For safety purposes, it’s important to wear blaze orange to help distinguish yourself from the foliage, for other hunters who might be in the area. [1] X Trustworthy Source State of Massachusetts Official website for the State of Massachusetts Go to source Contrary to popular belief, deer can’t see well enough to make camouflage particularly effective, though it is helpful in making your movements less visible, which are what alerts deer to your presence. Many different rifles are used for hunting deer, a . 243 up to a 30-. 06 or 30-30 caliber will do perfectly well for any deer you’re likely to encounter. Hunting with shotguns is somewhat less common, though deer slugs are available for hunting deer. Bow hunting is also extremely common for hunting deer. In most areas, 45 pounds draw weight is the legal limit, which means you’ll have a typical target distance from 20-60 yards.
It’s also common to hunt on private property with the permission of the local landowners. If you know someone with good rural deer-hunting property, get in touch and ask if you can come out next season. Never assume an area is safe for hunting if you’re not sure. Never trespass on private land without the permission of the landowners.
Keep jackets and clothing in Rubbermaid containers with spruce bows to make you smell like the woods. No drinking alcohol or eating fatty foods the night before hunting, so you’re not exuding strong smells that will alert deer to your presence. Some hunters will layer baking soda in between layers of hunting clothing to try to mask their scent further.
Keep an eye out for deer-friendly food sources, like apples or corn, as well as available water sources where deer are likely to congregate. Ideally, a field about 60 yards (55 m) in diameter would be perfect for hunting deer. If you have a longer range rifle with an accurate, sighted-in scope, a larger meadow (300 yds long or so) would be desirable. One of the most obvious signs of the presence of deer is antler rub on trees, which is done by bucks to mark territory and share scent. [5] X Research source
Make the deer come to you. Deer calls, estrus spray, urine, and rattling antlers are all common ways of attracting deer to your position, especially early in the season.
Always let someone else know where you’re going hunting, and when you’re likely to return for safety purposes, especially if you’ll be out of cellphone range. Don’t bring dogs when hunting deer. Although they’re good to have around when hunting fowl and other birds, dogs are too loud and will only serve to scare off deer.
Prone position is the most stable, but it is the most difficult and impractical position to get into in the field,[8] X Research source while standing is the simplest, fastest, and unfortunately most unstable. Crouching or sitting positions are the most comfortable and stable positions for shooting deer accurately, if done properly. You can crouch quickly, supporting your elbow with your knee or thigh, making your aim more true and stable. In the sitting position, you’ll sit cross-legged, perpendicular to your target, with the knee of your non-shooting hand pointing toward the target.
Some hunters like to give a spot a couple hours then move around some, while others like to roam more or less constantly. It’s your choice how you want to hunt, but most successful hunters do some combination of setting up to wait and trying out different areas. The waiting is part of the thrill and the drama of the hunt. If it wasn’t challenging, nobody would bother.
Depending on the laws in your area and the type of permit you’ve acquired, take a minute to verify that the deer you’re seeing is legal. Often, only bucks displaying a certain amount of antler growth (usually six points) are legal to harvest, though this varies from region to region. [9] X Research source If the first deer you see isn’t legal, don’t shoo it off. Wait. Deer often travel in pairs or herds and there are likely to be more deer coming soon.
Behind the front leg, 5-7 in. up from the chest is probably the most popular spot to aim. This shot will penetrate the heart and lungs, though deer don’t always go down immediately with this shot, and will sometimes recover, meaning that you often have to do some tracking. The head, through the brain, offers an instant kill, and there is very little meat lost to a head shot. Typically, you’ll aim just behind the eye to make this shot, a fairly advanced and difficult shot to make, with the potential for missing completely. [11] X Research source It also renders the deer impossible to taxidermy for a trophy, if you’re interested in saving the antlers or the whole head. The neck, through the spine, is another popular and lethal spot, hit by aiming just behind the jawline of a deer showing you its broadside. This shot will often paralyze a deer, requiring a second shot or throat slit to finish the job, making it slightly less desirable.
Breathe Relax Aim Stop breathing Squeeze the trigger
It’s also important to be aware of your surroundings, so you know what’s behind the deer as well. You don’t want to be shooting towards another person, a private residence, a public road, or other places you wouldn’t shoot.
Take care to remember the general spot you made the hit and the general direction that the deer took off. Mark the spot on your GPS if necessary.
If you see thin blood, or bile on the ground, you missed your shot and you’ll likely have to track the deer quickly to make a more humane kill. A gut-shot deer will take a long time to die, so you’ve got a responsibility to find it and speed up the process.
Some hunters like to use a bit of hydrogen peroxide to spray around foliage if the blood proves difficult to spot at any point. It should foam up and make the blood much more visible.
If the deer is still alive and doesn’t seem close to death, approach it carefully, maintaining a safe distance, before taking a more accurate shot through the brain or chest and putting it down. Be extremely careful when approaching a wounded deer. Some hunters like to use a knife to slit the deer’s throat and let it bleed out, though an angry, wounded deer with a big rack of antlers can be extremely dangerous.
A good-quality and well-sharpened hunting knife is an invaluable tool when you’re out hunting. You don’t want to have just made a kill and find out you’re without tools. If you’re close to home or camp, or have access to an ATV or other vehicle, you might bring the whole deer back and hoist it before skinning and gutting the deer. If you’ve got a long hike on foot, remove the entrails and pull the major organs from the rib cage, being careful not to puncture the stomach or intestines. There will be several membranes attaching the organs to the spine, which you’ll also need to cut. Generally, most hunters will then “break” the hind quarters and the fore, to make the carcass more easy for packing out, then butcher it later.
