Attention Deer Hunters….

“You’re About To Learn The
‘Secrets’ That Most Hunters
WILL NEVER Know About
How To Take BIG Bucks…”

Learn More Tactics, See More Deer and
Harvest Trophy Bucks Like You Never
Thought Possible Before
To: All Deer Hunters

If you’re like me and love to talk about deer, deer hunting and ways to harvest big bucks then keep reading…. this might be one of the most important letters you could read this year!

Do you:

* Day dream and think about hunting deer all the time?
* Looking for ways to harvest that trophy buck?
* Want to earn the bragging rights with your buddies?
* Shop for new huntin’ gear all the time?
* Can’t wait to get out to the field to scout and hunt deer?

Read on… there’s valuable information here just for you!

Here’s what this is all about:

Taking a BIG buck, a trophy buck, is a dream to most hunters. To be able to do it consistently is what separates the experts from the wanna-bees.

Knowing deer habits, how and where they spend their time, what they do under varying conditions, and then discovering all the secrets to get into the right position to harvest them is what deer hunting is all about. Click Here For The Book

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Come Share My Obsession and Passion For Hunting

As a man who is absolutely obsessed with hunting and who interprets the world through the lens of hunting, I see the entire hunting world based upon 3 types of people:

*

#1: The Consistently Successful Hunter
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#2: The Hunter Who Relies on Luck
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#3: The Hunters Who Just Don’t Know What To Do But Would Like To Improve

For all the #1 folks, how would you like to ramp up your skills a notch and be known as a legend?

For all the #2 folks, did you know you can learn just a small handful of tips and fundamentals that will turn the tide towards success right away?

For the #3 folks, taking control requires an organized and systematic education of the fundamentals. How would you like to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of success starting now? Click Here For The Secrets

Well, let me tell you right now, all of the above is possible, a lifetime of hunting success is available right now.

It doesn’t matter what group you fall into. What matters is that you have an insatiable desire to harvest the type of deer you dream of.

• Why hunters from southern states make a mistake when they go north in search of deer pg. 8

• A complete chapter for the novice hunter with detailed but easy-to-read information about state regulations, the tagging system, limits on types of weapons, and in and outs of the differences of hunting early in the season or late. – Ch. 2

• The thing almost all hunters do to try to avoid being sensed by a deer that actually repels them twice as fast. I bet you your are already making this mistake. Click Here For The Secrets

• A review of other resources for hunting and how to make your continuing education in hunting a constant and fun endeavor – pg. 12-14
  

• Why a guided hunt can ramp up your skills, how to pick a guided hunt, and other resources to tap into to get the secrets of incredibly experienced hunters – pg 14-15

• 7 things you need to know about whitetail anatomy and why it is important for all further undertanding about shot placement– pgs. 18-23

• What whitetail deer do most of the day in a secluded spot– pg. 18

• The 4 essential secrets about arrow and bullet placement and why understanding these secrets is like getting a Ph.D. in deer anatomy – pg. 19

• The absolute low down on what you need to know about deer senses so that you can understand why that regal buck is so hard to find and how to start looking at your environment with a new appreciation for deer and the natural world (If you only read one thing in this book, make sure it’s this) – pg. 21-22

• The 6 things inexperienced hunters do that instantly tell a deer they are being hunted (Here’s what to do instead) –

• I read all the books and tried everything. It wasn’t until I did THIS ONE THING that it all started to happen for me. I’ll share the single most powerful thing you can do to become more successful at hunting, and why almost no hunters do it. Click Here For The Secrets

• How to find and meet the hunters who are the true masters and get them to share their closely guarded secrets with you

• How to pinpoint and strengthen your senses so that you can start to become a hunter who is constantly taking in subtle clues and making progress – pg. 32

• 5 things you can do before you leave the house that can make the difference between success and failure – pg. 45

• The deadly mistakes too many hunters make about deer and color vision, this section is another myth busting section and may save your life.

