| Regardless of where you are at in your whitetail | | | | commonsense items |
| deer hunting career, there are a few basic steps | | | | - Be very familiar with your weapon. Know how |
| that you should know or perhaps review, prior to | | | | to fix minor problems that might arise in the field |
| your hunting endeavors this year. If you are new | | | | and deal with them in a safe manner. For |
| to this sport, these ideas may be new to you. If | | | | example, if you are hunting with a firearm, you |
| you are experienced, perhaps reviewing these will | | | | will eventually get dirt in your barrel. Have the |
| be of benefit to you. | | | | resources to clean your weapon should this |
| 1. Scent Control | | | | happen. |
| While this can be taken to any level of extremes, | | | | - Put in the necessary time practicing at the range |
| I guess you really cannot be too careful with | | | | prior to hunting. It is unacceptable to hunt with a |
| regard to this matter. Some basic steps you can | | | | weapon not properly sighted in. If you are lucky |
| take include the following things. | | | | enough to hit anything, you may very well injure |
| - Do not wear the clothes you will be in while | | | | a deer with little chance for recovery. |
| hunting until you are heading into field. | | | | - Practice every safety precaution you can. This |
| - Consider keeping your clothes in some form of | | | | is especially true in bringing your weapon into your |
| scent proof bags until you get out of your vehicle | | | | stand. Do it the right way. Never carry any kind |
| (or camper, tent, cabin, etc.) and then slip them | | | | of a weapon as you climb the tree. 5. Scouting |
| on just as you are ready to head out. Don't get | | | | This is not something you should just do if you |
| up and cook breakfast for example and then | | | | get a chance. It is part of the hunting process and |
| wear these clothes to the field. | | | | can be a lot of fun. Do it at least a week or so |
| - Remember this for sure; do not wear the boots | | | | prior to when you will hunt so as not to disturb |
| you will wear in the field until heading out in the | | | | the area too much just before hunting. |
| field. On that point, it is pretty well established | | | | - Look for trails and sign. There is much to this as |
| that rubber boots carry the minimal scent of any | | | | there are a variety of factors that can make an |
| other type of boots. If you are not in a cold | | | | area look great, but then not yield any signs of |
| place, cheap rubber boots are fine. More | | | | life at the time of the hunt. One thing to keep in |
| expensive lined (thinsulate is usually the material) | | | | mind is that during the rut, many bucks do not |
| boots may be required in colder climates. | | | | follow their prior behavior. There is some evidence |
| - Scent-Lok materials are available for clothing and | | | | however, that some bucks do. |
| boots if you wish. Not required. | | | | - In regard to potential stand placement, keep |
| - Also, there are laundry detergents, deodorants, | | | | wind direction in mind. Once you have chosen a |
| and scent-blocks available and these may be | | | | spot, make sure you have adequate vision of |
| advisable, but again, are not absolutely necessary | | | | trails and shooting lanes. |
| 2. Colors | | | | - If you are hunting a deer trail, consider how |
| When I began hunting I did not know very much | | | | deer are traveling the trail. Are you trying to |
| about this and I really wondered. Here's what I | | | | catch deer as they enter or exit a food plot or |
| have learned, and perhaps more importantly, have | | | | are you trying to catch them as they enter or |
| experienced in the field. First, do not wear blue | | | | exit a bedding area? |
| jeans. Blue is the one color I know deer can really | | | | - Have an entry/exit plan to your stand sight |
| see. Second, blaze orange is not a problem. No | | | | planned out. Use reflective tacks you can see |
| matter what you wear (as long as not blue), deer | | | | with a flashlight or headlamp, or use surveyors |
| will not see you if you remain still. | | | | tape to mark your route. This part is critical as |
| 3. Tree Stands | | | | your approach may be the deciding factor on |
| I hunt exclusively from a climbing stand and | | | | success or failure. |
| almost exclusively on public land. Here are the | | | | - Use Google Earth as a staring point for your |
| basics with regard to stand placement. | | | | scouting endeavors. This does not in any way |
| - Wind direction is vital. Know the prevailing wind | | | | replace on the ground scouting, but it gives you a |
| direction where you will place your stand, whether | | | | tremendous head start. Especially for those of us |
| it is fixed or portable. | | | | who are hunting public ground. |
| - Always wear a safety harness...at all times from | | | | - If hunting public ground, try and scout areas at |
| ground to ground. | | | | least ¼ mile from any road, trail, or access |
| - Scout the area ahead of time. This is not | | | | point. Believe it or not, just this level of effort will |
| optional. You can get lucky if you happen to be in | | | | separate you from the majority of hunting |
| an area with lots of deer, but you do not want to | | | | pressure. Also, try and have a heads up on the |
| rely on luck. I will expand on scouting in a later | | | | pressure level you will experience for the season |
| section so will leave it at that for now. | | | | you will hunt. As an example of this, there are |
| - Height is important, but you do not need to be | | | | areas that I will hunt in the Missouri antlerless |
| 30 feet high to be successful. In fact, for the | | | | season that I will not venture near during the |
| purpose of good shots, the higher you go, the | | | | regular firearms season. These basic ideas are |
| harder it is to adjust for angle of shot. I often | | | | vitally important to your hunting success. There |
| hunt between 12 and 20 feet and believe this is | | | | are clearly planning issues beyond these that are |
| adequate in most all cases. | | | | necessary. Knowing what gear to bring for |
| - If you are stand hunting, stay in your stand. | | | | example, is of critical importance. Knowing all |
| Many deer are taken mid-day by hunters who | | | | pertinent regulations is vital. Most importantly, |
| have the perseverance to stay in their stand. An | | | | keep in mind that hunting is a sport that can be |
| unpleasant reality is that you may need to relieve | | | | fulfilling without regard to whether you harvest a |
| yourself at some point. Bring a container with you | | | | deer. I enjoy immensely that time I spend in the |
| for this purpose. I just use a water bottle. 4. | | | | Fall woods. A deer is nothing more than a bonus. |
| Firearms/Bows | | | | Outdoor endeavors are a great family experience. |
| I can only be general here because this article is | | | | Whether hunting, fishing, or camping, many |
| not designed to address in detail the issues of | | | | educational resources on the outdoors are |
| firearm or bow choice. There are too many | | | | available using the resources links below. |
| variations to detail here. But here are a few | | | | |