Deer season is right around the corner. It’s time to start prepping. That means making your hunting gear list, restocking on ammo, refreshing yourself on tracking techniques, and more.
Whether you’re a new hunter getting ready for their first hunt or someone looking to refine their hunting practices, let’s go through the top 6 tips for a successful harvest this deer season.
1. Carry Only What You Need
When you’re getting ready to go on a hunt, bringing all the niche gear and equipment you have for your outdoor adventures can be tempting. However, when you’re hiking out into the wilderness for hours or days at a time, all that gear will do is add a lot of weight for you to carry the entire trip. That’s why our first deer hunting tip is one for before you even leave the house: trim down your hunting gear list to the bare essentials.
So what are those bare essentials? Well, it’ll be different depending on the environment you’re hunting in, but here’s a general list to get you started:
- Comfortable camouflage clothing
- Durable backpack
- Hunting weapon (rifle, bow, crossbow, etc.)
- Ammunition (such as extra 12 gauge shells or rifle ammo)
- Hunting knife
- Flashlight
- Rations and water
- Rope, paracord, or something else to carry or drag game with
In addition to this, bring anything else that you’d typically bring hiking, such as a first aid kit. If you’ll be staking out a location for a while, you should bring a ground blind or tree stand to stay hidden.
2. Hide Your Scent
Do you know what’s arguably the most important deer hunting tip? Don’t smell.
Deer do not have great eyesight, but they make up for it with their sense of smell. This means hiding from them requires more than just staying hidden in foliage and staying quiet. You have to make sure they can’t smell you. Here’s how:
- Don’t use scented laundry detergent
- Skip the cologne or scented deodorant
- Shower before your trip (with unscented soap, obviously)
- Store dirty clothes in a sealed bag
- Bury anything you leave after you do your business
- Stay downwind from deer as much as possible
Follow these deer hunting tips, and you’ll be completely invisible to deer.
3. Don’t Make a Sound
Now that you’ve made sure you can’t be seen, you have to make sure you can’t be heard. As you’re walking through the woods, tread carefully. Avoid branches, piles of dry leaves, or areas with lots of foliage. If you’re hunting with friends, don’t speak louder than in a whisper. A light pack from an optimized hunting gear list makes this much easier.
When you’ve arrived at the location where your blind or tree stand will be set up, sit tight and stay quiet. Move slowly and carefully. Avoid opening any wrappers or rustling around your bag. And, like with the hike to get to your position, don’t talk. Yeah, these deer hunting tips for staying quiet can make a hunting trip drag by, especially if you’re new to hunting — but you’re not here to chat. You’re here to bring home a deer.
4. Be Sure of Your Shot
When a deer finally turns up at your blind, the moment of truth has arrived. All this preparing for deer season means nothing if you miss your shot. And while you don’t want to miss the deer completely and scare it off, you really don’t want to only wound it. Chasing after a wounded animal is not only unethical; it’s a pain and can ruin the rest of the hunt.
Our most critical deer hunting tip is to do everything you can to improve your accuracy. Don’t knock against any part of the blind or stand when you raise your weapon. Try to be within 100 yards of your target before firing. Stay calm and hold your gun steady.
If you don’t think you can make the shot, then don’t shoot. As long as you don’t give away your position, another deer may come.
5. Enjoy the Outdoors
Sure, the goal of hunting is bringing home a deer. But the real point is to spend time in the wilderness away from your job, civilization, and a mountain of everyday responsibilities. Many hunts don’t end with a trophy buck or quality venison — and that’s okay. You get to spend hours or days immersed in the Great Outdoors practicing one of humanity’s oldest traditions.
Our final deer hunting tip? Don’t get hung up on getting a deer. Enjoy yourself.
Stock Up on Ammo With Steinel Ammunition
Your hunting gear list should always have extra ammo, and that’s where Steinel Ammunition comes in. We stock everything from modern ammo like 5.56 NATO to vintage and military surplus ammo in rare calibers. No matter what you’re looking for, we’re proud to offer it in our collection of premium, match-grade cartridges.
Want to learn more about our ammunition or have deer hunting tips you want to share? Contact us — we’re always happy to talk.
