Deer Hunting (Creatures of Habit)

So, by now in your quest for deer hunting knowledge you have undoubtedly heard that deer are creatures of habit and these habits should be used against them to bring about their demise. Yet you think to yourself, I have seen that whitetail buck there before and he never came back again. Why? If we had the answer to that question it would probably be called shooting and not hunting.

In 1993 a hunting buddy and myself decided to spend a great deal of time scouting beginning in the end of July and the first part of August. While scouting one particular bean field on the back of the property, we came across a heavy headed large bodied deer using the field. Unfortunately he had spotted use first. After five minutes of watching each other and the big buck trying to figure us out, he opted to leave in a hurry. The first thought was, that’s the last time we will see him and disappointing it was. However that whitetail buck easily identified by the odd shape of his rack, was spotted 7 times in that same field after that day. The second weekend in September found him in the bed of my pickup truck, taken from that same field. This would certainly lean toward the habit theory, even after being spooked the first time. On the other hand, I could fill your hard drive with stories about deer that were spotted in an area and never seen again that season and just as sure as you are sitting here reading this, you and many others have probably had the same experience.

Are they creatures of habit or not?
Deer need a few basic requirements: food, water, cover and once a year to reproduce. One could see these things as a need to survive, not habit. While deer hunting you may see deer using the same trail several days straight and then they seem to never use that trail again. This is when we need to pull out our little note pad and make a few notes maybe even a few guesses. Were they heading to a food source that may be gone now or was there a small water hole that is now dry? Try to figure out why they stopped using that area. Also keep notes on the movement of the deer you see. Why are they where you see them, what are they doing there and where are they going. Much of this will be guess work on your part but with a little scouting you can determine if your theories hold up or at least find out what made them change their routine.
Compared to some other mammals, whitetail deer have a relatively small home range. Because of this you can still play the habit card in your deck. The habits being the need to eat, drink, feel safe and reproduce. If the deer are no longer being seen in the same area, think back to the basic needs. Is there a more available food source near by? Where is the water hole they are using and what is the best available cover to them? Because the home range is smaller, you should still be able to accurately predict where they went. Food is often the number one reason for a shift in a deer’s routine. You will need to identify and know what is available to them at any given time during the season. If you do not put in enough time and effort to discover the food source, you are putting yourself at a big disadvantage. Another factor to consider is hunting pressure. If an area looks good to you, it probably looks good to another hunter. If there are signs of other hunters using an area, you will need to possibly look for other areas of cover the deer may have moved to. Also, whitetail deer adapt to hunting pressure in a way that allows them to use an area when hunters are not there. Many times a hunter’s first thought is they went nocturnal. This can sometimes be the case. Other times they simply make use of the area when hunters leave. This can make a mid day stand very productive.

These are a few things to consider when deer “habits” seem to change. Take the time to concentrate on their basic needs and what is affecting these needs. Know where the food, water and cover are, and how they may be changing the routine of the deer you see or do not see. The best way to figure these things out is to Scout, Scout, Scout. You can’t find them sitting on the couch.

Whitetail Deer Travel Tip

Large major trails such as this one are often used by does and fawns. A quick check of the tracks on the trail will usually prove this thought correct. Mature whitetail bucks like to be alone and will usually only use the main trail if chasing a hot doe. Look for his travel routes to parallel these main trails, possibly on the down wind side. If you can find these trails during the Pre-Rut, you should increase your odds of seeing the bucks you might have been missing due to sitting on the wrong trail.

Their First Hunting Trip

I can remember my dad packing clothes, buying extra groceries, having late night meetings with family members and then the day came when he was leaving. Some of the men from the family were there and all the gear they had been collecting sat by the front door. Then dad took a gun from the cabinet before heading out the door. When I asked my mother where he was going, she said, He is going hunting. I didn’t ever really know what “hunting” was but it looked important.
One day when I wasn’t expecting it, dad asked me if I would like to go hunting with him. Certainly I must have become a man, only the men went hunting. It was funny because I had never been but all of a sudden things seemed very exciting to me, the anticipation built right up to the day we arrived at camp. That was a day I’ll never forget.

When my son was born, hunting was far from my mind but it didn’t take long however, before I knew I wanted to share it with him as well. Then one September day the weather was mild and I was headed to a nearby farm to bow hunt over a bean field I had been seeing deer in. As I was getting my stuff ready just as my dad had done, he asked if he could go. I think he was about six years old at the time and started to cry when I said no. The tears were all it took and I broke down and said ok, if you get your clothes changed fast enough you can go. I think he was in the truck before I was.
Now listen up, if you are considering taking your child hunting for the first time, learn from what I have to say. The way I learned was on my own and it was the hard way. Children going hunting with mom or dad just want to have fun and experience the adventure they have been missing out on. They want to be with you and be apart of what you do.

