Anyone who thinks that deer hunting is just about finding a deer in the woods and doing some deer shooting is missing some important points. Presumably if you’re deer shooting you’re trying to kill the deer so that you can eat it. That makes it important that the deer is killed in a certain way. Improper shooting and haphazard shooting can result in meat not being usable.

If the deer is shot in the wrong area of the body, the meat in that area may not be edible. And if you’re going to kill a deer, there’s no point in having any of it go to waste. It’s a matter of respect of yourself, the animal and the environment to eat what you kill. If an accident happens and some of the meat is wasted then it is simply an accident. You need to do what you can to get the animal in the right area to try to prevent those types of accidents.

It’s important to learn proper deer shooting so that you kill the animal as quickly as possible. Not only is that more merciful because the animal won’t suffer, it also is better for the meat. If the animal is just wounded enough to die slowly, then it becomes ill and that affects the quality of the meat. The worst case scenario for this is if you wound the deer and it gets away from you and you have to follow the trail of blood to find it hours later. This will happen from time to time no matter how experienced someone is but working hard to prevent it is a good goal for deer shooting.

The brain, heart and lungs are the fastest way to kill the animal. Few people try for brain shots because the head is a smaller target. But those shots are the fastest way to kill a deer and probably the most merciful. A shot in the lung will also kill the animal but not quitas quickly. Hitting a deer in the side and stomach area is probably going to kill it much more slowly and much of the meat in that area will be wasted especially if the animal suffers for long time.

Deer shooting in the heart will kill a deer faster than a shot to a lung in most cases. The problem with a heart shot is its location and how hard it is to get it. Shooting from the back of the shoulders can often destroy a lot of that meat, depending on how the bullet goes in. The goal is to rupture as little meat as possible and keep the flesh intact as much as possible. Field dressing is also important to preserve the meat. The blood needs to be drained from the animal quickly as well.

Field dressing a deer involves removing the organs to make the deer lighter and easier to drag. Then when you reach your destination the deer should be hung so that the blood can run out of the body cavities and keep from spoiling the meat.

Photo Credits: James Jordan

Originally posted 2010-04-02 09:03:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Buck hunting is one of the most popular types of hunting in the United States. If you decide to go buck hunting, you’ll be joining thousands of other hunters who enjoy the challenge and excitement of tracking and hunting deer. You want to make sure you have the proper equipment and gear, especially if you go alone. It should be stressed however, that if you’re in doubt about your ability to successfully buck hunt on your own, you should not go by yourself. Take a friend who’s experienced or go on a guided hunt until you’re familiar with the basics. Being unsure of your situation and going buck hunting can put you at risk as well as other people in the area.

The first step is deciding whether you’re going to hunt with a gun or compound bow. There may be laws in your area that forbid one or the other. Most areas, however, have two seasons for buck hunting. There’s a season for gun hunters and a season for those who use a bow. So you can actually choose both if you prefer, just be sure you only hunt with the type of weapon that’s in season at the time.

You also want to make sure you have the right ammunition or the right arrows. Choosing the right arrows for buck hunting is an important consideration because you want the arrow to be heavy enough to travel well and be able to kill with one shot. You’ll also want to make sure you have the proper hunting knives. When you get a buck you have to field dress it, which means you remove the internal organs and lower the weight of the animal to allow you to drag it from the woods. You’ll want to carry at least one knife to use for this. You won’t need a skinning knife while you’re in the woods, but rather a thick and sturdy one to allow you to cut into the animal and dress it. Know your local laws regarding hunting because they may have specific procedures you must follow when doing this.

The proper clothing is necessary for buck hunting. Your clothing needs to be camouflaged so that the deer won’t pick you out among the brush and trees. You’ll also want to consider the weather and choose appropriate clothing. Waterproof boots to keep your feet warm are essential. If you’re going to hunt in a tree stand as opposed to on the ground, you want to have extra warmth available and be very aware of the weather so that you’re not caught out in a bad storm.

Of course, you’ll need the proper hunting license and any gun or bow permit that you need in your area. A product designed to cover your scent can help. And you want to use tree stand or some sort of chair, if you’re staying on the ground, but sturdy and comfortable. Also, consider taking a bit of food and water as well as a small first aid kit with you when you go buck hunting just in case of an unforeseen accident.

