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Whitetail Deer Hunting 101

How To Hunt The Whitetail Deer

There are three techniques for hunting whitetail deer: driving, still or stand hunting, and stalk hunting. All three of these techniques have been proven through out the years to be very effective. The method you choose will depend upon the situation you are hunting and the weapon you prefer to hunt with. No one technique really stands out from one another, it just depends upon the situation and your choice.

Still Or Stand Hunting

Still or stand hunting is a technique used that requires the deer to come to the hunter, which occurs of course when the hunter chooses just the right location. To setup in the right spot a lot of scouting and knowledge of local deer movement is required. This is probably the most used technique by deer hunters and the most effective.

You can shoot a deer out of a tree stand, ground blind, or just sitting against a tree. The tree stand does offer some important advantages over hunting off the ground. The two advantages are being off the ground are: deer are less likely to spot a hunter or movement 15ft off the ground as they are looking ahead, not up, next by being up off the ground a reduced amount of human scent will reach the ground downwind of the hunters tree stand. Because of these advantages the majority of bow hunters will use a tree stand to get a close shot on deer. Tree stands are good when using firearms to reduce your scent on the ground and to give the hunter a better view.

Probably the biggest disadvantage of still-hunting for most hunters is patience. When still-hunting the hunter must remain still and wait, wait, wait…

Best Locations

The best locations for still-hunting are over multiple trails, where to trails come together, or a scrape. Another good location would be a concentrated feeding area such as small orchard or pair of apple trees. The most traveled trails will most likely be between a feeding a bedding area.

Stalking

The challenge using this technique is to spot the deer before the deer spots you. By doing so you can plan a stalk to put you within range of the weapon your hunting with. A good pair of binoculars can be really useful when stalking. Using this technique a firearm or even a bow can be used.

Best Locations

Almost any tract of land that holds deer, offers enough cover for a stalking hunter to hide in, and allows the hunter to walk without making a lot of noise. Both timber and walking across the rows of a cornfield are good example of good cover to hide a moving hunter. Stalking right after a rain is the perfect time for a hunter to move almost silently through the woods.

Advantages – A hunter covers a lot of ground and becomes more familiar with the lay of the land while not getting bored and stays warmer due to constant movement.

Disadvantages – Without careful movement throughout the woods or field a hunter can bump many deer.

Driving Deer

Driving deer is a good technique for hunting big bucks, or when deer have become nocturnal due to hunting pressure. While deer hunting requires that the hunter remain hidden, the drivers want to be seen so as to drive the deer to the standers who want to remain hidden from the deer. The drivers can of course talk or yell to each other and can be as loud as they wish when pushing their through heavy cover. When implementing this technique the wind should be at the standers back and in the face of the drivers.

The logic of this technique is for the deer to flee from danger being the drivers, and run right into gun range the standers. Most of the time the deer will be so preoccupied with the drivers that will do just that. The key is to place the standers right on the escape routes used by the deer when scared, not necessarily on trails.

Best Locations

Tracts of isolated timber or heavy set aside that are at least 2 acres, but smaller than 30-50 acres are a good starting point. Typically the larger the tract of cover, the more deer it will hold. However, there has to be enough drivers and standers to effectively cover the tract of cover. For example, there shouldn’t be more than 75 yards between the drivers. In heavy cover such as willow bats in a marshy setting this distance may only be 25 feet. Now there also has to be enough standers on the escape routes. Deer drives are much like pheasant hunting. A tract of land shaped like a rectangle is much more desirable than a square shaped piece of land to reduce the numbers of drivers needed.

Driving Techniques

Noisy Drive – As the name implies the drivers make as much noise as they can walking through the cover to the standers. This means talking, yelling, or even hitting trees with sticks. The belief behind this technique is that the deer will not think, but just run straight ahead right by the standers without thinking, or doubling back around the drivers.

Silent Drive – With this technique the drivers are silent and move through the cover slower and as quietly as possible, almost like stalking a deer. The belief behind this technique is that the drivers will get good shots at the deer while still pushing the deer at the standers. Another advantage of this technique is that the deer pushed to the standers will be less likely to be on a dead run giving the standers a simpler shot.

Safety

Does this technique sound a little dangerous to you? Well it certainly is some basic rules are not followed.

1) The minimal amount of orange required by your states regulations should be worn.

2) Driving deer is not a good situation to place a youngster or in-experience hunter in unless an adult hunter is alongside the newcomer.

3) It is very important that the drivers stay in line with each other.

4) Obviously no shots should be taken by a driver at a deer between him and another deer, or even remotely close.

5) If practical the standers should be in tree stands in order to see the drivers.

6) Be sure everybody understands the game plan and where to meet after the drive.