Pointer 1: Stay away from Pheasant stocked WMAs.
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
Pointer 2: 80% of the deer occupy 20% of the woods. So find that 20% and you'll have success.
Pointer 3: Look at a map of your hunting area. If hunting public land draw a 3/4 mile radius circle around all parking areas and access areas. Don't bother hunting within that circle. All the deer will be well busted out of these areas. Most hunters are lazy and hunt within a mile of their truck. So you'll see more hunters then deer within this range.
Pointer 4: Don't do all day sits unless you're in the peak of the chase/rut. This is only about 15% to 18% of the total season. Hunt the AM, then relocate (still hunting while relocating) mid day for the evening hunt. Staying in one spot all day just has your scent permeate the woods.
Pointer 5: Learn thermals!! Don't just hunt the prevailing wind. On light and variable wind days the thermals play a larger role in carrying your scent then the wind. Example: When near water in the AM the cold water will cool the air immediately above it. This effect will pull air down from above the water and push it out and up the shore, up embankments, hills, etc. In the evening the warmer water (having been warmed by the sun all day) will heat the cooler evening air causing it to rise. This effect will then pull air from the shore out to over the water and then up..
Pointer 6: Use pointer 5 to determine where to put your stand and also what height to set at.
Pointer 7: Don't walk or cross game trails when scouting close to or in season. Deer will know you where there and when. After experiencing some hunting pressure they will leave the area and probably not return anytime soon.
Pointer 8: Don't waste your money on urine scents. Deer know and are familiar with the other deer in their area. They will pick up on unfamiliar deer. Most scents in a bottle come from multiple deer too and will not appear natural to them. Also most hunters bath in a half bottle of doe in estrus scent each time they go out and deer quickly learn to associate it with hunter pressure. They also learn to associate hunting pressure with unnatural amounts of scent. However food scents are okay (apples, acorns, etc..)
Pointer 9: You don't need fancy odor free body wash. Dove sensitive skin is unscented and will be far less harsh on your skin. Use the shampoo though.
Pointer 10. Most of your scent comes from your feet, hair, breath, armpits and groin. So use scent eliminating/free hunting shampoo, SmartMouth Mouthwash, hunting ANTIPERSPIRANT (not just deodorant), and make your own odor eliminating spray consisting of baking soda, distilled water, and hydrogen peroxide. Google the mix ratio. Spray down with the stuff.
Pointer 11: Wear rubber boots. (see pointer 10)
Pointer 12: Layer up and down as climate dictates. Avoid sweating at all costs. However be prepared for the weather. Nothing ends a hunt quicker than being cold. Avoid cotton. As in don't wear any at all. Go for wool.
Pointer 13: No matter how much money and effort you expend on scent control - a deer will still pick you off a 1/4 mile away if the wind is in their favor. Just about all of those "scent block" this and "activated carbon" that is nothing more then pixie dust designed to separate hunters from their money.
Pointer 14: Deer aren't stupid. They position themselves to use the weather, thermals and their senses to their best advantage. See point 13. So use this knowledge to yours.
Pointer 15: Deer get skittish during high winds. It deprives them use of their senses. The entire forest is moving in the wind making vision less effective, scent is carried away, and the noise deprives them of their hearing. Don't expect to see much movement during these times. So you need to change tactics. Sitting in a stand or ground blind will likely not be productive.
Pointer 16: Deer move to food during cold fronts.
Pointer 17: Deer movement is better during a rising barometer.
Pointer 18: A hanging moon late in the AM (8:30ish) causes deer to stay on their feet later than they normally would.
Pointer 19: When hunting early season stick to the evenings. Most deer are back in bed by shooting hours. Around 11/1 start hunting AMs. Around 11/10 start hunting all day.
Pointer 20: Keep scouting and hitting the woods in October. But stick to the man made trails - or at least stay away from your hunting spots. When you start seeing scrapes on the trails (usually 7 to 10 days after the moon waxes full) - count 28 days forward on the calendar. This will mark the peak of the doe herd's estrus cycle (and the lock down phase). The proceeding week you should see a lot of chasing and activity.
Pointer 21. Know your woods. Bring a compass and make sure you know how to use it to navigate and hit your marks. Especially if you're hunting swamps or marshes. this can make the difference between getting out dry or having to swim out. A GPS is a very nice tool - but batteries or electronics can die at the most inconvenient times. Especially in the cold. Glow tacks just lead others to your spots. Use then to mark your tree - but not your trail or path in/out.
Pointer 22 - always have a fully charged cell
Pointer 23 - always make sure to tell your family where you'll be going. Leave a map. Text them if you decide to change locations/woods during the hunt.
pointer 24 - Take the junk harness that comes with whatever tree stand you buy and throw it in the trash. Buy a good one - hunter safety systems as an example. You're life is worth the hundred bucks. Replace the harness every 3rd year. Replace it immediately if you ever have a fall. Replace the primary tree strap every year if it even looks a tiny bit frayed.
Pointer 25: Use Sawyer Permethrin. Ticks suck. Lyme disease or any other tick born disease sucks more.
Pointer 26: Get in shape. You can't overstate the benefit of this.
Pointer 27: Watch several hunting shows with Lee and Tiffany (or whomever). Whatever they do (like hunting on a field edge) do the opposite!!! This isn't Iowa and you're not on 1500 private acres with food plots.
Others may chime in with more info. The above pointers on deer behavior are generalizations. There are no certainties or guarantees. You have to keep your head up and make adjustments as the season progresses. Don't be afraid to change it up if what you're doing isn't working. Lack of confidence will cost you more deer than anything else.
