Good hunters only need to fire one shot - and every hunter should try to make every single kill as fast and humane as possible. It does not matter if you are an expert hunter with the intention of practicing deer hunting or an absolute beginner: you can still learn how to find a deer and shoot it in the most correct and safe way possible.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding the Deer
Step 1. Obtain a hunting license and the right equipment to practice this activity
Visit the website of the Province or Region of competence to find out what the deer hunting season is in your territory, as well as receive information to obtain the seasonal permit and to know the areas in which it is possible to hunt. Deer hunting without the appropriate license and without adequate equipment, in addition to hunting out of season, is always illegal. In general, a seasonal permit for deer hunting costs between 100 and 200 euros.
- For safety reasons, it is important to wear flame orange clothing so as not to blend in with the foliage and to allow other hunters in the area to see each other. Contrary to common belief, the deer does not have such sharp eyesight that camouflage is necessary, although it is a useful practice for camouflaging movements and preventing the deer from perceiving the presence of the hunter.
- Many different types of shotgun are used in deer hunting: from caliber.243, to.30-06 or.30-30, all are perfectly suited to every type of deer you will encounter. The shotgun is somewhat less used, although it is easy to find specially designed bullets for deer hunting.
- Using the bow is also extremely popular in deer hunting. In almost all areas, a pulling weight of 20 kg is the maximum limit allowed by law; this means you will have a normal shooting range of 18-54 meters.
Step 2. Select a dense wooded area that is safe for hunting
Talk to local hunters and visit the local State Forestry Corps website to find out which public areas are allowed to hunt. Deer hunting is sometimes allowed at specific times in some National Parks.
- Sometimes, it is also possible to hunt on private property, with the permission of the landowner. If you know the owner of a land that is ideal for deer hunting, you should know that hunters are allowed free entry into private property, subject to certain restrictions.
- Never think that an area is safe for hunting unless you are sure. Do not enter private land without the permission of the owners.
Step 3. Mask your smell
Although your smell may seem insignificant in the woods, odor control is a very important factor when hunting deer. In general, you should avoid using scented soaps, deodorant, and spending time in places filled with strong perfume-like odors in the 24-48 hours leading up to a hunting trip. It is a common practice to avoid showering for a day or two before going hunting.
- Store jackets and clothes inside airtight containers along with pine branches to make your smell resemble that of the woods.
- Do not consume alcohol or fatty foods the night before hunting, so as not to exude strong odors that would communicate your presence to the deer.
- Some hunters put layers of baking soda between those of their hunting clothes to try to mask their scent even more.
Step 4. Look for signs of the deer presence
When you embark on a hunt, you usually wander for some time in search of a place favorable to the presence of deer where you can camp and wait. You must find the signs of a beaten path, preferably one that leads to an open space or a prairie, based on the firing distance of the weapons.
- Check for sources of food that are palatable to deer, such as apples or wheat, as well as sources of water where deer have a habit of gathering.
- Ideal for deer hunting is a field of about 55 meters in diameter. If you have a rifle with a longer range, equipped with a precision sight, a larger prairie (approximately 270 meters in length) would be preferable.
- One of the most obvious signs of the presence of a deer is the mark left by the rubbing of the horns on the trees, made by the males to mark the territory and leave their scent.
Step 5. Get into hidden position
Once you've found the perfect place to hunt, make camp and start trying to get close to the deer. There are various ways to blend in. Stalking on a tree and rocks can be used in areas where the animal can pass, but the thrill of following its tracks and approaching the deer in silence is actually appreciated by some hunters, who prefer to blend into the vegetation. The choice is yours.
Draw the deer towards you. Deer calls, sprays with scent of a bitch in heat, and antler noise are all common methods of luring deer to your location, especially early in the season
Step 6. Go with a partner or two
Going hunting alone can be dangerous and complicated, so it is always recommended to be in the company of at least one other person. Carrying a whole deer on your own is challenging for even the strongest hunters, and all the work would be easier and more fun in the company of other experienced hunters who can help you through the whole process.
- For safety reasons, always let other people know where you are going to hunt and when you are expected to return, especially if you will not be able to call.
- Don't bring dogs when you go deer hunting. While it's nice to have a dog's company when hunting birds, these animals are too noisy and would risk putting the deer on the run.
Part 2 of 3: Shoot the Shot
Step 1. Practice your shooting stances first
There are many positions from which accurate shooting is possible, and a good hunter must feel comfortable with all of them. Practice assuming the position in a safe place with an unloaded gun long before you go hunting.
- The prone position is the most stable, but it is the most difficult and impractical to assume in a field, while the standing position is the simplest, the fastest, but unfortunately also the most unstable. Crouching or sitting positions are the most comfortable and stable to shoot a deer properly, if done correctly.
- You can squat down quickly, supporting your elbow with your knee or thigh, making your aim more straight and stable. In the sitting position, you will sit with your legs crossed, perpendicular to the target, with the knee in correspondence with the non-shooting hand facing the target.
Step 2. Be patient
Usually, deer hunting is an activity that lasts a whole day, not something to do when you are in a hurry or are impatient. Find the right place to sit and wait when you go hunting and wait for some time. Deer are more likely to approach an area that has been peaceful and quiet for a long time, so be extremely quiet when engaging in this activity.
- Some hunters like to stay in one place for a couple of hours, then wander for a while, while others like to wander more or less constantly. How you hunt is up to you, but more established hunters alternate stalking looking for different areas to experience.
