HOW TO AVOID SPOOKING DEER

Editor's Note: Brian Pearson of Aliceville, Alabama, enjoys hunting deer and has his dream job. He's been the lodge manager at The Roost for the last four years.

Question: How do you avoid spooking the deer you're trying to take?

Answer: For me, the wind is the largest factor. Make sure your scent is not being carried to the deer as you're going to your stand, not only when you're in the stand. A lot of hunters have the right wind when they're sitting in their stands, but when they walk in, their scent blows across where the deer are coming from.

Question: How do you walk to your stand to keep from spooking a deer?

Answer: I walk quietly like I'm stalking a lion. Remember, that deer can hear you and see you, even if they can't smell you. Many hunters approach their stands as though they're walking to a store or from the kitchen to the living room. But you're in the deer's territory, and you're expecting to find him close to your stand. You don't know that the buck isn't already at your stand before you get there. So, take a few extra minutes, and move slowly and quietly. You may spot the buck you want to bag before you get in your stand. Then, when you get ready to leave your stand, leave it just as quietly and cautiously as you approached it, especially if you plan to hunt from that stand the next day or the next three days.

Write Brian Pearson at The Roost, P.O. Box 509, Aliceville, AL 35442, (205) 373-3147, to learn more about hunting deer.

Check back each day this week for more from Brian Pearson.

Day 1 - Reasons Hunters Don't Take Deer
Day 2 - How To Look For Deer
Day 3 - How To Avoid Spooking Deer
Day 4 - Know And Understand Your Gun
Day 5 - Why You Shouldn't Give Up On A Hunting Area

John's Journal