How to Hunt Deer: Spotting Deer and Taking the Shot

Always keep your ears open or uncovered as much as possible. Most of the time I will hear the deer before I can even see them.

Look for movement of the deer instead of the whole deer itself. Rather then glassing the entire woods in one slow sweep it best to stare at a specific target for a minute or two such as a log, a branch, a stick or a rock. Then quickly proceed to the next target and so on until you have scanned the entire line of the woods. Then proceed back. If there is game present you will spot there movement from your peripheral vision. Quite, jerky but fast (with long periods between intervals) with minimal movement on your part is always better (have you noticed that all cautious and wild animals do this?). With this technique, I always see the flicker of an ear, tail or hoof long before I actually can see the whole deer or spot one by slowly glassing.

If you see one or more doe’s. Stay put and be patient. Many times there is a buck hot on doe’s trial. You may see a buck anywhere from a few second to an hour after the doe’s have passed. Even if a buck does not follow. You know you have a great hunting location. If there are doe’s in that area then there are always bucks. You may not see him this time, but if you consistently hunt from that location, and see doe’s, then I can promise you that you will see the big bucks eventually.

When you see deer and the adrenalin in your system kicks in don’t panic or make quick movements. Take a couple of deep breaths. Look to see if it has antlers; DO NOT concentrate on the antlers! Just confirm if they are of legal size for your hunting area and concentrate on your shot placement. If you concentrate on where you are going to shoot the animal you be will less likely to get buck fever ( a symptom of a heavy dose of adrenalin such as uncontrolled shaking or nauseousness ) Don’t be the guy on the hunting trip that always says he saw a ten point buck but could not get a shot at the deer. Chances are if he concentrated on the shot placement rather than counting the number of points on the antlers he would have bagged a nice buck instead of having to tell a story about how it got away.

If the deer won’t stop you can whistle or grunt loudly (a loud “baaaa” sound like imitating a sheep should work) aim quickly with you deer hunting rifle but don’t rush. It’s better to shoot accurately rather than wounding or spooking the deer. If you spook or wound the deer, you probably won’t see that buck in that area ever again. Make sure to take the safety off. Nothing is worse than having that perfect shot lined up for a huge buck to find the safety is on and then the deer walks away. Then take the shot. If the deer is just browsing wait for the deer to graze with its head down. Squeeze the trigger slowly rather than jerking the trigger. I find that I get my best shot placements when I don’t anticipate the moment of the shot. I squeeze slowly and the shot rather than anticipated is unexpected.

After the shot make a mental note of were the deer was standing when hit and the last location seen. This is very important. It will give you an indication of which possible directions to look for the deer. Especially if the blood trail ends and you need to revert to tracking the deer. Always wait at least one half hour after the shot before leaving your blind or stand to approach or track the deer. Be carful when approaching a downed deer or any other game. Always approach from the back side of the animal. Prod with an object such a stick or the end of your rifle before moving or touching. You want to be completely sure the game has died. Once you are sure. Only then should you proceed. Now you can touch and admire the beauty of the deer, check the length of its antlers and field dress the carcass. Although you may feel like crying out with joy, be mindful of other possible hunters in the area. You can celebrate as loud as you want as soon as you get back to your vehicle or camp.

I hope this Deer Hunting Tips article was enjoyable and has given some valuable knowledge that you can implement. At the very least it may have gotten you exited about the upcoming big game deer season. Have fun. And good luck on you hunting endeavors.