How do you prepare for deer season...

[deerhunter61]

I am curious what steps or processes everyone goes through in preparation for deer season?

Do you scout the area you are going to hunt prior to season? If so how early do you start and how much time do you spend in the woods?

If you do not scout prior to the beginning of the season how successful are you? Also if not why not?

What type of hunting do you do? Tree stand? Ground Blind? Spot and stalk? Still hunt?

Do you use camo? What kind?

Do you use scents? If so what kind and what is its purpose?

If you hunt using a stand do you hunt over food plots/feeders? Do you hunt over crop fields or near them?

Do you use any food substances? Such as Deer Cain? If so what type of activity do you get?

Do you use a Decoy? Do you use horns and rattle? Do you use grunt calls? If you use any of these methods how successful have you been when using them?

Thanks

 

[Dksimon]

1) We dont scout, there are always deer where we hunt so hopefully it continues that way.

2) No scouting

3) We hunt from a boat. Drive up the banks of the Missouri (Lake Oahe) and when we see a deer we pull into a bay and jump onto land then stalk the deer.

4) I wear camo but only because I wear the same jacket deer hunting that I wear Waterfowl huntin.

5)No Scents

6)There are corn plots further away from the bank of the river but we dont huntin them.

7)No food substances

8) No Decoy, horns rattles or grunts

 

[saskboy]

I put out several bait piles, usually canola or wheat from the grain bin. Put down a bag or two of water softener salt and they will paw at the ground for years after you put it there. I like tree stands but perfer to sit in the alfalfa fields and wait for them to walk out of the bush. No calls no scents and no cammo. Im jelous of you americans though......... I want to shoot a deer with an assult rifle or at least be able to own one. Best we can do here is just bump fire a hunting rifle

 

[dogrunner]

Get the dogs all their vaccinations, check the tracking collars for function.....Ride out the area and see where most of the movement is..........some prefer to 'shine' and locate bucks. Some place stands in permanent locations. Very little use of feeding stations and baits in a dog hunt area, tho some do so.

It all just depends on the region you're in and the method you prefer........Have a very close buddy that owns a big place in the Appalachians that asseses his deer population by casually casting his pickup's lights across his pastures....if he sees more that a dozen and a half or so in a bunch, then its OK.........less than that tho and he claims you are gonna have to work some........

 

[HunterGirl]

Do you scout the area you are going to hunt prior to season? If so how early do you start and how much time do you spend in the woods?

I've never scouted yet. I've been hunting the same two pieced of property my whole life.

If you do not scout prior to the beginning of the season how successful are you? Also if not why not?

I've never been skunked. Every year that I hunt I get at least one deer. I've gotten as many as four a year.

What type of hunting do you do? Tree stand? Ground Blind? Spot and stalk? Still hunt?

By and large I tree stand hunt. I also make drives, still hunt, and stalking occasionally. 85% of my deer have been shot from a tree though.

Do you use camo? What kind?

I wear dark wool overalls with blaze orange camo jacket....nothing like what I do for bowhunting.

Do you use scents? If so what kind and what is its purpose?

I almost never use scents however, I always use scent killer spray ever time I go in the woods. I know it doesn't stop you scent but I do believe it helps from leaving initial scent on the grass when walking in.

If you hunt using a stand do you hunt over food plots/feeders? Do you hunt over crop fields or near them?

I'm usually in the woods on a trail between beds and water. I never hunt over feed.

Do you use any food substances? Such as Deer Cain? If so what type of activity do you get?

nope

Do you use a Decoy? Do you use horns and rattle? Do you use grunt calls? If you use any of these methods how successful have you been when using them?

I do not use a decoy. I will occasionally rattle depending on the buck activity in the area. I'll use a call only to stop a moving deer so I can take my shot.

 

[Shawnee]

No stand

No scent

No camo

No bait

No decoy

No calls

Just license, Ruger Super Blackhawk, ammo, cleaning knife, small packet of Wet-wipes, and 2 dozen candy bars.

 

[ColeK]

Quote:
Do you scout the area you are going to hunt prior to season? If so how early do you start and how much time do you spend in the woods?

Yes, but not a lot because most of the land I hunt I’ve hunted 10 to 40 plus years. I scout mainly to see if I need to move one of my latter stands or find a new tree for my climber or spot for my blind.

Quote:
If you do not scout prior to the beginning of the season how successful are you? Also if not why not?

I've have been skunked but it was years ago. (I’ve been doing this for overc
45+ years.). You know you’re getting old when you see a deer and the first thing that you of is, “Dang is the deer worth work its going to cause if I pop a cap on him?”

Quote:
What type of hunting do you do? Tree stand? Ground Blind? Spot and stalk? Still hunt?