- The wait is part of the thrill and excitement of the hunt. If it weren't stimulating, no one would bother doing it.
Step 3. Wait until the deer is positioned on its side
If you've spotted a deer, don't pull the trigger right away. Use binoculars to look for signs of the deer approaching your area and wait until the animal is ready to give you the chance to fire a sure shot. This is the most critical time of the hunt, and the last thing to do is to be in a hurry.
- Based on the regulation of the area and the type of license you have, spend a few minutes verifying that the deer in front of you is a legal target. Often, only the hunting of males with a certain level of horn growth (usually six points) is legal, although it can vary from region to region.
- If the first deer you see isn't a legal target, don't shoot. Wait up. Deer often move in pairs or in herds and there is the possibility that others will arrive soon.
Step 4. Take aim
While you wait for the deer to point towards you, put the shotgun in place and aim well by aligning your eye with the rifle's sight. While it is more common to aim just behind the shoulder of the deer, there are several philosophies as to where, specifically, you should aim at a deer, so follow the pros and cons of each point to shoot at:
- Behind the foreleg, 12 to 18 cm above the chest, is probably the most common point to aim for. This blow penetrates the heart and lungs, even if the deer do not always fall to the ground immediately and sometimes recover, so much so that it is often necessary to chase them for a while.
- The headthrough the brain, it promotes instant death and very little meat is lost. Normally, to fire this shot you will have to aim just behind the eye, a rather expert shot and difficult to execute, with the risk of totally missing the target. Also, this shot makes taxidermy impractical to get a trophy, if you're interested in saving the horns or the whole head.
- The neck, through the spine, is another popular and deadly stitch, performed by aiming just behind the outline of a deer jaw showing its flank. This blow often paralyzes the deer and requires a second blow or throat slit to complete the job, which is why it is not recommended.
Step 5. Remember the sequence of movements needed to fire a shot
Once you're aiming, you need to breathe, relax, and make sure you're firing your shot as accurately as possible. Unsecure the rifle and get ready to fire. The best and most controlled time to pull the trigger is immediately after an inhalation, so don't hold the gun still for too long or you'll start to wobble. Carry out the operation quickly, carefully and efficiently. Remember the sequence of movements:
- Breathe.
- Take it easy.
- Aim.
- Hold your breath.
- Pull the trigger.
Step 6. Never shoot something you can't see
Make sure you are 100% sure that what you are shooting at is a deer. Many hunting accidents result from people not having a clear picture of what they are about to shoot. When you pull the trigger it may be too late.
Furthermore, it is important to be aware of the surrounding environment, in order to know what is also behind the deer. You certainly don't want to shoot another person, a private residence, a public street or any other place you wouldn't normally aim at
Part 3 of 3: Chasing the Deer
Step 1. Wait a few minutes
Regardless of where it was hit, the animal often flees, out of bounds of the area. It is important to wait a few minutes and not rush towards the deer because this could give the animal a jolt of adrenaline and make the chase even more difficult. If you have fired a good shot, it will not go too far and will lie down on the ground to die quickly, so waiting a few minutes will not change the situation much.
Try to roughly remember where you shot and the direction the deer fled. If necessary, mark the spot on your GPS
Step 2. Find the blood at the starting point
Head to where the deer was when it was hit and examine the ground for any traces of blood, then follow the trail. You can also check the quality of the blood to understand how accurate your shot was.
If you see little blood or bile on the ground, it means you missed the shot and will likely need to chase the deer quickly to give it a more humane death. A deer shot by a gun will slowly die, so you have a responsibility to find it and speed up the process
Step 3. Follow the blood through the foliage
Deer move fast, even when injured, and manage to cover fairly large distances even after being shot to death. You will probably have to go slightly off the track, but if you have fired an accurate shot it should not be necessary to chase the animal for more than a few hundred meters at the most. It is important to examine the ground and ground foliage for traces of blood and follow the deer trail.
Some hunters like to use hydrogen peroxide to sprinkle on the foliage, in case it is difficult to spot the blood in most of the way. It should foam and make the blood much more visible
Step 4. Make sure the deer is dead
When you reach the deer you tracked, examine it closely from a distance before approaching it. Observe him to understand if he is breathing or not and if he is moving. If you've hit the deer in the chest, frothy blood is a good sign. It means that the bullet has probably entered the lungs and the deer should die very quickly, if it is not already dead.
- If the deer is still alive and does not appear to be on the verge of death, approach carefully while maintaining a safe distance before firing a more accurate shot through the brain or chest to take it down.
- Be extremely careful when approaching an injured deer. Some hunters like to slit the deer throat with a knife and let it bleed, but an angry, injured deer with a large antler stage can be extremely dangerous.
Step 5. Eviscerate the deer properly.
As soon as the deer is killed, you should start gutting it to reduce it to a safe and manageable size for transporting or returning to camp. Depending on your location and distance from your destination, there are a variety of ways to do this job.
- A good quality, well-sharpened hunting knife is an invaluable tool when hunting. Discovering that you do not have the right tools immediately after killing the animal is not ideal.
- If you are close to home or camp, or have access to an ATV or other type of vehicle, you may want to take the whole deer away and load it up before skinning and gutting it.
- If a long walk awaits you, remove the innards and most of the organs from the rib cage, being careful not to puncture the stomach or intestines. Additionally, you will need to cut through the various membranes that bind the organs to the spine. In general, most hunters "break" their hind and front legs to make it easier to transport the carcass and then slaughter the deer later.
