Old Time Deer Hunting Tactics\

I learned early in my deer hunting endeavors that having a good sound approach to my deer hunting treestand is more critical than the treestand itself. You can pick out the best treestand location in the world but if you can’t get in and out unnoticed, you’re pretty much wasting your time.

Last deer hunting season I had the chance to watch a poor strategy first hand. I am a firm believer in being in my treestand at least an hour before it even thinks about breaking day. I always mark the deer trail with deer trail markers to my treestand so I can take a direct and straight route and reach it quietly and quickly. Once in the treestand and everything is in its place, I start my day with a little light rattling and grunting just to ease the deer that might be in the area that could hear me but not see me.

Last season’s treestand location gave me a good view of the terrotory of the next property over. There was a man and his two sons deer hunting the property and every day it was the same routine, just when it was getting to good shooting light, I could hear the pickup truck heading up the hill to their spot and within 5 minutes I could hear their truck doors shut. It only took 2 days for the deer to pattern them and react to their approach. The third day and every day after that, when the truck doors were shut, I would put my binoculars on the hillside leading to our hunting lease and here they come. Good for us but not so good for them.  You always need to put all the odds in your favor.

With today’s new technology it has made it easier to scout your deer hunting properties and get pictures of the whitetail deer on it. Unfortunately the majority of the deer deer hunters that I talk to place the cameras within shooting range of their treestands. This causes trip after trip to their treestand locations to retrieve the pictures. I personally don’t believe it has made it better. I still prefer the “Old School” approach.

When I am looking for new property to hunt the first thing I do is start glassing the area. Late July and August is the perfect time. The deer normally hit the fields early enough to get a real good look at them with 12/50 binoculars. If I locate a good buck on the property that I would like to hunt, it’s time to go to work.

The first thing I do is see if permission can be obtained to hunt the property. If that is successful, I then get on the computer and obtain both topo and aerial photos of the property, mark where I have been seeing the deer, find all the bottlenecks and ridgelines to find several good ambush points. Next and most important, I plan my approach to the treestand locations. If I can’t get to these treestand locations without feeling reasonably comfortable that I can do it undetected, I pretty much stop right there.

The property I am currently deer hunting is only a 39 acre lease here in Ohio but it’s a good lease. In the course of the season, we can expect to see several 150 to 170 class deer. I wound up getting permission to cross the neighbor’s property so I could walk in from the backside to my treestand locations. There was absolutely no other way to get to my treestands undetected without coming in from the backside. If I couldn’t have gained that permission, I wouldn’t have leased the property. It would have basically been a waste of time
After planning and obtaining permission for my approach to my tree treestands, I make one trip in to the area to scout the areas I have chosen from the maps, cut what needs to be cut, and hang my treestands. The next time I will be in the area will be about 2 to 3 days before season starts to make several mock scrapes around my treestand locations. The least amount of pre-season trips you make into your treestand locations and deer hunting areas, the more successful you’re going to be.

The next time you decide to try a new deer hunting location, take the time to go over all the bases before you ever set foot on the scene and keep your trips on the property to a minimum. Make sure there is one or two on the property you are willing to shoot and plan everything out, especially your approach. It will save you a lot of wasted time. This system has been very successful for me and I hope there is something here to help you become more successful.

Make the most of your time in the deer woods.  Be respectful of the game you seek.  It’s important that we pass along the treasured hunting traditions and heritage to all who follow us.