The primary goal of hunting is to spot deer to capture. A successful hunt. However, when deer hunting, one of the most significant battles is waiting for them to appear! I’m sure a lot of you spend so much time on elevated stands or hunting blinds, waiting until a deer would come along. However, sitting for hours may be quite a pain, with you wondering what else you can do during those times.
Fortunately, there are ways on how to find deer in the woods without the risk of getting caught! Wondering how? Read on as I show you various tips to help you out!
How to Find Deer In the Woods
If you want to learn all about how to find deer in the woods, here are the following methods you can try out:
1. Pick a Place and Stay At The Right Time
The first thing to do is to find the right place where deer will usually be. You can do this by mapping out deer property accurately then identify the travel patterns. That way, you know where to set up your blind or stand.
Focus on staying near bedding areas, usually hollows and ditches. This is where deer would usually stay, as they prefer warmth and bed on southward-facing slopes or bottoms of a stream.
Next up is to choose the right time, which is during their feeding time. This is done at dusk when the sun sets or during the morning.
See also: Where Do Deer Sleep? The Important Facts You Need To Know
2. Pay Attention to Signs of Deer
Next up is to pay attention to any small clues that indicate deer is nearby. You’ll see that there are some depressions on leaves and the ground, showing hooves steps from deer. There will also be small and jellybean-shaped droppings, which come in pellets or clumps. There will be more droppings when you reach the bedding area.
Also, notice the trees and see if there are any marks from bucks who rub their antlers on small trees to mark their territory. Check the tree’s feet as well, as bucks would also create bare patches of each through pawing at the ground.
3. Find Deer Food
You’ll know that deer bed or stay in areas where they usually eat. They consume up to five pounds of forage daily and to find where they eat; it’s generally in areas with edible vegetation. Watch out for areas filled with dandelions, wild grasses, or acorns.
You will know if deer stayed there is the stems have been torn away or when you see half-eaten fruits like apples or raspberries. Broken stalks or stropped leaves in fields are also an indication that deer ate and will continue to eat in the area. Once you have found this, move to the next step!
See also: What Do Deer Eat In The Winter? How to Feed Deer During the Cold
4. Locate Deer Tracks
You will be able to track deer easier if it’s on moist ground or when it’s malleable-like, with snow, soft dirt, or mud. This is because prints are much more noticeable and there will be a trail you can follow, just like how humans leave trails behind what they step on.
The tracks would show two toes and marking, so you know you’re tracking deer. Through seeing the size of the step and the number of steps there are, you’ll be able to determine the size of the deer, how many they are, and if they are bucks or fawns and does.
See also: How to Read Topo Maps For Deer Hunting: All The Helpful Tips You Need
5. Stay Quiet As You Continue the Search
As you searching for deer and their signs, make sure that you stay quiet and make as little noise as possible. Deer have keen senses of sight and sound, hearing you even before you notice they’re nearby!
Pay attention and remain on the track as you find subtle signs of deer. Remember, it will take a lot of time and patience. However, it will be worth the time and effort once you have found signs of deer because you’ll be able to have the chance to capture your game and bring it home!
See also: How to Attract Deer With Peanut Butter: 3 Effective Ways
For more of a visual, here is a helpful video showing you how to find deer in the woods:
Wrapping It Up
You don’t need to waste a ton of time hiding and to wait in one area. To be a good hunter, you have to learn about how deer move and how to read their tracks. By doing so, you’ll be able to detect and find deer to catch!
I hope that this article on how to find deer in the woods gave you an idea of what you can do to become a better and successful hunter. So don’t wait any longer and try out any of these tips today!
If you have any questions or want to share your tips and experiences on how to find deer in the woods, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated.