If you have you been hunting deer more than a few weeks, you probably know that there are dozens of variables that affect how a deer moves and when. Because of the way the deer protects itself, it is critical that a deer is able to see and hear well for it to feel safe. Deer move primarily in the evening/night, especially the older it gets. With that said, finding the rights day time hunting situations is critical to get a good look at that dream buck!!
The short answer to how does the wind affect deer movement is that deer move more in the wind assuming the other factors like cloud cover, and temperature are in alignment. There are some ways to improve your chances of hunting in the wind I’ll talk about those more here in a minute.
To be honest, as I did some research for this write-up my gut told me wind had a negative impact on deer movement. I have seen bigger deer in the wind, but assumed it was dumb luck until I started looking at the research.
Before I get into hunting strategies in the wind, to dig a little bit deeper about the seeing and hearing, I wanted to add a little bit of detail to how that works.
First off, in the woods a deer uses a sense of sight to understand what’s going on around it, and if it should be concerned or potentially in danger. When the wind blows, the trees move, the CRP blows in the wind and the fields have wave-like motion because of the gusts of wind. If the deer is going to be up moving around during the daytime in the wind, it is going to be very cautious. A bush being blown by the wind can often trigger a deer to be nervous and confuse it for an animal/predator or person.
Hearing in the wind…
The more serious concern about deer and the wind is the fact that they can’t hear what’s around them if the wind is blowing. A deer’s sense of hearing is extremely strong and their ability to stay safe is determined by how much they can hear around them. If the wind is blowing, it’s a similar affect to the deer having on earmuffs were the noise is not clear, and danger is not always recognizable. With that said, deer will frequent open areas so they can use their eyes to stay safe if that cant hear or smell.
Scent while hunting in the wind
Something to be aware of in any hunting situation for deer is the fact that the wind can make your scent very volatile, so making sure that you’re not putting yourself or your stand in the way of deer traffic during a windy day hunting is critical to your success. You always want to be facing the wind and facing the area that you think the deer will be coming from. Swirling wind is tough!! No matter how careful you are with scent sprays, clothing and more, the reality is deer can smell you nearly every time the wind blows from you to them.
There are a few things that you can do to improve your chances of hunting deer in the wind. First off you can look for low areas such as creek bottoms or a draw between two hills/a valley. Finding these low areas will take some or all of the wind out of the equation and deer will be more likely to be staying in lower areas for the same reasons that I mentioned above.
In addition to a hunting in low areas it is also helpful to put your standup a little bit higher than you would normally, which can prevent your scent for reaching a deer because you are higher above the ground.
The third and final thing that you could do to improve your chances of hunting deer and the wind is to use a cover scent on your clothing and pending the time of year, using sent wicks with no estrus urine or other cover sense can help mask your scent that may be more noticeable on a windy day.
The research about deer in the wind…How does the wind affect deer movement ?
While doing my homework here, I found an article that talks about a guy who did a study over 20 years and 35,000 days in the field among the participants. They overlapped the hunting days with national weather data and looked at kills and deer sightings based on weather.
The wind in this study was a big surprise. In order below, wind (Ranking Third) has a huge impact on seeing quality deer and the more wind the better.
Actually the study shows that the best deer days were days that included cold temp’s, clear skies, and steady to high winds resulted in the very best days to see big deer. To take it s step closer, the study showed the harder the wind – the more deer!!
To sum things up, hunting deer in the wind is tough but don’t get disappointed and stay at home. Based on the above, wind is worth the effort!! Deer do still move around in the wind, especially during a rut.
For me personally, some of the biggest deer I’ve ever seen in the wild while hunting, were when the wind was above average. Hopefully this helps you decide about when to hunt next. Don’t forget to check your wind vs stand location when you get in the stand. You can do that with a simple powder bottle.
There’s always a big debate around August or September about where to hang a tree stand. Every Hunter has their opinion and many of their opinions are correct. And this quick rundown I’m going to give you the top 5 best places to hang a tree stand.
Whether you are hunting to fill the freezer or to put that next big rack on the wall, the location of your tree stand is one of the most critical pieces of your hunting strategy. In short the best five places to hang a tree stand are as follows: transitional areas, food sources such as food plots, water, bedding areas or thickets, and land features.
Let’s talk about these best places in detail for a minute and help you understand why and where to put your next tree stand.
Best Place #1 – Transition Areas
Transition areas for deer hunting is defined as an area in between a deer’s bedding and or feeding area where they travel from one place to the other. Using trail cameras and taking some time in the woods to do observation sets where you are not hunting but just watching, you should be able to identify areas that deer typically travel early in the morning or right before dark as they are coming into or leaving a feeding area and or bedding area.
As you probably know deer are most active in the evening and they typically bed down during the day so you’ll most often find Deer coming from they are bedding areas and headed to seating areas in the evening. In the morning you will see deer that have been up all night getting a last bite to eat at sunrise before they go down to bed for the day.
With that said, identifying with trail cameras and watching deer activity to find where these trails and regularly travel transition areas are our one of the best places to set up a deer stand. If you are planning to set your tree stand up on a transition area it is important to know that sitting your stand directly above a trail unless you have no other choice is not always the best option.
If you’re able, look at typical wind directions and available trees in the area and set your stand 25 yards off of this transition area for both season and maybe 50 Yards off or more from that same transition area during gun season. If you are sitting right on top of that area the chances the deer will smell you is very high and you will ruin your opportunity to harvest a deer.
Best Place #2 – Natural Food Sources
Another great spot in the hanger stand is surrounding a natural food source like acorns or persimmons. If you don’t have many natural food sources on your property, getting out and setting up a food plot in the spring and late summer can really help your chances. You can find out more about food plots on our site here, but for purposes of talking about tree stands, being able to find things like acorns that will be naturally falling throughout deer season will be very helpful as you try to locate a place for a stand.
There’s obviously the opportunity in some states and counties to hunt using corn or bait. If this is something that you plan to do, it’s best to make sure you have proper shooting lanes or open area around where you plan to put out your corn or feed her.
The same goes for food sources like this as do the transition areas. You don’t want to put your tree stand immediately over the food source or right on top of her in the same tree for the acorns are, but set off from the food source by 25 to 50 yards depending on your weapon and allow yourself shooting visibility to the food source that you are hunting towards.
Without sounding repetitive you need to be very careful about wind direction and make sure that you’re facing into the wind and that your stand is not upwind of the food source where the deer will smell you when they do come the food source because you were in a bad position where the wind will be blowing towards a deer from your stand.
Best Place #3 – Water Sources
Depending on your location and the temperament of the deer you’re hunting, water can be a decent place to set up a deer stand. As you go out west, especially for mule deer, dear struggle to find water and watering holes are great places to catch deer coming in and out. For Whitetail deer, water is not a great indicator of deer presence, so I would use this one as a last resort if you can’t find any of the other four options listed in this article.
Best Place #4 – Bedding Areas
A great opportunity to find big deer is if you can locate a consistent bedding area or thick area where deer spend their time during the day to lay down. Similar to a food source, deer will go between his bedding areas and the food sources using a transition area. With that said, The bedding area can be highly valuable as deer will consistently come back to the same area each day to go to bed and once the rut begins you can be sure that bucks will be following does to the bedding areas almost every day.
I would recommend the same strategies of trail cameras and observation watches on your property. Bedding area for deer is pretty consistent across the country. Deer will bed down in bloom down trees, thick areas of briars and thick underbrush, and I typically use either low places near creek bottoms or high ridges where they can see very easily and escape if they need to.
Best Place #5 – Land Features
Which brings me to the fifth and final best place to hang a tree stand. Locating key land features, like pinch points (where land features force a deer to travel in a small or narrow corridor), high ridges, or creek bottoms with the right surroundings, these spots can be perfect!! There’s a true story about a guy I know who was hunting a 170 class buck who went to bed on top of the same ridge for almost 3 years. The ridge was very narrow (30 yards wide) at the top and very long (and about 175 yards long) and there was no way a person could get to the top of this ridge without that deer hearing him or her.
That being said if you came up one side of the ridge the deer will go off the other side every single time. It took about three years for a buddy of mine finally bag him, but these features like a high ridge, or low creek bottom can hold deer consistently. In addition, hanging a stand on a high ridge can give you amazing visibility once the leaves drop from the trees! Creek bottoms can hold large bucks, especially if they are near by thick cover.
5 Best Places To Hang A Tree Stand Recap
So there you have it. The 5 Best Places to Hang a Tree Stand!! There are other places of course, but these are the best 5 on a consistent basis you can trust to work over and over.
Deer movement is motivated by many things, especially food until breeding season. I’ve had the discussion a hundred times in my life, and everyone seems to have a different answer. There are lots of variables to this question like region, age of the animal, time of year and food availability. In the below, learn when and why deer move the most! The short answer to when do deer move most is just after sunrise, and just before sunset in relation to hunting possibilities. Deer typically move throughout the evening/night, but you can’t hunt during these times. With that said, you better be ready to get up early, and sit till dark to see the big boys walking around
Much of the year, deer bed to feel safe and secure, and it is during this bedding time that they are also fully digesting their food. When the deer gets hungry again, they go back out to feed. Those movements are typically at sunrise and sunset. There are times when deer move throughout the day, but if there is increased hunting pressure, they will move more in cover than out in the open – exposing themselves to hunters.
Deer have a very unique lifestyle, as they can travel a very large area throughout their life-span. About 70 percent of yearling bucks will disperse from where they are born. Once they set up their home range, it’s usually between 600 to 1000 acres. This area also depends on the quality of the habitat. Like every living organism, deer need food, cover and water. If a habitat meets all those needs, then deer won’t move as much. During the rut, that home range expands. However, there are different factors that make a deer to move from one place to another.
When do deer move most and why?
There are many reasons why an animal leaves its own habitat, below are some factors that can influence deer movements.
Temperature
Having low temperature or cold fronts are a piece of good news for every hunter because the temperature does speak a lot as to when deer will become active.
Wind Condition
With the exception of the rut, deer typically lay low in the day time during high wind. Since the wind affects their ability to hear, they often bed longer on windy days.
The phase of the Moon
Another factor that may affect deer movement is the moon phase. There is evidence that the lunar cycle influence deer activities. During a full moon, some say deer move much more during the night hours, cause of the additional natural light.
Photoperiodism
Similarly, most animal behavior is influenced by photoperiodism, which is the change in the amount of daylight. As the amount of sunlight being reflected off the moon and to the earth varies with the lunar cycle. Deer’s peak movement occurred, as expected, around dusk in all phases except one. During the new moon, movement rate peaked near dawn and lasted a little longer into the early morning. Also, the deer’s irregular sleeping habits allow them to maintain their energy and have some rest while taking advantage of the darkness. This means that the deer are more active when darkness is present than they are during the day.
