Fast forward two years and I have now taken a few deer on my own and I have realized quite a few things that have greatly improved my chances filling my freezer.  I thought back to my scouting missions with my friend and realized that we used no scent  masking or eliminating products, my buddy who lived in the area had several tree stands set up to take advantage of the any wind conditions. One of the most important things a bow hunter can do to lessen the chance of being detected is set up on an angle so that you scent will be carried away from your position or at least will stay above the animals for some distance as it disperses and grows fainter. Many hunters do not have the ability to use multiple tree stands and may sometimes need to hunt in less than desirable stands for the current wind. Knowing the area and having the ability to use a climbing tree stand may be of great help.

In order to give you the best chance of getting Deer in close enough for a good shot, and I am one of those folks who believe that a good shot is one that you will not miss the proper placement of your arrow from a distance you can expertly handle in the current conditions.  Lucky shots should not ever come into play when hunting, Get It! To get the animal to that distance you need to do everything possible to mask your scent. There are many products on the market to assist in this process, but make sure you are using a good one,  as to you and I, a scent designed to smell like an acorn to us, may smell like a human wearing acorn underwear to a deer. You may also need to match your masking scent to the type of environment you are hunting.  REMEMBER, there is a difference between scent blocking and scent masking.

Even better than something to mask your scent is a product that will block it all together (you can use both at the same time).  Activated Carbon is widely used in scent blocking clothing due to its ability to absorb odors, (even my infamous Delicatessen smell!). Activated Carbon can absorb and hold the gas molecules that are associated with our odors. There is an article of clothing for every hunter’s need, from under layers to hats to socks and boot material. Match the clothing and layers needed to the area and time of year you will be hunting. I prefer to be a little on the cooler side as I tend to sweat a bit more walking into the woods, which is never a good thing when hunting.

Finally, once you have used your scent blocking (activated carbon) garments, make sure that you only wash them with laundry detergents specifically made for this type of material. The reason for this is that the odors in normal detergent will engage the available odor absorbing properties of the garment and fill it up with those odor molecules, making it unable to retain more odors when hunting. Heat activates the carbon so a tumble in the dryer will do very nicely, but it is vitally important to remember, once you take the clothing from the dryer, immediately place it in a scent free, air tight container or plastic storage bag, I use the zippered bag that my down comforter came in and merely sprayed it down with scent blocking spray.

Take the clothes out of the bag once you have gotten to the area you have parked before heading in to the woods. This can be tricky if you are hunting in very low temps, a freezing rain, etc., but you get the idea! Just before heading in, spray yourself down with a good scent eliminating spray and don’t forget your boots as these can lead a trail of human scents right to your stand.  Once you get used to these procedures they will become simple and part of your normal routine, and can help you greatly increase your chances of a successful hunt.

The last few hunting seasons I have noticed a very strange occurrence, either the trees are getting much, much higher, or my ability to climb them to get into my tree stand is getting severely diminished. It is usually after about a mile hike into the woods and have tied the cord that pulls up my compound bow around my waist, that I start thinking more and more about using a ground blind for deer hunting. Don’t get me wrong, I love the view from the trees and how the little critters come around after a short while, and how the Hawks make a bee line for me when a twitching finger reminds them of squirrel. It seems sometimes that I just like to take it a bit safer and easier when I am not at the top of my game, or the surroundings dictate a change in tactics. It is for that reason that last season I hunted out of a ground blind as well. It worked well for me during Turkey season and I had deer coming within a few yards of my blind then.

Ground blinds have become quite popular over the past few years and there are styles to fit every hunter’s needs and camo pattern. Most of the newer store bought ground blinds are relatively simple to set up and can be completely set up in just a few minutes or less. You can put a comfortable portable chair inside and avoid the pain and suffering of the butt getting numb after a few hours. If you fall out of your chair, it hurts a lot less than falling our of a tree stand, actually if you fall out of your chair, chances are you should not be around weapons or driving to the hunting areas anyway! I tend to fidget a lot so a ground blind is also a great way to conceal any unwanted movements and with proper placement and thoughtful setup are a great alternative to the tree stand.

The key to successful ground blind placement is to make it blend in to the surroundings as much as possible. First make sure that you have enough of a back drop of trees and shrubs to break up the outline of the ground blind. I prefer to place mine with almost 180 degrees of shoot possibilities and with some overhanging branches as well. Many Ground blinds have ties that allow you to secure twigs and brush directly to the Ground blind as well. The more you make the blind blend in to the natural environment, the more secure the deer (and Turkey) will feel and will come even closer to your position. It also makes it less likely that the deer will identify the blind as a threat and avoid that area in the future.