• What you wanted to know about antlers but were afraid to ask, you’ll start to be known as an authority or maybe just a trivia master by the end of this section, packed with myth busting information – pg. 22-24
  

• What you need to know about deer bedding areas and why thermal currents are important– pgs. 37-40

• Why you don’t need a salt block and how to avoid using baiting – pg. 31
  

• How to take advantage of weather reports and changing weather patterns to find deer – pg. 32

• The 4 laws of rutting behavior and how to use the knowledge you gained on early season scouting to lead to incredible success– pg. 32

• The low down on recommended crops and what to do with corn stalks in winter to lead deer right to you. pg 31

• The right clothing is essential, I will explain why with complete suggestions and I am not talking about camouflage patterns! – pg.34
  

• Why you need to try on your hunting boots in late afternoon, believe it or not it could mean the difference between success and failure– pgs.36

• The absolute best way avoid spending a fortune on binoculars and how to ensure you get top notch quality, this tip will make up for this book and then some! – pg. 38
  

• An 11 item checkist for your day pack, believe me you won’t want to be without these 11 things when you really need them – pg. 39-40

• 15 secrets about firearms and 11 pages of detailed easily readable information about shotguns, rifles, suitable cartridges, high quality optics, firearms training and safety and how to practice efficiently, hunters all too often practice in a setting that will provide absolutely NO training for what will be necessary in the field, are you making this mistake?

• I have devoted a full chapter to hunting from a deer stand because hunters all too often don’t know state regulations, the latest trends in use for both firearm and bow, how to assess wind currents and how they may change, weapon consideration (you would be amazed at the stupid things that hunters do, don’t be one of them), and know how to use your knowledge of anatomy to make the right choices when choosing location.

• The 4 things you absolutely MUST do before leaving your house to avoid being sensed by deer (Most hunters miss this entirely) Click Here For The Secrets
  

• Why you should never use artificial antlers for rattling and how to obtain antlers and the secret about the ratio of does to bucks that make his successful– pg. 53

• The 7 secrets of rattling and how moisture, location, and the weather can make all the difference – pg. 63

• Do you know the 5 basic deer sound categories, you will now, plus the low down on digital deer calls, how and when to use the different categories, and the mistake most hunters make when use the aggressive grunt– pgs. 64-67

• Too many reasons to count why early scouting of an area will put you way ahead of the overwhelming majority of hunters and what you need to be looking for when you are scouting an area.
  

• 23, yes 23 secrets on stalking, glassing, using a canoe, and scrape hunting, despite all the advantages in hunting technology, the oldest and most traditional hunting methods remain effective and are often the most exhilarating- pg. 69-75

• 4 secrets about hunting in warm weather and essential information you need to know about ticks. pgs. 87-88
  

• An explanation of the unique challenges of windy days and how to overcome them as well as the challenges brought on by an approaching cold front, extended rain, first snows, and how all these weather patterns affect deer behavior pg. 78-82

• Once you land your prize buck a step by step guide to field dressing with special attention to avoiding most of the mistakes that hunters make. pg. 64

• A special section on putting all the knowledge you have gained together so that you are ready to go out into the field!

• And much, much, much more…

That’s just a small sample of what you’ll find. There are 12 sections in this hunting course… each designed to short-cut your education. And give you the exact super-detailed roadmap you need to start hunting with your own earth-shaking style and have, at last, your own ridiculously-successful hunts. Click Here For The Secrets

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Bowhunters checked 44,434 deer during the 2008-09 archery deer season, setting a record and boosting the combined firearms and archery deer kill to 283,253. Missouri’s archery deer season begins Sept. 15 and runs through Jan. 15, with an 11-day hiatus during the November Portion of Firearms Deer Season. Archers checked approximately 400 deer per day during the 111 days of bowhunting season. Slightly more than half the deer taken by archers (22,409) were does. Mature bucks made up 37 percent (16,434) of the archery harvest, and button bucks accounted for 13 percent (5,591) of archery kills. The previous archery deer harvest record, set in 2006-07, was 42,322. Top archery deer harvest counties were Jefferson with 976, Jackson with 913 and St. Louis with 909.

Bowhunters also checked 2,484 wild turkeys during the archery season. That is down 339 from the previous year. Top archery turkey-harvest counties were Texas with 54 turkeys checked, Franklin with 52 and Wright with 51.

-Jim Low-MDC News Service Coordinator
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Does anyone know any good public hunting land in Arkansas?