Deer also sleep in direct sunlight to stay warm while they move often at night to keep themselves undetected to the predators. They find a warm spot to sleep in when the temperatures reach the frigid lows. Deer often take shelter under coniferous trees like pine trees when temperature drops down and reaches its lowest and the coldest point. The dense trees that have low branches protect deer from feeling cold and even creating a roof that holds heat. This way, they were able to conserve their energy.
Breeding Time
Another important factor to consider by hunters when it comes to tracking deer movement is the rut. The rut is the mating period for deer, and encompasses all physiological and behavior activities associated with courtship and breeding. When deer are making scrapes and rubs during the active rut time of year, their more active during the day, and all bets are off. If a hot (ready to breed) doe is near by, bucks go crazy.
For a hunter, peak rut is that magical time when even normally super-wary mature bucks briefly drop their guard and expose themselves.
Barometric pressure
The biggest aspect of weather that greatly affects the deer and other animals movement is the atmospheric pressure, also known as the barometric pressure. Deer have the ability to sense these changes. A barometer is the instrument we measure this with and it refers to the amount of air pressure exerted by air molecules against the earth’s surface. If the air molecules above the earth’s surface are not as dense, the result will be a decrease in barometric pressure. The resulting low-pressure system is known to usher in clouds, rain and/or snow. High pressure on the other hand, tends to be clear or very few clouds, low humidity and fair weather.
Deer’s inner ear works very much the same way a barometer works. In fact, it’s said that ancient man also had the ability to better sense these changes. Animals’ ability to sense the change in barometric pressure is likely Mother Nature’s way of protecting the herd.
Hunting Pressure
Areas who have been exposed to hunters are more likely to get less deer activity, especially in the day time. As deer season goes on each year, deer get more and more nocturnal, and it becomes harder and harder to see deer during active shooting light.
What are the best times of the day to hunt a deer?
You may be wondering, what is the best time to see a deer since according to study and observations, most research shows the deer killed around 10:00 – 11:30 A.M.
When do deer move most for a Hunt!
Morning Hunt
One of the best time to hunt a deer is the first hour in the morning when deer are about to go back to their bedding areas, especially for those deer who were feeding throughout the night, this period could be one of those times where you can spot deer walking around and following the trails going to bedding.
Afternoon Hunt
This is the time of the day when deer are about to get out of their beds and go on their way to look for food. Deer are very active during the night time since they keep themselves guarded against the predators and hunting during the day. Taking into all accounts all kinds of big game, the afternoon hunts will usually be somewhat more predictable than the morning hunts. This is largely because anything that occurred under the cover of the darkness has been long forgotten by the animals.
Morning vs evening hunts
If you are to compare evening to morning, there are things that you can only get in the morning on a hunt, and vice versa for evening hunts. Unlike the evening, deer often filter back into the bedding areas during the early morning hours before the daylight. if you can afford to buy a game camera that you can use in tracking the movements of the deer it will surely help you decide what strategy you should have in tracking down the deer walking in their own trails.
Another thing is that you can move quietly during the day time because you can see the place you are moving in. You can even get into your position quietly unguarded and not noticed. However, during the evening most deer are currently in search for food. Their movement is often very predictable. This is especially during the early part of the bow season and in the late part of the season when their primary focus is food. Unlike in early mornings, they move all at once and their evening movements are often coordinated and very visible as they move down the trails, heading to a place somewhere where they can fill their empty bellies.
Midday
During this time, deer often stay in their beddings and conserve their energy so they can use it in the later part of the day wherein predators are even more active like them. For some hunters, midday hunting is considered as the best time to look for a mature buck. Often times, deer just like to stretch their legs a bit from time to time. They will move yards away from their bedding area and they always do this routine every day. Also, most of the deer love to drink/water during this time.
A deer’s daily routine isn’t exactly as clear-cut as a human. Deer don’t exactly work off a planner, minute-by-minute. Still, their activities unconsciously fall under a certain pattern. Unlike our routines that are dictated by the concept of schedules and time, theirs is a routine driven by instinct and needs. This outline should help you understand when deer move most and how you can capitalize on that movement.
Does deer hunting and moon phases have anything to do with each other? How does the moon affect deer movement at all!?! The short answer is 100%, absolutely NOT REALLY – the moon doesn’t affect deer movement in a huge way!
To be honest, I had a hard time digesting this information, as I wrote this article. Many hunters and researchers have attempted to correlate deer movement in relation to moon phases. There has been a lot of speculations and debate on how and how much the moon impacts deer activities.
One camp has suggested that the moon’s phase affects the activeness of the deer to hunt for their food. Since it needs light to feed during the night, it is observed that deer’s movement is enhanced following the low lit moon phases. Another camp says that it was actually the moons positioning that influence the movements,. The third camp thinks that the moon has no significant influence over the deer movements at all, because minimal evidence is available to support any of these lunar hypotheses. So which one is it?
Does The Moon Affect Deer Movement?
The overwhelming data around moon phases and deer movement says that there is no consistent indicators of moon phases or moon light affecting deer movement. Scarcely any exploratory testing has been led with respect to how lunar phases enhance or decrease animal movement and behavior.
In 2017, a new research published from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences refutes the long standing belief that the moon phases change deer movement. The Penn State research team arrived at the conclusion suggesting that the moon and its phases have little to no impact on deer mobility by night or day. The study was based more on data and used better technology than the previous moon-phase studies, having stumbled upon these interesting findings.
The doe moved nearly 200+ feet per hour at night and less than 160+ feet per hour during the day
They moved the most, up to 400+ feet, when the sun was setting or rising and were more active near dusk than dawn.
Compared against periods of full moon, the study showed that the deer travelled less than 20 feet more per hour during nights with a new moon.
In daylight during periods of partial moon phase doe moves about 13 feet farther.
Interestingly, another study found there was a rise in mid-day activity by deer on days with a full moon. Although moon phases can slightly affect deer activities, more important environmental factors determine their movement.
What are the factors that affect deer movements?
There are other elements that will surprise you, that impact when deer move, not related to the moon. Here are some key factors!:
1. Daily Routine
Deer are neither diurnal or nocturnal animals for they are a league on their own. They are considered crepuscular animal for they are primarily more active during dusk and dawn. They do this to avoid other animal predators during the peak hours of the day or night. After waking up, their biggest priority would be food. This is when they would start to venture their way towards available food sources.Their best priority is to find food after waking up. This is when they would venture their way towards available food sources.
As the night deepens, the deer start to become more active. They either a start to go around and graze the woods or go back to their bedding sites. But since they’re not really nocturnal animals, they don’t have the best night vision. A couple of hours later, they would head out again to eat. Eating their last meal for the day would often result to them feeling very sluggish and lethargic.
Afterwards, they would go back to their bedding sites a few hours before or after sunrise (6 am to 10 am). Deer usually wake up in the middle of the day (11 am to 1 pm) to go for a snack. Afterwards, they would go back to sleep during 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm to prepare for the big night ahead. However, keep in mind that although this guideline is already pretty accurate, there are still certain elements that might completely throw all these off kilter.
2. Season
Seasons also plays a vital role in determining a deer’s behavior. Their activity during early spring would depend on how well they survived the previous winter. Their daily routine would start earlier and their bedding would be much later. They will also prioritize resources and would stick around at areas with the most abundant food sources.
In summer, they tend to be in a slump because of the hot weather. So that means deer are more active when the sun isn’t up and the weather’s fairly good. Though, the summer heat makes the fawn agitated during bedtime, this triggers them to wander around during late afternoon or early evening.
The fall season is a bit more complex to the other seasons. At this season, they like to eat like crazy, so they would be willing to go the extra mile to find food. The rut or the breeding season is in the fall, so this makes the bucks more erratic and restless.
Eventually the winter will come and the rut will end. The cold weather will get deer up on their feet, and moving a lot. Deer love grazing in open fields during this time, as long as they are being pressured badly.
3. Temperature
Temperature plays a significant factor to the activeness of the deer. In hot temperatures, deer tend to sleep more so cool temperature is the ideal for deer to move around.
4. Weather
A sudden change in the temperature will definitely make a buck move. So what else is the perfect way of changing their position but a sudden change of weather. Animals have keen senses on which they can expect an upcoming weather event. A rainfall is a definite way to get a deer moving.
5. Availability of Resources
Resources are needed to ensure survival. If the place is ideal: Quality food, water sources and optimal bedding settings would of course attract deer and would more likely around the area.
6. Hunting Pressure
Areas that have been dawned by the hunting season would less likely to experience much activity on the current season. Also the animals in this area would be more likely as guarded on edge, so only a few deer sighting will be found in the area.
The Wrap Up
A decent hunter is as good as the amount of time you put in the stand, the ground you chase and the ability to make the shot. Don’t plan to hunt based on moon phases, simply plan to hunt. There are lots of tried and true hunting tactics for deer, but moon phase predictions are not one of them. It’s extremely important for you to take each of this factor in thought: from the deer’s daily activity, routine, eating habits, the biological condition, season and weather.
These factors change the movement and behavior of deer, so you should figure out how to analyze and utilize this to your advantage. Overall, the moon shouldn’t be a major factor in your decision to get in a stand or not. Lower light moons for me have been more productive in the past, but based on all these scientific tests, I am of the opinion that moon phases do not change deer movement in a way that is worth noting.
You might be new to hunting, or maybe you just haven’t taken the time to dig in on what is a trail camera. A trail camera is a small photo or video device used by hunters to monitor the behavior and movement of the animals within their hunting property. With the information being provided by these cameras, hunters can put together an effective strategy for hunting game.
Why use a trail camera for hunting?
Aside from helping you plan out your hunting approach, there are plenty of reasons why you should use a trail camera. They are as follows.
Lookout
Using trail cameras will eliminate the need for you to watch the game trails deer visit, or will potentially visit. Meaning, you do not have to be physically present in the field or in the woods while trying to keep an eye on your favorite hunting property.
Will not scare off the game
Trail cameras, if installed in the right location, will help you spot the game without spooking animals, or leaving scent in a hunting area.It will give you better chances of profiling the animal without worrying that it will know you have been in the area.
Capture better images
Aside from recording the movement and behavior of the deer you are hunting; a high-quality trail camera will also provide you with clearer and better pictures of the animals. I don’t personally hunt over corn, but pending your state, pre-season scouting can be made really easy by adding cameras and a pile of corn in a favorite hunting area, to see what is in the neighborhood.
Be in many places at once
My favorite benefit that you can get from using trail cameras is that these clever devices will allow you to be in several areas within your property at the same time. They will provide you with the best options while hunting.
The Best Places to Put a Trail Camera
Setting up or installing trail cameras may sound like an easy job. Technically, as long as you have a manual or you know how to operate the cameras, you can easily install them anywhere you want. Turning the camera on is a breeze, but finding a good spot for a camera is a different story. You can find more intel about “where to find deer” here. Same would typically apply for where to place a camera.