I mostly tree stand hunt. I also use a ground blind some. I love to still hunt but most places around here don’t want you doing it because of other hunters in the area. I hunt a few places where you can spot and stalk. I used to do man drives and dog drives.

Quote:
Do you use camo? What kind?

It depends. Ask yourself why you need camo when you have to wear 500 sq.ins. of blaze orange vest or jacket? Do I have camo? Yes. Do I wear it? Yes. Is it needed? No. Why do a have it? I live in the hometown of Mossy Oak need I say more. Besides I can get it cheap.

Quote:
Do you use scents? If so what kind and what is its purpose?

I have used scents but much any more. Most are not very effective except during the rut. I do use scent killer spray when I go in the woods. It doesn't stop you scent but It does I believe it help reduce your scent trail. I also use no scent body soap and laundry soap without UV brighteners.

Quote:
If you hunt using a stand do you hunt over food plots/feeders? Do you hunt over crop fields or near them?

I'm hunt mostly in the woods on a trail between beds, food and water. I do sometimes hunt over food plot and fields. I don’t hunt over feeders or bait piles.

Quote:
Do you use any food substances? Such as Deer Cain? If so what type of activity do you get?

Nope, I’ve never used them.

Quote:
Do you use a Decoy? Do you use horns and rattle? Do you use grunt calls? If you use any of these methods how successful have you been when using them?

I have never used a decoy for deer. I will occasionally rattle and use a grunt call during the rut. Otherwise they are useless IMO. I've used a fawn bleat call with some success and a snort call to stop a moving deer so I can take my shot.


The Ol’ man said, “Son, don’t brag to me about the long shot you made! Brag to me about how close you got!”

 

[v8stang289]

1. I’ve been hunting the same area for several years so mainly I just spend a couple of hours looking for rubs and scrapes and making sure the main trails are the same.

2. Doesn’t really seem to matter

3. Mostly tree stand now, sometimes I just sit in the woods near a trail, but I’ve done a little bit of all of it.

4. Yes, but just because I have it really, I’ve had them for years. I think the pants are realtree and my shirt is mossy oak.

5. nope

6. Generally during bow season/early rifle season I put out corn, later in the season there are things they mainly are after more than food.

7. Nope, thought about trying C’mere deer, but I dunno.

8. I have a grunt call, but have only used it a coupla times to no real noticeable difference.

 

[lgbloader]

I Have tried C'mere deer and it don't work too good. It's like talking to my son when he was two years old. Maybe you have to send a barrage of "C'mere's" to be affective.

More beer...

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Just license, Ruger Super Blackhawk, ammo, cleaning knife, small packet of Wet-wipes, and 2 dozen candy bars.

Hey was that you I saw in the hunter costume at my door last Halloween rounding up candy bars for your hunt?

Preparations: Wash hunting clothes in baking soda & borax. Store in airtight containers with some tree limbs & leaves. Make homemade cover scent from cedar branches. Practice with bow. Sight in muzzleloader. Sight in a couple of rifles. Replace worn nylon ratchet straps on tree stands. Scout a little bit for rubs (scrapes don't come til Nov or very very late Oct). Clean the dead wasps and such out of my camper parked down in deer camp and put fresh bedding in. I keep 3 or 4 "apple block" salt licks around the property year round to kinda keep deer in the area. No more corn or feeders - used to do that, but it's a pain, it's expensive, and I always harvested the deer way away from the feeders so what's the point? Lol, a 50 lb bag of corn the other day at Sportsman's Warehouse was, no kidding, $11.50. Last year those same bags were $5.99. Forget that. I planted 3 apples trees** and am going to plant a couple more this spring. Once they are mature in a few years, they will be better than feeders at keeping deer around, and totally cost & hassle free!

**For cross-pollination, I put in 1 full-sized Granny Smith, 1 dwarf Jonathon, and 1 crabapple. The dwarf and the crabapple will only take around 3 years to start bearing fruit. Peaches, pears, persimmons, and blackberries are other good ideas for deer draw, depending on where you live and the plant diseases and climate you have.

 

[uk roe hunter]

in preparation i like to get excited and not sleep very well the night before, sometimes i like to look at my rifles and i read THR a bit more

 

[ImARugerFan]

Treestand near an apple tree. Preferably an apple tree surrounded by saplings that have been rubbed. I use scent during the rut. Buck will walk right up to a doe estrus soaked rag hanging from a tree.