Typical ground blind for Deer and Turkey

Most of the ground blinds on the market are covered by a black material on the inside. This allows you be almost invisible against a black background, it is also why you must always make sure the back entrance is completely close not letting any light through and why you must not wear bright colors! Camo colored clothing works well, but any very dark clothing will conceal many movements especially if you are bow hunting. Don’t forget to at least wear your camo on your way in and out of the hunting site as to minimize the chances of spooking any deer along the way. The black lining of the ground blind may also come in a scent blocking material, this is not essential if you remember to shower with non scented soap and spray down with scent blocker, but my philosophy is to try and gain any edge I possibly can and use all of the above!

Inside looking out

Many of the ground blinds come with camo colored screens to cover the windows and other small ports. These camo colored screens also are not only see through but can be shoot through as well. If you are t the fidgety type or are hunting with small children who can never sit still, keep the screens in place. I prefer to hunt with these screens down, but am very conscious of any movements I make, especially in that last 30 minutes of hunting time when the buck of a lifetime might just be coming out of the shadows.

We may see someone walking into the woods with visions of a 10 point bucks dancing through a hunter’s head on the first day of deer season, only to see that same person walk out of the woods wondering where all the deer went, or what happened to make them miss an easy shot. Well, even a even a broken clock is right twice a day and even someone new to deer hunting can also just be in the right place at the right time, but it is still preferable to take the time to learn deer hunting tips, and basic woodsmanship in order to prepare for deer hunting season.

The basics or deer hunting 101 should begin by finding areas that not only have game activity but that you also have permission to hunt. If you are scouting public land, make sure that hunting is permissible on that land, and if there are any special conditions or quota restrictions that must be considered to deer hunt. I was very lucky to have two friends who spent the time to teach me what to look for when pre-season scouting and teach me where to place my tree stands for deer hunting. Being from Miami, Florida this took quite a few trips up to Wisconsin and many hours in the woods.

Notice the outline is broken up by the background

It’s not enough just to know that there are deer in the area merely by seeing tracks on game trails, you will want to know where they are going and why. Pay attention to any nearby fields that have been harvested or have crops of corn or soy bean or some other food source that deer will be attracted to. You will want to know about nearby water sources as well. Once you have figured out all these possibilities, it then narrows down to a situation of not so much where a deer will come by, but when. Aerial maps are great for finding natural funnels to certain areas. A much overlooked component to deer hunting but incredibly important is knowing the prevailing winds for the time of the year and that area. Setting up with the wind at your back is like sending a telegram to the deer telling them exactly where you are. There are products on the market that can help mask your scent and scent blocking clothing that can assist in minimizing the scent dispersal, but these should be used in conjunction with proper tree stand and blind placement to give the deer hunter the best possible chance of success.

The Outdoorsguy with his trusty Hoyt Bow

Now that you have decided on several prime pieces of real estate that you feel will give the best chance of harvesting a deer you will need to decide whether you will be hunting from a ground blind or a tree stand. There are several options for each. Bow hunters tend to prefer tree stands as they give a much better view of any animals coming in and they assist in scattering your scent above and away from any nearby deer allowing them to come very close to the stand without detecting your presence. You will also be above the animal’s line of sight, so if you don’t twitch around too much it will be much harder for a deer to realize you are there. If you are planning on a tree stand, take into consideration your physical abilities in order to determine what type of stand best suits you, and the method of climbing into that stand as well. Before climbing into the stand it is good practice to mark off some yardage to assist in properly gauging distance for a shot. Remember, you may be 20’ above the ground so take all recommended safety precautions seriously. If you are hunting from a ground blind it is important to position the blind so that you have a good field of view and clear shooting lanes, and don’t forget enough brush behind you to breakup the outline of the blind. If you are not using a portable climbing stand, you may consider placing several stands (on private land) depending on conditions and wind directions and use the one that seems most optimal for that day.

The Outdoorsguy hard at work

The clothing that will be worn on this deer hunting adventure depends upon where and the time of year your will be hunting. Boots can not only be a lifesaver by being comfortable and waterproof, but depending on what kind you are wearing they may assist in keeping your scent as you walk into the woods down to a minimum. I take my stealth ability very seriously and shower with unscented soap and shampoo as well as doing laundry with unscented detergent. I then immediately place my clothing in a sealed bag and do most of my dressing once I park my car and prepare to move out. This was very awkward on afternoon when I was stopped for blown brake light. Some of my friends tend to think less of their scent in favor of properly utilizing wind direction. Weather can change significantly during the hunting hours and it pays to dress in layers as it’s much easier to remove layers in a tree stand or blind then to put more on. Be prepared for most possibilities including rain. Gloves, boots and layers of scent blocking clothing should work nicely and be given considerable thought. You may also want to spray yourself down with one of the many scent blocking products available before heading into the woods.

