Your absolutely best hunting tips that the magazines won't tell you about

[Mossy Bloke]

Okay, maybe the magazines will tell you about them, but I've come up with some great ideas that I haven't read about. Over the years I've owned just about every kind of hunting gear, gun, etc. that's known to man. But after years and years of that I've found that there are some little tips and tricks that I've heard about or come up with on my own that just make life easier or at the very least save me some money. I thought it'd be good to hear some of yours and maybe add to my mental collection.

Categories could be:

Hunting gear

Hunting tricks

Just Plain Old Good Ideas

Here are a couple of mine...nothing fancy or new mind you, just something that has helped out in different situations.

1. A little tiny bit of milspec reflective tape scotch taped to your arrows just in front of the fletchings. I read this some where a while ago. Trying to find your arrow in the dark after a shot is a snap. That stuff glows like the sun with even a little flashlight pointed at it.

2. I quit messing with pop up blinds a long time ago. They're awkward and hard to take down most of the time. I went to Walmart years ago and bought two 4 X 12 rolls of camo material. Super lightweight, rolls up neatly. I don't have to worry about finding a flat spot or anything. I just thumbtack them around 3 or 4 trees and it gives way more room than an outhouse or other prefab blind. I can comfortably fit me and my two sons inside the four "walls" and we're perfectly concealed. And I can take it down, pack 'em up, and be walking to the truck in less than 30 seconds.

 

[gbran]

Here's my tip; Don't waste money on camo. I've successfully hunted all manner of game for over 40 years and have never camo'd up. I've never hunted anything but duck out of a blind. If the weather is nice, you'll find me in tennis shoes, Levi's and a regular shirt. I do wear orange when in the thick of deer or elk hunts.

 

[mustanger98]

Here's my tip; Don't waste money on camo.

Yeah. I've found it's mostly a moneymaker and the deer don't even care. I just wear stuff that don't shine, plus my hunter safety orange goosedown vest. Camo and orange really don't go together... the deer, being colorblind, are going to see some pattern or other that blends in with a blob of something in the middle. I've seen just as many deer when I was wearing plaids, stripes, or solid colors as when I was wearing a camo shirt. I think back-cover is more important so you're not sillouetted in a skylined manner.

Here's my tip though... don't waste money on Tink's 69, Golden Estrus, or other brands of scent lures. They don't work because deer don't smell the same one area to the next. If that product wasn't collected in an area that has white oaks, red oaks, and IIRC sweetgums, it'll smell different to deer in those areas that do have those trees. The difference in smell will make the deer shy away. I just go to a high traffic area where does come through regularly... just happens such an area is 200yds behind my house... and sit down or lean on a tree and wait. The bucks will be along shortly.

 

[Mossy Bloke]

I agree on the camo thing, partly. Like most others here I've killed more than my fair share of deer over the years. Last year alone I took nine. (God bless the great state of Georgia for its high limits!)

I hunt almost exclusively with a bow nowadays. The only exceptions being when I take my sons with me. I believe strongly in leafies when I'm bow hunting. For years I hunted with a set that I sewed myself. Took an old pair of overalls and a long sleeve shirt and cut some of that WalMart netting up in 12 inch squares and sewed them all over. Worked like a charm until my wife finally bought me a pair of the real deals.

 

[RonE]

If you are going to the rockies for elk or mule deer and camping in an area with no facilities, take along a knock together outhouse made of 1/4" plywood and 2X2's use a real toilet seat and keep a cheap kerosene lantern going in it all the time. The kerosene smell is better than the other smell and the heat from the lantern will keep the chill out of the outhouse. Use duplex 8d nails for assembly and ease of disassembly. Make sure it will fit flat between the wheel wells of a pickup.

 

[countertop]

Ebay

Its amazing the deals you can get on ebay.

For duck hunting, the number of decoys and stay well hidden. Ducks know that 12 birds in the water are probably a set of decoys (heck, thats what everyone puts out). Throw out one or two less and see more birds fly by. Its amazing but its true. Or, even better, since their is safety in numbers, throw out 24 or 36 (see the previous line about deals on decoys before trudging off to Cabelas and dropping $100 on another dozen).

For deer, get out in the woods. They'll come along eventually.

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

you non-camo guys must not be bowhunters. Yeah, most of the time the deer don't look up at you, but an old buck close in is pretty wary. I'll wear the camo and facemask and take any advantage I can. I've had deer stare at me and not figure out what was going on until it was too late. I think staying still and wearing camo helped out. For rifle hunting, camo isn't as important. I usually rifle hunt in my carhartts.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

A sharp, quick whistle will usually stop a hopping cotton-tail in his tracks. A still .22 head-shot is MUCH easier & less messy than a running 20 gauge shot.

