Deer hunting questions

[Crazy Uncle Al Gore]

So today was the first day I've ever gone deer hunting I went out in the morning, came back home for school then went back out this evening. I plan on doing the same thing for the rest of the week. I saw a doe today but it was over 100 yards away. I didn't feel comfterable taking the shot with my open sight, smooth bore shotgun, especially with it being my first shot. I have two questions : #1 How does rain affect deer hunting, will it mask my scent? keep the deer indoors ect.? #2 I know you need to keep down wind from deer, but what if there is no wind? Any advice is appreciated

 

[Art Eatman]

Sometimes deer will bed down during rain; sometimes, particularly in a light drizzle, they'll be out wandering around. As far as scent, it probably reduces the travel-distance some, in a very light breeze.

It's rarely sure-enough dead calm. Wet a finger tip and hold it up. If there's any cooling on one side, that's the direction from which a very slight breeze is coming.

Art

 

[Idano]

I am not a shot gunner so I can't say whether 100 yards is out of range for a 12 ga. or not, but it does seem far to me. Regarding your two questions: rain seems to be easier to hunt in, it definitely dampens the noise level. Also there is always some breeze that will carry your scent. I carry a little bottle of talcum powder to check wind direction, you can get it with archery supplies.

 

['Card]

Assuming it's even legal to shoot does where you're hunting, then yeah - I think you did the right thing holding your shot. 100 yards is near the max I'd be comfortable with a rifled shotgun. With a smoothbore 12-gauge, I'd normally wait on a 50-60 yard shot depending (of course) on how I'd done with it at the range.

As far as the rain is concerned... deer depend on scent first, hearing second, and sight third to alert them to predators. Rainy weather interferes with two of those three - by dampening scent and making the leaf cover on the forest floor quieter - so they will generally prefer to stay bedded down in heavy cover while it's raining.

I say generally because nothing is really a hard-and-fast rule with deer. If, say for example, the rain lasts for a day or two, they'll get hungry and they'll go ahead and eat, rain or no rain. They also worry a lot less about the weather when they're in rut, but the rut is pretty much over now so it shouldn't be a factor.

I find that rainy days are great days for stalking, but you have to know the area and know where to look. Generally speaking, the most productive places for me are along the bottom edges of brier thickets or heavy underbrush. They like to be able to see a good ways downhill when they're bedded down, but they also like to be close to a thicket they can dive into if they get pressed.

 

[Sunray]

"...didn't feel comfortable taking the shot..." Good for you. If you're not sure of making a clean kill, don't take the shot. Well done.
"...keep the deer indoors..." That's a good description of it. In heavy rain, Bambi will hole up, usually in thick cedar if there is any, but holed up just the same. Rain won't mask you scent. It might lessen it though.
There's nearly always air moving, even if you can't tell. The wee talc bottles Idano mentions is a great way of telling which way the wind is going. Doesn't have to be from an archery shop, but you don't want scented talc either. Regular fine flour in a lidded plastic salt shaker will do nicely. A tree stand helps a lot too.
One thing you should do if you haven't already is to go to a range and sight in your shotgun. Find out for sure how well it groups and where at 100. You'll likely be surprised how well a good slug will shoot out of your shotgun. A 3" group is good enough for deer. Then shoot off hand, with the ammo you hunt with, at a 9" pie plate until you can hit it every time.

 

[Idano]

One more thing, when you are hunting in the rain or the snow check under huge evergreens. I have found deer laying right up against the trunk under those trees during rainy conditions and will hold if they think they are concealed. Also in a herd that is bedded down there will quite often be a single deer standing guard so look around and see if there is another deer laying down that might be a better choice. I noticed Card mentioned the rut and depending where you live it may not be over yet, in fact here in Idaho it really doesn't getting going good until Thanksgiving. I use to do a bow hunt the the last two weeks of November during the rut and simply breaking a stick will bring in huge bucks in as long as they can not smell you.

 

[dfaugh]

"...didn't feel comfortable taking the shot..."

Another "attaboy" for that one... Most of the idiots aroung here would've emptied the gun. 100 yards is a tough shot with a shotgun, even with rifled barrel and sabot. I try to limit my shots to 50-60, and preferably less) with a smooth bore and rifled slugs.

Previous advice on scent control/wind direction is good.

Tree stand is good if you can, will help disperse any scent.

 

[mohican]

50-75 yards for a smooth bore 12 gauge due to typical accuracy issues

sabot slugs/other slugs/rifled slug barrels it depends on the range you practiced at. IMO, even with advertised "200 yard range" of some of the super duper sabot loads, the guns accurate range may be 150.(if that) A standard weight 12 guage rifled slug barrel, 24" long is pretty thin and "whippy". The H&R heavy barreled gun or the "special" guns like Tarhunt may be better.

 

[phantomak47]

Good Choice in not shooting, I have seen so many morons out there shooting at anything that moves, let alone not taking a shot because they didnt have one.

 

[mio]

first of all congratz on not taking what you considered a poor shot...its always good to see a person hunting responsibly esp a beginning hunter

second i disagree with the rain and scent thing...i do agree that it can help deer move more esp a light drizzle but if you ever watch close up video of deer you will see that they lick thier nose sticking thier tongues up into it and then pulling them out to the side through the "slit" (for lack of a better word) the reason that they do this is because the sense of smell is hightened by keeping the nose damp. you may notice this yourself if you go into the woods after a rain you have both the fresh rain smell and a strong "earthy" smell..the dampness makes your sense of smell more acute

there is always some wind try to aviod sitting on the side of a ridge facing out because the wind if at your back will carry your scent out to the deer or if in your face it will deflect your scent off the ridge and back to the deer

 

[redneck2]

I go to the 'puter and hit "Weatherbug" every time I go hunting. You don't have to guess about the wind direction.

I'd put a piece of light yarn or thread on your bow or gun

Kudos on the "no shoot". I've found more than my share of dead deer that other hunters lost

 

[Blackfork]

movement and scent.

If they can't smell you, and you don't move, they rarely spook. The 10 point buck I shot Monday evening was with 2 does and a little buck, all of whom had looked me over at the corner of the pasture..but I wouldn't move and there was no wind, so after a moment they forgot me. I stood in the open and watched them graze and move for about 20 minutes. Finally the does alerted and a the one I shot walked out.

Just a little screen qualifies as a blind. But deer will spook on scent.

Today I watched the same little buck who saw me walk to the fence at another pasture with a pair of binocs. I wouldn't move after I saw him. He walked nearly 200 yards down to where I was and circled about 60 yards away. I think he finally forgot what he came down for and went back to the two does that he is following. He never spooked. They never spooked. I didn't move unless their heads were down. The wind was in my favor.