Hunting Tips for Everyday Hunters

by Tim Buchinger

Deer Hunting Tips:

Stop the Deer from Running Away! Most deer will run once you have spooked them. If you use a cow elk call you may be able to get them to stop. By doing this you are hoping the mule deer thinks that it was an elk that had scared it to begin with.

Even if you have the timing and the call right the deer may not stop running. Be patient because at some point curiosity will take over and it will force itself to stop. Be prepared for a longer shot because you may not have a very long window of opportunity in which to take it.

Be on the Lookout for Sneaky Deer Older deer are often smarter than their younger counterparts. This is evident because they will not always run when scared. If they think they have a better chance of waiting it out they may just lay their head down and hide. Watch out for these deer and be prepared to act accordingly.

Turkey Hunting Tips:

Hunting Turkey on a Hill If you are hunting a turkey which is at a higher elevation that you are, your best bet is to get to the same elevation that the turkey is at. Rarely will a Tom come down the hill to investigate. Once you are at his level feel free to use your best turkey call to entice him to take a look. You will stand a much better chance from this elevation as opposed to being below him.

Stay Away from the Roost If you get too close to a turkey roost you will almost certainly scare the birds off. If they are not at the roost at the time they will be very reluctant to come close if they feel that a predator is near. However, it is also important that you stay close enough so that when you do see the bird you have a clear shot and are within range.

Be Patient with the Turkeys Many hunters do not truly appreciate the value of being patient while hunting turkeys. Even though they may be shy to investigate a call in the beginning, ultimately they will give in to curiosity and show himself. This is usually an excellent chance for a shot, just stand still and let him come to you.

General Hunting Tips:

Hunting on Windy Days When it is windy outside you must take extra care in ensuring that your scent does not give off your location. Deer are known to circle around you until they can pick up a scent before investigating further. The best way to deal with this is to have one hunter set up downwind of the hunter who is using the call. That way the deer will circle around the calling hunter and bump right into the downwind hunter.
 

The Hunting Source provides articles and resources to improve your hunting game. Our member site Boating Source has a large collection of boating resources.