I believe this list would work for hunting deer anywhere.

Yea, I have made most of those[&:].....and a ton of others.

Real good post and list we can all chew on a bit. When I first read down through it, I felt like someone handed me my personal checklist of no-no's I have learned from the hard way over the years.

One mistake that I've corrected over the years is eliminating entry and exit odors by wearing knee high rubber boots. Before I started using them, I would watch, does especially, locate my path of entry. After starting to use rubber boots, the incidence went way down.

I've made all of thoese mistakes, 1,2,4,5 and 8 stand out to me.

#4 is one of the reasons I don't pack bino's, I'm looking a bird's, watching plains fly over, looking at the toe of my boot, next thing I know theres a doe blowing at me.[:-]

I could add many, many more mistakes I have made. The key is not to repeat them.

1. Deerhunting for a mature buck before and after the rut. They don'tmove like the rest of the herd.
2. Walking my huntinggrounds in season. Any new rubs,have thoese scrapes opened up on the flat yet, ect.ect.......
3. Not changing my locationas the food source changes.
4. Not knowing the food source and when they change throught out the season.

This list could go on and on for me, I look back and feel like a dumbass......I'm stilla dumbass,Just not as often.

There are some great responses here guys!

I have forgotten my arrows/quiver before but never my bow!!!

What's so funny...lol?

I only made it about an 1/8mi.

(And I was still set upwell before light)

What an awesome Thread, the things listed so farare good tips butwere common knowledge 20-30 years ago. Come on guysgive ussomething new, I need all the help I can get.

It my be thinking outside thebox, anything that may help. PLEASE....

Well, how about sound?


I was blind calling one day with my grunt call when it was 12 degrees out. After my first session I waited 15 minutes before I was going to try again. When I tried, my call was froze up. I started to slowly breath warm air into the call to thaw it out when it broke loose and let out a loud awful squawk! A big buck came charging across the creek so .... I shot him. I have never scared off a deer with a call, except the time I rattled at a 90" buck with a set of 150" antlers!

Try banging an aluminum arrow on your stand or have your stand give off a metallic creek!

Deer don't seem to be too concerned about hearing natural sounds, like sticks breaking and such but foreign, metallic noises will definitely get their attention.

Don't be afraid to use your calls.

Thanks for the tips guys.