Then suddenly you hear the tell-tale sounds of rustling leaves and twigs snapping. Too heavy for squirrels… you wander what it could be. Your heart beats a little faster, your palms sweat a little.

Would you be calm and composed with this in your sights?

Then suddenly a great big whitetail buck wanders into view!

You slowly start to take aim, even as your heart is pounding and your hands and knees are trembling. What a feeling!

Unfortunately this same rush can cause us to tremble when taking aim making it hard to line up the sights. A slight jerk when pulling the trigger could cause you to miss the shot completely.
How do you stay calm in this situation? Well, the simple answer is practice. However the majority of hunters don’t have the benefit of experience at taking aim at tens of bucks, but there is another way.

This simple technique has been used for thousands of years by people determined to achieve their goals in any number of sports.

It certainly helped me to get to the kind of level where I can outwardly remain calm and composed when that monster buck trots into view.
The key is visualization – a means of getting the benefit of practice from your own home. Go ahead and find a quiet spot in your home where you won’t be disturbed for a short while, and start to imagine the complete hunting scene in your mind. Hear the bird calls around you, see the leaves brushing in the breeze, feel the sun on your face.

Then imagine a great, trophy buck wandering into view. Look at its antlers, its broad chest and white tail. Now imagine how calm you

Crystal clear visualization will help you stay calm when a buck wanders into your crosshairs.

feel as you take aim and judge your shot placement.
For visualization to be effective the scene needs to be as clear as possible in your mind. Let your mind go and try to really get into it.

It may make you feel a little uncomfortable and silly at first, but don’t be discouraged. It really is the key to staying calm and in control when that buck comes into view. I personally practice once a day for 15 minutes in the week or two coming up to my hunting season, and it works time and time again!

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And just for fun, check out this video! A guy gets buck fever and makes three fairly poor shots while hunting bull moose. The quality is not fantastic – but you can see the size of the bull!

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The famous Browning Mirage bow

Using modern designs and technology, this style of bow has vastly more power, precision and ease of use than traditional designs.
Some of the leading manufacturers include Browning, Martin Archery and Fred Bear. Although before you set your heart on a great looking bow – you need to make sure it’s suitable to you specifically! This is important because a hunting bow that doesn’t fit its archer will lead to lots of wild shots and unhappy moments.
There are basically three things to consider when choosing a compound hunting bow, draw length, draw weight and the rather obvious left or right hand.
The draw length refers to how far back you pull the arrow and string, and ideally should be firmly level with your cheek.

This is important to get right, as too short and you won’t be able to see through the sight properly – too long and you’ll be overextending your arm and this’ll cause you to lose control.

At the very least, an incorrect draw length will result in poor accuracy and a general feeling of uncomfort. This is relatively easy to check and get right though, just be sure to ask the person or retailer to help you select the correct settings.

Modern bows can shoot a good 40 yards, although even getting that close is often difficult

Draw weight is another important factor to consider when buying a hunting bow. Draw weight refers to the amount of energy it takes to pull back the arrow to the optimal draw length – ready to let loose the shot. While this should be reasonably heavy to ensure good power it should also be easily achievable with calm, non-strained movements.

Compound bows actually aid the hunter with this and mean you can achieve a significantly higher draw weight relative to traditional bows.

Again, make sure you get an experienced friend or check with the retailer when buying a hunting bow to set it up especially for you.

The popular Martin Bengal compund bow

Choosing a right or left hand bow – this may seem silly but a surprising number of people actually have a dominant eye that is not on the same side as their dominant hand. For example, if your right handed you would naturally feel more comfortable holding the bow with your left and pulling back the string with your right hand. However if your dominant eye was your left, you would be uneasy using your right eye to aim with. People get around this either by training their right eye (for example) to focus and adjust to taking aim, or by choosing a left hand bow and adapting to using that.

It really is a matter of personal preference, but at the same time it’s also an important decision as you really need to feel comfortable with all your equipment.