If you want to capture as many bucks as possible, you need to put your trail cameras in strategic places within the property. For this to be possible, you must consider the season, the location, and the purpose your camera will serve in your hunting activity.
The right camera placement will ensure that you will get detailed information about the animal you are hunting in every image that it will take. Now here are some helpful recommendations on where to put your trail cameras depending on the hunting season.
Spring and Summer
Spring and summer are considered the best seasons to monitor your deer herd and analyze the kinds of bucks that you will come across with when fall arrives. During these two seasons, it is best to place your trail cameras in locations where food is abundant. These places include but are not limited to soybean fields, summer flood plots, some heavily used travel trails.
However, the best spot to set up your trail cameras during these seasons are on mineral licks and corn piles. These will give you better access to some low-impact locations like field edges. You may also consider putting a trail camera near watering holes and other bodies of water because they are heavily visited by deer when the weather is hot. This is especially true in arid/desert regions for deer.
Fall
Fall is the time of the year when bucks shed their velvet. This process changes the behavior and travel patterns of bucks during fall. This shift in their traveling patterns starts showing off from late summer throughout fall. During this period, it is best to move your trail cameras from their initial positions to heavily traveled trails commonly found between food sources and bedding areas. Deer become attracted to apples, acorns, and chestnut trees during fall.
Aside from placing your trail camera in natural land pinch points, you may also put them over scrapes. The latter is situated beneath low-hanging tree branches usually frequented by bucks. Before setting up your device, make sure that you have your scent under control and that you pay close attention to exit and entry routes. Some deer are scared of foreign objects, so ensure that you don’t place your camera directly over scrapes but at least a few yards away from it.
Winter
Once fall is over and the deer hunting season draws closer to its end, start moving your trail cameras back to where food sources will be abundant. From being overly sensitive and hyper during fall, deer start going back to their normal behavior and will pay more of their attention back to food. During this season, your camera will give you a clearer view of how your herd is enduring the cold winter months.
Camera Set Up
Here are some of the things that you should remember when setting up your trail cameras.
The best time to set up or install your cameras is mid-day. Also, it is highly recommended to install them right after a light rain or drizzle because the wet environment will help minimize your scent.
Make sure to hang or strap your camera securely to its place. Ensure that it is facing the right direction where you believe the deer are frequently traveling and that it is elevated just right for the sensor to pick up the presence of the animal.
Always make sure that your device has fresh batteries and SD card. Buying 2 cards per camera is ideal if you don’t have a cell signal/wireless signal camera, so you can rotate the card every time you check the camera (otherwise you will need to stand there and check hundreds of pictures in a potentially prime hunting spot). Strategically place it at least facing the northern or southern direction, so it will not capture too many shadows created by the sun’s movement.
Check your cameras at least once every two weeks to make sure that they are in right conditions.
Best Trail Cameras for Deer Hunting
Choosing the right trail cameras for deer hunting is key if you want to get detailed photos of your herd and monitor their behavior. If you are still unsure of what cameras to buy, here are a few that we can recommend.
If you want an excellent cell / wireless camera at an affordable price, the Moultrie 6000 Cell Cam is the right choice for you. This camera has served me well for a long time. Exceptional battery life, even using cell signal. Great quality pictures both day and night. Easy to set up! Moultrie also has an awesome app for their cameras, with GPS and Photo Storage, tagging, and animal ID features. This camera has a big bang for the buck. You can check price on the button above, but typically goes for less than $100.
The Campark Trail Camera is equipped with a camera that captures 14-megapixel images and records full HD 1080P videos. It has a 0.3s trigger speed that detects movements without delay, ensuring that you will not let miss the most critical moments of the hunt. The Campark Trail Camera has excellent sensitivity and night vision which makes it the best choice if you want to monitor the herd in the dark. It is equipped with a 120-degree wide angle lens to ensure that will get a broader view of the surrounding. (Not cell ready)
Last but not the least is the Wild Game Innovations entry level camera. For under $50, this little guy is a tank. Pictures are high quality, battery life is great, and works in low or no lights too. Unlike its contemporaries, this device shoots 14MP clear images. This camera also has a sensitive range of up to 60+ feet. An added perk is you can swap SD cards from the bottom, so it wont mess up your straps. A last nice to have from this camera is the bungees are very sturdy, compared to some of the other straps available in the market.
Key Takeaways
Always consider the season when looking for an ideal place for your trail camera.
Make sure that you did everything to minimize your scent while installing your trail cameras.
There are plenty of trail cameras available in the market but make sure that you buy the ones that suit your hunting property and goals.
Invest in trail cameras that are durable and have excellent specifications if you want to increase your chance of capturing as many deer as you can.
Staying hidden is one of the biggest priorities of a hunter. Those who opt to hunt deer know that deer have a remarkable ability to accurately detect and identify even the most subtle smell and slightest sounds. Given the deer’s sense of smell and hearing, the next question a hunter has is how does a deers eyes work?
So… what colors can deer see?
More importantly, what colors can deer see? Deer perceive colors differently from humans. A study conducted in 1992 found out that deer are actually red-green color blind. Without delving too much into the technicalities of nano meters, rods, and cones, it basically means that they can differentiate red from blue, but not from green or orange. It’s not true that they only see in black and white. They still see in color, it’s just that they have difficulty perceiving colors at the end of the spectrum with the longer wavelength, like the red and orange. Their eyes are only sensitive to colors with shorter wavelength, such as blue. They’re also really perceptive of ultraviolet light, an advantage that we, humans, don’t have.
How deer see vs. humans
To elaborate, humans have a trichromatic vision. We have three different types of cone photopigments or specialized photoreceptor cells in our eyes that enables us to perceive color from different parts of the spectrum, may it be short wavelength light (blue), middle wavelength light (green), or long wavelength light (red). But with deer, this isn’t the case. They only have two cone photopigments, what they lack is the one susceptible to long wavelength light. This is why they have difficulty perceiving reds and oranges. With regards to their receptivity to ultraviolet light, this could be attributed to the fact that unlike humans, they do not have a UV filter which blocks 99% of harmful UV from entering our eyes. Without it, our retinas would be damaged by the UV light. It also helps us see things in finer details. Since deer does not have this filter, they can’t see things with much clarity but they can perceive movement much better.
What NOT to wear/use:
So if you want to have more chances of getting your trophy buck, try and stay away from wearing anything blue or using UV brightening fabric cleaners. However, if you’re out there thinking wearing a blaze orange outfit is all it will take to get you your kill, then you’re wrong. Deer aren’t dubbed as an anti-predation machine for no reason. If anything, their eyes are just an added layer to their innate security system. It’s not all there is to it. They may be colorblind but their killer instincts and practical biological makeup definitely make up for what they’re lacking. Needless to say, they’re not easy kill. If you want this hunting season to be a success, it’s important that you go out there knowing exactly what you’re up against.
Deer Security System
Deer have various capabilities that make them well-equipped to detect even the most experienced hunters.
First, their nighttime vision. Deer are more active during the wee hours of the night. In order to survive, their eyes must be more adapted to seeing things in low light. Retinas of mammals have two light sensitive cells called cones or daytime cells and rods or nighttime cells. Cones are responsible for perceiving light and color. On the other hand, rods function in the absence of the light and can only perceive things that are black and white. A deer’s eye has more rods in it than cones, enabling them to see better during nighttime but poorer in daytime. This also limits their capability of seeing colors. They also have a tape-tum at the back of their eye. A tape-tum is a reflective layer that helps their receptor cells bounce the light that they failed to absorb back across the cells, making it possible for them to use the same light twice. Another reason why they can see better when it’s dark is because their pupils are much more wide-set than ours, allowing them to gather more light in lowlight situations.
Next is their wide field of view. Since their eyes are set wider apart from each other, their peripheral vision is also much higher than humans. Deer have a peripheral vision that ranges from 250 to 270 degrees while human only goes from 160 to 170 degrees. This gives them the ability to pick up the slightest predator movement from their surroundings as long as it’s just below the horizon. So if you want to stay undetected, you’re better off above the ground than on it.
Let’s not forget their impeccable sense of smell. They possess no less than 297 million olfactory receptors on their nose while humans only have 5 million. In addition, they also have another scent gland located in their mouth called the vomeronasal organ. To further illustrate their capabilities, let’s compare them to a dog. A dog has only 220 million olfactory receptors on their noses and they can already do pretty great things such as: identifying very small traces of chemicals, detect fear, anxiety or other emotions through smelling the pheromones emitted from a person’s glands, even pick up a human scent from a crime scene that’s a week old! Considering the fact that a deer’s olfactory system is 30% more receptive than that of a dog’s, imagine how much stronger their sense of smell actually is. That’s why when hunting, it’s important to make sure that you don’t smell at all. Not only that, you also have to make sure that your stand is free from your odor since they would also be able to pick up your scent from, say the tree that you’re always on.
Lastly, a deer’s ears are capable of detecting ultra-high-frequency sounds. Human ears can only detect up to 20,000 hertz while deer’s ears can hear frequencies that go from 30,000 hertz and beyond. Their ears are also built in a way that makes it easier to locate a nearby predator. Like tiny satellite dishes, they could rotate their ears towards the origin of the sound. On top of that, they’re also smart enough to distinguish sounds indicating a threat to sounds that doesn’t. They already know what a hunter’s footstep sounds like. To throw them off, try and change the rhythm of your walking. If you feel like they’re noticed you already, stop making any sound or movement for a while.
How to Defeat the Security System
With all that being said, it’s not entirely impossible to outsmart a deer. After all, countless hunters have been doing it for years. Below are a few tips and tricks on how to do just that:
Sight
When it comes to their sense of sight, you already know its weaknesses: they can’t see well above the horizon; they have horrible visual acuity; and, of course, the color orange. So, aside from dawning blaze orange camos, the best way to remain unsighted is staying on top of trees or investing on a ground blind. A ground blind is a tent that’s designed to blend well with your hunting ground. This could give you the stealth that you need without taking away the advantages of being on ground. However, remember that when you’re using a ground blind, you have to be more mindful of your movements since deer are good at detecting movements on ground. If you must move, make sure to time your movements when the deer is looking away from your direction.
Sound
As stated earlier, a deer’s ear can rotate towards the direction of a certain movement. So if your quarry has its ears on your direction, it’s over. You’ve been spotted. Your mission is to prevent that from happening. Be more apprehensive of you’re the sounds that you, your gears, or your weapons could be making. If you must make a sound, make sure that you make it when their ears are turned away from you. Avoid gears with metal pieces on it. Since deer are extra sensitive to high frequency sounds, metals clinking against each other might as well be a glaring alarm that screams danger.
Smell
This might be the biggest challenge yet. Just sniffing off your clothes for any significant odor isn’t going to cut it since a deer’s nose is a hundred times more sensitive. A subtle fragrance might already be a red flag to them. Before going on your stand, make sure that you washed your gear and yourself with an odor-free soap. You can also try some scent eliminating spray or olfactory jamming spray available on the market. Another option is using an ozone machine inside your ground blind to cover and neutralize any of your scent.
