When deer hunting, you never stop learning. But first, you must start, of course. It may all seem overwhelming at first, but you'll soon realize you just need to show perseverance and patience, and your trophy will come.

You figure out new things about deer hunting all the time from the moment you start learning about it. For example, 308 ammo is an excellent choice for hunting deer and elk. Another idea is to adapt your gear to the season. Otherwise, you won't feel comfortable in the field.

From this article, you'll learn some tips to help you start deer hunting season productively, without frustration or trial-and-error sessions. Let's dive right in!

Hide your smell

Whenever you go hunting, try to hide your smell as best you can. Sometimes, you may think you've gotten rid of your body odor issue, but a deer could still smell you. Showering and washing your gear isn't enough. Deer are animals that rely on smell, so you have to go further than that.

Use odor-neutral soaps and hygiene products designed for deer hunting. Go further and keep your hunting gear in a closed space filled with leaves, sticks, and pine fruit to mask human smells. Cover yourself with a deer scent and keep applying it in the forest to hide your presence from the animal.

Keep quiet

Deer have better hearing than humans. Therefore, make as little noise as possible, starting with where you park your car. Leave it as far as you can from your hunting spot and walk slowly, carefully placing every step.

Change your pace every now and then to hide your cadence, which sounds a lot like a human. If you make a loud noise at any point, try not to move for a few minutes. Any deer who heard you would be on high alert. This time allows them to calm down, thinking you've lost them.

Stay prepared

Before going on a deer hunt, be sure you prepare accordingly. That includes taking safety courses, a license, and tags. Of course, it won't hurt to check the weather. Get all the gear you need for the weather.

Let someone know where you're going, just to be sure. Pack what you need, including food and emergency supplies. Have everything at hand and keep things simple.

Learn the deer language

As with any other animal, deer have their own language. They use different sounds to communicate distinctively. Learn to use this to your advantage. Have different deer calls with you at the ready when hunting. Each unique sound can attract diverse types of deer. Therefore, it's useful to learn this language and use it.   

Check out the area

When hunting in a place you've never been, it's a good idea to scope out the area. A few days before going on the hunt, go to the location and scope it out. Find a great place to put your tree stand based on your idea of how deer move. It's best to be prepared for anything.

If you can't go in person, use technology to trace your future steps. Satellite images can help you draw up a plan when hunting deer.

Choose your stand wisely

Where do you put your stand? There are always some good options, you just need to find them. You can choose hang-on tree stands, climbing stands, or bowhunting stands. The market has options for any type of hunting you prefer.

Ridges work well mainly because they give you a great view and keep your scent away from nearby deer.

Another good location to scope is field corners. Deer usually enter fields through corners, so you can place your tree stand somewhere near a field corner to catch deer as they come to feed.

A third sought-after option is the intersection of bed-to-feed paths. There, you have the best chance to spot an animal. Deer scat helps you locate feeding areas.

When bowhunting deer, your strategy needs to change somewhat. Set your stand around 10-20 yards from where you expect deer to come through. Choose a place downwind so the deer don't smell you.

Some spots perceived as bad could do you some good. On mountainous land, consider hunting from a ravine. It could be inconvenient, but other hunters will think the same thing. That allows you to find animals where no one else is looking.

Practice using your stand

First, try to place your stand at the beginning of the hunting season. Mature deer notice changes in the woods. 

When you hang your tree stand earlier in the season, you're allowing the deer to get used to it being there. They won't think anything of it and they might even show up there more often.

After putting your stand up, practice using it. When you go hunting, it will be easier to get in without making too much noise. You're less likely to fall when climbing or going down at night. Falling is a common injury for hunters, after all.

Practice your shot and clear your hunting ground of debris

Clear your eye path to be sure you can hit your target. Use some clippers or a folding saw to clear out branches and get an accurate shot.

When using a blind, clear the debris – leaves, twigs, needles – to avoid making noise when scoping out your next target. Build a backdrop to keep yourself out of sight.

Avoid deer paths

When going to your deer stand or blind, try to take a route deer wouldn't usually take. Map your hike and park far from your hunting spot. Although inconvenient, it's essential because you don't want deer to smell you. If they do, they will avoid that path. By extension, you're less likely to get a kill.

Choose the right time to hunt

Animals have different "schedules" than people. They usually move during the twilight hours because they sleep during the day. That means dawn and dusk are ideal times for deer hunting.

Get to your spot early and stay late to catch the animals on the move. At dawn, they go to their bedding areas, and at dusk, they move toward their feeding grounds.

Use drag scents and calls

Get deer scents and use them on your path to draw them to you. Start near your stand because that's where the scent should be most powerful. Deer will follow this scent to its strongest point, where you'll be.

There are many types of deer calls on the market. When using them, don't exaggerate. Give the deer time to come to you. When you make too much noise, you tip the animals off that something's wrong. Wait around 20-30 minutes between calls.

Keep in mind where you made your kill

If the deer drops immediately after shooting it, make a mental note of its direction and distance from you. There's a high chance you can't see it clearly from your stand. When a deer drops immediately after getting shot, it may get back up and run. Remember where the blood trail starts.

Refrain from jumping out of your stand and chasing the animal. Wait for a few good minutes before going for the blood trail. Deer can run fast, especially when fearing for their lives. Hearing you behind them can do just that, scare them away while they're hurt.

Look around to find blood on branches or leaves, not just on the ground. And when the blood trail thins out, mark it with flagging tape or something similar. You can find the spot later if you lose the trail.

Let's say you found your kill and are close to it. Approach it carefully to avoid startling it. Try making a noise from a distance to see if the animal responds. If it doesn't, you can go to it.

Learn field dressing

Freshly killed animal meat spoils fast, especially when it contains entrails. 

The body retains body heat, so you must remove the entrails to slow bacterial growth. This way, you can preserve your trophy. The skill has the name “field dressing.” If you're out hunting for longer, it's an important and useful skill to have.

Learn to draw the kill out of the forest

You can get exhausted from dragging your kill out of the hunting grounds. 

Use a deer cart or a sled with a harness to make things easier. You have to improvise when you don't have a professional tool. Tie a  rope to a stick to distribute the weight across your shoulders.

Conclusions

Hopefully, these tips will help you get the most out of your deer hunting session and come home with a kill. The first and most important step is to enjoy the activity and live it to the fullest. 

Make the wind your friend, be aware of your surroundings, and show patience. Your trophy will surely come!