 

[pfrnkln]

Ranger bands and Alice clips

When your heading out for a day of deer hunting and you want something accessible - not buried in your pack, use ranger bands and alice clips.
Ranger bands - 3/4 to 1 inch strips cut from and old bicycle tube - good as a silencer so things do not rattle or a heavy duty rubber band etc etc etc - endless uses.
Alice clips - mil clip for web gear - (nam era) will hold your knife sheath - binocs case etc to the strap of your day pack where you can get to it.
If need be - slip a ranger band through the sheath loop and the around the alice clip to mount on a different axis.
also ranger bands are great for snuggng up butler creek scope covers the seems to "slide" a bit.
Oh - caribiners - keep a few in your pack with para cord.You be amazed at the things these items can do for ya.
Good hunting

 

[41magsnub]

A sharp, quick whistle will usually stop a hopping cotton-tail in his tracks. A still .22 head-shot is MUCH easier & less messy than a running 20 gauge shot.

That works sometimes for a running deer too (the whistle part, not the .22 part)

 

[mustanger98]

When I stopped my buck last Thanksgiving, I used my own voice for a doe's blat. I don't advise everybody to do that because it's a matter of what sounds the voice will support. It worked though... he stopped and I got him. I've heard of a short sharp whistle working sometimes and not others... I think it depends on the buck.

you non-camo guys must not be bowhunters.

No, I always hunt with a rifle. I'm disabled and my shoulders are a small part of my problems, but enough of a problem I can't pull a bow. I know I could use a crossbow, but I haven't found one I liked for myself. Rifles balance and aim a lot better for me. Being still has always counted for a lot more for me. I usually wear Wrangler Pro-Rodeo jeans, riding boots, and black Resistol 4X felt hat. I have a couple of camo shirts, but I've done just as well with my other dull/dark colored shirts. But then, strange as it sounds, a lot of years it's seemed I was on a first-name basis with most of the does.

 

[nmlongbow]

Mossy,

I agree with your idea on the camo netting. I personally have no use for treestands or tent blinds.
When I'm scouting an area a week or 2 before opening day I take some pruning shears and make some improvised ground blinds out of what the forest provides. The camo netting is for a quick setup in another area that looks promising.
As for the high dollar camo. I prefer to spend my money on more important stuff. I believe in breaking up your outline with plaids, camo net strips and most importantly hunting with the wind in your favor.
Also, I don't hunt with guns OR wheelie bows, just traditional archery gear and instinctive shooting.

 

[Pigspitter]

If a coyote is running across a field slap your thigh really hard. They'll usually duck down and hold still for a few seconds when they hear it. However, that only works in areas where they aren't hunted too often.

 

[mustanger98]

Pigspitter, What part of the state are you in? In my area, Union County- up in the mountains, I hear coyotes all the time and especially during deer season, but I've yet to see one while hunting.

 

[ZeSpectre]

It's funny that I'm going to participate in this because I'm going hunting for the first time this year. However I've spent a lot of years worth of time out in the woods with a camera and I've noticed the following.

-Camo (and most related stuff) isn't nearly as important as knowing how to move, how to be still, and how to stay downwind.

-You can move in a downward direction slowly and get away with it (lowering your arms for example). Any quick upward motions (raising an arm or gun or camera) will spook wildlife. Upward motion is "unnatural" and gets attention.

-A walking stick turns you into a three legged creature. Much more stable and quiet when you have to move slowly.

-Work out hand signals with your friends. Human voice will scare off game for an astounding distance.

 

[Triple S]

Here's my tip though... don't waste money on Tink's 69, Golden Estrus, or other brands of scent lures. They don't work because deer don't smell the same one area to the next. If that product wasn't collected in an area that has white oaks, red oaks, and IIRC sweetgums, it'll smell different to deer in those areas that do have those trees. The difference in smell will make the deer shy away.

I totally disagree.... I harvested a great buck this past weekend in Florida with a bow. If it would not have been for the Tink's Scent Bomb that I had placed in front of my stand, I probably would have not gotten a shot. All in all, there were 9 does and yearlings and the one buck who walked by my stand this particular morning. Every single one of them stopped and smelled the Tink's! I grunted the buck up, then when he was trying to get down wind of me, stopped, put his nose in the air, locked onto the Tink's, and did a 180 and went right too it! Needless to say, the Tink's gave me the shot I was looking for in the exact spot where I wanted it....Now does Tinks attract every deer? No, but you can bet that it will dang sure make one stop and investigate it! I have done this repeatably in FL/SC/TX/ and MT over the past 10 years...My Tip* If you are hunting a crossing and want to gain an extra moment to shoot, place a Tinks (or scent of your choice) scent bomb out and it will stop the deer. I don't think of them as attractors, but more as "stoppers".

 

[mustanger98]

I totally disagree.... I harvested a great buck this past weekend in Florida with a bow. If it would not have been for the Tink's Scent Bomb...