A deer might be equipped with state-of-the-art senses. But so are you! A smart hunter is always at an advantage. At the end of the day, it’s not your gear or your blaze orange camo that would fill your tags. It’s your own skills and competency as a hunter. In the woods, you need to use your own head. Your wit and ingenuity would save you. It’s up to you to come up with various techniques and strategies to fill that freezer, or take that next tropy buck!
Aside from antlers, deer are also hunted for their tasty meat. However, before you can cook that meat and serve it to your family, you need to skin the animal first. If you believe that the challenge of hunting a deer ends by capturing the animal, wait until you get to the skinning part.
There are two ways that you can skin a deer. Either you let a butcher do it for you, or you do the skinning yourself. Deer skinning can be quite challenging and tough for any person. But, if it is not your first time, you probably know by now that choosing the right skinning knife can make the job a whole lot easier.
A skinning knife is a hunting tool that is mainly used to prepare the captured animal as food. Skinning or hunting knives are different from your ordinary kitchen knife because they are specially made to be extra versatile and sturdy.
Traditional skinning knives are designed to have slightly curved blades, making them highly efficient tools for peeling the skin off an animal. However, current knives have been designed to be used not just for skinning but for boning and slicing slabs of meat as well.
If you are thinking of buying your very own skinning knife, here are four of the best blades in the market that you must consider.
The model 119 Special Fixed Blade Knives by Buck Knives are specially designed for hunters who prefer to have the traditional solid feel of a fixed blade in their hands. The 199 model is made in the United States by the family-owned Buck Knives.
The 119 is created from 420HC steel which boasts of excellent edge retention and corrosion resistance. It is hardened to a standard Rc 58 for you to get the best performance out of it. Overall, this knife measures 10 ½ inches with a blade length of six inches and only weighs 7.5 ounces.
The 119’s clip blade is guaranteed to make piercing, cutting in tight places, and other detail works to be easier. Its black phenolic handle is made with palm swells for a more comfortable grip. Furthermore, the aluminum pommel gives the knife its aesthetic appeal.
The 119 Special Fixed Blade Knife is among Buck’s list of top selling knives. It comes with a protective leather sheath with a snap fastener. The knife also has belt loops which allow any hunters to carry it safely in their belts wherever they go.
If you’re looking for an affordable but highly reliable knife to take with you during your deer hunting trip, the Elk Ridge Hunting Knife Two Piece Set is just the perfect choice for you. The set includes a gut hook skinner and a small sharp finger caper knife packed in one portable sheath.
Elk Ridge is one of the most respectable knife makers not just in the United States but around the world as well. Its green camo hunting knife set is a testament to the brand’s mission of creating affordable and high-quality knives for hunting.
The Elk Ridge Hunting Knife set features one straight edge blade and a gut hook blade which measures 7 inches and 6 ½ inches overall, respectively. The duo is ideal for hunters who love to stay for extended periods in the wilderness.
The trailing point, full tang, skinning knife has a black stainless-steel blade which measures 3 ½ inches. It is equipped with a green camo ABS handle designed with finger grooves and a lanyard hole which is suitable for affixing cordage.
On the other hand, the gut hook knife also features a 3 7/8 inches black stainless-steel blade. The deep-bellied, full tang knife has a finger hole for tighter control. The knife also has a green camo non-slip textured ABS handle and a thumb jimping at the back of the blade for firmer control.
Both the skinning and gut knives are stored securely in a black nylon dual carry sheath. The 440 stainless-steel used in the creation of both knives contains more carbon to give the blades excellent toughness and better edge retention.
The Outdoor Edge SwingBlaze Double Blade Hunting Knife is considered one of the most innovative knives of this generation. The knife features a drop-point skinning blade on one side and a gutting edge on the other side. Its design will allow you to switch between a skinner and gutter knife in just a push of a button. It’s essentially two tools in one.
With the SwingBlaze, Outdoor Edge combined functional design not only with the sharpest, edge-holding steels but also with advanced production and traditional craftsmanship process to create an excellent two-in-one knife for big game hunters like you.
The SwingBlaze combi-knife is guaranteed to cut not just the skin of the deer but the meat beneath it as well. The knife is so sharp it can open games like a zipper while eliminating the possibility of cutting any internal organs inadvertently. Because it is designed to cut from the inside, the blade will remain sharp for more extended periods.
The SwingBlaze hunting knife is crafted from Aichi AUS-8 stainless-steel, and zero quenched for better performance, excellent edge retention and hardened to 57-58 Rockwell.
The knife’s orange Kraton handle is specifically designed to provide firmer, non-slip grip even if it’s wet. The knife comes with a high-quality nylon belt sheath complete with a Kydex insert. The SwingBlaze measures 8.3 inches overall. The skinning blade measures 3.6 inches while the gutting blade is 3.2 inches long.
Another excellent hunting knife from Buck Knives is the 113 Ranger Skinner. This knife combines the elegance and performance of Buck’s Ranger series and the classic Buck Vanguard. The 113 Ranger Skinner is a highly-recommended knife for skinning game.
Just like its other contemporaries from Buck’s, the 113 Ranger Skinner is made from premium materials to make it more reliable when you’re in the wilderness. Its 3 1/8 inches drop point skinner blade is made from 420HC steel which is a standard material used by Buck Knives for its knives. This material makes the blade corrosion resistant and gives it great edge retention as well as durability.
The 113 Ranger Skinner is optimized for skinning game. Its narrow tip and full, curved belly design allow the knife to provide smooth skinning cut that aids hunters in penetrating thick layers of skin. On the other hand, the downward angle point of the blade prevents any accidental slice through the hide from happening.
The 113 Range Skinner’s compact built, and versatile blade makes it more functional than other skinning knives available in the market today. Not only that, the American Walnut Handle and the Brass Bolster will ensure that it will fit perfectly fit in your hand. Add to that the genuine leather sheath with integrated belt loop and you now have an ergonomically designed and guaranteed American-made skinning knife that you can carry with you while hunting.
Your skinning knife plays a significant role in making your deer skinning task easier. When choosing the best knife to purchase, you need to take into consideration the following factors so you won’t end up disappointed.
Our choice for best bang for the buck in this comparison would be the Outdoor Edge Swing Blaze, but there are no real bad choices in the group.
Keep these in mind while you make your choice for your best skinningin knife choice.
Blade – if there’s one thing that matters most in the skinner knife that you’re about to buy, it probably is the blade. Make sure that the blade is corrosion resistant, durable, and made from high-quality steel. Substandard blades tend to get dull faster or break.
Handle – make sure that the handle is non-slip especially when it’s wet to avoid accidentally cutting the game in unnecessary areas, or worse, cutting yourself. Not only that, but you also need to consider the length of the handle to ensure that it will fit your hand.
Price – don’t be swayed by the notion that high price is equal to good quality products. Read reviews from reliable sources and customers before making your purchase. Sometimes, blade makers offer their premium knives at affordable prices.
Also, to make sure that your knife will last longer, always remember that some hunting knives are designed and manufactured for specific purposes only. For instance, a skinner knife should only be used for skinning animals unless the manufacturer indicated that it can be used for cutting flesh or boning.
Have you at any point seen a deer with a fuzzy, hair-like layer of skin on antlers? Thats called Velvet!! In this quick run-down, we are going to explain Why Do Deer Grow Velvet On Their Antlers!! The velvet gives nourishment and development to deer antlers. This special tissue is a kind of skin, stacked with blood vessels and nerves. The velvet, supplies the growing antler with nutrients and oxygen. As the amount of sunlight changes, the antlers harden, transform into bone, and shed the velvet.
What are deer antlers?
Deer antlers are often called “horns” by deer hunters, yet they are most certainly not. All male members of the deer family like deer, moose and caribou have antlers. It is only the male deer that produce antlers, and couple of deer keep their antlers for significant periods. A male deer not just shows off its antlers to demonstrate its health and well being, yet in addition deer use them to fight other male deer for supremacy and choice of mates.
However there are some females that grow antlers, just like caribou females that grow racks of antlers. The shorter antlers most female deer grow are used to battle off males as they search for food for themselves and their young during winter season.
Deer antlers are growths of bone that deer and similar animals produce for mating season. Antlers are uncovered or exposed bone, which is sort of like your teeth, they are hard. And like bones they are made generally out of calcium and phosphorous. Deer grow antlers starting on their first birthday. It is triggered by hormone production that begins when day length reaches 12 hours.
Growth happens fast, the first time will grow in the first 30 days, and in the next 30 days, the G2 which is the second tine will develop, and by the end of the fourth month the antlers are fully grown. Antlers may look ragged for the day or two since it takes the velvet to be shed. They are shed every year in the winter. While the antlers are developing in the spring, they are covered in velvet, which is a hairy, waxy feeling substance that warms to the touch due to the fact that it is alive, while the bone grows. Bucks sometimes eat the velvet.
Deer antlers take a great deal of energy to develop. From year to year, antler size may increase significantly from 1½ years old, which is the first antlers, through age 3½ or 4½. Deer antlers do increase from year to year until age 7½, but the increase is less noticeable. By 8½ years of age, the antlers are on their way down. Since deer do not consume much calcium with their vegetarian diet, and the calcium in the antlers is grown just like the calcium in the bones, produced by chemical reactions in their bodies. This takes up a lot of available nutrients and energy, and only the healthiest deer can grow large antlers.
How does the velvet work?
It’s really an odd phenomena as to why deer grow velvet on their antlers…. Even the largest deer antlers develop from small nubs to full size in three to four months, making them one of the quickest developing types of tissue. They start as small hard bony growths at the top of the head, and are covered with a layer of skin and hair known as velvet. This velvet keeps the antlers protected while they are fragile. When deer antlers have reached a bigger size and stop growing the blood vessels that keep the velvet developing shut down around the base of the antlers.
This makes the velvet skin to die and in the end peel away, at times leaving trailing and hanging bits for several weeks. Male deer ordinarily rub their antlers against trees and different items or objects to remove the stripping velvet. Since deer antlers take up so much vitality, it is beneficial for most of the little deer to shed them as fast as possible after mating season ends. The deer draw calcium and comparable nutrients back into the system, so that in the end the antlers become brittle and drained.
A layer of cells grow at the base of the antlers, gradually dis-joining their connection to the body and making them fall off. In contrary to popular belief, deer do not rub their antlers on trees just to expel the velvet. In some random year, an individual buck may make hundred several rubs, 99.9% of which are made after the velvet has already been removed.
Why deer grow velvet on their antlers?
Velvet is fundamental for the deer to develop their antler. The growing of antler isn’t just simply the point of it per se. Here are several reasons that encompass why this “velvet” is so important.
