting season has arrived!
With a childlike enthusiasm you know it’s now time to dust off your hunting gear. Sharpen you hunting knives, oil down your deer hunting rifle; test your tree climbing equipment and stock up on hunting supplies such as hunting clothes, deer scents and maybe a new grunt call. But before the opening day of the hunting season arrives and it’s time to do the necessary pre hunting rituals that all good experienced hunters always do every year, such as scouting for deer sign, looking for tracks, scrapes, rubs and scant. Finding a good climbing tree stand or ground blind placement can sometimes seam difficult and downright unnerving. You want that perfect spot were you know you will always see the game that you are pursuing. And you want to be able to take the correct actions when the big moment arrives to bag that huge deer of a lifetime. So here are some Supreme Deer Hunting Tips that can help you take that big buck that you have always dreamed of.
Before we begin I would like to tell you a story. A story about myself and why I have written this article. As a young boy I was naturally attracted to nature. My father was really not an outdoorsman. We went fishing at times but never went hunting. As I got older a friend of mine, Bob invited me along with him on a deer hunt. I loved it and I was from that day on, hooked for life! I proceeded to purchase my first deer hunting riffle, a 30.06 Remington. We hunted every single year and he would always harvest a deer. Usually a spike or a four pointer, but I had bigger plans.
I wanted to get those big eight pointers with the nice heavy racks. I proceeded to test every location in every situation I could find. I read and consumed every deer magazines known to man like a mad man. Bob would always say, “Why do read those things? You won’t be able to get big dear like in those magazines”! He couldn’t have been more wrong. He refused to take pointers from any of my books or magazines. Don’t get me wrong, my friend Bob taught me a lot of the basics and good tactics. He was a very good teacher, but at some point I began to get bigger and better bucks than the teacher.
As I read all the magazines and books and I would learn new ideas and strategies. Bob would hunt the open woods and I would hunt the thicker stuff. I started to take nicer and larger bucks each year. And Bob, Well… let’s just say, he has a whole garage full of spikes and four pointers on the walls.
Now even though I learned a lot from those hunting magazines. They never really helped me with some critical things. Stratagies that I had to and had learned in the field. Like spotting that perfect place to put a stand in any hunting location. Or the perfect way to spot a deer and take the shot without ever losing the game. Let’s face it, if you can’t find the perfect spot to hunt from, you will never see deer, see enough deer or get consistently close enough to take deer when you’re hunting. And if you don’t know the correct way to spot, respond and shoot the deer, you are not going to have that huge rack on your wall or venison in the freezer.
I’ve had to learn that the hard way. By years of trial and error. I have decided to put the best advice I have learned out of all those years, brake them down into a few critical tips and provide them here. They may not seem to be much on the surface. But they may be some of the best tips you may ever find.
In the hunting world, elk hunting by bow and arrow is a real gauge of test and expertise. Knowing your prey is the secret. Elk are one of the biggest game animals and are also very cunning. This alone becomes a real challenge for a hunter even an experienced one too. Plus if you hunt with a bow and arrow the need for outstanding expertise is doubled.
A hunter with a bow and arrow must understand their prey and the weapon too. This will enable them to work out the time taken to draw and release the bow.
To hunt elk with a bow and arrow requires a bow designed to kill a big animal. This is really a special piece of equipment. So generally, one starts with a bow of a smaller model and then graduates slowly once it is decided to take up this sport on regular basis. It is very essential to learn in detail about each feature and the capability of one’s weapon including arrows. The arrows must be of a particular length and capacity to penetrate the tough skin and cartilage of the animal for an instant kill. You need to prepare a lot to effectively shoot the arrow to kill the animal with a huge weight.
When hunting elk with bow and arrow
, the hunter must pay full attention to every small detail. They do shooting practice in either coveralls or heavy coats and spend time learning about the food and water source for elk in the location. They also get to know their prey according to period of day and temperature and spend a lot of time reading local reports on wildlife. In case hunter is utilizing tree stands for hunting, he can make use of two or three tree stands for gaining the right view of the location. All this will be done long before actual hunt starts.
Guided trips are available particularly designed for archery elk hunting. These organizers are able to offer services that are customized to bow hunting experience. Irrespective of the fact that the hunter is a seasoned one or a novice, expert guides can assist a hunter in putting their expertise and competence with bow to the eventual test. Those who take part in elk hunting with bow and arrow will definitely enjoy hunting, especially when it ends in winning a trophy. Even if they lose, they are satisfied with the learning experience. A good hunter is aware that learning is power which will give success in future in this field.
Turkeys are smart. They have keen eyes and sharp eyes. Nature, therefore, has equipped them well with the ability to get out of a hunter’s way easily. For these reasons, hunting turkey is more challenging than hunting any other bird or animal for most hunters.
You need a lot of skill and patience to catch a turkey. People enjoy hunting turkey for a variety of reasons. Many enjoy the thrill of chasing a turkey more than actually bringing it down. Therefore, many hunters are attracted to turkey hunting.