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has lots of public lease land. Most require a $20.00 permit plus your license fee. $10.50 for resident and about $125.00 for non resident.

The Cherokee lease has always done well for me. My family has harvested quite a few nice bucks off of it over the years. It’s kinda chopped up, but the areas near Drasco and Wilburn are real productive.

The Buffalo River National forest is also supposed to be a nice place to hunt. I’ve not had a chance to hunt there yet, but it is on my “to do” list.

Both of these areas offer great deer hunting as well as some black bear. If you choose to hunt the National Forest around Jasper you might also get to see some elk. But, the elk can only be taking by elk permit holders. These permits are lottery style drawings held in June.

There is also some nice public land in Lonoke and White county, but from what I’ve seen of it, it appears to have alot of swampy areas.

If you want a real chance of a nice buck on public land in Arkansas you will have to hike into it. There really seems to be a trend for people to only hunt in places where you can drive a truck within a few hundred yards of the stand. That’s fine with me. That way they aren’t deep in the woods where I’m hunting. I usually have better luck than those guys.

Good Luck and happy hunting.

Related posts:

1. Is there any public hunting land near Des Plaines, IL?
2. Best public hunting land in Ohio for deer?
3. How do I find public hunting land in TN for small game and waterfowl? ?

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Conservation Agent Aaron Post recently had an exciting encounter with a deer after he received a call regarding a buck in a fenced backyard. Here’s Agent Post’s account of the encounter: I received a phone call from dispatch regarding a buck in a fenced in back yard. The buck was sweaty and frothing at the mouth and had grunted at and charged deputies. By the time I arrived on scene, the buck had calmed down and was lying in a sandbox under a swing set. I told the deputies to get the onlookers in their houses and that I would open the gate to see if the animal would leave on its own. I opened the gate and went around the corner. Sure enough, the buck went out the gate and when he saw me, he turned and charged. In response to the imminent danger, I drew my handgun and shot the deer as it charged, fortunately the deer dropped just 2 feet away. A further investigation revealed that the deer had an infection in his head. According to MDC deer biologist Lonnie Hansen, this abscess is not uncommon and can cause adverse behavior. One could certainly say this was adverse behavior, after all Agent Post enforces regulations that protect deer from over harvest.
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Deer are aged by examining the teeth of the lower jaw. This is the only accurate field method. Size, color, and antler development may give clues as to general age (young or old), but they are not accurate indicators of age. Fawns can be recognized as long as they retain their spotted coats (3 to 4 months of age), but in november they have gray coats like older deer.

The charts on this page show condition of deer teeth during the November hunting season. Considerable knowledge of the life history of deer is needed to age them at other times of the year.

At birth, fawns have only the front teeth (incisors). Cheek teeth appear during the first month of life. The premolars (the first three cheek teeth) come in first, and additional teeth come in behind them. These first premolars are temporary “baby teeth”, and are shed when the deer is about 1 1/2 years old. Thus deer are aged by number of teeth or tooth replacement until they are 19 months old. Older deer are aged by the amount of wear on the cheek teeth.

To use the charts showing dental age characters, you must have a clear view of the cheek teeth on at least one side of the lower jaw. The mouth must be opened as far as possible. A tire tool or other type of pry bar is usually needed. Cutting the cheek muscles provides a clear view of the cheek teeth after the mouth is opened. If the cheek muscles cannot be cut, as on a trophy buck, a flashlight will help in seeing the cheek teeth.

COUNT THE CHEEK TEETH. Fawns have less than six teeth. MOST FAWNS IN NOVEMBER HAVE FOUR CHEEK TEETH, becaues they were born in June and are five months old. They fall, therefore, into the four-seven months age class. Fawns less than four months will have only three cheek teeth, and fawns over seven months will have five cheek teeth.

The front teeth of deer are not important in determining age because all four pairs are replaced by eleven months of age. They do help to break down the four-seven month age class, however, fawns less than five months old have narrow, temporary pincers which are replace at 6-7 months (see circled drawings on Chart 1). The other three pairs of incisors are replaced at 9-11 months.

If there are six cheek teeth, look closely at the third tooth. MOST YEARLINGS IN NOVEMBER HAVE THREE PEAKS ON THE THIRD CHEEK TOOTH. The first three cheek teeth will appear brown and be worn flat on top, in contrast to the sharp white teeth behind them.