TripleS, Do you or do you not have white oaks, red oaks, and sweetgums in your area and/or the other areas you hunt? All three of those trees are present in my area and that stuff doesn't work. I do put it out and I don't see deer. I don't put it out and I do see deer.

 

[Triple S]

I have used scents in quite a few different areas (states) with the trees that you list and can not say that I ever felt that I spooked deer becuase of them. Now with that said, the scents that I have used are: Tink's, Code Blue, Fox/Coon pee, Fresh Earth, Pete Rickard's, and assorted others. For the money and availability, I have mainly used Tink's 69.

One of my favorite hunting spots in SC, was on a long road through thick, young timber (it was then). It was approxiamtely 400+ yards to the end and no matter where I set up, the bucks would just walk into the road, look right or left, then keep going. After watching this for a few sits and trying to scheme a plan, I decided to place plastic cups (pill bottles, or whatever) about every 50 yards filled with tissue and a little tinks. I can honestly say, that every buck that stepped in the road, at least stopped for 15+ seconds and smelled the air. This was more than enough time to determine if it was a shooter or not and take the shot if I wanted too. I ended up taking a few deer from that stand and I credit it too the deer scent.

In my opinion, the various doe pee's work becuase they seem to arouse the curiosity of all deer in the area. By nature, deer are curious and are very aware of their sourroundings. When a new deer (the doe scent), is placed in the area, they do not recognize the new guy and want to know who it is. This may sound far fetched, but again, I can not say it has ever spooked a deer and the ones that do come in range, always take the time to "try and figure out" who the new deer is!

 

[Geno]

Hat Toss: When squirrel hunting, toss your hat to the far side of the tree (where the squirrel is hiding from you). Be ready to fire when it comes scampering back around to you.

Just Whistle: Deer on the run frequently stop if you whistle...unless they are really spooked, then, a bullet frequently stops them.

Full of Pee 'n' Vinegar : My uncle swears by stopping past his blind and "marking" it so the deer are accustomed to his scent.

Old Dog: My hunting outfit hangs out-of-doors for several days before hunting season opens. I prefer to arrive early, get on the ground and roll all about like an old dog. That way I pick up the local scent.

 

[mustanger98]

Regarding post #18, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree because obviously, our respective mileages vary. I will however say my experience has been corroborated by an older deer hunter I'm aquainted with through my local gun club.

 

[dakotasin]

my best tips:
don't be afraid to work harder than everybody else. i'm frequently the first in, last out, and a mile further than anybody else. i have had an amazing run of luck for big, mature bucks hunting public land exclusively in areas where success rates run as low as 30%.

don't break for lunch - some of my best kills have happened after 11:00 a.m. and before 3:00 p.m.

have a solid hunting partner who is at least as skilled as you, and committed to killing only mature animals. somebody you can comiserate with when things are rough, share the joy when things are good, and most importantly, willing to help w/ the haul back to the truck.

get out of the truck and off the road. not a very exciting memory when all you have to say about the hunt is you forgot to put the truck in park...

know your gear inside and out, and practice at all ranges you can realistically make a shot happen. practice angles and awkward positions, too.

know when to 'force it' and when to let things play out.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

If you ever lose a bird-dog while out on a hunt & can't round him (her) back-up before dark...leave your hunting coat on the ground. My Uncle Dub raised Field Trial Shorthairs for years and we lost one when I was a kid on a quail hunt late in the afternoon. I was sick with worry, Dub didn't give it a second thought. He just dropped his old hunting jacket & told me to get in the truck. We had a casual breakfast the next morning and drove back out to the thicket. That little bitch was snoozing right in the middle of Dub's now dirty coat as we pulled-up. She was de-lighted to jump in the truck & go home.

 

[Eagle103]

My success rate went from poor to excellent by simply staying out of the woods and hunting feeding areas. I'm fortunate in that I hunt my own private property, know the deer patterns, and have fields that the deer feed on. Yes, many hunters far more skilled than I am make use of scent masking products and can stealthily move through the woods but I'm not among them.
My strategy is very simple. Have enough stands set up so you always have at least one stand available based on the wind direction and approach from a direction where the deer probably won't see or smell you.
I handload for all my rifles now which makes practice relatively cheap so I'm confident of a shot up to 300 yards if necessary.

 

[jeepmor]

Here's my tip; Don't waste money on camo.

I'd agree with that if I did not pursue Wiley Coyote. Bonus for me, mine's waterproof. In the PNW, waterproof and quiet in one package is pretty much exclusively camo gear.

 

[kmrcstintn]

if you take a bottle to pee in while hunting, place some fresh dug earth/old leaves/moss in the bottom to help reduce the potency of the smell of your urine; leave uncapped only as long as needed to do your business

if the 'natural' cover scents are not convenient, pour 4-6 ounces of liquid cover scent solution in the bottom...something like Scent-A-Way Fresh Earth or Scent Killer Autumn Formula (something that smells like the woods/fields)