Learn to avoid common deer hunting mistakes

The first mistake most hunters make is inadequate scouting. You need to spend time in the woods year round, instead of using all your vacation days hunting, try some early scouting. Scouting is an ongoing process, a deers environment is constantly changing, you need to be willing to change. Food sources, water, weather, and hunting pressure all effect a deer movements, so learn your land. Topographical and aerial maps can also be a great scouting tool and are very easily made off the internet.

Lack of scent control is another common mistake. Often opportunity for a successful hunt are lost without realizing. A deer may be alerted if it hears an unnatural noise, but if it catches your scent he's long gone. Use unscented soaps, laundry soaps, deodorant, and rubber sole boots. After your scent free now add a cover scent common to your hunting environment and maybe some fox p or doe estrus scent to the tip of your boots.

Chances are often blown by making too much noise. Squeaky stands, coughs,and noisy clothing can make noise at the wrong time causing the deer to ease off without the hunter knowing they was close. Before hunting season prepare your stands, tighten bolts, lube moving parts and maybe add some quite padding. If you have to cough, do it into your arm or clothing and if you make noise cover it up with a grunt call or rattling. Also soft clothing is important, you don't want to make much noise when walking or moving.

Many hunters lack the patients needed to be successful, spent your dues in the woods! Sitting for hours at a time with nothing happening is a big part of hunting. Persistence is very important, deer hunting is as much mental as physical. Hunters often lack concentration, leading to botched opportunities. The lack of being able to judge shot distance,angle of your shot from high stands and inability to relax and be patient cost many hunters the chance at the whitetail of a lifetime. Stay in your stand, keep movements to a minimum and concentrate, you might just avoid some of the most common mistakes most hunters make.

The worst mistake a hunter can make is to move in to hunt an area with their scent blowing directly into a deer bedding area. Try to hunt cross winds or have your scent blowing out to an open area or use a climber and get 20+ feet in the air so your scent isn't effecting your deer. Usually in the morning your scent will rise and in the afternoon your scent will fall, this all relates to the dew point and temps.

If you play the wind and stay out of deer bedding areas, whitetails will be much more likely to be on the move. Many hunters are always looking for the next hot spot, if you've done your early scouting there's no need to leave scent behind causing deer to go nocturnal on you.If you do your early scouting and avoid the most common mistakes, you'll see more deer and enjoy your hunt much more.