Mating
The velvet is important for the development of the bone that deer and similar kind of animals produce for mating season. Deer antlers are used primarily for mating purposes, to fight other male deer for mating rights. Male deer grow their first set of antlers when they hit puberty at roughly one year of age.
Hierarchy
In contrast to some animals with horns, you can see the age of deer by counting the yearly growth rings on the antlers. The size of the antlers and the number of points do not indicate the age of the deer. On account to their crown-like head piece antlers, the stag is called as the king of the forest, the defender of other animal creature Antlers and velvet plays a large role to the hierarchy of the animals in the forest.
USES TO MAN
Medicinal Purpose
Due to the extraordinarily dense nutritional benefit, such as boosting strength and endurance, improving immune system, countering the effects of stress, promoting rapid recovery from illness and warding off infections, for more than 2000 years, numerous people most particularly in Asia have utilized the discarded deer velvet and use it as dietary supplement and alternative medical substance. Nowadays, people use to take a velveteen supplement either in a pill form or as a spray.
Deer antler extract has become more popular among western and body builders because the extract, given its trace amounts of IGF-1 is believed to aid in building and repairing muscle tissue. There are actually some professional athletes who testified that it has been the velvet natural velvet supplement that has helped them recover from injuries and regain their health.
Other Benefits:
Some people use it to for the treatment of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, muscles aches and pains, asthma, indigestion, weak bones (osteoporosis), headache, liver and kidney disorders, cold hands and feet, soreness and weakness in the lower back and knees, chronic skin ulcers, and overactive bladder.
It can also be used as supplements in promoting youthfulness, sharpening thinking skills, protecting the liver from toxins, stimulating production and circulation of blood and increasing the number of red blood cells.
Some people also use deer velvet in increasing levels of certain sex hormones (estrogenand testosterone), improving fertility, increasing interest in sexual activity (as an aphrodisiac), and treating male sexual performance problems such as erectile dysfunction.
Some women use deer velvet to reduce the dose of estrogen which they need in hormone replacement therapy. Some also use it for menstrual and menopausal problems, vaginal discharges, and uterine bleeding.
For children, deer velvet is used as a tonic for children with mental, retardation, learning disabilities, and bone problems such as rickets.
It can also be used in women’s reproductive disorders such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS), ED, and skin conditions.
Deer velvet can also be used as herbal combination to increase blood circulation to the brain and to delay or reduce signs of aging such as tissue, bone and muscle degeneration.
Decorative and tool use
Deer antlers have been utilized through history as a material to make tools, weapons, decorations, and toys. In particular, it was an important material in the European Late Paleolithic, used by the Magdalenian culture in making carvings and engraved plans on objects such as the so called Bâton de commandements and the Bison Licking Insect Bite. During the Viking Age and medieval period, it is an essential material in the comb making craft.
In later periods, antlers were then used as a cheap alternative for ivory, which was a material particularly connected with gear and equipment for hunting, such as saddles, horse harness, guns and daggers, powder flasks and as buttons and more For the decorative or ornamental display of wall-mounted pairs of antlers on walls, it has been popular since the medieval times.
Ceremonial costume
For more than 10,000 years, Shamans and other spiritual figures in various cultures wore antler headdresses and others wore it for ceremonial dance, such as Yaqui deer dances and carried in the Abbots Bromley Horn dance.
Antler generation and growth is an amazing process, known to be the fastest growing tissue in the animal kingdom. With all the benefits to man that it brings, an understanding of the factors that control antler growth is very important to achieve quality deer management.
Hopefully this helps understand why deer grow velvet on their antlers. Bets of luck to you and your hunting ventures!! If you liked this article, feel free to check out some of our popular posts below! Thanks for reading and See You In The Woods!
First of all, you may be asking yourself what is a mock scrape, or how to make a mock scrape…..? In the world of “Cervidae” (the scientific name for deer), deer use a scrape to mark their territory and to promote courting activity during mating season. A “scrape” is an area where a male deer (buck) will scrape the ground with his hoof in the shape of a circle and once he has removed all debris he will urinate on the scrape and typically place a large footprint near the center of the circle area that they have scraped away.
Some deer hunters see the value in a mock scrape to kill big deer and in this article, we will teach you how to make a mock scrape. In short, its 3 basic steps:
Set up a licking branch
Scrape ground under licking branch
Set up scent device to keep deer interested in your scrape.
A natural scrape by Whitetail buck will typically be about 30 inches across in diameter. Based on the size of the animal, scrapes can get larger or smaller. As the rut or mating season for deer comes into play (this is typically in the October to November time frame but can vary depending on the region), scrapes become more prominent.
The reason for a natural scrape and the deer habitat is so that a male deer can mark his territory. It lets the female deer know that the buck is available for mating. If the female deer is also interested in mating she will then leave her scent at the scrape site and urinate. When the buck realizes the doe has been in the area, they will look out for one another and eventually mate when the doe is in heat.
Why create a mock scrape?
In terms of creating a mock scrape, this has a few positive impacts on your hunting area. One of which is that a mock scrape can lead another dominant buck to think that there is a buck in the area that he needs to worry about. As a result, he will come by this scrape that you make and also urinate there to deter other deer from coming into his territory. If done properly you can also attract those to the scrape that you make and she will intern urinate at the scrape that you make and attract other bucks to the area that may have not been there before.
Building your mock scrape:
So let’s get down to the details and I will explain how to make a mock scrape. To make a mock scrape you need three things:
I have personally had a lot of success with the scrapes called a “golden scrape”. I will link to it on our resources page. I have also used it with the Magnum Scrape Dripper and had really good luck there as well.
1. Finding the right area for your mock scrape
The first thing you need to do is find an area where you think big deer may be transitioning or coming into an area for the rut. There are many places you can put a mock scrape but I would recommend trying to do it on a logging road, heavy game trail, or a shooting lane. You could also put a scrape on the edge of the field but it may experience less activity than the other options above.
2. Creating “the licking branch”
Once you find the area that you like you will need to find a tree nearby one of these areas and cut off a branch from another tree that is 8 to 10 feet in length. Any tree will work but I have had the most success using cedar or evergreen trees. This branch will hang 5 to 6 feet above the area where your scrape will be. You can tie it or screw it to the tree you are using. Depending on the type of tree that you are focused on you may be able to use the tree’s natural branches instead of hanging an artificial branch out over your scrape.
The purpose of this branch, also called “the licking branch” is to allow the buck and sometimes the doe to release hormones and scent from their facial glands that help attract other deer. But that being said the branch needs to be low enough that the deer can reach it with their face if they are looking up or slightly on their hind legs.
3. Setting up your dripper
Once you have this branch in place you will need to set up your set dripper typically above your licking branch where the drip or will drip onto the scrape you’re going to make on the ground below your licking branch. The magnum scrape dripper I mentioned is manufactured to only drip during the daytime. You will need to fill it up and tie it above your scrape, preferably out of reach from the deer.
Once you’ve got that complete, You will need to get a stick or use your shoe to clear a spot on the ground to represent the scrape from the deer. I would recommend approximately 36 to 40 inches across. If possible have the scrape dripper land in the center of your scrap circle.
Depending on the temperature your scrape set the dripper will last about three weeks, but I would recommend checking it after about two weeks just in case.
To Sum It Up…
In my experience, it only takes about 24 hours for deer to start using and checking out the new scrape. If you have a trail camera, I would recommend placing one 10 to 20 feet away to see what type of bucks are in the area you are hunting.
This is a great way to attract deer and one of the only ways to attract bucks without the use of corn and other feed attractants.
If you can afford it and have enough property I’ll recommend putting up 2 to 3 different mock scrapes in various areas around your hunting property to see what you can find. In my experience even 3 to 400 yards apart you will see different bucks at each site.
Turkey hunting can be one of the most fun sporting activities of your life, but it is also one of the most challenging. The rush of calling back and forth with a group of Turkeys hidden somewhere in the woods is one of the most addictive hobbies I have ever experienced. The locating + calling strategy, and the excitement of getting one to come in close is hard to beat! One of the hardest things about turkey hunting is locating where turkeys are spending their time day in and day out.. Turkeys frequent creek bottoms, open hardwoods, thick ground cover and fields, depending on the time of year. A common question new turkey hunters have is, How do you locate a turkey for hunting? In the following, I’ll dive deep on locating turkeys, and
Turkey Sign
The best way to go about finding a turkey to hunt is to look for sign. Turkeys have several common ways to leave sign in the woods. The first is scratching, which consists of a turkey moving leaves and debris off the ground, so that it can find food, such as grubs, bugs and other small edible items in the soil.
Looking for Turkey Scratching
Scratching looks like this. Sometimes it is very substantial, and looks like someone has taken a leaf rake, and moved circular small piles all over the forest floor. Ive seen this most often in hardwood creek bottoms, and in big pines. These shouldn’t be confused with deer scrapes, as you will most often find these early in the spring, and there are many small areas like this within 100 years of each other in a concentrated area.
They often do this in damp areas so they can move the dirt around. Looking for scratching near creek bottoms is often very effective.
What Do Turkey Droppings Look Like?
In addition, you may be able to find turkey droppings from where they are roosting. This will typically be an adult finger sized in the colors white and gray . It would look something like:
Another sign of turkeys is an area is dusting, as turkeys will wallow in dry areas and create what is called a dusting bowl. It is a round area about 2 feet wide, where they spread the dirt in a circle. They do this similar to chickens, called a dirt bath, as the birds throw dirt on their backs, and literally bathe in the dirt.
Where Turkeys Roost
Turkeys typically like to roost near water, or on the edge of a field. 30 to 60 feet up in the air. Once you find some sign, you can arrive in the early morning to an area that you think turkeys are staying in. You can often locate them by an owl call, or a crow call as daylight begins to break. Using an owl call is the most effective in my experience, as you can get them to gobble as they think there’s an owl nearby. A common pattern that you can use to in and out calls with sound like. “Who cooks for you”, “Who cooks for you too”. Making those sounds in the owl call simulates a real owl and what they sound like in the wild. Near by gobblers will often react to an owl call, and gobble back at the sound. Interesting fact about an owl call it often early in the day, turkeys will gobble form the limb before coming down from the roost. With that said, don’t assume when you hear one early, they will always be on the way to your spot.
Turkey Tracks
In addition to scratching and droppings. You can also find turkeys by their tracks, especially after it has rained, or in a damp area where they may be crossing a creek or a low area in a creek bottom turkeys. Turkey tracks are a little smaller than a adult hand.
Turkey Diet
Turkeys love to eat bugs, grubs, clover, rye and wheat as well so if you have a field, or a farm nearby that has those items in a pasture then you can often find them there. The later in the spring season, the more vocal turkeys will be as they start to find hens and gather up in groups. The gobblers will be more vocal and try to grow their group, as the season progresses.
