How to Not Pressure Deer

It’s Crucial to Your Deer Hunting Success

The pressure is one of the most significant dampeners of deer movements on the confirmed property. The greater hunting pressure there may be, the greater it affects the neighborhood deer herd. That means fewer opportunities to label one particular deer you’ve been focusing on all season. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid hunting pressure. There are specific actions you can take to limit it and keep carefully the quality of hunting where you want to buy to be. Below are a few of these things.

Hang path cameras up high and viewpoint them downward so deer are less inclined to see, smell or hear them. Only check trail cameras one time per month through the early on and late seasons, as soon as every 10 to 12 days leading into the rut. Or, better yet, only check cameras when you go in to hunt a stand.

Check cameras from an ATV, bicycle or truck (when possible) to reduce ground scent. Hang all of your stands during the off-season and finish any pre-season prep weeks or months prior to the season so deer are less pressured.

Use low-impact scouting methods to keep yourself of whitetails’ radars. It’s not quantity, but quality sits that matter. Hunt on days that produce the best conditions and odds of success.

When time allows, start by hunting around the perimeters of a property and then press inward with each hunt until you kill your target deer or know you’re in the right location.

Hunt when the wind is right, or just off, but not when it’s dead wrong. Take every scent precaution you can to help reduce your overall stench. Be mindful of entry and exit routes. Try not to spook deer as you go to and leave from stand locations, either. When possible, walk to your stand so that your ground scent follows the same line as your scent cone once in the tree. This reduces the chances of deer smelling you. Don’t overhunt stands. Rotate stand locations if the situation allows.

Hunt the fringes of bunk beds to see (but not spook) deer while hunting. Simplicity in very cautiously and slowly when you do so, though. Save your best spots until the times each respective location typically peaks during the season.

Those who hunt deer, and especially mature deer, have to remember to limit pressure anytime they can. Those who are successful 12 months in and 12 months out are virtually paranoid about pressuring deer. It’s that important. It’s that big of a factor. And if you fail to take it into consideration, your deer hunting will likely suffer for it.