View from the edge of a field

Finally, if you are new to deer hunting, I will give you this word of advice from personal experience, if the gods are with you and you do harvest a deer, it might pay to have a plan with your buddies to come and assist in the tracking and field dressing of the animal. This is especially true if you have never done this before. My first deer with a bow is a source of amusement to my friends whom not only had to calm me down (yes, I called them from my cell phone!) but before they could help track and teach me to field dress the animal, they had to help get me down from the tree stand as I was having a mild panic attack! All in all, I put in the time and did my homework which put me in a position to succeed. If you take the time and prepare properly, you may not be guaranteed a big buck, but you will be guaranteed your best chance and have a heck of a great time in the process.

** We encourage all accomplished hunters to add to this article with comments so that your experiences may help others enjoy the great outdoors!

This year I had the great opportunity to try my hand at deer hunting from a tree stand. Being new to the sport of bow hunting, I had spent the previous summer visiting friends in the area I was likely to hunt, where they were kind enough to enlighten in to the incredible adventure to come that fall. My coach for a large part of this ‘training’ was Dave Sumner, the inventor of the “Turkey Dave Footrest” and “FlirtyGirty” panfish jigs.  Dave is an accomplished hunter and would not let me place any tree stands until I had a better than average grasp of bow hunting. Dave and I walked the game trails each and every time I would visit Wisconsin from my home in Miami, Florida. He gave me excellent instruction on not only how to find well used deer trails but how to walk them without telegraphing to the deer that I had  been there.  My friend would give me what we called “Ishi” points for each task I performed correctly in my quest to become a bow hunter. Ishi was the name of the last Yana Indian, who was a legendary woodsman and hunter, he died in 1916. These tasks included, not only finding the deer sign and trails, but understanding why deer would be in this area and which way they may be coming from. I was also taught to understand the prevailing wind patterns for the seasons in determining where a tree stand should be placed.  In all honesty,  this education had been going on for nearly two years and I had promised not to draw my bow on an animal until I had accumulated a sufficient number of “Ishi” points to satisfy both Dave Sumner and another friend Dave Roll (the cameraman for Northland Adventures w/Dave Carlson). These guys are true woodsman and would actually ban me from hunting their land if I had ever attempted to use anything in addition to knowledge to harvest a deer.

After, what I considered a very lengthy education, I was taken into the woods on late summer day and was asked to point out any places I would consider placing a tree stand. If I found such as spot, I would then have to give a minimum of 6 reasons that I would consider placing a stand at that spot.  These reasons may have included, nearby food sources, scrapes, wind direction, water sources among many others. We then placed several stands that could be used depending on the direction of the wind.

That fall, I found myself preparing to sit in my tree and give my first crack at taking a deer with a bow, actually I had never taken a deer before so this was my initiation! After several unsuccessful journeys into the woods, I found myself sitting in my tree stand one late afternoon, trying to remember all the words to Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheese burger in paradise, when I heard the leaves crunching to my right.  A doe had come up the trail and was moving into range.  Being a left handed shooter this was a very good side for me but I had limited shooting alleys.  The deer mad a sharp left and I knew I would have one chance to stand and draw under cover of a large Oak tree. With my heart pounding, I stood and pulled back my bow, as the doe emerged from behind the tree I let my arrow fly. At first I wasn’t sure I had hit her as the doe took off like a bat out of hell and I saw my arrow stuck in the ground. The lack of foliage this time of year made it easy to watch the animal run about 75 yards turn around, wobble and lay down.

I wouldn’t say I panicked at that point as much as I was giddy with excitement, and this being my first deer I was a bit perplexed at what to do next. I remember my friends telling me not to chase the animal for about 30 minutes or more after the shot, ‘BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST DEER!!!!’ So I did what any city boy would do in this situation, I called Dave Roll and exclaimed, “I got one” and “I’m freaking out!” My buddy who has been in this situation very calmly said “ what stand are you in, I’ll be there in 30 minutes, stay in the stand till I get there”.  It didn’t matter that I could see the animal lying on the ground, I stayed in my stand.  Of course I called just about everyone I know from that stand, which led to my friends ridiculing me for taking my cell phone into the woods and calling without there being an emergency. The bottom line, I took a very nice doe at 34 yards, and have been hooked on bow hunting ever since, and boy do they taste great when you harvest venison yourself!