Deer in the 19 month class can be confused with 2 1/2 year old deer because both have six permanent cheek teeth which are relatively unworn. However, the 19 month old deer will have no wear on the rear peak of the last tooth, and the first three teeth will be relatively unstained and possibly not fully erupted.

ADULT DEER HAVE ONLY TWO PEAKS ON THE THIRD CHEEK TOOTH. These older deer are aged by the amount of wear on the cheek teeth. About 95 percent of our annual harvest is composed of deer 3 1/2 years or younger, so if you can distinguish fawns, yearlings, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old deer, you will be able to age most of those you see.

The 2 1/2 year old deer have sharp peaks on all of the cheek teeth and very little wear on the last tooth. The 3 1/2 year olds begin to show wear on the peaks of the fourth tooth, and the peaks will have a brown center. The last cusp on the rear tooth will be worn into a shallow cup shape.

Very old deer are relatively easy to recognize because all the teeth are worn flat and nearly into the gums. It is the deer between 3 1/2 and 6 1/2 years which are difficult to age and require considerable experience.

The aging charts show the amount of wear which is usually found on teeth of deer from southern Missouri. Teeth of deer in northern Missouri will show less wear.

More recently, a technique of aging teeth by cementum annuli counts has been developed. Alternating light and dark layers of cementum can be seen on microscopic sections of deer insicors. These cementum annuli are much like annual rings of trees. The system is more accurate than the method described above. Biologists routinely collect one or both of the center pair of incisors from hunter-killed deer at check stations for age analysis. The preparation of tooth sections is a laboratory procedure and incisors must be routed to the Wildlife Research Center in Columbia for processing.

If you have a question about the age of any individual deer, clean the flesh from the jaw (including front incisors) and sent it to the Fish and Wildlife Research Center, Missouri Department of Conservation, 1110 College Avenue, Columbia, Missouri 65201. We will be glad to give you our opinion.

source: Missouri Dept. of Conservation

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Woodlands are the traditional hunting grounds of many deer hunters, but the biggest bucks often are found in farm country.

Searching for a prime deer-hunting spot? Don’t overlook the rich farmlands scattered throughout whitetail country. Many sportsmen confine their hunting to wooded areas year after year, drawn back to the forests by a strong sense of tradition. But the farmland alternative also is worthy of consideration, for many good reasons.

First, agricultural foods are very important in the deer’s diet, especially during the hard months of winter. A study conducted along the Mississippi River, for example, found that five of the 10 preferred deer foods were crops raised by farmers. These were winter wheat, corn, alfalfa, grass and lespedeza.

Farm crops also have a high protein content and tend to produce deer that are bigger, healthier and fatter than woodland deer. A whitetail thriving on corn, soybeans, alfalfa and other farm crops can stay in good physical condition year-round. Woodland deer, on the other hand, may run into hard times, especially during years when the mast crop is poor.

Studies have found that deer concentrations can be up to 10 times higher in the immediate vicinity of agricultural crops than in more remote wooded areas. These same studies reveal that the deer disperse when the food is gone. But in many areas, winter wheat, waste grain and other farm foods are available to deer throughout the season. In farming areas, deer may remain concentrated on agricultural lands well past the time when hunting season ends.

Finally, because most farmlands are privately owned, access is limited. This gives resident bucks time to gain that part of the big buck-equation most often missing: age. An older buck is a bigger buck, almost without exception.

Finding a Farm to Hunt

Herds of deer often live near farms and visit the farmer’s fields. Quite often they join right in with the cows and feed alongside them to their heart’s content. The sweeter the grass, the more they eat and the healthier they get.

This probably won’t bother the farmer too much because usually there’s plenty of grass to go around. But the deer don’t stop there. Almost all other farm products appeal to deer. Soybeans and corn are big winners. Green vegetables are delights. Hay fields attract deer, as do patches of lespedeza and alfalfa.

The piece-de-resistance is fruit. Peach, grape and apple orchards may attract heavy concentrations of deer.

Because damage caused by deer is often extensive and expensive, most farmers welcome hunters who exhibit responsible behavior.

When looking for farmland to hunt, check with your local game warden. These professionals often know landowners who are experiencing serious crop damage caused by overabundant whitetails.

On a farm I once hunted, the landowner once showed me 40 acres of freshly sprouted soybeans that had been nipped close to the ground by feeding deer. Damage by deer was so great, the farmer received a deer depredation permit from the local wildlife officer that allowed him to shoot several deer to help minimize crop destruction. The owner, eager to reduce his financial losses, was more than happy to allow me to hunt deer on his land several days each season.

Orchard owners often experience similar problems. Deer can literally wipe out a grove of small fruit trees. Befriending farmers trying to reduce deer damage is one of the best ways to pinpoint farm-country whitetail hotspots.

You may find additional farmland hunting areas on public grounds by inquiring with your state wildlife agency. Many publicly owned properties encompass agricultural lands that are part of the overall management plan. Hunting pressure tends to be much greater on these areas, however, and special permits may be required to hunt. When other options fall through, though, public lands provide opportunities that might otherwise be missed.

Etiquette is Important

Serious whitetail hunters know it’s best to start the search for a hunting area well before the season. When seeking private land hunting opportunities, don’t drive up to the door on the first day and ask if you can hunt the woods behind a farmer’s house. Visit the landowner well in advance of the season. Quite often, if you can prove you’re a responsible hunter, you can get permission to hunt, perhaps even on land that is posted.

That visiting hunters should treat a farmer’s property with respect goes without saying, but don’t overlook other courtesies that will help assure you’ll be welcomed back when hunting season rolls around again. Time and time again, I’ve heard farmers complain that hunters never think of them until deer season. A Christmas gift, birthday card, some flowers for the wife, a present for the kids or an offer to help with farm work all do a great deal for cultivating good hunter-farmer relations.

Share your success with the farmer, too. Most landowners who welcome you on their property also take an interest in the hunt. Even if he doesn’t want any of the venison (make sure to offer a share anyway), he’s probably watched your deer while working his land. It’s part of the farm, and sharing your success with the landowner makes him feel appreciated.

How to Hunt Farmland

Big bucks often rest long hours and feed on food sources convenient to their bedding areas. And as winter comes on, the bucks feel a pressing need to nourish themselves in preparation for the hard times ahead. Gradually, their daily routine shifts. They venture out farther and farther from their core areas in search of quality food. If preferred agricultural crops are in the area, you can be sure that most bucks eventually will end up feeding there.

Emphasis usually should be placed on hunting deer trails between bedding areas and crop fields. To determine the location of bedding areas, look for and follow well-used trails leading away from the perimeter of a crop field. It’s best to enter these areas alone and quietly. When you begin to hit really dense cover, you’re probably entering the bedding areas, especially if you jump some deer while scouting. It’s not a good idea to push the deer because it might spook them from the area. So when you have jumped a deer, back up and leave.

How close you set up to a bedding area should be determined by when you’ll be hunting. If you plan to hunt mornings only, stay close to the bedding area. That way you can catch deer when they are coming back from the feeding areas. If you set up too close to the feeding areas in the morning, you will only see deer when it’s too dark to shoot.

If you plan to hunt only in the late afternoon, stay a little closer to the feeding areas. Don’t hunt right on the edge of the field though because then you’ll probably only see deer after shooting hours are over. Set up somewhere between the bedding and feeding areas, and you can catch the deer when they are coming out for their evening meal.

If, like many hunters, you prefer to hunt on the edge of a farm field rather than in the woods, select a spot for your stand that is near a main deer route to or from the field. Your first scouting trip around the edge of a grain or alfalfa field may reveal enough deer tracks to give you the shakes. But don’t let this confuse you. Careful scouting will reveal a main route for entering and leaving the field.

It also is best to choose a hunting spot that offers good cover going to and from your stand, so farmland deer won’t be as likely to notice your entry and exit.

Still-hunting can be effective as well if conditions are right. Hunt to the last legal minute of the day, and be in position in the morning before first light. Try to find bottlenecks or other physical features that help funnel a buck your way.

When you do find an area to hunt, it’s a mistake to think that taking farmland deer is easy. In fact, whitetails haunting agricultural areas are sometimes much harder to collect than their cousins in wilder territory. Nevertheless, hunters who invest heavily in pre-season scouting to learn the day-to-day habits of their quarry can enjoy a bountiful harvest on these often overlooked deer lands.

