In case you don’t know where, how, and when to hunt white-tailed deer & the season to do has come (which you wouldn’t even know), we have you covered. With the best hunting hacks & strategies for the white-tailed deer available below, you can’t find a more helpful guide anywhere.
Overall Instructions on Where, How And When to Hunt White-tailed Deer
You may be going on your first hunting trip with seasoned hunters, but this doesn’t negate the fact that knowing the basics will benefit you. While private & public lands to hunt white-tailed deer are easy to find, there is some little rigmarole to navigate before you can get your gear & head to an available location.
Basically, the first thing to do is to ensure that you’re operating within the acceptable standards of the state. There are different times for different seasons, so it is necessary to be sure you’re not transgressing the law when you hit the wild. Also, take note of your weapon & ammunition — are they in line with local laws? Lastly, obtain the appropriate hunting license & you’re finally good to go!
Where to Hunt White-tailed Deer
There are three basic places to hunt for white-tailed deer, and they are:
Outfitters
These are wild establishments that offer you the chance to hunt deer or antlers (and other specific animals) in exchange for your cash. Outfitters work in two ways: it’s either that you pay the owner for a full day on the establishment OR you pay per target, that is, payment for every animal you shoot at.
Often, an outfitter may help you find the animal you seek, and this is usually helpful if you would like to return home with a trophy. In the off-season, outfitters inform hunters of the specific specs of the deer available. That is, the exact number available, gender & precise locations.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Public
Hunting on public lands may be the easiest & cheapest out of all available options. They are also commonly recommended to people who’d appreciate a close return to the days of the earliest dwellers. This is because these lands are usually wild & uncultivated. The best states to hunt freely on public lands include Utah, Nevada, Idaho & Alaska.
Private Land
A private property can be yours or belong to someone else. For a land that’s yours, you require no permission from anyone to track & make a kill.
However, if a piece of land isn’t yours, yet you consider it to be a potentially successful spot for deer-hunting, ranch owners are often open to the idea of allowing hunters to hunt on their lands. The setup is pretty similar to an outfitter, but the landscape is more challenging since the land hasn’t been specifically created to hunt deer.
How To Hunt White-tailed Deer
There are numerous strategies for successfully hunting white-tailed deer. As a beginner, you have to settle for what’s easier & matches your intent. Your intention can be to hunt for trophies or meat, or you may just want to taste the feeling. Also, are you paying per miss, hit, or injury?
Some ranch owners or outfitters charge the same amount whether you hit or miss the target. This is often so because missing will scare away from the target, thereby making things difficult for other hunters who may be around.
After defining your aim & terms of operation, choosing a strategy comes next.
Stand Hunting
This strategy is quite popular. It involves using a tree or tower as a vantage point to take aim at deer. The idea is to spread bait out in such a way that will lead eating animals to you and, after that, assume a vantage position from which you wait in readiness. If it is the breeding season, you can use a female scent to entice males. For this strategy to work, you have to be quiet & patient.
Still Hunting
Still hunting requires you to follow & track a deer on foot, using the trees as covers while you wait for your right shot. You will have to learn how to walk quietly from a point to the other. You don’t need to be close to the target. In fact, it is better that you stay out of its range of sight. For this to work, though, you need to have mastered the art of tracking animals using visual & auditory markers.
Spot & stalk
This strategy is much like still hunting. It is basically about locating a target from a distance & moving closer for the kill stealthily.
Deer Drive
This strategy requires a group of hunters to work. By employing strategic cover, some members of the group use antics to force the deer out from where they are gathered, while other members are waiting at exit points, so there is no escape for the deer. This involves careful planning.
When to Hunt White-tailed Deer
These times were decided upon having lived several days in the lives of these deer. Let’s see where they will be at what time.
- Pre-dawn: following a balmy night, deer are usually passive at this hour.
- Mid-morning: on colder mornings, this hour will have herds alert & on the move.
- Noon: You are likely to get a short between 11 am–1 pm. This is when most hunters leave, causing the deer to become freer and walk around with less caution.
- Afternoon: It is hard to see the herd at this time.
- Late afternoon: An hour to sunset, the damp & cold temp will push the herd out. Bucks are typically more active now.
- Dusk: Expect the herd to be very active now, except when the weather is bad. Just observe if you wish or make a careful shit with precision now.
Concluding Thoughts on Where, How And When to Hunt White-tailed Deer
The feeling of stalking a white-tailed deer as it sashays through the woods is hard to beat. For hunters with illustrious family history, the feeling that comes with a white-tailed deer kill is incredibly great. It’s a sport with numerous challenges at an end & enviable gratification at the other upon a kill, plus there’s the advantage of a full freezer.
Thanks to this article, there’s hardly a distinction between beginners & experts; you now know where, how, and when to hunt white-tailed deer. Let’s hear from you when these guidelines work for you.