Riflescopes and Scope Accessories

America has a favorite hunting pastime, and it’s deer hunting. Deer have been able to survive because they’ve learned to avoid predators. This is accomplished by using their sense of smell, sight and hearing. Their evolution has made them accustomed to hearing two types of sounds, which include both the natural and unnatural. The natural sounds are part of their element, but it’s the unnatural sounds such as leaves being crushed, or the sound of metal brushing up against something that alerts them to possible danger.

If the season has arrived, then understanding the rules of engagement is imperative to successfully hunting your game. Mimicking that will attract deer, such as a fawn in distress, a fawn bleat, doe or buck grunt, are great ways of getting their attention and drawing them to your location. Additionally, making a rattling noise mimics the sound of two bucks locked in combat. Be sure to rattle with a bit of enthusiasm, and a few grunts will help to make it sound authentic.

The sense of smell of a whitetail deer is far superior to that of the hunter. They have the ability to smell where you’ve walked. This means you have to control your natural body odor by “playing the wind.” Your location won’t be compromised if the wind is blowing your scent towards an unproductive area. Other precautions should include washing hunting clothes and apparel in non-scented laundry detergent, and allowing them to dry outside. Having engaged in deer hunting on several occasions, you should well know that the scent of your hair and body will be the biggest give-away. You should take care to wash with an earth scented or non-scented application.

It’s commonly thought that deer have a poor sense of sight. While it’s not their sharpest sense, many hunters give away their positions by allowing themselves to be seen. If you can fool their sense of sight, smell and hearing, then you’re well on you way to becoming a successful deer hunter. The key is to remain unseen and keep whatever you need within easy reach when hunting game.

Getting in close proximity with your prey requires a definite level of experience and skill. If you have the deer in your sights and you’re still undetected, it means you’ve done everything correctly up to this point. Deer hunting is an art. This means taking into consideration the wind direction, moving through the terrain quietly and employing a high degree of patience. Inevitably, there comes that moment in which you decide if the deer will live another day. The wildlife you hunt is a part of the majestic part of nature’s cycle.

Filed under: Rifles and Shotguns on April 30th, 2009