I’m not a hunter, so the following has plenty of great tips:
So we are now halfway through the Maryland firearms deer season and you haven’t filled your tag yet. You may be thinking “What am I doing wrong?” You have, after all, been using the latest calls, scents and gadgets that all the magazines and TV shows say you need. You’ve got the fanciest new camo and the best gun you could almost afford. The problem, however, isn’t what you’re using, it’s that you’ve been led astray. There are a million gadgets, quick fixes and magic bullets that promise success. Some even work now and then, at least enough to keep you hooked. But the real keys to being a better deer hunter are both easier and harder than you’ve been told.
Both of these tasks are very simple, but they take time and effort. The first you should enjoy – spend more time deer hunting! Sure, some hunters get lucky their first five minutes in the woods or have a buck come running to that new bottle of scent, but if you want to consistently kill more and bigger deer the first thing to do is spend more time on stand. Hunt every afternoon and weekend you can. Keep going, keep trying, keep learning what the deer are doing and what you need to do to adjust.
Magic tips and tricks may help now and then, but the best deer hunters simply spend a lot of time in the woods. It’s been said that the biggest part of success is simply showing up, and so it is with deer hunting. You’ve got to be out there learning, working and waiting for the stars to align.
The second key is to learn your hunting area. Consistently successful deer hunters are those who always seem to know where the deer are feeding, where they bed and how they use the terrain. You learn this the same way deer do, by spending lots of time through the year learning your area. It doesn’t matter whether you’re hunting a lease, own the property or are hunting public land. Pick one area, focus on it and learn all you can.
This isn’t a task just for the deer season. Spend as much time out there as you can, in all seasons, to get different perspectives and learn things you can’t in November. Deer hunt it through all the seasons, from early bow in September through the last days in January. Spend time in the woods in February chasing squirrels. Take time to learn the types and locations of the trees and plants. Shed antler hunt in the spring. Start turkey hunting and spend April out there. Go for hikes, pick wild berries in the summer and cut fire wood if you’re able.
Every single thing you can do on a place, every single time you can get out, you will learn something if you pay attention. Much of that will be useful for deer hunting and all of it will connect you to a spot and make you part of it. Those tidbits of information you gather throughout the year are the puzzle pieces that fit together to make you a better deer hunter.
Get out there and get hunting, in Maryland you’ve got a week left for gun season.
Source: http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/sports/2014/12/06/hunting-report-let-trinkets-fool/20023837/
