A cool trick to not spook deer
 

Heres something my buddy and I came up with over the last few years and it works. In the mornings, before daylight, we were spooking deer as we headed to our stands. Then one day I was sitting in my stand listening to an armadillo walking through the woods. They make a ton of noise, but it is not foot steps like a man...just a constant rustle in the leaves because they are low to the ground and always rooting around. While I was watching and listening to the armadillo, some deer came through and they did not give the armadillo a second look. I thought...why not try shuffling my feet instead of walking on my way to my stand? I tried it the next morning and I did not spook any deer. OK..I think, but maybe no deer were nearby. I talked to my hunting buddy about it and he said he would try it the next morning. Well...he came back to camp that afternoon excited. He said he started shuffling--without really picking his feet up off the ground--about 150 yards from his stand (in the dark). After going a ways, he stopped to rest for a minute and heard deer feeding in the area of his stand. So he shuffled a ways further. The deer didnt leave. To make a long story short, he did a stop-and-go shuffle all the way to his ladder and the deer were within 30 yards of his stand--they did not even spook when he shined his flashlight on them (it was does)! They finally spooked and ran off when he started climbing the ladder. Needless to say, we use this technique in the daytime now, too. Try it and report back on your experience with it.

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

Sounds good and we have lots of armadillos so it should work. I'll let you know. Now if you only had an armadillo decoy we could start a new show on OLN!!

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

We don't have any armadillos here in Wisconsin, but maybe I can try to walk around like a possum. Great tip though. Deer seem to know the sound of a man walking compared to that of another animal.

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

This works in ohio with turkey and squirrel noises in my area. I always try to sound something other than a human.

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

I will give this one a try. . . .being in Texas I get to Hunt them in my yard during the summer nights. Makes my wife nuts. . .I get up a few times a night go out on the back deck and take a quick listen for them schuffling around. Then get out the red light and the 22short with a laser pointer and the rest is history. Three so far this summer and 3 last summer as well.

They sure tear up your flower beds. We leave the Deer, Foxes, Skunks, Racoons and Posums alone but those Dillos are a real problem.:D:D

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

When I walk to my stand after sunrise I use a turkey mouth call . I have jumped deer out of their beds bed down again after a PUTT or PURR.

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

Like johnch, I use a turkey mouth call but I also cut a 3ft long swich and use it to scratch the leaves just like a turkey as I move through the woods. It works! The closest I've ever gotten using this method was about 20Yds. A big doe was feeding on acorns on the other side of this big briar patch. About the time I cleared the briar patch, we saw each other. Don't know who was startled the most the doe or me...LOL

firstshot

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

Wow, thats a good idea. But u have to make sure you have your scent blocker on.

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

No ,scent blocker is over rated IMO just hunt into or cross wind.

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

I have done the same thing - but I was just practiceing my turkey calls and had a buck walk almost right up to me .

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

no armadillos here, but ill try it anyways

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

No armadillos here either, but, it could work anyway. (Ohio)... I might try the turkey call thing....
If an armadillo happens to show up in the woods where I hunt, I will get spooked lol:D

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

I tried sounding like a deer once ,
I nearly ended up on the evening news by POing the local dominant buck !
(Note to self: Always check to see what the call is set on ...) ;)

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

Yeah, I wondered about that too. I was in a tree stand near LaGrange and had a similar experience, except it was a bunch of squirrels making the noise. The deer never even seemed to notice. Maybe I ought to give up the commando creep and just go for the shuffle instead. Good observation!-Ed

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

I been walking like a 290 pound squirrel for years and it does work most of the time. However, once out of the woods, I adopt a more manly walk.;)

RE: A cool trick to not spook deer
 

I've also heard a variant of this using a walking stick to throw off the normal human cadence. I never tried it, but who knows? It may work.