It would be a great shame to be out in the field tracking a trophy class buck, stalk close enough to take aim and end up firing wild because your draw length was too long, or you we’re shaking slightly when struggling to pull back the string because the draw weight was too much.

Archery hunting takes some skill and practice, but with the right gear it can really pay off and be a great experience.

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Check out this video! How to shoot a compund bow – some good tips.

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Compound bow designs have developed significantly in recent years

There’s a huge selection of different types and manufacturers to choose from, and if you can I recommend going down to an outfitters or hunting shop and trying out as many as you can.

Most of us know what kind of bow we like from the beginning, but if you don’t then it’s important to try some out, ask your hunting partners or some guides and just seek advice from all around.

The main thing to check for is fit.

If your bow doesn’t fit well you’ll be put a big disadvantage from the very beginning – a sure recipe for an unhappy hunter.
Here’s some of the different types of archery hunting equipment available:
There are a few main types of bows in the market today, including traditional, compound and longbow.
The traditional bow is typically made out of wood, recurved and is a more traditional weapon. It has great power, quick arrow launch and low after-shock.
The long bow is again a more traditional weapon, and has retained much of the design from hundreds of years ago when it was used in

A traditional bow design

the King’s forest, as well as on the battlefield. With huge power, it requires some strength to pull back the string and as it’s quite large can be a little unwieldy. Having said that it is a very popular weapon for many people, and is capable of taking down big game.

The compound hunting bow is a more modern design.

Making use of modern materials such as aluminium or carbon fibre, as well as modern and designs it is a far more sophisticated bow. Making use of pulleys and multiple strings, these bows are capable of significantly more powerful shots with less strength required than traditional designs. With many features such as parallel limbs designed to minimise vibration during firing and special inserts to minimise string vibration, they help a hunter ensure more accurate shot placement.
Of course, it depends completely on the skill level of the bow user and his or her personal preference which type of bow they want to use. As mentioned above, you shouldn’t rush the process of buying your gear.

Take the time to choose the right weapon and it’ll pay off for years to come.

The popular PSE Stinger

You should also regularly check all of your archery hunting equipment including broadheads and strings. If you haven’t already, tune your broadheads to your arrows.

Check out this article here on how to TUNE YOUR BROADHEADS.

Or take them to an experienced hunter or dealer and ensure everything is fine-tuned. If you don’t, you risk the arrow sailing off in any old direction!
Sights are another useful tool you can use, and again there are many different types to choose from. The main three varieties are pin sights, laser dot sights and fibre optic sights. Each have their pros and cons and are primarily used for different aspects of the sport. For instance, pin sights are preferred for deer hunting, whereas fibre optics are often used in competition shooting. Of course, you can use what you like and its mainly down to personal preference.

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And just for some fun, check out this video! A guy calls in a huge Ohio buck and lets loose an arrow from a blind.

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Potrait of an adult doe

White-tail Deer – Sceintific Classification

Latin – Odocoileus virginianus
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Genus: Odocoileinae

Typical Characteristics

The white-tailed deer as its name suggests is easy to recognise due to its characteristic white tail. It also has a white strip up its throat and around its eyes and nose. It is usually a light, red brown in the summer which turns to a more greyish brown in winter. The males are larger, and full grown can weigh from 70 – 140kg (150 to 300 pounds). In some cases they are much bigger, with the current record being a little over 227kg (500 pounds), shot in Minnesota. Male white-tail deer have antlers, which they regrow every year and use for fighting other males during the mating season. Typically these grow in a symmetrical arrangement, but can also grow in a variety of shapes. They start to grow in late spring and are shed only when all the females in an area have been mated with.

Where can you find them?