Woodland hunting will probably always be the mainstay for most whitetail fans, but if you are seeking a new tack to spice up your outings this year, give farmland deer hunting a try. Prime farm country offers some of our nation’s best hunting for big, healthy deer.

written by Keith Sutton

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Hunters who believe in scent elimination take it seriously, and there are a series of steps hunters must go through to be scent-free. Skip one of those crucial steps and you could easily spook that once-in-a-lifetime buck.

Scent Elimination 101

Most deer hunters have an opinion about scent elimination. Some hunters swear that scent-eliminating carbon suits work. Others swear that scent-eliminating sprays work. Still others swear that none of them work. Why do some hunters believe enough human scent can be eliminated to fool a deer’s sniffer while others believe it’s impossible to fool the nose of a whitetail? The answer is simple. Hunters who have had success with scent-eliminating products believe in them; those who haven’t experienced success with them don’t.

The big question is why do scent-eliminating products work for some and not others? I’ve talked with many hunters who believe in scent elimination, and I believe I have found the common denominator that connects them: hunters who believe in scent elimination take it seriously, and there are a series of steps hunters must go through to be scent-free. Missing one of the steps results in a deer smelling the hunter.

One of the most popular ways to be scent-free is to wear a carbon-lined suit, such as those made by Scent-Lok. There has been a lot of controversy about whether carbon suits work.  The testing proves that carbon gets rid of human stink, but if you don’t take care of your carbon suit properly, you won’t have good results with scent-eliminating garments.

Scent Free Container

For a carbon suit to be effective, it must be activated in a dryer for 40 minutes. Once the suit has been activated, place it in a scent-free container until you get to the woods. This is where many hunters go wrong. Once they’ve activated their suit, they place it in the back of their truck or hang it in their closet. During this period the suit attracts odors, whether they’re from the coat on the hanger next to it or fuel vapors from your last fill-up.

The only way to ensure your suit will perform flawlessly is to make sure it is scent-free. Scent-Lok and other companies have scent-free bags that you can store your suit in to make sure it remains scent-free. ScenTote, a company that is relatively new to the scent-elimination industry, makes a tote that is designed for storing carbon suits and other hunting clothes. The tote has an activated carbon web in the lid of the tote that helps you keep your clothes scent-free. They make a plastic tote and a new duffle bag style tote.

Before leaving for the woods, take a shower to ensure you have eliminated as much of your human odor as possible. The less human odor you have on your body, the better. When wearing a carbon suit, it is very important to make sure you wear the hood and gloves. Human breath and hair gives off a tremendous amount of odor. If you are going to wear a suit, the entire suit must be worn for it to be effective.

In addition to the hood and gloves, it is also important to make sure your feet are scent free. Testing reveals that the nose of a whitetail detects human odor left behind by your boots days after you leave the woods. To make sure your boots are scent free, keep your hunting boots in a scent-free container when you are not wearing them. Wearing your hunting boots to the store and then into the woods is a big no-no.

Scent Spray

Wearing odor-eliminating socks is another way to eliminate foot odor. Before putting your boots on, spray them down with some type of odor eliminator. Wildlife Research Center makes a variety of odor eliminators that include a dirt cover scent. Using this type of spray eliminates the odor on your boots and makes them smell like dirt. Spray down any equipment that you might bring into the woods with you. Your bow and other gear may have foreign odors on them that could spook a deer.

If you prefer to use scent-eliminating sprays in conjunction with regular camouflage clothes, you may experience success. The key is to make sure all of your clothes stay scent-free before and after each hunt. Make sure you spray down your clothes with scent-eliminating spray before entering the woods. Some companies make sprays that can be applied to your hair and sprayed in your mouth to help eliminate your breath and hair odor.

To achieve success with sprays, it is extremely important to use scent eliminating body soaps and shampoos when showering. Many of these soaps are scent-free and help eliminate more human odor than your conventional soaps and shampoos. Using scent-free deodorant is also a plus. Scent-free deodorant crystals can also be used. One crystal is said to last up to ten years.