After you find the sign
Plan to get out before the sun rises, and creep into the area where you have found sign. Especially if you have a good idea of where they are roosting. Once day breaks, sit quietly and wait to see if you can hear a turkey. Many times they will gobble before they fly down from the roost, which typically happens about 30 minutes after daylight. As turkeys begin to gobble on the roost, and once they hit the ground, you may then start to use a turkey call to get them to respond. Doing light and Yelp’s on a box call or glass call are very effective in the early morning. The sound carries along way, and sounds super realistic. I wouldn’t do this too aggressively, as in the morning turkeys typically start off fairly calm. Doing a few hen yelps will get the turkeys interest. If you have a decoy, and can see them on the roost, you can sometimes get their attention and draw them toward the decoy by making soft yelps. Check out our article on how to use turkey decoys to maximize your turkey hunts here.
What if you picked the wrong spot?
If you set up to locate turkeys and don’t find any after daylight, they may be out of range from where you can hear them. I would recommend spending 15 to 30 minutes in a spot before moving. If you don’t have any luck, then move on to another area that you think may have turkeys in it, or you have seen other signs in the area. Setting up with your turkey call and or owl call, and see if you can get one within hearing range. As you do this. Make note of where your turkeys are located.
“Cutting and Running”
Some folks prefer to do something called Cutting and Running, which is a turkey term for walking and calling to begin you day, and basically walking and calling some more until you find the birds, and then get set up. It’s easier to cover more ground, but can sometimes hurt your chances of seeing Turkey.
Marking Your Turkey Sign
You can even map them on something like On X which is a hunting map resource that I have linked right here OnX Hunting App. On X is a mobile phone app that allows you to mark things like turkey sign, deer sign, deer stands, blinds, fields trails, blood trails, property lines, and other things. You can also share your, your pins and placements with friends if you are hunting together. Overall, your best bet at finding a turkey is to get out early in the season, and walk the woods, as much as you can.
Recap on How Do You Locate A Turkey For Hunting
Looking in the areas that we talked about earlier which are creek bottoms, open hardwood areas, field edges and anywhere that you can find water turkeys will often roost near water, and are using damp areas to find food.
As a side note, turkeys typically will lay eggs and bed where they can see around them without being exposed in a field. A cutover with medium to low growth in it is ideal for turkeys as they will bed and lay their eggs up against a stump, or brush pile and stay there until they are run off, or eggs hatch.
Hopefully this is helpful, and will lead you to find lots of turkeys and have lots of fun hunting. Best of luck out there. Hope to see you in the woods.
The sense of smell among members of the deer family is legendary. In fact, it’s hard for humans to grasp. But recent research into the sense of smell of elk and whitetails finally puts some numbers to it.
How far can a deer smell? They Can Smell You from a Half-Mile away.Researchers at Mississippi State University found that a deer’s sense of smell, like a dog’s, can be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 times more acute than a human’s. Furthermore, scientists say that whitetails have thousands of sensitive receptors in their nostrils, which they use to sort out up to six smells at one time.
For more than 50 years Leonard Lee Rue III has observed, researched, photographed and written about deer. He has done more to educate the American public and hunters on the ways of the whitetail than anyone.
How do you defeat the whitetail’s awesome nose? You can’t. You can only stay in the game by playing the wind and practicing good scent control on every hunt.
You ought to spend as much time as possible on your hunting property year-round, working on the habitat, scouting and hunting. Every day you’re out there, monitor the wind directions at morning, midday and afternoon. Mark the currents on a map or in a journal. Over time you’ll see the common winds that accompany various weather patterns at different times of the year. That is vitally important info because the majority of the trees you pick for stands will be based on the prevailing winds in your area.
Most hunters focus on where deer will come in on the upwind side of stands. That is surely important, but it is not enough. When picking a tree, you need to determine where to put your wind, and hence your scent, so you’ll alert as few deer as possible. If a mature buck circles in somewhere downwind of your stand and smells you, he might just melt away into the brush. But an ornery old doe might stand out there and blow like crazy, alerting every deer within a half-mile that she smells a rat. Either way your hunt is probably ruined.
Always try to set up and float your wind over an area that’s not going to see a lot of deer traffic. For example, let your wind scent drift away from your stand and out into a pasture field, or maybe out over a deep creek that deer probably aren’t going to cross. I sometimes set a stand slightly upwind of a steep hill or bluff that deer won’t or can’t walk up on the downwind side.
Determining the best wind for a stand definitely involves trial and error. You might look at a map or aerial and say, “Okay, a southeast wind will work best there.” But until you go in and sit the stand several times, you don’t really know if a southeast is best or even adequate. You have to study the unique topography of an area because ridges, bluffs, draws and other terrain features can dramatically affect wind direction. You also need to observe the overall deer movement throughout an area as it relates to various common winds.
Most hunters concentrate on wind direction, but they often neglect wind speed. Big mistake. I have treestands on the tops of ridges that are perfect for high-pressure mornings with little wind. I also have sets in draws and hollows that are just right for strong northwest winds that kick up after a front blows through. I’ve got a great stand on the edge of a small food plot down in a bottom where, if the wind is above 5 mph or so and stays that way throughout the afternoon, I’m OK.
But if I try to hunt that stand on a dead-calm evening when the wind drops to nil at dusk, the cool thermals start shifting and falling, spreading my scent all over the bottom and messing me up big time. You’ve got to keep all that in mind to beat a buck’s super sniffer.
Fortunately, we know a lot more than ever about how deer smell. Let’s take a look at four things that give members of the deer family their amazing ability to smell what’s around them.
The Long Snout
Members of the deer family and predators need their sense of smell to survive, so they are equipped with far more olfactory receptors than those animals that do not rely on their sense of smell. The long snout creates more room for special nerve cells that receive and interpret smells. It’s estimated that humans have about 5 million of these olfactory receptors, while members of the deer family, including elk and moose, have about 300 million. Bloodhounds have about 220 million.
The Specialized Brain
The area of the brain dedicated to interpreting scent is larger in deer than in humans. The drawing of air across all those receptors in the snout sends signals to the primary olfactory cortex, which is in the temporal lobe of the brain.
Because this part of the brain is larger in animals that use their nose for survival, this creates an ability to interpret the smells that’s added to their ability to pick up all those smells with those 300-million receptors. This would suggest that using a cover scent of any kind would be futile, because a deer can simply sort the smells out.
A hunter using deer urine to cover his scent smells like a hunter and deer urine to a deer, not just one or the other. While cover scents have little effectiveness, the ability to reduce (not necessarily eliminate) human scent with antibacterial soaps, detergents and sprays, anti-microbial Scent Killer, and carbon is proven science. The science of the deer’s smell would suggest that reducing human odor is worth the trouble, attempting to cover it up is not.
Smelling in Stereo
Members of the deer family also have broader lateral nostrils which allow them to detect smells directionally. Moose have the most pronounced application of this. This allows the animals to determine the direction of the source of the smell more readily. This is called “stereo olfaction,” and it allows members of the deer family to more quickly determine the source of danger.
You may have noticed a deer raise its head as it is smelling the air. The deer is flaring its nostrils while drawing air across the olfactory receptors in its snout. The animal can quickly determine what it’s smelling and the direction it’s coming from.
They Live by Their Nose
The fourth thing that helps members of the deer family survive is simply an increased awareness of the smells around them. We humans might not pay much attention to the scents coming in through our nose until it overpowers our other senses. We don’t think about smells much; until someone hands you a child with a dirty diaper, or you walk into a restaurant where they are frying bacon.
Contrast that to the life of a deer, which is focused on the smells coming through the nose 24-7. The other four senses take a back seat to the importance of smell in their everyday lives. We humans can increase our awareness of the smells around us just by paying attention to them. Have you ever smelled a rutted up buck before you saw him? How about a herd of elk? Using our ability to smell what’s around us is a skill that can be developed. After all, we are predators at heart.
For centuries, hunters have been greatly fascinated by deer antlers because of their capability to grow quickly. In fact, one common question about deer is, Do deer antlers get bigger each year?
A plain and simple answer to this question is — YES. Antlers continue to grow each year all throughout the deer’s life. In the following we will be discussing all the necessary things that you need to know about deer antler growth. But first, let’s begin with identifying an antler from a horn.
What are antlers?
If you’re not familiar with antlers, these are the horn-like features found on the male members of the deer family which includes the elk, caribou, and the moose to name a few. Most hunters’ desire to capture a deer is primarily driven by the need to get their hands on the antlers.
Though many hunters refer to antlers as horn, they are not actually horn. Antlers are bones which form from the pedicle of a male deer’s frontal skull. The pedicles become noticeable during the first four to five months of a young male fawn’s life. However, these pedicles are not considered antlers.
The male members of the deer family, commonly referred to as bucks, will begin growing true antlers on the first spring after they were born. That is around the first ten to twelve months of their lives. The antlers will start growing around March and April, eventually reaching full growth around the months of August and September.
Although antlers naturally grow on male deer members, the caribou species is widely known to have both its males and females grow antlers.
Why Do Deer Antlers Get Bigger Each Year?
Antlers can grow at a rate of ¼ to one inch a day, making them one of the fastest growing tissues in mammals. Antlers will continue to grow each year that the buck lives and will reach its full-size potential until around four years of age.
The growth of antlers is typically regulated by the buck’s testosterone level (male hormone) which, in turn, is controlled by day length called photoperiod. The photoperiod refers to the “brain clock” that measures the length of light and dark, using the information it gathers to control the production of hormones in bucks.
In essence, the longer the bucks are exposed to light, the more testosterone they produce. Tests conducted in recent years by both researchers and hunters revealed that deer kept in constant light grew their antlers faster and lost about three sets of it in just two years. On the other hand, bucks kept in the light for limited hours were unable to shed and grow new antlers.
Bucks usually sport their largest sets of antlers when they’re about five to six years of age. Beyond that, the age of the deer and their health will start affecting the growth of the antlers.
Contrary to the belief that the antlers’ purpose is to protect bucks from predators, biologists believe they are more for social ranking. This is due to the fact that antlers are typically shed during winter when predators pose the greatest threat to any deer.
Antler Shedding
Antler shedding is the process in which the bucks shed off their antlers completely to grow a new set of antlers. Shedding happens every year in between the months of January and April. At times, bucks shed their antlers earlier depending on three factors: age, health, and location of the deer.
Antlers are shed due to the decline of testosterone production following the rut. During summer when the male hormone is at its production peak, the high level of testosterone constricts the veins and arteries surrounding the deer’s velvet. The velvet is the hair-like membrane that covers the antlers and supplies them with blood and nutrients needed as they grow.
Without enough nutrients and blood to sustain it, the velvet will wither and will eventually fall off. To expedite the shedding process, bucks will be often seen rubbing their antlers against trees or other hard surfaces. This process will continue all throughout the deer’s life.
Antler shedding help bucks get rid of damaged or broken antlers since the latter are deemed extremely important in a male’s show of dominance and in acquiring the favor of females. Broken antlers decrease a buck’s breeding privileges.
