White-tailed deer are herbivores weighing between 40 and 135 kg. There are an estimated 20 million specimens in the United States alone where they can be hunted or simply spotted. Whether you are a hunter or a nature enthusiast, knowing some techniques to attract a deer will certainly help you. Read on to learn how.
Steps
Step 1. Fodder a small patch to attract deer to your area
You can grow clover, peas, alfalfa, canola, cabbage, wheat, oats, and corn. The deer will be attracted when there is a shortage of vegetation in its territory.
- Planting fodder is not considered by law to be bait, and deer can be hunted when in these areas.
- This technique can be quite expensive, depending on the work required for soil preparation and planting. You must therefore make a careful cost / benefit assessment.
- It would be advisable to cultivate the plot as far as possible from gardens, busy areas and orchards to avoid problems.
- Good points for these crops are the areas around the power line poles, the firebreaks and near the woods.
Step 2. Install an “additional feeder”
You can add corn, minerals and salt, or feed to attract deer.
Check local laws before building a manger. In some states it is banned and heavily sanctioned. Deer that have become accustomed to being fed can become a problem for the community
Step 3. Use a lure, especially to attract large males, to the hunting area
These are products that smell like urine, pheromones, or food, and you can spread them along deer-beaten paths. These types of lures are among the most used by hunters.
- If you spray deer urine in one area, you may attract another intrigued by the smell of "a strange deer" in its territory.
- Male urine is most effective in the 8-10 weeks preceding the breeding season, which is usually in mid-November.
- Using the urine of a deer or a female in heat attracts older males even 2-3 weeks before the mating season.
- Studies have shown that these products become less effective as deer get used to them.
Warnings
- If you find a lonely baby deer, don't touch it. The mothers leave them in safe places as they graze, but then return to the cub.
- During the mating season the big males are dangerous, do not approach them.
- Be aware that deer have ticks that can transmit Lyme disease. It is a bacterial infection that causes many ailments such as fatigue, fever, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain and headache.
