Top 10 Essential Tips
for Whitetail Deer Hunting
There are plenty of ways to hunt whitetail deer, but that’s the problem: there’s too much noise, and not enough proper hunting tips out there. You need to know what to do from the professionals, and you can’t afford to be stuck out there in the woods without the proper information. Here are the top ten tips to get the most out of your hunting journey, and ensure a safe process throughout the entire thing.
10: The Early Morning
If you want to get the best possible trophy, you’re going to need the best shot, and the best conditions. In the early morning, when it’s misty, you’ll see a lot more whitetail activity. One of the best hunting tips anyone can give you is to hunt in the early morning. While science doesn’t completely know why, it’s proven that buck and doe alike are more active in misty, early morning conditions. It’s the perfect time to land your prey, or potentially two at the same time.
9. Deer Can Hear Better Than They Can See
Whitetail deer are unable to see clearly during the day. As such, they rely on their sense of hearing to be able to pick up on incoming predators. They say that whitetail deer can hear up to a mile away, and in some cases, even farther away. They can use this ability to hear leaves crunch beneath your boots, or the sound of a distant gunshot. If you shoot a whitetail deer, you can be assured that every other whitetail within a one to two mile radius has heard the shot, and has fled the area.
8. The Drone-era Can Help
We all know that drones are everywhere. Amazon uses them as package delivery systems, children use them as toys, but they can actually be used for hunters as well. Whitetail deer are keen to pick up on just about any sound, so how can you get the one-up on them? Using a drone with a built-in camera can be an essential tool to locating your prey quickly, and charting your course. Most whitetail deer don’t look up; they mainly look forward on flat land, so gaining air superiority can be a great tool. Get their whereabouts and return your drone to where you are, and begin walking towards them.
7. Tree Stands Are Actually Useful
There’s a lot of talk that says tree stands aren’t useful. One of the most essential hunting tips we can offer is this: tree stands are still useful, as long as you take safety into consideration. Like we mentioned in tip #8, whitetail deer don’t look up very often, so they’re not going to see you in a tree stand, so long as you’re at the right distance. These can be great tools, but they can be dangerous, too. Most falls occur when you’re climbing into, or out of your tree stand, so use caution.
6. Whitetail Sense of Smell
Just like their innate hearing, they rely on their sense of smell, too. Whitetail can often detect a scent from a good distance away, and in some cases, farther than you can even aim. Make sure to wash your hunting clothes in non-scented detergent, and don’t use fabric softeners with any perfumes.
5. Repellents
You should never head into the woods without some sort of repellent, especially against ticks and mosquitos. The last thing you want to do is bring back a parasite or come home with something new in your blood. Mosquito-related deaths often go unnoticed by the general public, though their numbers every single year continue to rise.
4. Odor Eliminator
Most experienced hunters will spray themselves down with some sort of odor eliminator. Even when you don’t wash your hunting gear in scented or fragrant washes, your natural musk is a continuous scent that increase over time and between showers. There’s always something on you that animals can smell. Spray yourself down, but also bring with you an odor eliminator for your tree stand if you plan to use one. You may leave behind natural musky scents on your tree stand without realizing it, and bringing an odor neutralizer with you can help.
3. Mapping Out Your Spot
The digital age is fantastic for figuring out exactly where you want to drop camp and setup your hunting zone. With Google Maps or Apple Maps, you can make use of satellite imagery and find where you want to hunt. Choose somewhere that’s within a few miles of a road or an area that you can park your vehicle, and ensure that the habitat is prime for whitetail deer, such as near a watering hole/pond.
2. Talking
If you’re hunting with a friend, remember that whitetail have sensitivity to sound. If you and your buddy are chatting too often, it can actually spook the deer, and you may as well be taking a walk through the woods with guns on your back instead of actually hunting. If you’re with a rookie, don’t be afraid to tell them that talking is actually preventing you two from finding prey. Deer will hear you from over a mile away, and you may not even hear them scamper.
1. Beware The Rut
The most dangerous part of any camping trip is finding a buck during the rut. It’s mating season, and testosterone is high. Bucks will scrape their antlers on trees and chip away at the bark to signify their territory. If you enter the realm of a rutting buck, they will be extremely likely to attack you instead of flee. There’s nothing about the rut that you should take lightly. It can be a life or death situation. There are, on average, zero yearly deaths related to bucks attacking humans, because hunters understand the severity of the rut.
Whitetail Deer Hunting on 2000 Acres
When you go hunting for whitetail deer, there’s no better place than Squaw Mountain Ranch. With over 2,000 acres of available hunting space and a dedicated staff, you can be assured that you’ll get the best possible hunting experience possible.