Whitetail deer hunting is a very popular sport and in some places a necessary activity in order to keep populations under control.
A mature buck marking his territory using scents
For the serious hunter, a mature whitetail buck is the most sought after trophy animal in North America.
There is a wide variety of options and activities out there, ranging from a single person going out into their local woods to hunt a deer for the delicious meat, to a whole outfitters industry built on taking people out on their ranches to shoot and take home a trophy class buck.
The majority of people hunt deer as a long-term sport, enjoying the skill and necessary outdoorsmanship required.
Favouring a particular area and hunting regularly with a partner or group of friends in a club, they go out tracking and spotting and have developed their skills enough that they’re primary goal is to take down a trophy class buck.
The most populous and widespread deer is the whitetail, found all over the U.S.A. and is the main target in any deer hunt.
Whether you choose to go out alone or with a friend, pay for a guide or join a group at an outfitters probably the most difficult task you face is finding the deer itself! We all know of the deer’s superior senses, their remarkable speed and agility – and this is what makes a deer hunt so challenging.
A mature buck making a scrape mark, another method of marking out territory
For some great tips on locating and drawing bucks towards you, sign up for the free email course – the strategies in there are aimed at helping you bring home a true trophy class buck.
There are numerous articles on this site to help you find and track your buck, so if you’re having trouble FINDING DEER check out the articles section here.
Once you know where the deer are likely to be, you have a choice of strategy to make. You’ll most likely know what you intend to do before you go out in the field, but the two main strategies are the ‘spot and stalk’ method and then using stands or blinds.
Both have their pros and cons and you can of course abandon a stand and track and stalk mid hunt.
Check out this great article on STANDS AND BLINDS here.
A big part of a deer hunt, with hunting guides or without, is waiting. You’ve got to have patience as in all likelihood you’ll be waiting a long while in your stand before the buck shows up. Even if your tracking on foot, you’ll be spending a lot of time glassing an area from your vantage point. One of the most thrilling experiences you can have though is when your prize buck wanders into view. You’ve known he’s been around for ages, you’ve worked at finding and tracking him and now here he is within range.
A problem that most hunters have, if not all hunters, is buck fever. The adrenaline begins to pump the moment you see the buck and this can affect your ability to level your sights or keep the bow steady. It takes regular practice to keep this under control, but if you’re like most of us you won’t have the chance to regularly take aim at a buck.
Check out this article on BUCK FEVER to learn how to keep your cool for good.
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And just for fun, check out this video! Two BIG bucks battle it out.
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