Scent Blocking Hood

Chlorophyll tablets are another way to help eliminate human body odor. Chlorophyll pills have been around for years and have been prescribed by doctors to individuals with extremely bad breath or body odor. In recent years, more hunters have started using these pills to help eliminate human odor from the inside out. Most humans smell like carnivores to big game animals. According to chlorophyll pill makers, taking chlorophyll pills helps eliminate human odor at the metabolic level.

Chewing gum containing chlorophyll has become popular with hunters to help eliminate breath odor. Chewing scent-eliminating gum helps eliminate one of the worst odors given off by the human body — breath!

I’ve interviewed many well-known big buck hunters over the years. These hunters all have one thing in common. They all believe that the only way to regularly tag large bucks is to be as scent-free as possible. Some big buck hunters use carbon suits to make sure they are scent free. Others rely on odor-eliminating sprays. I’ve heard of hunters shaving off all of their body hair before the hunting season opens to help reduce their human odor. Regardless of the method you choose to use, do yourself a favor. Eliminate as much of your human odor as you can before entering the woods this fall. Your success rate should increase if you do.

Scent Dripper.

The reason many hunters get winded when using scent-eliminating products is because they cut corners in the scent-elimination process. According to Ron Bice from the Wildlife Research Center, anything you do to help eliminate human odor helps. Bice explains, “The nose of a deer is like a smoke detector. It takes a certain amount of human odor to make the detector go off. Scent eliminating products make deer think that you are much further away than you really are so the detector won’t go off. That being said, one squirt of spray or one carbon coat won’t get the job done. If you want to eliminate enough of the odor to fool the nose of a deer when they are twenty yards away, you must follow a routine to eliminate your odor before you enter the woods.

Well-known big-buck hunter Jeff Murray has a routine that works well for him. “I shower before hunting with scent eliminating soap. When I get into the woods, I spray down my boots and gear with scent eliminating spray. Then, I wait to slip on my Scent-Lok suit, which is stored in a scent-free container, until I reach the woods. I always wear Scent-Lok gloves and the Scent-Lok hood,” says Murray. “When returning to the truck, my carbon clothes are put back into the scent-free container. Once I have used the carbon suit for about forty hours, I reactivate it in the dryer. By following the same routine each time I go hunting, I’m positive that I don’t reek like a human. Being as scent-free as possible before putting on my carbon suit allows me to prolong the life of the carbon suit and increase its overall effectiveness. The key to my success is eliminating as much human odor as possible, so when a buck is within bow range, he thinks I’m hundreds of yards away because he only smells a faint amount of human odor.”

My routine to eliminate odor before climbing into my stand is a lot of work, and there is no question that it adds extra time and preparation to my hunt. But I think the extra time is well-warranted. Every time I feel like cutting a corner, I think of big buck experts like Myles Keller and Jeff Murray who do whatever it takes to eliminate human odor. If they are willing to take a few extra minutes each day to make sure they are scent free, I know I need to do it too. Making sure you are scent-free is a lot of work, but once you’ve harvested a monster buck directly downwind from you that never knew you were there, all the time you invested will be worth it.

written by Tracy Breen

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How to hunt heavily pressured areas and still bring home a deer.

Hunting Pressured Deer

One of the most satisfying aspects of deer hunting is spending hours in the field carefully patterning the movements of deer, then using that knowledge to ambush your quarry as it goes about its daily routine of feeding and traveling when the season opens.

Unfortunately, most of the deer we pursue today are heavily pressured by hunters. Unless you hunt during archery season or on large tracts of privately owned, heavily controlled land during modern firearms seasons, you’ll probably find it tough to enjoy this pleasant experience.

This shouldn’t ruin your hunt, however. It simply changes the nature of the challenge facing you. How well you cope with this pressure element in today’s hunting equation often determines whether you have enough venison to fill your freezer or have to head to the grocery store’s meat department.

Go Deep

One of the first things to think about is the option of avoiding the most heavily pounded areas. You may think without a large tract of private land available that you are forced to go to areas thick with other hunters, but if you really sit back and analyze the situation, a different story reveals itself. The vast majority of these hunters are in areas within a quarter to half mile of a road or parking area. On big tracts of federal or state lands, you often can get beyond most hunters by simply starting earlier and walking in a bit farther. Study topographic maps and find areas where no roads or trails are present, then look for features that would make them prime deer habitat.

