that one thing for white tails

Thinking like a deer instead of like a human.

Time in the field.

Sitting in my stand longer

Knowing Bambi has a tail not a tale. snicker.
It has to do with knowing how and where deer live though. And they live in some very odd places. Saw a couple of does about 100 yards from a major city street while on my way home yesterday. I was on the friggin' bus.

Practice, practice, practice.

When I started hunting back in the mid-60's there were few deer in Northern Arkansas. If you saw 1 or 2 deer during season you had a good season. I read everything that I could find about deer and spent many days in the woods. Now 50 years later it is not unusual too see several deer every trip. Most years end with 4 to 6 deer in the freezer. Bag limits and seasons have changed to the point that I am actually tired of deer by seasons end. I would have to say that the knowledge gleaned through years of study have made the difference.

There are many hunters here more experienced than I am, but here's what I can offer. First, I should let you know that I only gun hunt, so I can't help you with bow. Second, I've always hunted private land, so it is easy for me to scout ahead of time.

1. First, just look for deer trails. Often when you are picking your way through the woods you will notice that you are on a deer trail, if you look closely. Deer look for the easy way, just like we do. If you are walking down a main trail and you see an opening in the brush at the side of the trail (even a small one), take a look at it. You'll be surprised how often it is a deer trail.

2. Again deer take the easy way if they can. Look for the low pass over a ridge (often called a saddle). The property I hunt these days has 700 ft of elevation change from ridge top to valley. You can bet the deer try to climb as little as possible. The two saddles on the property are 200 ft. lower than the tops of the ridge. Lots of action on the trails leading to the saddles.

3. It gets cold here in WNY during gun season and many guys can't take it. By noon, or earlier they are up and moving around. They stir up the deer when they start moving. Be prepared to sit all day, particularly opening weekend when the most hunters are in the field.

If I had to pick one thing, it would be sit in your best spot. Don't get up when you think you're cold (or bored). Sit some more. Let the other guy wimp out, start walking around and push the deer to you.

Patterns are everything. Doe groups like to stick to routines and as seasons/food sources change they gradually adjust their routines in response. Watch and learn the routines of groups of does in your area THROUGHOUT THE SEASON and you'll know where to set up, what time to get there, and when to head home empty handed because they aren't going to show. Why pattern does if you're after Bucks? I've killed two bucks so far this year by going where the does are. Even when they aren't "rutting" the bucks keep an eye on does.
Don't think this is the magic secret. I've learned a lot over the years and am still learning constantly... but this has been the "ONE THING" that's made the biggest impact on my hunting experience so far.

I started being more successful when I quit thinking that deer were smarter than humans. Rather than seek the most secretive spot, I started hunting the most obvious spot.
Success rate tripled after that.

beeb173 said:

Ugh. Tale....that's embarassing.

In reading everything you could, could you point to anything that made "the difference"?

Click to expand...

Courtgreen has been there. By studying deer habits and by reading about their preferences for food, cover, and topography you can actually scout an area in one or two trips and piece together a pattern. I once plotted a standsite by marking scraps on a gps and then studying a topo. The scrapelines led to a saddle. I killed a big 8- pointer there on opening day.

Dressing warmer and making sure my setup was comfortable enough that I didn't have to fidget to fight off the cold or bring my dead legs back to life. It's amazing what a hunter can see and hear if he can just be still.

Patience -
I started bringing a little notebook and writing notes on weather, wind, my location, and what I saw at all these different times. Helped pass the time when nothing was going on and also provides me with a good patterns over time.

This is going to sound like a commercial but I assure you I am not paid and have no affiliation with the company. I have used "the can" call successfully sometimes with and sometimes without a grunt tube on a large number of my hunts.

I got old. I have hunted the same property for over 20 years and I know it like the back of my hand. I know that the big boys simply don't move during daylight hours outside the rut without being pushed. I never go into the bedding areas and I try to set up stands to take advantage of prevailing winds. I dress warmly so I can sit in the stand as long as I want without getting too fidgety.
The thing that helped the most was when I stopped shooting deer. Sometime in my 30s I realized that the best way to understand how deer act and react was to actually watch them rather than blast them as soon as I saw them. I routinely watch 3-4 year old deer from my stand so I have an idea of how they act.

Deer sign. If it's not overly abundant, I look elsewhere.

Being patient and not rushing the shot.

I was taught to hunt in a blind when I was in TX. I moved to WA and on my first year of hunting, I learned how to stalk the deer in the hills. Last year was my first year and whenever I saw deer, I would literally run to them hoping that it didn't see me. This year, i thought differently. A few weeks ago, I spotted them about 2 miles away and walked through the hills for about 2 hours to intercept them. I was successful and was close to 900 yards away. I thnk one of them also saw me. I became patient and sat still for abuit 20 minutes before it looked the other way and I slid down the hill. I then maneuvered through the mountain and crawled for about an hour to get close enough for the shot and was succesful.

I have become a more patient hunter.

Keep hunting through the day and bring a lunch. Early morning and early evening aren't the only times you see deer, they live there. Killed more than one deer around noon. I also got better at walking quietly through the woods.

Count me in with the "time in the stand" folks as being the single biggest factor. (assuming your "stand" is in a good location)
Understanding just how good their noses are, and just how well their eyes pick up on the slightest movement is also mandatory for consistent success.

And above all, a bit of luck doesn't hurt either. After all; luck can't even happen to you if you're not in a position for it to do you any good.

In the 60's,finding an area with enough deer to justify the time and expense to hunt them.I finally settled on an area about 10 miles long by 5 miles wide with ridges and valleys.I have concentrated my efforts there for 45 years and taken more than 60.Also,realizing even a cheap scope on my 30-30 improved my accuracy greatly.

I learned about how/where bucks lay up during the day. Ease along, kick Bambi out of bed, and if he's worth the effort, shoot him. (Brushy, hilly country. Very little in the way of thick timber.)

Being patient still and quite if hunting from a blind. A good book turns into a tool.

time in the stand/wind considerations