 

[kmrcstintn]

ladder tree stands put up @ 2 months prior to rifle season (the archery guys in the group are welcome to use them; clear cut walking lanes to stands @ 2 weeks later...depends upon weather; scent killing spray when doing final setup (cushions, rail covers, etc); freshen up mineral licks a few weeks in a row & then let the area alone for a few weeks; we've been using mineral licks & corn feeders during spring & summer to keep deer on the property & to supplement their regular diet;

wash all layers of anticipated hunting garb & use scent control dryer sheets; place hunting clothes & other hunting gear in large storage totes w/ Scent Away fresh earth dryer sheets 7 refresh containers with more dryer sheets every 10 - 14 days; place boots in large plastic bags w/ dirt. moss, rotting leaves, etc from hunting area & let scent permeate the rubber soles; use scent control body wash & deoderant during the hunting period; scent control spray each time I go into hunting area; grab piles of rotting leaves & place them inside vehicle 2 weeks before hunting season;

sighting in of weapons done during late summer/early fall to avoid crunch time at the range during the 2 weeks prior to start of rifle season; take weapons out 1 or 2 times prior to start of season & put a few rounds downrange to stay confident in sight in adjustments;

using tink's 69 for attraction scent during hunt & might be using fox pee, coon pee, or a curiosity scent for covering my scent trail on way into woods

 

[JWarren]

Do you scout the area you are going to hunt prior to season? If so how early do you start and how much time do you spend in the woods?

I do a casual scouting. I look for rubs, scraps, etc. But I don't change my locations of my fields. I may, however, change where I am going to put up my portable stands. I just planted my rye grass fields two weeks ago.

If you do not scout prior to the beginning of the season how successful are you? Also if not why not?

I kill as many as we need to eat every year well before the season is over. I've taken my share of trophies. I call that sucessful.

What type of hunting do you do? Tree stand? Ground Blind? Spot and stalk? Still hunt?

Primarily stands over rye grass fields. I have a few portables that I use on trails for a change of pace. Regardless of my hunt, I am up in a stand-- either on a field or on a trail 99% of the time.

Do you use camo? What kind?

I typically don't wear any. I've gotten all decked out many times, and many times I've worn jeans and a jacket. Over my experience, I honestly haven't seen anything that leads me to believe it really matters in my manner of hunting.

Do you use scents? If so what kind and what is its purpose?

I don't use scents.

If you hunt using a stand do you hunt over food plots/feeders? Do you hunt over crop fields or near them?

I hunt on Rye Grass fields. No corn is allowed.

I have feeders and mineral licks fairly close to my primary stand.

Do you use any food substances? Such as Deer Cain? If so what type of activity do you get?

No.

Do you use a Decoy? Do you use horns and rattle? Do you use grunt calls? If you use any of these methods how successful have you been when using them?

None of the above for me. I usually bring a book and put it down when its time to scope something or shoot something.


-- John

 

[deerhunter61]

Here are some of what I do...

I am curious what steps or processes everyone goes through in preparation for deer season?

Do you scout the area you are going to hunt prior to season?
I do scout but it is really minimum.

If so how early do you start and how much time do you spend in the woods?
I started this year in March when I looked for a place to put up my stands and spent probably 5-6 hours scounting. I was limited because most of the areas were already being hunted on the lease I am on so I had to scout the areas that were left.

If you do not scout prior to the beginning of the season how successful are you? Also if not why not?
Since in the past I hunted on Public land most of the time I did not have consistent success. The times when I spent a lot of time in the field scouting I usually had a lot better success. Now that I am on a lease in W TX I anticipate having GREAT success. This past weekend on Sunday morning I had 3 does and 2 bucks come to my feeder.

What type of hunting do you do? Tree stand? Ground Blind? Spot and stalk? Still hunt?
Mainly I stand hunt, Box Stand, but I enjoy all of the above and given the opportunity this year will try them all.

Do you use camo?
Yes, I also have a gilley and it is incredible. I literally had an owl last year fly up to the tree I had climbed in and it landed about 4 feet from me and sat there for 2-3 minutes. Simply amazing. That was worth everything last year to simply experience that.

What kind?
As to the kind...what ever is cheapest when I buy it.

Do you use scents?
I have used them occasionally but I have never seen anything that would lead me to believe they actually work.

If so what kind and what is its purpose?
Most of the time it is about covering my scent.

If you hunt using a stand do you hunt over food plots/feeders?
I am hunting over feeders this year. I actually bought a second one this past weekend and set it up. Did not understand why the other guys were doing this until this weekend...but after experiencing the wind direction I decided to use another one...it was that or put up another stand in the opposite direction and I figured the feeder was cheaper.

Do you hunt over crop fields or near them?
No simply because there are not any...the land is really to poor to support crops.

Do you use any food substances? Such as Deer Cain?
No, but I intend to try some this year. First Deer Cain and then perhaps Cmere Deer.

If so what type of activity do you get?
None yet.