Photo Credits: Charles & Clint

Originally posted 2010-03-31 09:46:15. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Whitetail deer hunting tips are available everywhere from hunting DVDs to websites to television programs. The best tips that you can find, however, are tips from local hunters. Because every area is slightly different, the people who hunt in your local area are familiar with the way the deer move and react in that region. So find an old deer hunter who’s been at it for years and learn what you can. This is one of the reasons so many people enjoy things like deer camp or deer hunting lodges. You can learn a great deal from listening to people’s hunting stories over the years.

General whitetail deer hunting tips include things like actually using scent properly during the rutting season. The general wisdom is that when you go deer hunting you want to mask your own natural scent. Many people do this by using unscented soaps and shampoos, as well as unscented laundry detergent and fabric softener. They avoid smoking or getting near campfire smoke and try to stay as scent-neutral as possible. They may also use products to mask the human scent.

During the rutting season, there are some commercial scents available designed to attract deer. Some of these work very well while others seem to do very little. You might experiment with the scents to see how they work by placing the scent around the area where you are. Some whitetail deer hunting tips say never to use such a product, but you really need to experiment for yourself.

Calling deer is also another tactic that’s often used that can backfire during the rutting season. This is one of those things that you simply gain through experience. It’s not necessary to ever use a call, but if you do be aware that during the rutting season there are certain times when calling may do more harm than good.

Another one of the top whitetail deer hunting tips is to consider your footwear carefully. Whether it’s during the rut or at any other time, be sure you wear boots that you only wear during deer hunting. If you wear boots throughout the day and then wear them on the hunt, you’re carrying a ton of scent with you. The deer is going to smell you.

It’s best to wear boots that hold very little scent, even if they’re boots you only wear for deer hunting. Rubber boots don’t hold scent but can be very cold. Look for lined boots to keep your feet warm and dry if you’re in a cold weather area. You’ll also want to consider the clothes you wear and avoid blue jeans. It’s alright to wear bright orange so that other hunters can see that you’re not a deer, but a deer will spot blue before almost anything else.

And before you set your stand up, be aware of what direction the wind is blowing in. This is one of the most important white-tailed deer hunting tips for people who use tree stands. You might want to set several stands up so you have one available regardless of the wind direction.

Photo Credits: jonner

Originally posted 2010-03-25 03:30:14. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Deer, when they are in their natural habitat, do not actually eat the commercial “deer feed” that most feed stores will sell you as bait or as a lure. So when deer are out in the wild and they are left to their own devices, what do they eat? Unlike some of the animals you find in the wild while hunting, deer are herbivorous creatures which means that they only eat plants. While there are plenty of different plants out there in the woods, not all of them are going to provide the right amount of nutrition for the deer. Just like humans and other animals, many deer do have food preferences and will eat their certain favorite foods whenever they can find them, though they will move on to other foods when their favorites or the most nutritious options cannot be found.

Deer like to eat wild grasses, especially when the shoots are both tender and young, but wild grasses tend to be a last resort food in that they can help the deer survive when other food is not available, but they are not good for much more than that. Here is a look at some of the favorite foods that deer may like.

Woody Shrubs and Plants: Deer can feed on the leaves and other anatomy of tree and shrubs, eating the leaves, the twigs and the buds from plants like these all throughout the year. Some examples of this category of plants include greenbrier, honeysuckle, blackberry, black gum, sumac, sassafras, willow, rose, dewberry and grape.

Forbs: Forbs are herbaceous plants, which mean that they are perennial and non woody plants that produce new growth every single spring after dying off in the winter. Forbs generally include weeds and a number of other flower-producing plants. Forbs are a proffered food source for many deer, and examples of these plants include wild clover, sedges, bellflower, mushroom, dandelion, ragweed, beans, wild lettuce and sunflower.

Nuts: Nuts are extremely nutritious when it comes to deer, but the crops produced by these plants are often small, so fords and grasses tend to provide a much more reliable food source. Some examples of nuts that deer may enjoy are red and white acorns, hickory nuts and beech nuts.

Fruits: Fruits are preferred by deer because they are so very high in energy, but good fruit crops only tend to be made available during the summer and early fall months. Some examples of fruits that deer enjoy eating are sumac seed heads, persimmons, grapes, coralberry, dewberry, blackberry, dogwood and huckleberry.

Crops: Cultivated crops are crops that were planted by humans. Where food sources are limited, these can be an important part of a deer’s diet and may include plants like wheat, oats, alfalfa, clover, soybeans, vegetables and rye grass.