If you plan on taking a six year old in the woods with you, don’t plan on it being a serious hunt. They do not have the patience you do or the skill required to be the hunter you might be expecting. Yes, I’m the guy that thought he would take his young son out and teach him what it was to shoot a big whitetail deer. Don’t let this be you. It wasn’t even getting a deer he was most interested in and dad missed the whole point. It should have been a time for fun, a time for experiencing new things, a time for enjoying each other and making an impression on this young life. It was a time that dad had to keep telling him to be quiet, watch where you step, don’t do this and don’t do that. Dad even got upset what the little guy had to go pee after only twenty minutes on stand. Worse yet, not a word was said on the ride home. Yeah, I missed the point. Boy did I miss it. After that trip, he probably didn’t want to go again. He did go again and we still had a few rough spots but dad learned not to take the hunt seriously and not to even expect to see deer.

The time was much better spent teaching and learning, me doing a little of both. Sharing a few hugs a few laughs and being dad the father not dad the hunter. I still remember like it was yesterday, the first time we had a buck walk into our set up and he yells dad there he is. I sat and watched, as the whitetail buck ran for cover, all the time with a smile on my face. Yes, I had come along ways.

He is fourteen now and fortunately I learned from my mistakes in time. He loves to hunt and still wants to go every time I do. The learning curve helped me ease his twelve and ten year old sisters into it better and my four-year-old son now wants to do what we do. My kids love to hunt and we spend allot of time doing it together. I sometimes wonder how it might have turned out if I didn’t get my act together though.

I bet when you started reading this, you thought it was going to be one of those warm and fuzzy stories you read so much about. I just hope after reading it, you will have your own warm and fuzzy stories to tell. When you take your child out for the first time, just remember to have allot of patience, allot of love and a little understanding of why they wanted to go with you in the first place.

Hunt Clubs (A Good Alternative)

I have always heard people mention hunt clubs through the years and never really paid attention to it very much. Then my 2005 season found me with two of my children hunting for the first time. I spent so much time trying to avoid other hunters on public land or even a few of the private properties we were hunting, there was less time and effort being spent for proper scouting or time to teach my kids the things I wanted to share with them. I knew something had to change If I wanted to teach my kids about hunting and get them on some animals too.
The first thing that came to mind was trying to find a lease. Honestly that was the only plan. I went out looked at a few properties and really wasn't excited with the properties I was seeing or the annual cost of the lease per acre. Due to the amount of time we have to hunt each year and the cost for three hunters, using outfitters was not an option. As I continued my search for a lease I came across a hunt club. After doing allot of research on the club, I found this to be a great option for meeting our hunting needs.
The annual dues to become a member were a fraction of what a lease or an outfitter would cost. The club is also structured in a way that will allow me to be with my kids and not have to worry about where other hunters are. These were a few of the things I was looking for with some extra bonuses thrown in for good measure. A couple other things I liked about this club was the fact that the land was not all in one spot. The member dues are used to get long term leases all over the state. This gives all members the opportunity to hunt different areas and properties. The second thing I liked was, the reservation system they used. You can call in or reserve a property online and the property is yours, no other members can use it during the time you have reserved it for. These were just a few of the things I liked about the idea of joining a hunt club.
If you have considered a lease or struggle with crowded public land, a hunt club could be just what you are looking for. Before shelling out the cash and signing up, you will want to ask a few questions first. Here are a few of the things I wanted to know before I joined.
1. Does it cost me extra to bring my children with me?
2. What is the rules for bringing a guest if my hunting buddy wants to come along?
3. Is there seniority to members before me?
4. Are there any management practices in place?
5. What are the annual dues and how often do they go up?
6. Do I have any input on how the club is run?
These were a few things that were important to me. You should ask many questions and have them answered clearly. You will also want to have the opportunity to go out and walk the property before signing up. There is no need to join a hunting club that doesn't hold the game you are after.
Hunt clubs can be a great way for young hunters or new hunters to meet new people and enjoy a quality experience afield. If you are tired of playing the public land game or just want a better quality hunt, joining a hunt club just might be for you.