If you are new to the game, the following tips will be of great help to you. Here is what many successful hunters of turkey do:
1. Find a Suitable Location
Finding a suitable location is the key to a great turkey-hunting experience. A good location is, therefore, of paramount importance. Your chosen location should not only hide you well from the birds, but also enable you to watch all their movements.
Finding an ideal location to grab a gobbler means that you should study the habits of the birds well in advance. The time you spend doing this will be worth your while. A hunter is sure to grab a gobbler if he or she has located a spot that the birds are sure to pass during a particular hour.
You can create a makeshift spot with blinds, but large trees or tree stumps serve the same purpose equally well.
2. Try Fake Calls
Fake turkey calls to attract the birds to your location. Mimicking a turkey is an art and not everybody can do it. You need to practise a lot before you can master this art. To be very effective, you have to use different types of calls. Usually, hunters begin with one type of call. If this does not fetch any result, they try another type of call till they have succeeded in attracting a turkey.
3. Hide from the Birds
Turkeys are very smart at spotting hunters. Therefore, to become a successful turkey hunter, you should learn to camouflage yourself well. Camouflage your entire body; however, take care not to wear a color that matches the head of a turkey.
Turkey hunting requires more skill than you might imagine. Stories of hunters who have tried turkey hunting for several seasons with no success are common. However, there is a way to achieve success at turkey hunting. Use good hunting tactics; use simple hunting tips, and you are sure to grab a gobbler or two.
Carry a backpack!! It always seemed before I started carrying by backpack in the woods, I always forget something. That poncho or rain suite always comes in handy even if it’s only 20% chance of rain. TOILET PAPER (nuff said). The compass has come in handy late at nite getting out of the woods. The flashlight is also important along with extra batteriers. My binocs usually are in their during gun season. I also carry scent wafers, tinks, cotton balls, a bottle of water, my saw knife thing, gloves, handwarmers, gps, walkie talkie, knife, and many other things.
I wouldn’t ever leave my backpack in the truck now like I used to. Even with carrying a climbing stand on your back, it’s worth it to tote it along by hand. When I get ready to climb, I just tie it to the rope along with my bow, and pull it up!!
Also one tip i have used and it works for rubber boot wearing people like myself. after a season of hunting and using cover scents you need to remove all the scent material left behind and yes it does leave a scent in your boots.take and use the same soap you would use to clean your clothes for hunting and use a warm water and soap and scrub them lightly and you can also do this with leather boots as well and then let them dry naturally outside and you will find the boots will last longer and won’t smell up your house or garage or wherever you keep your hunting clothes.on’t smell up your house or garage or wherever you keep your hunting clothes.
1. Always maintain hunting safety, know your target and beyond
2. practice shooting your firearm often
3. scout often, be sure you have permission and know your hunting area as best as possible
4. wear proper clothing
5. scent control, maintain good personal hygiene and keep the wind in your face
6. try to keep the sun at your back and stay focused
7. move Slowly and don’t move until you’re sure you’ve visually scanned the layout of your hunting area. (each step opens a whole new view.)
8. Control your sounds, (walking, clearing throat, coughing, slapping bugs etc.)
9. Patience, Patience, Patience
10. Always maintain good Ethics and Enjoy yourself.
11. Safety, whether its gun, bow, tree stands, ect always keep safety first.
12. Ethics, follow the law, never break your personal code of conduct. Try to better yourself everytime in the woods. Most times its just you and your conscious in the woods, don’t compromise.
13. Try to get good equipment, take care of it.
14. Find a good teacher to learn from.
15. Respect the animals that you hunt.
16. Find a great hunting partner it will add tremendous fun to your hunting adventures.
17. Don’t be afraid to try new things/ideas. Failing is natural and a valuable learning tool, don’t get mad.
18. Read, watch, learn about the habits of the game you hunt, it will return big dividends later.
19. Get into the woods as much as possible, hunt as much as you can, remember what you experienced.
20. Don’t hunt to just kill, hunt for the enjoyment, let nature give you the best time of your life, killing is only a very small part of hunting. Just remember to have fun, share your experiences, teach others as you have been taught, carry on the hunting tradition. Be humble to your creator for being given the oppertunity to enjoy mother nature and the great outdoors
21. Scout for your deer year round even during the season you can check out new areas on the days it’s to hot or to wet to be great hunting days.
22. Play the wind, have alternate stands or setups for the hot areas and let the wind determine your stand site for the hunt.
23. When in a tree try to have something that breaks up your outline either in front or behind, just don’t get silhouetted.
24. Its OK to move in a tree stand. Keep the hands and arms tucked in and rotate the head. When deer are spotted you can move when they turn away or have their head down.
25. You can move according to the speed the deer is moving. Deer vision while moving is like driving down the road in that the scenery is always changing. If they move slow your moving has to be slow, if they are running you can dance a jig.
26. Prepare to shoot as early as possible, when deer are identified get turned and the weapon in place ASAP.
27. Don’t carry to much stuff; if you didn’t use it on the last hunt do you really need it.
28. Don’t over hunt an area or stand site. Use different stands and other areas.
29. Use binoculars in the stand and watch for things that move not deer.
30. Last and most important, TAKE YOUR FIRST GOOD SHOT, waiting for them get closer is inviting trouble. If the deer is within a distance you are proficient at and presenting a shot, take it.
