Natural History of Deer Hunting

by Mitch Johnson

The more knowledgeable a man is about the subject of deer hunting the more are his chances of succeeding. But deer hunting is not a science and there are always uncertainty corner left to be explored in hunting deer. If it is reduced to an exact science much of the pleasure of this sport would be lost.

There were fewer deer during my childhood days, when hunters have to look for other places to hunt. When I was old enough to go to hunt I became interested in hunting and would go to hunt whenever time permits. I would be called whenever the neighbors spots deer. This frequent spotting of deer also helped me to study their behaviors. The knowledge that I gathered from the neighbors and from my own experience have helped me in my hunts and giving people basic information about deer hunting.

In deer hunting, as in any other line of endeavor, the more knowledge a man has of the subject, the more successful he will be; if deer hunting could be reduced to an exact science, much of the pleasure of this sport would be lost. Luckily, this hunting will never reach that stage, for we are dealing with living animals that have individual characteristics that do not always conform to those of the herd as a whole.

No matter how much knowledge we have of the actions of deer, there will always be the element of chance which makes the chase an uncertainty up to the point where the animal is bagged. This pitting of the hunters knowledge of deer habits against the uncertain actions of a deer is one of the things that make the sport so enjoyable. Even if the deer is able to escape and the hunt is counted as a failure, there is always the pleasure of studying the result to find out how and why the deer escaped, thus adding to the hunters fund of deer knowledge. To many of us, this learning about deer is one of the most satisfactory parts of hunting.

Any person who is fortunate enough to reside in a deer hunting section and who is interested enough to spend the time and effort, should be able to learn enough about deer to become a successful hunter, and, after a few years experience, a proficient guide. Those who live in cities far removed from the deer range do not have the opportunity to study deer at first hand. They must depend on others for hunting knowledge, which may be checked and confirmed by occasional short hunting trips to deer ranges.

As a boy, I lived in a farming section where there were very few deer. Most of the men who were interested in deer hunting made annual trips to the north woods for their sport. When I was old enough to become interested in hunting, the deer invasion of the farming country had started and there were enough deer in my 'neck of the woods' so that I was able to spend quite a bit of time hunting them and studying their habits. Neighbors knowing I was interested would report to me when and where they saw deer. I did not confine such activity to the deer season, but went into the woods whenever I had time, for I felt that the more I could find out about their movements and habits, the more success I would have in predicting their actions during the open season.

This personal observation plus the information furnished by neighbors soon gave me quite an accurate picture of the range and actions of the few deer that frequented the country within a few miles of my home. The fact that there were few deer was a help in my study as I was able to check each individually. I am sure that some of the things which I learned in those days could not be learned in the same section today because of the abundance of deer in that area. Later I was able to study deer collectively and as a result, I became a fairly proficient hunter. Not because I could kill my share of deer, but because I was able to predict with fair certainty what a deer would do in a given situation.

To be a successful deer hunter learn as much as you can and from experienced sources. This will help you to equip yourself when you are ready to go to hunt deer. And even if you fail to hunt the first time, it will always teach you new things why you failed. The knowledge of deer hunting especially for people living in the cities is a must before stepping into the forest.
 

Mitch Johnson is a regular writer for http://www.best-scopes-n-binoculars.com/ , http://www.campingforu.info/ , http://www.campingmadeeasy.info/