Become Your Own Expert

From Deer & Deer Hunting

Hey guys, this will be my first hunting season and I have chosen to go after the deer with a bow. I have some basic knowledge on deer hunting and have become a fairly decent shooter with my bow. I live in New Hampshire and the woods I hunt in is owned by my family and is about 8 acres. The terrain of the woods is fairly thick no clear cuts or farmland, just big woods with oaks and pines. My question is how would someone like me try and hunt this terrain? I have tried looking for signs and such, but have found fairly decent amounts of deer droppings and tracks, but I mainly am wondering how I would find the main food places and bedding areas for these deer along with where I should hang a stand. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

First season? You’re asking a lot of the right questions. It’s going to be hard to just come out and answer them. However, I have an idea.

First off, find yourself a place where you know there are a lot of deer. The county park near me is loaded with them– same with the big cemetery. Go find yourself a spot and start observing.

Read my piece of speed scouting from last year:

Shamanic Guide to Speed Scouting

By finding a spot with a known population of deer, you can kind of calibrate your scouting sense. Look for what the ground looks like after deer have been feeding. Observe the scat, the prints, etc. Find beds in the tall grass. Find trails. See how deer set up on the edge of cover before coming out in the open to feed. Find where they cross creeks. Find the angle they generally take up a hill.

Pretty soon, you will be able to go onto a strange piece of ground and notice the similarities. I can remember being at your stage of game and hearing that Jay Bond, the owner of the archery store, could actually tell if deer had been walking across fresh-fallen leaves. I asked him how he did it. Jay replied ” You just see it.” Big fat help he was! Truth is, after 30 years, I can say he’s right. I really can look out over fresh-fallen leaves and tell. It wasn’t magic, but I’ll be danged if I can give you a good explanation as to what it looks like. Truth is, it’s just endless repetition. I’ve seen so many deer walk through leaves, I can just tell.

Eventually you’ll get to a point where you can scout a creek bottom and find a place where deer cross. You will wonder where they go from there, and you will start walking aimlessly up the opposing hill. After 50 yards, the trail will have long petered out and you’ll wonder where the deer went. You’ll look down and there will be fresh scat.

That’s where you need to be, and then you will be able to answer your own questions. That’s what this is all about. Start with the deer you can see and work backwards.

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