There are other alternatives as well. Ride a mountain bike to reach lightly pressured areas. Float down a river in a canoe or johnboat, or motor across a lake to a parcel of public land that is hard to get to from a vehicle. Hunt islands, which can be magnets for deer when hunting pressure intensifies. Make sure the place you hunt is on public property, though, or obtain permission in advance from the landowner.

Scout for Sign

Check out such potential areas before the season to see if there are tracks, trails, rubs and/or other signs of deer use. Then try to determine the animals’ patterns of movement. The nice thing about these locations is that the bucks are not as apt to change their routines much after hunting season arrives because they rarely see people.

Isolated Tracts

Besides seeking out hard-to-reach areas, also consider hunting isolated, cut-off tracts of public land that are so small they tend to get neglected by other hunters.

Hunting Pressured Bucks

Public areas are usually big spreads with plenty of parking areas and good access. But often there are also a few small parcels that are cut off from the main acreage. If there’s no easy parking, these isolated patches of habitat — sometimes just 50 or 75 acres — may hold several deer, and if it’s really overlooked, possibly a nice buck.

Dense cover or steep rugged terrain are the keys. When bucks feel the pressure of just a few hours of hunting, they immediately move to places where they can escape the pressure from humans.

Look for a rugged area with jumbled cover where an old buck might feel safe. This can mean thick brush along a creek bottom or in a swamp, hollows full of vines and blowdowns, a bench just below a mountain ridge, knolls and hills overlooking feeding areas or a patch of mountain laurel or dense stand of conifers in an otherwise open, mature hardwood forest.

Strip Down

It’s tough, but taking these pressured bucks is definitely an achievable goal. One way is to strip down to the necessities and get mobile. Leave your tree stand or blind at home. Bucks in this situation tend to be so attuned to their habitat you’ll probably spook the animal just by setting up. Rely on camouflage, immobility and patience instead of equipment. Begin hunting the minute you enter the woods. You may have to relearn how to walk soundlessly, recognize places to blend in and sit perfectly still.

Slip in to the downwind edge of a mature buck’s hideout or the thinly outlined trails leading to it, and sit back against a big tree or rock outcropping. Or hunker down in the branches of a blowdown. Don’t alter or brush it up in any way. Silence is key. Wear camouflage clothing except for the required blaze orange and put on a face mask. Wait patiently and watch intently. The buck you’re after may get up to stretch, urinate and nibble on honeysuckle, or perhaps he’ll slink in after a night’s feeding.

Consider Drives

Hunting Pressured Whitetail DeerIf you’re hunting with a partner or partners and it’s legal, you might also consider organizing drives through pockets of thick cover. Focus on small pieces of dense cover so inconspicuous other hunters ignore them. Post standers on the side seams where deer might curl out, and have the drivers on the edges move slightly ahead of those in the middle to herd the bucks inward. Also station one or two hunters behind the drivers to get a shot at a buck that lays low and tries to escape out the back.

Silent drives are best. A crosswind is ideal, so bucks don’t scent walkers or standers. If that’s not possible, set up with the wind blowing toward the posted hunters, using the scent of the drivers to help push the deer.

Split-Second Shooting Required

Regardless of how you hunt these deer — stalking, driving, whatever — it’s a good idea to go to a rifle range and practice getting on target fast. You won’t have much time when you surprise a buck in dense out-of-the-way cover. A split-second shot is required.

Many hunters I know prefer a scoped rifle in this situation, setting the variable on low power. If there’s not time to get the animal cleanly in the crosshairs, they don’t fire. Others prefer hunting with open sights or a shotgun with buckshot.

Use whatever you’re most comfortable shooting, but be practiced enough you can make a good shot when you see the right deer. Move at a moderate walk on the edges of and through bedding cover, but make as little noise as possible. You need to analyze trophy quality and age quickly and be prepared to shoot immediately.

When you do bag one of these difficult, elusive animals, you’ll find the feeling of accomplishment runs much deeper than when you score on a private area where there’s less challenge involved. That makes the extra effort worthwhile.

written by Keith Sutton

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