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

[MDHunter]

Tips...

1) If you're a bowhunter, camo absolutely helps, especially if you like to still-hunt like I do - sometimes getting within 10-15 yards of deer and turkeys without anything to break my outline (i.e., I'm in the woods, but not near a tree or bushes - out in plain sight). And go the whole 9 yards - a facemask helps when the deer is close enough to pee on you!

I also hunt with rifle, camo is much less important in that case, but I have it so I wear it (along with orange vest). In rifle season, wear an orange VEST and a camo or black hat - you move your head much more than your chest, so best to leave the neon off your noggin.

2) Whatever you do, when a deer is looking at you, do NOT make eye contact with it - all predators have both eyes in front, while all other animals have one eye on each side - if it sees both your eyes looking at it, it will know something is there and not right. Look at the ground at its feet, and try not to let it see your eyes.

3) While still-hunting, putting an old pair of wool socks over your boots lets you move through the woods more quietly, and you will bend some sticks that you'd have otherwise broken. Remember to spray your socks with scent killer or an acorn cover scent.

4) Don't wear cotton/denim clothing if you hunt on/near rivers or lakes in cool/cold weather. This has nothing to do with hunting, but everything to do with survival if something goes wrong. Cotton kills....

5) When I hunt squirrels, I still-hunt just like I'm hunting deer, although I do wear an orange vest - it keeps my stalking and still-hunting skills honed and makes it easier for me to move quietly through the woods.

6) Get out and hunt - you'll learn a lot more in the woods than you will watching hunting shows!

Michael

 

[the lone gunman]

"Get out and hunt - you'll learn a lot more in the woods than you will watching hunting shows! "

NO Way, what they say on those shows is true. I have learned that all those deer I have taken with my 30-30 thru the years was just luck, its just not enough gun. This year I will be using a 375 H&H Magnum. And thats just entry level for Pa. Whitetails.

 

[mustanger98]

tlg, I hope you're joking. I watch a good many of those shows too and mostly they seem to be infomercials.

 

[skers69]

If you are hunting with a buddy and you both have cell phones, and if you both get reception. Texting on silent mode is a great way to communicate. Me and my hunting buddy have had great success using this tactic.

 

[countertop]

Texting on silent mode is a great way to communicate.

+1

I always have my blackberry with me. Lets me post to the blog from my stand, communicate with my hunting buddy, check weather conditions, and fool my boss into think I'm sitting in the office

 

[308win]

Texting on silent mode is a great way to communicate.

I think that in Ohio using any form of electronic communication could get you cited.

 

[T.R.]

You can find these out-of-print books on eBay with a little effort:

Modern Hunting With Indian Secrets

Complete Book of Outdoor Lore by Ben East

These books are better than a 10 ft stack of so-called modern magazines.

Have a great read!
TR

 

[.41 magnum man]

About 6 weeks before deer season start drinking nothing but apple juice. When season comes in you will have gotten all other stuff out of your system. Then when you are on stand, pee all over the place! The deer smell the apples and come running in.

 

[Floppy_D]

It's okay to be cheap, but don't skimp on footwear.

 

[mustanger98]

Re: apple juice

Before you use any of these tips, make sure you've sorted out and discarded all the hooey.

If you eat meat, you're still gonna smell like a predator. That means urine will smell like that of pretty much any other predator.

 

[Falcon]

Scent control is important, especially for bowhunters,one should take all the precautions in keeping your clothes and boots as scent free as possible.Baking soda helps absorb odors when your clothes are in storage. A seperate box can also be used to brush your teeth.

One "extra measure" I use is controlling the odor from the inside. The secret weapon to use in controlling your body odor (sweat) is to use Nullo. I've had many deer approach me from downwind, directly in my supposed "scent path" when taking the little green pill.

http://www.nullo.com/hunters.htm

 

[MeekandMild]

One way to reduce cold weather glasses fogging is to put spit on them and then wipe it off with the lens cloth. If you can't stand the thought of spitting on them, dry ivory soap can be rubbed in and wiped off to give some protection. Wearing a winter face mask, it is a possible to duct tape it to your cheeks to slow down the breath coming up the top and fogging the glasses.

I don't think that looking down really keeps the deer from seeing your eyes. Its better to wear a dark mosquito net over the head so the eyes are obscured.

 

[S&Wfan]

Do everything you can to keep scents off your boots that are not normally smelled by deer in the wild!!!!!!!

Deer have noses as good as many dogs and they will back out of an area once they smell a boot track.

Sadly, many hunters soon turn the deer nocturnal as they walk around and "scout" the woods between morning and evening hunts . . . due to leaving lots of scent everywhere due to contaminated boots!!! Frankly, this sucks, for it ruins the hunts of the other members.

Many of the offenders on our club chew tobacco and spit that crap anywhere it lands and folks, that crap ain't a smell that deer are fond of smelling!

Also, so many hunters think nothing of wearing their hunting boots to the store, into the house, driving the car, etc. Worse, some even wear 'em at the gas station . . . standing in gas/oil/spit, etc. and letting the gas odors permeate the soles of their boots.

Just as bad . . .

Some hunters wear their boots into, and around, their hunting camp . . . walking over ground where others have spit tobacco, flicked cigarette butts and ashes, pissed on the ground, poured out their old coffee, etc.

After the hunt, take off your boots and slip on some other shoes before you take a step away from your 4-wheeler. If you drove to your hunting spot, take off your boots before you get into your truck and sit your boots on a clean sheet of plastic.

Conversely, never put your boots on until you are stepping into the hunting woods or mounting your 4-wheeler.

T.