Researchers also suggest that antler shedding aids in a buck’s capability to re-grow larger and stronger antlers as it lives. The process allegedly allows the antlers to keep pace with the buck’s growing body size as it matures.
Typically, healthy males that live in mild climates and get more supply of food get to keep their antlers longer than bucks in more impoverished conditions and locations. Peak condition bucks can grow stronger tissues which result in an incredible antler-to-head toughness.
Can antlers be used to determine the age of a buck?
If you believe that the size or number of antlers defines the real age of a buck, you’re dead wrong. Regardless of the many stories shared by hunters, antlers are considered unreliable when it comes to determining the age of bucks. The size and number of antlers a buck grows are purely indicative of the animal’s diet, habitat, and heredity; not its age.
Using antlers to determine the age of a deer can be misleading for a number of reasons. For instance, metabolic stress can significantly reduce an antler’s quality, shape, and size. Furthermore, tissue damage can cause abnormal patterns in the antler’s growth cycle.
If you want to make a definitive guess on the age of a deer, you might want to consider looking at these body features instead of the antlers.
Belly – Normally, the older a deer gets, the more its belly sags. However, it’s still good to remember that belly sagging can also be an indicator of diseases like abdominal fluid build up and ruptures in the deer’s abdominal wall.
Rump – Like with humans, a buck’s backside gets rounder and more prominent as the animal age. Deer in prime age tend to have angular rumps. However, rumps also tend to be angular when bucks suffer from diseases and old age.
Side profile – The side profile can provide a better indication of a deer’s age. Typically, the side profile of the antlers resembles a rectangular shape. This becomes more evident as the deer matures.
Technically, there is really no precise way of identifying the age of a deer, especially if you are just looking at the animal while you are hunting. However, observing the abovementioned physical features in conjunction with each other can help you guess it better.
Where are bucks with the largest antler sizes commonly found?
Again, the size of the antlers is dependent on three significant factors: the age, location, and habitat of the deer. Generally speaking, young males that are situated in areas with good weather and have access to vast supplies of food can grow bigger antlers. Below states are home to some of United States’ deer with the most massive racks.
Texas
Mississippi
Iowa
Georgia
South Carolina
Kansas
Missouri
Indiana
Kentucky
As you noticed, these states are mostly known for good weather and vegetation that are both needed for bucks to grow their antlers to its fullest sizes. To date, Texas, Iowa, and Kansas are considered homes to the largest deer in the country when it comes to body mass and antler size.
Key Takeaways
Here are some key takeaways from this article that you should always remember about deer.
Antlers grow bigger each year as the deer matures.
An antler is not a horn. Antlers are honeycomb-liked bones that grow from the pedicles of a male deer’s frontal skull.
Antlers are grown by male members of the deer family with the exception of the caribou or the reindeer. Reindeer males and females are both known to grow antlers. Females can do so because of the high production of testosterone or male hormone in their body. However, their antlers are often found to be shorter or deformed.
Bucks shed their antlers and grow new one every year. Shedding helps bucks to get rid of broken antlers and develop bigger and stronger ones.
Healthy male deer living in locations with good weather and habitat can keep their antlers well until spring.
Antlers can’t be used to identify the age of a deer. The size of antlers can instead be used to determine the type of environment and diet of the animal.
Looking at a deer’s physical features is not a precise way of identifying the animal’s age.
Reminders
While deer hunting is not banned in the United States, it is highly regulated by state governments. Make sure that you have secured all the necessary permits needed before you go hunting. Since the activity is controlled by state governments, the rules and policies per state may differ from each other.
A deer’s daily routine isn’t exactly as clear-cut as a human. Unlike our routines that are dictated by the concept of schedules and time, theirs is a routine driven by instinct and needs. Most hunters make their hunting trip in the morning before sunrise. But is this really the best time to hunt a deer?
What is the best time to hunt deer?
The height of legal deer activity happens just after daylight, and just before dark. Morning and evening hunts each have their own pros and cons. Deer are more active during the night time because that’s when they are supposed to get food. Sadly, some states prohibit hunting during night time. The limited light source could also take a toll on your accuracy and precision. Morning hunts give you the good lighting, and it also coincides with your own sleeping schedule. The bad news is deer can be headed to bed as we are getting up.
Many other factors also come into play about the best times to hunt. For you to be a successful hunter, it is important for you to take into consideration each and every single one of them: from their daily activity, their eating habits, their biological condition, the weather, the season, and, heck, even the shape of the moon. All of these things could greatly influence deer behavior. Learning how to analyze all of these and utilize them to your advantage could give you more chances of bringing home the bacon. Well, in this case the venison.
Daily Routine
In order to understand the best time to hunt deer, we need to know their daily routine. Deer don’t exactly follow a timed schedule for their daily routine. Still, their activities unconsciously fall under a certain pattern. This general guideline is usually what hunters go by, to figure out the most viable time of day to catch their prey off guard.
Unlike humans, deer don’t start their day when the sun rises. It’s actually quite the opposite. They’ll only wake up when the sun is already setting, which could be anywhere from 3 pm to 6 pm. This is the reason why many people mistake them for a nocturnal animal. In reality, deer are neither diurnal nor nocturnal. They are considered as crepuscular animals for they are primarily more active during the dusk and dawn. They do this to avoid other animal predators that are active during the peak hours of the day or night.
After waking up in the evening, their biggest priority would be food. This is when they would start to venture their way towards available food sources. Keep in mind that, just like people, they’re also extra cranky during breakfast. This means they would also be more alert and aggressive when eating.
As the night deepens, the deer would start to become more active. They either then start to go around and graze the woods and other food sources or go back to their bedding sites. But since they’re not really nocturnal animals, they don’t have the best night vision. Unfortunately, neither do you. So unless you have other techniques to accurately locate your target without relying on visual signals, you might want to re-evaluate your plan of using this to your advantage. We don’t encourage night hunting unless you are in a rare area that allows some type of night action. It can cause injury, not death to the deer and potentially kill someone that is mistaken for a deer.
A couple of hours later, they would head out again to eat. Eating their last meal for the day would often result to them feeling very sluggish and lethargic. Subsequently, they would go back to their bedding sites in the morning (6 am to 10 am).
But that’s not all! Just like how some humans crave a midnight snack in the middle of their slumber, deer usually wake up in the middle of the day (11 am to 1 pm) to go for a nibble. Afterwards, they would go back to sleep during 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm to prepare for the big night ahead.
However, keep in mind that although this guideline is already pretty accurate, there are still certain elements that might completely throw all these off kilter.
Season
The current season is also another factor that plays a vital role in determining a deer’s behavior. The condition of their environment and their habitat would obviously affect their actions throughout the whole period.
Their activity during the early spring depends on how well they fared the previous winter. If they barely made it, they would be more cerseless. Their daily routine would start much earlier than expected and their slumber would have to come much later. Their peak hours would be sometime between early morning to late afternoon. Once the initial exuberance subsides, they would then start to prioritize resources and would stick to areas with the most abundant food sources. There is often very little to no movement during the day but a lot during bedtime to find other bedding sites.
In the summer, deer are often in a slump due to the hot weather. This means that they’ll be more active when the sun’s not up and burning. However, some fawns become agitated during bedtime due to the intense heat. This triggers them to wonder around during the late afternoon or early evening.
Now, their activity during the fall is a bit complex compared to the other seasons. In the early fall, they like to eat sumptuously. They’d be willing to go through extreme lengths just to find a bountiful food resource. Most hunters usually strike in the middle of this season, when the deer have finally settled down into some kind of routine. At this point, the deer would go through three cycles of eating and resting in just one day: one during the dusk, one during the dawn, and one during noon. Another reason why this season is more complicated than others is because it is also the rut or the breeding season. This is when the bucks become more erratic and restless because their hormones are at a height to potentially attract does and create new fawns. Their movements and activities become less and less predictable during this period. Expect some unusual activity even during the day.
Eventually, the rut will end and winter would set in. The cold weather may prompt deer to be active during mid-afternoon to take advantage of the heat during those times. Deer also prefer grazing an open field during this time.
Other factors
On top of all that, several aspects determine the best time to hunt deer such as temperature, weather, availability of resources, and moon position could also affect your chance of getting a trophy buck.
Temperature
Along with knowing the best time to hunt deer, temperature and weather also come into play. If you’re wondering which temperature is better: hot or cold, the answer is the latter, cool climate is much more ideal for deer since too much heat would just cause them to sleep more during daytime.
Nevertheless, a dormant temperature, even if it’s high or low, is bad news if you want your prey to be active during your hunt. A sudden change in temperature is what a deer needs to snap out of a slump. You need to watch out for a 10 to 15-degree drop or rise in the temperature for it is a signal that your quarries are probably going to be up and about in no time.
Weather
A little rain never killed a hunter, but it might get him his kill. As stated earlier, a sudden change in temperature gets the buck moving. And what changes the temperature more effectively than a changing weather? Most animals have very keen senses, enabling them to sense an upcoming weather event. An unexpected rainfall or snowfall would definitely get a deer on its feet.
Availability of Resources
Just like any other living being, deer also value survival. So if your location isn’t exactly ideal, then you’re also probably going to go home empty-handed. Try and scout for areas with quality food and water sources and optimal bedding settings. Any places with an abundance on those things are probably a good place to start hunting.
Phase of the Moon
Many dismiss this one as nothing but a superstition. But is it? Believe it or not, the current phase of the moon can greatly influence the feeding activity of the deer. They are more likely to eat more and seek beddings earlier during a full moon while they are more likely to spend more time in their beddings during the new moon. This is due to the fact that, as mentioned earlier, deer don’t have an adequate night vision, that’s why they try to utilize the bright light of the moon to their advantage as much as they can.
Hunting Pressure
Areas that received the brunt of previous hunting season would be less likely to experience that much daylight activity on the current season. There’ll be more chances of you getting your catch in an area that’s still not yet discovered by other hunters. Asides from the fact that there would be lesser competition, the animals there would probably not be as guarded and on edge.
There’s no such thing as a silver bullet when it comes to hunting. Being able to make a 300 yard kill shot isn’t the only thing that it takes to become a good hunter. A good hunter is someone who truly knows and understands its game. You can sit in front of your computer for several hours, searching for an article that could help you do so. But, in reality, the only way to do that is to go outside, and observe. You won’t be able to find deer from the comforts of your own bedroom! Go forth, and take a shot.
Hunting at night is exciting and challenging. Skilled hunters will tell you that if you want a fruitful and eventful hunting season, you’d be better off on your stand than on your bed in the wee hours of the night. After all, most game animals are more active sometime between dusk and dawn……but wait! Unfortunately, there are state rules and regulations that prohibit you from hunting at night.
Is it legal to hunt deer at night?
