Becoming a successful deer hunter is an ongoing process.
And hunters must avoid pitfalls if they are to hang a trophy on the wall.
Ask nearly any hunter why he hunts, and he’ll probably tell you that he enjoys the great outdoors and the company of his companions.
Some of the best times occur while you’re spending time at the hunting camp and in the field with other sportsmen.
Such an opportunity affords young hunters a chance to gain knowledge from those who are more experienced.
If you grew up in a family of hunters, you probably count yourself lucky for getting the chance to learn from those who were willing to offer advice and encouragement.
Unfortunately, many of us have missed out on the family hunting experience.
And when knowledge is gained through trial and error, learning can be a long and frustrating process. Sometimes, it can be downright embarrassing, too.
Take, for instance, the time that you left your box of ammunition in the drawer of your gun cabinet.
Or the time that you forgot to carry a map or a compass and wound up getting lost for half a day.
And what about the morning you dozed off in your tree stand after playing cards all night at camp?
Most of us make a mental checklist before we go afield.
Still, it’s easy to come up short of our goal, even when we plan.
Perhaps the biggest mistake made by novice deer hunters is following the counsel of so-called experts. Magazines and videos are full of advice on how to hunt deer.
Even so, while much of it is useful information, you need to bear in mind that these video tapes and TV programs are guidelines only, based on generalities of whitetail behavior.
Practically every hunt is different. For every rule there is an exception. This is especially true where hunting pressure is high.
No matter how much you read or hear there’s no substitute for experience.
I know at least a dozen hunters who routinely stare at the wall where a trophy buck should hang and rue some of the minor mishaps that befall each of us during the hunting season.
There’s no better training ground than the woods.
No matter how much you learn, whitetail hunting is a school that you’ll never graduate from.
One of the most pleasurable things about hunting is that you never arrive at certainties that guarantee an outcome.
Wherever I go, I hear veteran hunters discussing actions they should have taken, things they should have done differently, or blunders that could easily have been avoided.
No matter how much time you spend in the woods, you’re going to foul things up occasionally, like shooting a buck in the rump instead of a vital area or missing a deer completely.
These are topics most of us would rather not discuss around the campfire.
And yet, there are a few pitfalls that can be avoided if the hunter is willing to use common sense, whether he’s a novice or veteran of the deer woods.
One of the most common causes of missed deer is the sights on your rifle. How many times have you heard a fellow hunter say, “But he was standing broadside at 40 yards and I emptied the gun at him?”
In other words, never take a gun afield without first making sure it works properly and the sights are where they’re supposed to be.
By just handling a gun as you get in and out of a vehicle or bumping it against trees as you traipse the woods on your way to your stand, can knock the sights out of whack.
Another source of mischief for hunters on the first day of buck season is toting a firearm that’s fresh out of the box.
Feeding a cartridge into the chamber might be a snap on the night before the hunt.
But try performing the same task with gloves on in freezing rain while seated in a stand that’s 20 feet off the ground.
Additionally, there’s the mistake among some rifle shooters who fail to consider the trajectory of a bullet when it is launched into flight.
A bullet fired from a .30-30 Winchester might be right on target at 100 yards, but the same load might overshoot its mark on a deer standing 50 yards away.
The secret is to know where your gun is shooting at different yardages.
And let’s not forget wind direction.
Despite all the precautions about this variable, it’s amazing how many hunters still approach their hunting zone with the wind blowing from directly behind them.
By the time they arrive at their stand, every deer in the county knows they’re coming and have promptly vamoosed.
Finally, one of the most valuable components in any hunter’s arsenal is this: have a working knowledge of scouting techniques and don’t just hop on the first tree that’s near a rub.
Your scouting should be intense and extensive. Check out other signs in the vicinity, such as food sources, scrapes and bedding sites.
And remember: the more time you spend in a particular area, the more likely you will tip off your presence, and the easier it is for the animals to know that you are there.
Patience is a virtue of the wise hunter.
Learning by trial and error is its own reward.
That’s what hunting in the great outdoors is all about.
Hunting is a sport, not a sure thing.