The Basics of Deer Hunting

Most states require you to take a safety course before you can receive your deer hunting license. The safety course will cover things such as firearms safety, marksmanship, emergencies, land use responsibilities, and how to prevent accidents from happening. These safety courses are well worth the time and money in which you put into them. Take advantage of this course and learn as much as possible.

Remember, when hunting that it takes time and perseverance to find your prey. Hunting is a sport and any sport takes practice. Knowing and understanding what you are hunting is important to help you find your prey.

Deer are very guarded animals. They have many predators, including humans and are very capable in eluding them. They have very sensitive hearing and the slightest strange sound in the distance will put them on the alert. They also have a very sensitive nose. When hunting, make sure you don't have any strong smells on you, such as cologne or even a scented deodorant. All it takes is a slight breeze to carry your smell and all deer within the vicinity will vanish. Many deer hunters buy deer urine in which to rub on their clothing to disguise any human smells. Deer also have great eyesight, so make sure you where clothing that will help to blend you into the surroundings.

When choosing your gun to hunt deer, you are better off to go with a rifle that you are comfortable with. Tradition seems to push a lever-action rifle, however, there are many makes and models to choose from. If you do not already own one or know exactly what you want, visit a local gun shop and they will assist you in finding the rifle that will suit you for your purpose.

Deer are animals that tend to hide out, or bed down, most of the day. Their most active times are at dawn and dusk, when they tend to go look for their food. Finding out where the deer are is important and then you must be careful as you are approaching. With their sensitive smell and great sight, they can easily smell you coming or hear your approach. If you can find the path where the deer travel, it is best you sit down and wait for one to find you. This is the hardest part of hunting and the part where your patience comes in. You should practice sitting still and finding a comfortable position in which you can move quickly should it be necessary.

When you see the deer, make sure you have a clear shot. You want to make sure that you can down the animal in one shot. When you make your shot, stay still. Unless you've killed it point blank, the deer will run. If this should happen, you want to mark the spot where you saw the deer run to and listen for any sounds that may aid you in finding it. If the deer has run off and you can no longer hear it, follow any signs quietly. You may see blood spatters or drips on the ground. A wounded deer will sometimes find a quiet place to lay, however, if it hears you following it, it will continue to run until either it gets away or expires. Finding the deer is of utmost importance at this time. If you have only wounded the animal and you've tracked it until dark, mark your spot so that you can go back the next day to continue searching.

Once you get your deer, you will want to tag it with your permit and prepare to field dress it. Field dressing it is basically gutting it and removing all of the internal organs, from the stomach to the intestines. Once this is accomplished, you can take your deer to an official check-in station where the deer will be weighed and accounted for. From there you can take your deer home to hang before processing the meat.

Each year you go deer hunting, you will understand the layout of the land you are hunting, how the deer move, and generally, how to find them. Again, hunting is a sport and it takes time, patience, and practice to be successful.