Do you use a Decoy?
No

Do you use horns and rattle?
Yes with occasional success but not often.


Do you use grunt calls?
I have tried them but with no success.

 

[Kman]

I usually just slaughter a chicken using Halal methods, read the blood sign, roll the bones, and pray to the three wise men for a successful hunt. Pics of the three wise men below.

 

[caribou]

I awake to the Wife.....
Then its coffee, check the weather.....
if my "Rig" is running good, and the weather is being nice, then it out the door.....
I know the lands well enough, listen to the neighbors talk of where what is, and go from there...

I hunt year round, on land, water and ice/snow....
Our Season starts on July 1st....ends June 30.....

I gotta go....
No hunting, no eating.

 

[ants]

Shawnee:
... and 2 dozen granola bars

That's the only change required to Shawnee's method, if you want to hunt mule deer out in the western basin and range region. The grains in the granola help you poop when you get back to camp with your buck.
[Sorry for the graphic visual, deerhunter61, but you asked!]

 

[deerhunter61]

This is an old thread but I was wondering if the prep work you put in paid off this past year? Did you fill your tag/tags?

 

[CoRoMo]

No. No tags were filled, but did have a couple successful hunts, so I think the prep work paid off, but not completely.

 

[the muleskinner]

Season Prep: Practice, practice, practice. Year round. I shoot my bow a lot. Not at a marked off distance either. In the woods. I have a buddy carry the target off to where ever and I shoot it from where I stand. No rangefinder. Great practice. Shoot from my tree stand too.

Scouting: Only at unfamiliar properties. I'm still getting to know two of them. The others I've been hunting for 20 years. Start in early summer and keep in mind that the deer will be on a new pattern by archery opening.

Hunting method: I usually put up two stands. One climber, and one ladder stand. I'll use them about four times, and then still hunt the rest of the year. Stand hunting just doesn't do it for me. I'm more successful from the ground for some reason. Probably just because I spend more time there.

Camo: I use it. Mossy oak. Not sure it helps, but it wouldn't feel like hunting without it.

Scents: Fresh earth cover scent, and during the rut I use tink 69 wicks. I've seen em' come in lip curling.

BAIT: No

Grunt: I use the primos can. I've had better luck with it than anything else, but only on young, dumb bucks. My brother and I rattled in a couple of bucks one time, but it was in a subdivision, and just to see if it would work. It did, and it was incredible. Never had any luck in the deer woods though.

Success rate: Medium to high. I fill the freezer every year, but I've only got one on the wall. I've gotten' some pretty nice ones I couldn't afford to mount as well. Mostly just a meat hunter though.

 

[deerhunter61]

The muleskinner,

What in your area and for you constitutes a wallhanger? How much does it cost you to have one shoulder mounted there in VA?

Why not just mount the antlers? I have three shoulder mounts with another on the way and 8 mounts where I simply cut the antlers off and mounted them on a plack I bought at Walmart. They are not GREAT but they do look good. I only do this because each one has a special story to me and seeing the rack hanging up stairs in my den brings these memories back.

 

[the muleskinner]

deerhunter61,

I live in the Shenandoah valley. We're not known for producing world class whitetail here, but there are a few monsters killed every year. A 140 to 150 class deer is not outside the realm of possibility for any hunter here though. There are plenty of those killed out here every year, and they usually win the big buck contests at the general stores.

Funny story. The first day of bow season in '07 I killed the biggest buck I've ever killed with my bow. A nice eight pointer and definetly a trophy, but not big enough to mount. So I cut the rack off and planned on mounting them to a board. I set them on a tree stump out behind my house to "cure". You can probably guess what happened. Some critter dragged them off into the woods. Ouch. Atleast I've got the pictures.

Back when I had my buck mounted in '97 it cost me $315. A buddy of mine is getting one done now and it's costing him close to $400. I have a rule now; if it's not bigger than the one on the wall, I'm not mounting it.

I'm going to try to post some pics of my wall mount if I can figure out how. Don't laugh Mr. Texas 200" deer slayer.

 

[the muleskinner]

Here they are. The wall hanger I got back in '97 with a 12 gauge. The one in the building is the largest buck that I've killed with my bow. Note the shot placement.... oh yeah right between the eyes. He was dead before he hit the ground. Interesting story, but probably not relevant.

 

[deerhunter61]

the muleskinner,

That is a nice mount. I hope it does not take too long to top it...although as nice as it is it might...

And if you are refering to me with the 200' comment then I must say that I have never even gotten one that is 140'. Although I hunt to do as you say get a bigger one than the last one on the wall, which I achieved this year, I think he will gross around 130, I still have hopes of one day shooting one over 150". After that then it would be 160'.