What we DO know about deer.

In respect to what we don’t know about the whitetail deer, lets look at what we do know!

Admittedly, as someone recently mentioned, start a conversation among whitetail hunters and you will be sure to get different opinions on how to hunt them, what they like, etc. In some cases, arguments even arise regarding what is true and what isn’t true. In my past, I’ve noticed the more experience a hunter has, the more he/she listens. You would think the opposite would be true but in reality, it’s the prideful people who put up a “block” and take the approach “It’s my way or the highway”. Hunters with a higher degree of professionalism will argue less and listen more. They’ll decipher in their own minds what they believe is true or not. To some degree, an educated conversation will reciprocate among them. This is how the real learning process begins, in my opinion.

In this day of “Hollywood” hunters, big business has blended in with what was once considered a blue collar sport. If there is money to be made, you can bet someone will find a way to interact. Now before I go on, I am simply exposing some history here and not necessarily slamming anyone or any business for meandering into our beloved sport of deer hunting. In all honesty, I can’t think of a better way to be employed if a person can take something they’re passionate about and making a living from it. Considering the factors of who to listen to and who not to listen to when referencing whitetails, one would have to recall their own experiences and conclude which information is bonafide, even if it is from a hunting manufacturer, celebrity or just your every day hunting partner.

So who do you really believe? How on earth does a person really learn the art of whitetail hunting? Who do you trust?

The process of elimination works well. Work backwards!

In the 1970’s working as an apprentice electrician, the basics seemed easy to understand while wiring a new home. Getting closer to a journeyman’s title, more complicated jobs would be handed my way. I remember in some cases, I would have 6 - 8 gang boxes just packed with wires with all different colors, some duplicates, etc., only to feel absolutely overwhelmed! Nothing can ruin your day faster when you think you’ve got something mastered only to find out you’re completely lost! As the frustration would radiate from my skull, my brother, who was my instructor, would walk over to me and say “What’s the matter here”? Admittedly, I would respond “I’m lost”. Dave told me “Marc, you know everything there is to do here, so just take the easy steps first, you know, the wires that you are sure of and then work backwards”. So I would start with the ground wires because they were all copper and a no brainer. Well, that would eliminate 6 or so wires. Then I would take the neutrals because they were all white and that would remove another 6 wires from the area. That left just the colored wires. Identifying which wires were the hot ones and which wires were the switch legs, the project was complete. Simple. The same applies to deer hunting or big buck hunting. Take what you know first and figure out the rest! Work Backwards.

Deer have to eat.
Deer have to drink.
Deer mate only certain times of the year.
Deer have an incredible sense of smell.
Deer have incredible eye sight.
Deer have incredible hearing.
Deer and man are natural enemies.
Deer like to feed certain times of the day.
Deer have favorite foods.
Deer like to hide.
Deer make paths.
Deer have favorite places to sleep.
Deer leave sign.
Deer have memories greater than man gives them credit for.
Deer will go nocturnal if pressured often.

Again, just like the electrical example above, take the known first and figure the rest later. Using the information above, one would assume a novice could use this information and be successful! Lets use the information above and plan a hunt!

Lets see, I have to set-up in an area where:

The deer can’t see me, smell me or hear me.
Where deer like to travel.
Where deer like to eat.
Where deer left sign.
Where they won’t remember seeing me.
Where I won’t pressure them too much.

OK, this is deer hunting! We do know this much so it’s up to us to progress from here if we’d like to. Any person can take this information and be successful in any reasonable whitetail habitat. Can you progress from here? Of course. Is there strategies to implement? Sure. Can you develop your own strategies? You bet. One thing for sure, we DO know and have a cornucopia of whitetail information at our hands! 

Lets use it!

Neat story in North American Whitetail

Last year, Brent Van Hoveln came to me with 2 heads to mount. One for him and one for his friend Don Wages. They had an outstanding day hunting, to say the very least! They both arrowed hog trophy bucks while hunting together. The story intensifies deeper so I can’t elaborate more but I can tell you that this story is in this month’s issue (August) of North American Whitetail magazine named “The Best Hunt Ever”. If any of you want to read about some local, central, IL. hunters, this is an opportunity to do so!

Here’s what I’ll be hunting in October!

OK, here’s positive proof what’s lurking out there! This is part of that first phase identification I was writing about a few weeks back. These bucks are in their feeding pattern, sleeping pattern and traveling pattern. If they’re there now, they’ll be there in October….count on it!