Find Those Whitetail Deer Now

We all know the guy that lives near by and gets that big buck every year. What is his secret? I bet you a dollar to a doughnut, he spends allot of time scouting for them all year long.
It is no secret that Whitetails are creatures of habbit. What better way to find their habbits, then to spend time watching them? The summer months can be spent sitting in a stand, in your truck or on a hillside watching your favorite hunting spots. Be carefull not to move in to close and to spook them. A good pair of binoculars or spotting scope make this a bit easier. Take a note pad with you and write down what you see. Make notes about where they enter the area from and where the leave it. Pay attention to the wind direction and the weather conditions. If you see deer, chances are the wind and weather plays apart as to why they are there. Anything you can make a note of that might help you in finding them again will put the odds in your favor and being able to watch and follow them all summer, helps take the guess work out of where they are come hunting time.
I bet you have heard, 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the deer. The numbers may be a bit over the top but the idea is true. These guys scout scout scout, spending allot of time watching their deer. Apply the 80-20 rule (80% scouting - 20% hunting) and you wil be on your way to putting a tag on that Whitetail buck this fall...

They can't always get it right

As I was having my morning cup of coffe today I came across and news article I found intersting. The article was yet another from my state of Wisconsin. It seems an account handled by the DNR has a bottom line that has been plumiting for some time now. Bad enough that the state decided there needed to be an audit.
The audit showed an ending balance of $28.3 million on June 30, 2001. It dropped to $6.7 million by June 2003 and to $1 million last June. This audit also showed that legislature needed to transfer $4.3 million into the account to keep it from having a negative balance at the end of this fiscal year. Some hunters and anglers have questioned whether the money they pay in license fees is being properly spent to support hunting and fishing opportunities. The audit found nearly 98 percent of the money is being spent to provide "some level of benefit" to hunters and anglers.
The audit said two trends are likely to continue to put pressure on the account:

# A declining interest in both hunting and fishing among children and young adults, leading to reduced license sales as older people move away from the sports.

# A decline in the sale of deer hunting licenses related to concerns about chronic wasting disease.

Many state officials must think there is a big problem too. Now I understand the move to take the regulating of hunting from the DNR for the next three years.

First off, the drops in those numbers are way to big of a pill to swallow. Yes there probably has been a decline in intrest to hunt here, although I'm not so certain it is for the reasons they state. Yes, the discovery of CWD indoutably had an effect too. It would seem though they have it kinda twisted. What they didn't state in the audit was how many out of state hunters stoped coming here because of earn a buck. Anyone reading this who is a hunter would probably like to come to Wisconsin for a crack at one our monster whitetail bucks. Would you pay travel and other costs incured to come here and have to shoot a doe? I think not. The earn a buck was put into effect after CWD was found. It seemed suddenly we were over populated and needed to thin the heard. Hmmm, funny, before CWD there was no mention of there being to many deer here.
Then you have the decline in young people wanting to get involved in hunting. The state has every year a youth only hunt. I think this is a fabulous way to introduce kids to hunting. Not to mention they can get out in the woods when they are the only ones out there, making it a rich rewarding experience for them. The problem is, this hunt is only held in one state park. I wonder how many kids would like to participate but can't make the trip to do so. They don't have numbers for that do they? I would also have to guess, if you made this hunt state wide on other properties, more kids would be involved and many of them would be happy to shoot a doe for their first deer. WOW! Now we don't need to earn a buck and maybe the hunters will come back and spend that all mighty dollar.

What makes a pro hunter, a pro hunter? I guess the fact that they get paid. Don't get me wrong, I am sure there are many reputable hunters out there doing the TV show thing. However I do find myself at times getting tired of the glory given to hunts that are broadcast on TV. Sure we all like to see a big monster buck go down but shouldn't the glory go to the guide or outfitter instead of the hunter? I often wonder how many bucks these hunters have in the record books on their own, before the fame and glory and the sponsors. Let's face it, the most skill I see watching the TV shows is the abillity to put a bullet or broadhead in the right place and sometimes thats questionable. I'd just about bet you that skill has been acheived by most of us that hunt.
I had the pleasure of watching a well know hunting show that happened to be taped in the state I live,,,Wisconsin. Of course they hired a outfitter to put them in the right spot. Well, the weather was warm, the deer were not moving and in an effort to make a show they just dealt out some cash and changed outfitters in the middle of the show. Guess what mister pro hunter, most of us go home empty handed when that happens. They did manage to get the harvest of a record class buck on tape though and I'm sure the ratings were good.
I'm not sure how commercializing the sport like this is good for any of us, entertaining yes, good, not sure. Ohh how I can remeber it was a big deal to go out opening day and get a basket racked 8. Friends and family thought you had a trophy and it didn't cost $6000 or $12000 because I had to change locations. Gone, seem to be the days when you matched witts with an animal,won and was proud of that accomplishment. Now I seem to come home empty handed more and more because I didn't see 160 class buck while in the field.