The Hunt
A new hunter can secure the advice and assistance of a landowner or experienced deer hunter who will know which areas deer are using at the time, the location of the best crossings and the probable movement pattern of deer through the area.
This buck, third largest typical white-tailed deer known to exist, was taken in Randolph county in 1971 by Larry Gibson. It scored 205 0/8 on the Boone and Crockett scale.
Most hunters in Missouri hunt from a stand, at least during early morning and late afternoon. A good stand is located where deer will pass in going about their daily routine of feeding, watering and resting. And during late October through November, deer show increased activity associated with the breeding season.
Deer are creatures of habit and follow nearly the same routes in going from feeding areas to water to resting areas. In areas with many deer, their daily movements make clearly defined paths. The point where two paths cross is an excellent place for a stand because it doubles the hunter’s chances. Always place your stand so the wind will blow your scent away from the path or crossing. Sitting with your back against a tree or rock will help to break up your silhouette, but remaining motionless is more important than concealment.
Another good location for a stand is the edge of a field or forest clearing where deer come to feed in the early evening or early morning. A permanent or portable tree stand or the increasingly popular metal ladder stand overlooking a clearing usually provides good deer hunting. A hunter in a tree stand can see better over a larger area, and is less likely to be detected by the deer. For safety’s sake, never climb into a tree stand with a loaded gun and always wear a safety harness.
The secret of hunting from any stand is to sit still, stay alert and stay on the stand. This type of hunting requires a lot of patience. Patience is hard to maintain on a cold November morning. Few hunters actually stay on the stand for more than three or four hours. Observations from airplanes indicate that by 9 a.m. most of the hunters are beginning to move through the woods and are resorting to still-hunting. Another name for still-hunting is stalking. As the name implies, the hunter moves as slowly and quietly as possible through the woods, hoping to see a deer before it sees him or her. This technique works best with snow on the ground or when the leaves are wet from rain. It is very difficult to move quietly through several inches of dry oak leaves. This method often results in the hunter seeing a lot of white flags disappearing over the ridge top, but not much venison. Some wise guy on a stand will probably kill the deer that is sneaking along ahead of you.
An organized deer drive is a technique sometimes used in large tracts of timber in the Ozarks or on smaller tracts in northern Missouri. This method requires coordination and cooperation to ensure safety. One or more hunters, designated as “shooters,” are placed on stands where deer are likely to cross when pushed by the “drivers.” Drivers are other hunters in the party that move through a part of the hunting area in an attempt to push deer toward the shooters. It is critical that all shooters know the locations of other shooters and also the direction from which the drivers will come. This allows the shooters to determine safe lines-of-fire. Shooters must not leave their stands until the drive is over, and the drivers must stay in line and not stray from their predetermined approach. Knowing the location of others participating in the drive is the key to a successful and, more importantly, safe hunt.
No matter which system of hunting you use, be quiet but alert and be sure of your target before shooting. Your target on a deer should be the chest. Shots in the head or spine will drop a deer in its tracks, but the target is small and the average hunter is wiser to shoot at the chest. A shot in the chest may not drop the animal immediately, but is usually fatal.
“Hold low” is an old slogan among deer hunters. There are several good reasons for this idea. The heart of a deer is located in the lower third of the chest about 4 inches behind the elbow of the front leg. If the hunter is excited and does not get his or her cheek down on the rifle stock, the bullet will hit higher than the point of aim. Also, most hunters do not realize that the average deer is only about 3 feet tall at the shoulder.
The point of aim for a deer standing broadside should be slightly behind and above the elbow of the front leg. Aiming at this point gives an allowance for error of several inches in all directions. Aim at the base of the neck on a deer facing you. Extreme uphill and downhill shots should be aimed a little low. If the deer’s racing directly from you, let him go. You’ll probably shoot at his flag and miss him anyway. A running deer is a difficult target and not suggested for beginners.
Archery deer hunting
The vital area of this deer is within the diamond.
Archery deer hunting is one of the fastest-growing sports in Missouri. Only 73 archers participated in the first archery season in 1946, a three-day, bucks-only season in Crawford County. Currently, approximately 100,000 archers participate in a 96-day, statewide any-deer season and typically harvest more than 20,000 deer.
Many archers previously hunted with a gun but took up the bow because they wanted more of a challenge. In addition, the three-month archery season provides a longer time to enjoy the hunt. Also, the two deer taken on an Archer's Hunting Permit are in addition to deer taken on Firearms Deer Permits. Whatever their reasons for pursuing deer with bow and arrow, these hunters are knowingly handicapping themselves. Because of this handicap they must learn more about deer; in the process they will become better deer hunters. Archers must be able to get close to their targets, since accuracy with a bow declines rapidly beyond 30 yards. Most deer killed with arrows are shot at 20 yards or less.
How does an archer get so close to a deer? The advice from one archer of long experience and some success is: "Go often, go to the same place each time and use a tree blind." Most archers hunt from tree stands about 10 to 15 feet high. The general rules for location of the stand and hunting techniques are similar to those suggested for the gun hunter, but some additional techniques are needed. The archer must be especially aware of wind direction. Some archers tie a six-inch length of thread to the upper limb of their bow, to serve as a miniature windsock.
Archers sometimes build a blind of natural vegetation. The blind should blend with the surroundings, but it does not need to be as solid as a duck blind. It should be roomy enough for the archer to draw a bow without hindrance and should be about shoulder-high when the archer is sitting on a small stool or other seat.
In contrast to the bright clothing worn by the hunter with a gun, the archer should wear dark-colored clothing (preferably of a camouflage design) which will blend with the surroundings. Some archers use camouflage paint or burned cork to darken their face and hands. However, under some circumstances, archers are required to wear hunter orange.
The experts also suggest that archers pace off the distance to the point where they expect to shoot at a deer, check the anticipated flight path of the arrow and trim away branches or small twigs that might deflect an arrow.
What equipment is needed? Basically, a bow, a half-dozen practice arrows, a half-dozen hunting arrows, a quiver, an arm guard and a finger tab or glove.
Hunting bows are of three types: straight (longbow), recurved and compound. They are made from a variety of materials including metals, woods and fiberglass. Bows are classed according to the amount of pull (in pounds) that is required to draw the string to 28 inches. Most hunters in Missouri use a bow with a pull of 50/60 pounds. The compound bow is a relatively recent innovation that was developed in Missouri. It uses a system of pulleys to relax draw weight at full draw by as much as 85 percent. Arrows shot from a compound have a flatter trajectory and are faster than those shot from a comparable recurved bow. The majority of today's archers use compound bows.
Beginning archers tend to select a bow that is too strong for them. The best way to pick a bow is to visit an organized archery club and get the advice of experienced archers. Also, at the club you will be able to examine many different kinds of bows and choose the type best suited for you. Hunting arrows are made of wood, fiberglass, carbon fiber or aluminum and are tipped with razor-sharp cutting heads called broadheads. The arrow kills by causing hemorrhage, so the blades should be kept as sharp as possible. Practice arrows and hunting arrows should be of the same weight and both should be matched to the strength of the bow.
A back quiver or leg quiver is fine for target shooting, but most hunters prefer the bow quiver which holds extra arrows on the bow ready for fast reloading.
Target practice is even more important to the archer than to the hunter with a gun. This practice is much easier to come by, however, because you can shoot at a sturdy backstop in your yard. It is also cheaper because the arrows can be used over and over again. Practice until you can put that first arrow into a 6-inch circle at 30 yards, then try shooting at targets downhill and uphill. The field range of an organized club is a good place to learn to hit targets at different distances and different elevations.