31. know you and practice with your equipment e.g. firearms, bows, stands, binds, optics etc…
32. have a seasoned mentor; someone to answer questions and bouce senerios off of
33. read everything you can get your hands on regarding deer and thier habbits
34. keep a journal! I wish I would have done this 20 years ago; refer back to your notes so you don’t
make the same mistake twice.
35. Know what the deer are doing in your region of the country. They don’t have the same routines
nationwide. rutting, food source etc… are different based on geography
36. scout year round
37. pay back thee land owners e.g. labor, venison, $$$
38.Always break up your silouett39. Keep the wind in your face.40.Know what the deer are doing in your region of the country. They don’t have the same routines
nationwide. rutting, food source etc… are different based on geography41. get proficient with your weapon: ground, stand ,standing knelling, sitting. Don’t take a shoot in the woods you haven’t practiced on the range.
42. Don’t let’em smell you
43. Don’t let’em see you, movement is crucial
44. Scout for food, water , bedding
45. Figure out how they are getting from one of above to another, travel routes to water being best particularly in warm climates of the south. They may sleep or eat at day or night either one, but in the heat of the day they need water. Remember when looking these deer are off the edge animals. If there’s a woodline they will travel 10 to 15 feet inside woods, if there’s a ridge they will travel 10 to 15 feet below crest as not to be silhouetted.
46. Once you figure out 5 then look for funnels. Ridges, creeks, lakes, ravines, anything that would funnel deer in confined area. Here several trails should come together.
47. Once you’ve done 6 set-up to hunt here staying off main trail, make sure you have a good shooting lane, if you need them to move left, right, etc. a piece of deadfall works wonders. Anything they will have to walk around. Remember 1 and 2 scent control and concealment. Have as much as possible in place for them to get used to, the more you bring with you at hunt the more smell and noise you pollute the area with.
48. Find best possible route for your entry and departure creating least amount of impact on area.
49. It takes time to create new habits for deer. Don’t try to use food or scents to lead them where they’re not used to going. Use you’re scents, food and calls to help lure to this area they are already familiar with. A well placed scent pad may be all you need to have them pause that extra few seconds you need in your shooting lane.
50. Always be safe, if you’re in the air this means a harness, and leave the area like you found it or better. Nothing left behind which includes the field dressings.Good luck and enjoy the show.
My husband bow hunts deer here in the Midwest. This is his 6th or 7th year in the sport, and he loves it. If you follow hunting, you know that there’s a growing interest in “getting back to nature” hobbies and the market for hunting equipment has exploded. There’s a product for everything, and often a large price tag to match.
So what’s a humble hunter to do? It’s way too easy to get sucked into the buying binge of specialized equipment, but that really may be more than you need. Here are a few tips to be resourceful.
If you’re a successful hunter, you’ll first need a field sled to remove your deer and get it back to your vehicle. Buy some heavy canvas and stitch loops along the sides. Thread in some wire rope and secure at the end. Leave enough length of wire rope to serve as handles to pull your sled behind as you walk.
Once home, you’ll need to hang your deer to protect it from critters while you make arrangements at the meat locker. Hanging the meat also helps tenderize it. Use eye bolts and more of the wire rope to set up a pulley system to pull the deer high off the ground. Secure the ends on a wide angle, using a couple of snap hook to latch onto another set of eye bolts.
There you have it, a couple of handy hunting tips sure to keep a little more green in your pocket. It only takes a little wire rope, snap hooks, and wire rope clips to set you up for the hunting season. Good luck!
An ultra-light, heavy-duty and fast deploying treestand blind covers and conceals a wide variety of hunting stands to provide a high degree of wind and weatherproof protection with compromising on a hunter’s freedom of movement.
A concealment blind, sized at 48 – 160-inch, often comes equipped with a weather-resistant exterior coating, easy access – bi-directional zippered doors, a dark interior to disguise movement and control shadows, and a dense camo exterior to blend in perfectly with the wooded surroundings.
A treestand blind constructed with a set of long, thin windows offers the ideal level of sight, comfort and light for an avid hunter, while a preferred feature also consists of multi-positioned zippered windows to give a 360-degree viewing or shot-angle for an instant advantage in all directions.
Light in weight, a quality piece of hunter gear of this nature weighs a mere 12 – 16-oz to make it that much easier to haul, set-up and take down. Also, these are often made to be universal, so easily attaches to most models of tripod shooting rails or treestands via a number of well-positioned zip ties or grommets.
In times of non-use, a camouflage blind is constructed to fold down into a small-sized package, often to be hauled in its own backpack carry case, while also offering the convenience of folding flat against a tree at certain times when its concealment abilities isn’t required.
Whether it is for the bow or rifle hunter, a well-camouflaged treestand bland, with its generously portioned interior, is able to provide the ideal protection against rain, wind or sunlight to keep a hunter in good-shape at all times.