Hunting laws and regulation are strictly implemented to prevent any slipups or accidents from happening. Hunting at night could pose many dangers to a hunter. Under lowlight, one’s sense of sight is obviously limited. This could lead to countless accidents and even deaths. You could mistake a colleague or other hunters for a target. You could trip over something and injure yourself. You also have a higher risk of running into wild animals like bears, cougars, wolves, or wild boars during the night. Being caught hunting after-hours could result in fines, suspension of your hunting license, or even jail time. However, these laws and regulations vary from state to state. Some states offer some provisions, making it illegal but only to an extent. The best way to see how much hunting at night is considered punishable in your state is to read on and see for yourself.
**The below are state specific night hunting laws, but they are always subject to change, so consult your local hunting regulations to make sure**
Below is a summary of the night hunting laws in all 50 states:
In Alabama, night hunting is absolutely not allowed. Doing a predatory call using any type of device while in possession of a firearm or a weapon during after-hours is prohibited. Utilization and possession of a bow or gun with a built-in or detachable light source is also banned. In addition, Alabama is also one of the 20 states that restrict even the use of any sort of night vision equipment.
In Alaska, it is legal to hunt deer at night. But the use of artificial lights are limited only from November 1 to March 31 and only between units 7 and 9-26 so it’s important to check the specs of your night vision scopes during purchase. A trapping license is also required to gain access to more hunting benefits.
In Arizona, they have very specific hunting rules. First off, every hunter needs a local hunting license. Night hunting is only allowed for coyotes in designated game management units from March 1 to May 31. The only weapon authorized to be used for the hunt is a shotgun, no more, no less. Mountain lions and raccoons could also be hunted in designated game management units at night. But unlike mountain lions that are available the whole year, raccoons could only be hunted from August 31 to March 31. Bobcats and foxes are totally off limits during the night. Electronic night vision equipment, thermal imaging devices, or any other light-producing apparatuses are also prohibited.
In Arkansas, only feral hogs are up to grabs without any sort of restriction. A canine hunting companion is a must when hunting bobcats. Coyotes and foxes are absolutely off limits. The use of any night vision instruments are only allowed for hunting feral hogs.
In California, hunting coyotes and foxes are only legal on private hunting grounds if the owner deems it so. Hunting on certain public areas are illegal. Night visions are allowed but any electronic viewing equipment that uses infrared or light-amplifying circuits are prohibited.
In Colorado, night hunting is allowed. But artificial light may only be utilized when hunting bobcats, foxes, beavers, skunks, and coyotes and private areas. A permit issued by the Colorado Division of Wildlife is required of you wish to use one on public areas.
In Connecticut, only raccoons and possums could be hunted at night with the use of night vision equipment.
In Delaware, hunting 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise the next day is unlawful. Night vision equipment is prohibited. You can only pursue muskrats, raccoons, skunks, opossums, frogs, minks, foxes, and otters during the said time frame. Other animals such as coyote, is protected by the law and considered off limits.
In Florida, a gun & light permit and a night permit is required before you can hunt. Night hunting is only authorized on private properties. Wildlife Management Areas are obviously off limits. You are free to hunt just about any animal except foxes. You can only use artificial light on your hunting ventures if you have the permit. Night vision devices that do not emit any visible light are tolerated.
In Georgia, hunting alligators, foxes, coyotes, opossums, and raccoons at night are completely legal. Night vision equipment must be handheld and not attached to a vehicle.
In Hawaii, hunting 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise is not allowed. Any night vision instruments are also denied.
In Idaho, it is allowed with the exception of raccoons and coyotes. The owner of a private hunting ground must give a written permission to make hunting them legal. Hunters are also required to get a spotlight permit from the Fish and Game office.
In Illinois, it is only allowed during fox season, which starts from November 10 to March 15. Night vision instruments and artificial lights, as long as it’s not fastened to a vehicle, are also accredited.
In Indiana, night hunting isn’t unlawful if the hunters are carrying a continuously burning light that could be spotted from at least 500 feet during the hunt.
In Iowa, hunting foxes, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, and skunks at night time is considered legal. Night visions are allowed but artificial lights (even infrared lights) are not.
In Kansas, coyotes and furbearers are allowed to be hunted but without the use of artificial lights or night vision. Hand-held flashlights could only be used to obtain coyotes and furbearers that are already trapped or cornered by hunters with dogs and handguns.
In Kentucky, coyotes can be hunted at night. However, using artificial lights or night vision equipment are only permitted from February 1 to May 31. The only accredited firearm for hunting is a shotgun loaded with shells size T and below.
In Louisiana, hunting after-hours is allowed but the landowner must give their written permission and contact information first. The parish sheriff must also be informed 24 hours prior to the hunting session. Feral hogs, coyotes, armadillos, and beavers are only available 30 minutes the sunset of the last day of February until 30 minutes after the sunset of the last day of August. Any artificial light or night vision devices are also permitted.
In Maine, only coyotes and raccoons are to be hunted at night. From December 16 to August 31, a coyote night hunting permit is needed to pursue the hunt. The owner of said permit is entitled to hunt 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. Permit or not, all hunting activities must be ended on Saturday midnight and continue on Monday, a minute after midnight. Artificial lights and night vision are allowed. Any kind of predator calling devise is a must.
In Maryland, there seems to a schedule that dictates which animals could be hunted on specific dates. On October 15 to March 15, only opossums, raccoons, and coyotes could be hunted. On November 15 to January 31, only foxes could be hunted on the east of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. On November 1 to January 19, only foxes could be hunted west of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River. All hunting activities on Sundays are prohibited the whole year. Night vision and laser range finders are considered legal. On the other hand, laser sights are absolutely not tolerated.
In Massachusetts, night hunting coyotes, opossums, foxes, and raccoons are only allowed several minutes close to midnight. But deer hunting during shotgun season is tolerated 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise. Night vision are okay while artificial lights are not.
In Michigan, night hunting is allowed. Only hand-held lights (e.g. flashlights, headlamps, etc.) are accredited light sources.
In Minnesota, night hunting is allowed but the use of night vision is not. An artificial handheld light will be permitted from January 1 to March 15 but only if the hunter is: on foot, has a shotgun, has a calling device, and 200 feet away from a vehicle.
In Mississippi, bobcats, beavers, coyotes, nutrias, opossums, raccoons, and foxes are authorized to be hunted at night unless it’s spring turkey season. Night visions are also allowed.
In Missouri, night hunting is allowed. However artificial lights may only be utilized if you’re hunting bullfrogs, raccoons, or other furbearers already cornered by hunting dogs. Night vision are considered forbidden.
In Montana, it is only legal on private properties. A written permission from the owner of such properties is still required. Night vision equipment are accredited.
In Nebraska, both night hunting and using night vision scopes are legal.
In Nevada, night hunting isn’t unlawful but some seasons are exclusively for state residents. Rules about spotlighting vary from county to county.
In New Hampshire, it is legal but coyote hunting at night are restricted and could only happen from January 1 to March 31. Artificial lights are permitted unless they’re attached to a vehicle. Night vision is also okay.
In New Jersey, night hunting is only favored from January 1 to March 5 because it is fox and coyote permit season. The only weapon recognized is a shotgun so rifles are a no go. Artificial lights and night vision are authorized.
In New Mexico, hunters can only hunt an hour before sunrise until an hour after sunset so night hunting is considered illegal.
In New York, hunting furbearing animals at night are legal. Both artificial lights and night vision are also approved.
In North Carolina, hunting coyotes and feral hogs are allowed on private areas as long as the owners issued a written permission. Both artificial lights and night vision are ok.
In North Dakota, foxes and coyotes may be hunted at night but only on foot. The hunters are required to use a predator call and only natural light. That means that night vision instruments, artificial lights, or thermal imaging devices are a no go.
In Ohio, hunting between 6 pm to 6 am is okay but the hunters are enforced to keep a white light on that could be spotted from at least half a mile. Hunters who are after a coyote, fox, boar, or racoon can have a light with any color.
In Oklahoma, any furbearer is up for grabs except coyotes. Artificial lights attached on a vehicle and night vision devices are also prohibited.
In Oregon, night hunting is completely legal but handheld artificial lights could only be utilized when hunting raccoons, bobcats, and opossums. Night vision is only allowed for landowners or landowner agents hunting rabbits, coyotes, feral swines, and rodents on their own private properties. In any other cases, using night vision equipment isn’t tolerated.
In Pennsylvania, night hunting is allowed. Handheld or gun-mounted lights are only encouraged when hunting weasels, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, foxes, and coyotes on foot. Any type of night vision devices are considered illegal.
In Rhode Island, both night hunting and night vision equipment are deemed unlawful.
In South Carolina, hogs, armadillos, and coyotes may be hunted at night with or without the use of artificial lights and night vision instruments.
In South Dakota, coyotes, foxes, badgers, mink, raccoons, bobcats, and opossums could be hunted 24 hours. Artificial lights are only tolerated on private properties with consent of the owner. Night vision are extremely prohibited.
In Tennessee, opossums, bullfrogs, and raccoons are allowed to be hunted at night. Foxes and rabbits could only be chased, not killed, while furbearers could only be trapped. Any night vision gadgets are considered illegal.
In Texas, night hunting is allowed but only on private lands. The local game warden must also be notified first to inform of the details of the hunt. Night vision devices are not prohibited.
In Utah, the legality of night hunting varies from county-to-county. To figure out if night hunting is banned on your area, it’s better to contact the local officials to inquire.
In Vermont, hunting raccoons, skunks, coyotes at night is okay. Night visions and artificial lights are also tolerated unless your quarry is a raccoon or a skunk.
In Virginia, night hunting nutrias, coyotes, groundhogs, and feral hogs is authorized throughout the whole week except on Sundays. Only raccoons are available for hunting until 2 am, Sunday morning. Opossums, bobcats, raccoons, and foxes could only be hunted at night on selected seasons. The use of night vision scopes are permitted.
In Washington, only coyotes, raccoons, and bobcats are allowed to be hunted at night during specific seasons. Other animals are strictly off limits.
In West Virginia, hunting coyotes at night is only legal on January 1 to July 31. Red-colored artificial lights and night vision scopes are accredited.
In Wisconsin, night hunting is allowed. Night vision devices are not prohibited and the use flashlights are permitted when hunting on foot.
In Wyoming, it is only tolerated on private areas. A written permission must be issued by the landowners. Using night vision scopes and spotlights are approved.
You may be pretty bummed out if you just found out that night hunting is considered illegal in your state. But you have to understand that it’s probably for a good reason. Although penalizing night hunting might reduce a hunter’s chance of getting a kill, we cannot deny that it also reduces the danger for all of is in the process of doing so. Unlike your target animals, you’re not equipped with excellent night vision or hypersensitive instincts. Putting yourself in circumstances that could kill you or someone else is never a good idea. Hunting is supposed to be a fun recreational activity, not a life-threatening one. At the end of the day, the thrill of the kill must never be greater than the risk of the hunt.
