burlyman

Many times we see on here and in real life newcomers or those just starting out ask for tips and advice about bowhunting. Most of the time we see the usual such as locate food sources, stay in your stand quietly and as long as possible, study the land you are hunting, set up stands near funnels/channels etc. Lets use this thread to share our "not so obvious" tips/secrets that newcomers should know from our experience, and maybe all of us can pick up something as well...

Mine is...when you see a deer that is out of range or a doe that you do not want to take, study its body language and behavior and learn as much as you can. I have made a habit of doing this and it has made me such a better hunter. Things to notice and learn...

1-How do deer behave when they are eating?
2-what does a deer do when he picks up a strange smell?
3-What does a deer do when he sees something strange?
4-How does a deer react to danger?

If you can learn how deer live in their environment, it will make you a better hunter. Share yours!!!

shoot2thrill25

If a deer is staring at you in the tree, and drops its head like it is going to feed, DONT MOVE YET 9.5 out of 10 times that deer is going to yank its head back up very quickly to stare some more. They are tricky tricky. Wait until it starts feeeding for sure, then slowly start to make your move.

shoot2thrill25

one more, if you are hanging on the edge of a field go to the other side and see what the deer will see. A few years ago I was on the edge of a cornfield and saw a buck on the other side. I rattled and he came a runnin'. I set down my antlers, and grabbed my bow of the hanger. Slow, but not slow enough. He picked me off, pulled a u-turn and was gone. After checking it out from his point of view I figure out why. The field I was in had a "crown" to it so that when we had a lot of rain, what the ground didn't soak up would run off the field. So even tho I was 20 feet up a tree, I was directly in his line of sight as he was coming up the very, very, very slight slope. So before you hunt it, check out every angle from the deers point of view.

sportsman22

Don't know if this is a tip, but a lot of times when I am sitting on an edge of a field in my stand, I will get down and walk across the field to my vehicle at dark. There have been many times where I could walk within 20 feet of a herd of deer and not spook them.

fshafly2

I carry a bellows squirrel barker readily accessible in an outside mesh pocket while in my tree stand. If a deer spots me and alerts w/head bobbing or foot stomping, I "bark" at it - it has fooled many, many deer into ignoring me - not all of them though.

-fsh

stealthman

If you really want to become a successful bowhunter learn to play the wind and dont try to rely on something that says it eliminates your scent and allows you to forget the wind.

steve25

Don't go crazy with the buck grut call even if it is a big one! I have called more bucks in with a doe bleat than anything else this works for me even in the rut. I always do a soft doe bleat first and see what reaction I get if nothing then the buck grut and only 1 time that I can remember the buck came to the buck grut.

I have found a buck grut to be more harmful than anything else.

Also don't waste you money on scent blocker clothing! Hunt the wind, it is your best friend when hunted correctly. I use to smoke and done it in the tree stand just like I would any other time. I have several times put one out to take a deer and I was 10ft off the ground I havested my biggest bow buck about half way through a smoke!!! But I always hunt with the wind in my favor. IMHO this is the best advise you can give to a new bowhunter.

PREDATE

It never hurts to give new tips/tactics atleast a sporting chance no matter how much experience/Knowledge one may have. Changes WILL occur during a lifetime of hunting.A few examples; housing/land development,climate differences(especially if hunting in new states or countries),hunting pressure,impacts of predatory animals(coyotes,wolves,cougar etc.) and so on. I personally will soak up every piece of advice/knowledge so long as I am still able (god willing) to rise at the b*tt crack of dawn to have my every sense fully aroused as I approach my hunting ground.It is there that I gain my greatest wealth of skill/knowledge/experience. My tip to pass along today is not my "own" but one that I picked up last year from an article.It's a pretty simple but complex theory.The simplified description, to actually VIEW the wind currents as not air, but as water flowing over the terrain.Terrain is the complex part of it because there's ALOT of it and NONE of it is exactly the same. Visualizing it can also be a time passing helper while on stand.

minnesotadeer

Ditto. Don't be afraid to try new stuff - decoys, scents, spots, you name it. Some of the biggest bucks are taken by newcomers because they didnt know any better and bucked "conventional" wisdom. Conversely, don't ever understimate the benefit of scouting to death, setting up, shutting up and staying still, letting the deer come to you. Also, buy what hunting gear makes you happy, not what others tell you that you need. Get the Double Bull blind because its cool or you really like it, not because you think you need it to get to score a big buck. Last year, someone was plugging some new $100 plus blind chair and when I mentioned I like the $5 plastic chair I had from wally world in my blind, they challenged me, saying it could cost me the buck of a lifetime if I could't swivel just so to take the shot. Amazing what some people will try to make you believe.

UncleNorby

I think a beginner needs to focus on learning deer behavior. Forget the gadgets for the most part. After a couple years hunting you will figure out what "extra" equipment may work for you. Too many beginners just buy stuff and if they don't have success they figure it is because their stuff isn't working, so they buy different stuff. The call-makers and scent makers love it.

Here's a tip. Try to figure a way to access your stands without walking on deer trails. Deer trails can be very tempting to walk on because they are usually a bit easier walking. I know I used to do it. This will tip the deer off to your presence sooner or later.

There's no better tree-stand advice than this - wear your harness. Get into the habit of using it and stick with it.