THE FEAR FACTOR: HOW MUCH HUNTING PRESSURE CAN A BUCK STAND?

Prevent A Buck From Seeing, Smelling or Hearing You, Thereby Decreasing Hunter Pressure

According to Dr. Causey, “To prevent deer from seeing you, you must reduce the speed at which you move. Motion is what deer pick up more than anything else – rather than detecting colors. Camouflage clothing is necessary to reduce the apparent appearance of the human outline. However, reduction of motion or quickness of motion, will help prevent your being detected. To prevent deer from hearing you, wear soft clothing, and be careful where you step. To keep deer from smelling you, stay downwind of the animal. I have little faith in chemicals that supposedly mask human odor from whitetails.”

Often the best hunter in the woods is the trapper, since he leaves the least amount of human scent. He moves through the woods like a shadow, and he spooks very little game. Studying how trappers move through the woods to remain undetected will aid deer hunters in being more successful. Wearing thigh-high rubber boots means far less odor, from not only your feet but also your legs and your clothing, will be left in the woods, than if you wear ankle-high leather boots. If you can wade a small creek or a branch to get to your stand, you make less noise, leave less scent and come from a direction from which deer aren’t accustomed to expecting approaching danger. If you move into the woods before daylight and come out after dark, the deer are less likely to spot you. If you stay in your tree stand more and walk less, the likelihood of spooking deer and seeing more deer is greatly increased. When you’re hunting high-pressure bucks, the more you reduce the chances of a deer seeing, smelling or hearing you, the greater your odds will be for bagging that buck of a lifetime.