White-tail deer can be found all over the United States, in southern parts of Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia as well as a few places in Europe, namely Finland. They are actively hunted in all of these areas. They tend to inhabit woodlands and places with dense cover and edges, although they have adapted to thrive on prairie and grasslands too. The largest bucks tend to be found in the northern states such as Dakota and in Canada, although some of the larger bucks from the prairies of southern states have been known to rival them. In general whitetail deer get larger the further north you go.

A doe and her fawn - notice the characteristic white markings

The females (does) live in small family groups or herds, comprising of a few females and their fawns. Males sometimes gather in groups of three or four, but become solitary once the rutting season begins. They tend to live in the same area, and rarely go more than 2 square miles from their bedding areas. This is why finding well-used trails is so effective as they often use the same ones for years.
As mentioned above, some whitetail deer can be found in Finland. These were introduced from 4 individuals in around 1935 and have grown to around 30,000 today. In some areas they are actually posing a threat to native species as they are extremely well at adapting and tend to displace other deer herds.

Diet

The white-tail deer is a ruminant, which means it has a set of four stomachs. This allows it to eat a large amount of grass and other plants and then retreat into cover and digest it. It is predominantly a herbivore, although it has been known to eat other foods when available such as field mice and nesting birds. White-tailed deer have a specific set of bacteria in each stomach which change over the seasons allowing it to adjust its diet as food availability changes. It will eat green shoots and plants when they are abundant in spring and summer, and change to corn, acorns and fruits later in the year. They also have very strong stomachs meaning they can eat things that would harm humans, such as poisonous mushrooms and cacti. They tend to feed mostly in early morning and late afternoon.

Behaviour

A buck checking scent markings

Deer are very cautious animals, and are always alert. They have many natural predators such as cougars, coyotes and wolves. When alarmed they will alert each other by raising their tail, stomping the ground and snorting. White-tail deer are also exceptional athletes – they can run at around 30mph, leap high and long and often swim strong water courses. In fact, when in danger mature bucks often swim out to islands to escape predators (often humans).
Bucks will make scrape marks in the ground prior to the rutting season, and then make rub marks above them on the limbs of trees.

They will scent these marks with urine and scent from special glands, called sudoriferous glands found on the forehead. They do this to mark their territory and start to establish who the dominant male is. Bucks also rub-urinate frequently during the mating season, where they pee on their tarsal glands on their hind legs to create a strong odour, which they also rub against trees and scrape marks.
Making scrape marks and rubs on trees is not the only way whitetail deer communicate, they also have a unique voice. Does and fawns produce a squeal, called a bleat, and bucks produce a low pitched grunt which gets lower and lower the older it gets.

A young buck with velvet-coated antlers

Life Cycle

Deer populations can grow very quickly, providing there is enough food, water and shelter. Females are usually of reproductive age by one to two years, and mate between November and January. They typically give birth to two or three fawns six months later. These spotted fawns can walk from birth, and begin foraging for food very quickly. The mother often leaves her fawns in separate hiding places while she goes off to feed, and stops giving them milk after around 6 weeks. Males leave their mother after around a year, while a doe will stay with her for another year or so.

Whitetail Deer and Humans

Interaction with white-tail deer is becoming increasingly common, partly as we’re encroaching more and more on their habitat but also deer are adapting to urban habitats. In rural areas hunting is allowed and often encouraged to control population levels, but is urban areas deer populations can get out of control. Despite this there are only around 4 incidents per year of a deer attacking a human. If you’re looking for info on hunting them – look here.

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For an example of how dangerous they can be though, check out this video. This large, mature buck turned on the unfortunate bow hunter, who escaped without any long-term injuries.

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A good guide can help you become a better hunter

Experts in their field with great knowledge of the area and herds, they will often be able to find a buck of your chosen class far quicker than if you were to search alone.

As you’re no doubt aware, tracking and locating mature bucks is very difficult even if you’re familiar with an area. If you’re heading to a new location such as a reserve in another state getting familiar with the landscape and local herd movements will take a significant amount of time. If you have limited time for your hunting trip then hiring a hunting guide makes sense.

