You should never underestimate the finely tuned senses of a deer in its natural habitat. People usually pay so much attention to their calls, scents, and camouflage that they forget to stay QUIET!
If you rampage through woodland like a runaway train then all you’re going to do is scare off every single deer for miles.
If you want to know how to hunt deer successfully then you need to listen to my deer hunting tips for keeping quiet!
Check the Weather You’ll find that the weather has a huge bearing on how quiet you can keep those hunting boots. And it’s all to do with what state the ground’s in.
I mean, think about it for the second, what makes less noise when you trample over them: dry, crunchy leaves or wet, sodden leaves? That’s right, it’s the soaking wet ones which will muffle your footsteps and keep your profile low.
Temperature, too, plays an important part in how quietly you can stalk through the undergrowth. Take snow, for example, if there’s a fresh snowfall and the temperature is just above freezing then it’s going to provide soft, cushioned footsteps.
But if the temperature has plunged below zero then it’s going to become icy. And when it gets icy you’re going to crunch loudly with every footstep.
If you’re planning on still hunting – hunting slowly on foot – then make sure the weather conditions will work to your benefit. If not you’re going to want to think about a more static stand option.
Pace Yourself
Remember, deer hunting isn’t a race. You’re not expected to rampage through the forest and take that huge buck down by hand.
Instead, you need to limit your speed to nothing more than a slow walk. By taking your speed down several notches you’re able to make slower movements with less impact.
And less impact from your boots means you’re generating less noise and keeping yourself concealed.
You might find it takes you ages to cover just a short distance, but just imagine how pumped you’ll feel when it snares you that giant buck!
Keep a Clear Path to Your Stand
A stand offers you a great fixed position to hunt deer from and, more importantly, offers very little room for generating noise.
However, you’ll find that many hunters forget that, every now and then, you’ll need to come down from the stand.
And, back on the ground, you’ll find yourself back in noise making territory!
So, when you’re choosing your stand position, you need to think very carefully. Is there a clear path between your stand and any exit points? What condition’s the ground in? Are you likely to snare yourself on any low branches?
By using these questions to carry out a site survey you’d be surprised just how much you can reduce your noise levels.
Limit the Chat
With the long – and sometimes fruitless – hours involved with hunting deer you can find yourself getting lonely.
Many hunters find it much more enjoyable to hunt with a buddy to limit this loneliness and bring exciting new tactics to the table.
Of course, if you’re with your buddy then you’re going to be tempted to chat and, if excited by the hunting action, to shout and scream to them.
This is a big no no!
You’re potentially scaring off any deer in the area and, remember, deer can stay away from an ‘unsafe’ area for several days. This could really ruin your weekend’s hunting.
That’s why you need to limit the chat to the bare minimum.
You do, of course, need some communication at vital, tense moments, so a great deer hunting tip for buddies is to invest some time in designating hand gestures to certain commands.
Use Natural Paths
The quickest route anywhere is in a straight line, but it’s not always the easiest.
Say, for example, you really want to get down to that clearing you can see, but there are only two options:
- Hack through the vegetation and get there in 5 minutes
- Take the longer natural path and get there in 10 minutes
Only the most foolhardy and amateur hunter will take option number 1!
You see, option 1 is great in terms of logistics, but in terms of reducing noise levels?
Nah!
Always take the most natural paths available be they streams, walkways or bridges as they’ll result in much less noise.
Hopefully these deer hunting tips will help you remain quiet and get that little bit closer for the perfect shot. Let me know what you thought in the comments below.
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