Hunting Methods

There are many different way to hunt.  There is stand hunting, still-hunting, driving, and stalking.  Each one will be covered in detail.

Stand Hunting:

This technique works best when deer are at their most active; early and late in the day, during the rut or anytime hunting pressure causes them to move more than normal.   The hunter basically waits for the deer to come to them.  The hunter will select an area where deer have been active and wait as motionless as possible for a deer to come into their effective shooting range.  To be successful on stand requires that you have selected a good stand location, the conditions were right, and most of all you had the patience to wait for the deer to come your way.

Selecting a good stand site:

To give yourself the best chance for success scout the area for rubs, active scrapes, fresh tracks and droppings.  Always keep wind direction in mind when choosing your stand location.  It is a good idea to have a few stand site ready in case the wind changes direction the day you plan to hunt.  Wind direction is the first thing you should consider when choosing a stand location.  Always select a stand downwind or crosswind of the area where you expect the deer to come from.  Wind velocity also plays a part in choosing your stand location for a given day.  If the wind is light, say less than 10 m.p.h. take a stand near a trail because deer will likely be on the move.  If the wind is stronger, take a stand near dense cover where the deer will like bed down.   During the pre-rut locate your stand along a rub line.  After the rut begins, choose a stand near an active scrape.   When the daytime temperature is above freezing select a stand site that is near dense cover.   The deer's heavy winter coat makes the uncomfortable and they will search out the cooler areas to bed down for the day.  When the temperature is below freezing select stands near sunny areas that are protected from the wind.  In the morning choose a stand near wooded or brushy areas where the deer are likely to bed.  In the evening choose a stand near feeding areas or on trails that lead to them.  This is a good pattern for archery season when gun season hasn't disrupted the normal deer activity.   With the onset  of the firearms season deer often abandon trails used before the season and stay in thick cover to avoid hunters.  Hunt near this cover. 

How to act on stand:

So you found an area with a lot of deer sign.  Does this guarantee that you will bag a deer? No.  Even thought there is a lot of sign around you may have to wait a long time for a deer to come your way.  If you are not comfortable it will be difficult for you to remain on stand for a long period of time.  Make sure you are warm and have something to eat and drink.  Do not smoke or urinate near your stand location, unless you don't want any deer to come your way.  Take a plastic bottle with you for this purpose and take it with you when you leave.  Remember, you must see the deer before they see you.  Listen carefully for sounds of rustling leaves or snapping twigs, you will soon learn to tell the difference between an approaching deer or the sounds made by squirrels and other hunters.   When you do see a deer, move as slowly as possible and take careful aim.  Shoot only if you have a clear safe shot.   Remember to take a high percentage shot.  This will ensure that you do not wound the deer but that you get your trophy.  Click here to go to the Shot Placement Page.

Types of Stands:

Elevated:

Most stand hunting is done from an elevated position.  Elevated stands make it easier for you to see deer ,by getting you above the cover, and make it difficult for deer to see you.   From an elevated stand you can spot deer at a distance while you are above their normal line of sight.  Also, your scent floats downwind or dissipates before the deer can detect you.  Remember that elevated stands will not make you invisible or scent free to the deer.  You must remain a motionless as possible to avoid calling any unnecessary attention to your location.  An elevated stand can be a rock ledge that overlooks a ravine, a good solid tree limb, a portable climbing stand or anything that will get you off the ground.  Always use caution when hunting from an elevated position.  Taking a fall will not only ruin your hunt but it can also be deadly.  Use common sense and be safe.

Ground:

Hunting from a position on the ground is probably the most difficult way to hunt deer.  You are at the same level of the deer and you scent will give your position away unless you have taken precautions to eliminate it as much as possible.   Try to find a deadfall, large tree trunks, stone walls, large rocks or anything else that will help break up you outline to the deer.  You can construct a ground blind from logs and brush to help conceal your location.  Remember to do this well in advance of the season do the deer can become comfortable with it being there.

Still Hunting:

Perhaps the most satisfying way to hunt deer is by still hunting.  You must beat the whitetail at it's own game.  You must know the area almost as well as the deer.  You must be able to sneak quietly along rub and scrape lines, through bedding and feeding areas and along heavy cover in order to get your trophy.  You must stop often and remain motionless for long periods of time while looking and listening for deer.  Still hunting is a good technique when the hunting pressure is light.  Still hunting is also a good method when checking out a new hunting location.  Never still hunt with the wind at your back, always hunt into the wind or crosswind.  If at all possible hunt with the sun at your back it will make it harder for the deer to see you. 

Quiet is the key word in still-hunting.  If the ground is damp or there is a light covering of snow the the day is made for still hunting.   If the ground is dry and the wind is light, don't even attempt it.  Move slowly, no more than 200 yards per hour.  Take only a few steps before you stop and check out the area thoroughly before you move again.  The experienced still-hunter spends more time standing still than moving.  As you look for deer minimize you motion by scanning the area with your eyes rather than moving your head.  If you are in thick cover, look beneath the branches and always be ready to shoot.     Still hunting takes time and patience.  Remember , slow is best.  

Driving Deer:

Drives work best in isolated patches of cover where deer must eventually funnel through a narrow passage or run into the open.  The posters often sit in elevated stands.  This way the drivers can see them and they are above the line of sight of the deer.  Another advantage of using an elevated stand is that the poster is above the line of fire of the driver.  How far the drivers spread out depends on the density of the cover.  Drivers should not lose track of each other because this will allow deer the opportunity to remain hidden or double back between the drivers.