There are numerous articles on this site about how to use drawing techniques, scent eliminators and attractants etc, and I do recommend you read them prior to going hunting, but simply reading about them doesn’t compare to having an experienced huntsman showing you exactly in front of you.

If you want to read up on some great tips before you go, check out the STRATEGIES & TIPS section here.

What’s more, different topography requires different tactics. The spot and stalk technique may be the only way to assure a shot opportunity in certain areas, whereas in another setting up a stand would be better. Again, hunting guides would be able to show you the best methods for the particular area you’re hunting in.

Get taken straight to the target, and learn how to find it yourself.

You can usually access the best hunting guides through outfitters, as naturally these companies want to hire the best in their areas. Although keep in mind that some don’t permit their guides to be privately hired. If this is the case you can usually find someone at a local hunting club, or by doing a search online. I don’t want to promote any one guide in particular here, but if you do a quick search on Google for ‘hunting guides in your state’ you’ll be able to find someone for sure.

What you can expect and how much you’ll pay varies hugely from person to person. A guy who is just a good hunter and is willing to take you along on his trip will generally charge a lot less (or may take you for free!) compared to someone who has turned his passion into a career and will tailor a package especially for you.

Good hunting guides should be able to tell you the best times to hunt the species of deer you’re after, a few good locations for shot opportunities as well as best practises and techniques. Many will make a detailed plan especially for you and include meals, specific locations to go at certain times and provide much of the necessary equipment.
You certainly don’t need to hire hunting guides to succeed and harvest a trophy buck, but generally it will speed up the process and increase your skills a lot quicker too. It’s also recommended that you don’t go out into the woods or country alone, and so if you don’t have a hunting partner then hiring hunting guides could be a way to share the experience – both for safety and to have fun!

And just for fun – check out this video! Big 8 pointer down.

Share the experience, and learn from others

Generally you’ll arrive at the outfitters in the evening prior to your hunting day (or days), and make plans and prepare your gear for the guided hunt next day. Most services will have guides out in the field prior to your arrival, as well as trail cam setups, and so they will have a good idea of where the bucks are.

A guide will then take you out on the guided hunt around the land to a spot where you’re most likely to find the deer of your chosen size. Depending on the establishment and your target deer you may well setup in a stand or blind.
There are a few other options, for example you can hire an experienced huntsman to take you on a guided hunt alone and spend a few days out in the field tracking and hunting, or you can go a bit more commercial and join a larger group and shoot more docile, domesticated deer.

Most places offer a guarantee that you will have a shot opportunity at the buck of your chosen class, or your money back.

If you want a better chance of bagging one of these, then a guided hunt may well be for you!

Talking of money, how much can you expect to pay? Well this greatly depends on the place and quality of service you want. Typically for a 1 on 1 four-day guided hunt you can expect to pay $2,000, although you can pay substantially more than that at some places.

Here is a list of some outfitters that provide guided hunts for your information:

Arizona Guided Hunts – Experienced outfitters offering a wide range of different hunting trips all over Arizona as well as some lands in New Mexico. Run by Patrick Feldt, they offer guided hunts for Coues Whitetails, Desert Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Mule Deer as well as other animals, such as Black Bears and Mountain Lions.

Trophys Unlimited – Outfitters offering guided hunts targeting Whitetails and Mule deer in Kentucky, Mexico and Canada. Wide range of areas producing many Boone and Crocket record bucks.

Montana Elk Hunting – Operating in Montana ,this outfitters offers 5-day Mule deer guided hunts, as well as a 6-day Whitetail package including a Whitetail doe, pheasant and fishing on an exclusive ranch.

Toby Creek Outfitters – Toby Creek offers 5 to 10 day guided Mule deer hunts around mountainous terrain in British Columbia, with an excellent range of mature bucks.

And just for kicks – check out this video! Big buck harvested – taken by Grey Ghost Outfitters in Canada.