By knowing what deer actually like to eat, finding them in the wild will be a lot easier from now on.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2009-01-13 05:53:41. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

If you’re serious about hunting, you’re going to end up out in the woods before dawn more often that most people care to think about! And you’ll be out there scouting for deer in weather that would send most of us running into our dens with fuzzy slippers and hot cocoa, wishing for a roaring fire. You need to keep certain things in mind when hunting in cold weather, and you’ll want to be sure you have the right hunting equipment and hunting clothes to make it a more enjoyable experience, and to keep yourself safe from the elements.

Wear wool.

Wool hunting clothing provides excellent insulation against the cold. You won’t want to wear it against your skin, of course, but make one of your layers wool. And you should have at least 2 or 3 layers of clothing on, including long underwear. You won’t want to trek out into the woods wearing the clothing of 4 men, and getting your innermost layer wet with sweat—that defeats the purpose of trying to stay warm. But do take the heaviest layers of your hunting clothes with you. Then once you’re in the deer stand, you can put them on and stay warm. (Make sure your outermost layer is orange and reflective or whatever type of hunting clothing is required in your area.)

Cover your head.

Most of our body heat leaves us though the soles of our feet and the tops of our heads. Just wear a regular cap while you’re exerting yourself getting there and getting set up, then wear a thermal cap. If it’s really cold, you might want a thermal face mask to protect your nose and keep your skin from getting chapped. Be sure your ears are covered, and make sure you’ve got a decent seal around the neck opening of your hunting clothes (as well as at the wrists and ankles) to keep the cold air out as much as possible.

If it’s a wise choice in your particular area, get waterproof hunting gear like waterproof gloves and outerwear. And don’t scrimp on hunting boots. You might want to carry these, too, until you get in place rather than risk getting the insides wet where they will keep your feet cold, and you miserable. Rubber soled and rubber-outer-wear boots do an excellent job of keeping your feet dry. Be sure they’re insulated or the cold will seep right through your hunting boots and drive you to leave before you’ve spotted that trophy deer. Invest in the small heat producing packs that can go in mittens and boots as needed. These can make all the difference between an enjoyable day of winter-time hunting, and coming home stiff and frozen and wondering why you went hunting in the first place.

Finally, be sure your family or friends know where you’ll be, and carry a cell phone or other means of communication. While this is a good rule to follow all the time, it’s especially important when hunting in the winter.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-08 19:29:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Learning how to make use of hunting decoys can be a very important part of your hunting experience. Regardless if you are new to hunting, or if you are a seasoned veteran of the fields and forests, learning how to use decoys as part of your hunting can advance things to a whole new level, and give you that extra advantage that improves your results. Using decoys is moderately easy. Along with your usual tools for hunting, you will need: decoys, scent-eliminating spray and soap, a Buck archery target, and a windsock.

For deer hunting:

1. You will need to keep your decoy as scent free as you possibly can. Wash it in the scent and odor eliminating soap, followed by a liberal spraying down with scent removing spray before the hunt. Deer are incredibly sensitive to smells, and so your hunting efforts will be for naught if you cannot get a dear anywhere near you due to scent alerting them to your presence.
2. Scout out the place you wish to deploy your decoy to that is 15 to 25 yards away from the blind or stand if bow hunting. If you are using a rifle, you can place the decoy even further away. An ideal place is going to be somewhere close to an edge of a field where the forest begins and the trees and the shrubs begin to thicken.
3. Make sure your decoy is placed where other deer are known to congregate, and so will expect to see another deer there. A deer in a strange place will seem odd, and may only serve to scare potential targets away.
4. Make sure to pose your decoy in a feeding position. This is the most likely, most reliable, and most effective stance you could pose your decoy in.
5. During the rutting season, use a doe decoy if you want the best results. Take a small colored rag in a neutral shade and spray it with what is known as “doe in estrus”, which is a scent that resembles the scent of a doe in heat. Attach it to the decoys tail.
6. You can also use a Buck archery target as a decoy. Try to make sounds like a challenging buck might in order to attract other challenging bucks and does looking for a potential mate alike.

For waterfowl hunting:

1. It needs to be remembered that waterfowl both take off and land facing into the wind. Now keep this information in mind while setting up your decoys, and be sure to set them in front of you while you have your back to the wind.
2. Be sure to leave lots of room for potential targets among your decoys. Too many decoys in the water will actually harm more than it helps.
3. Use feeding or sleeping duck decoys, herons, or even swans in order to create confidence in the target.
4. Be sure to use a unique spread of decoys when setting up. Give the target something different that will attract them.

Photo credits: *Micky

Originally posted 2009-10-15 03:29:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter