Deer hunting

Theodore Roosevelt in 1885 with his highly-decorated deer-skin hunting suit, and Tiffany-carved hunting knife and rifle.

Deer hunting is the activity or sport of pursuing deer which began as early as 7,000 BC. There are numerous types of deer throughout the world that are hunted, with the white-tailed deer being the most common in North America.

Deer

There are numerous types of deer throughout the world.

North America

The deer most sought after in North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, is the white-tailed deer. West of the Rockies, the mule deer is the dominant deer species. The most notable differences between the two, other than distribution, are the differences in ears, tail, antler shape, and body size.

Whitetail Male Deer at night in Central Texas

The mule deer's ears which are proportionally longer than the ears of a white-tailed deer, and resemble that of a mule. Mule deer have a black-tipped tail which is proportionally smaller than that of the white-tailed deer. Buck deer of both species sprout antlers; the antlers of the mule deer branch and rebranch, while white-tailed bucks have one main beam with several tines sprouting from it. White-tailed bucks are usually smaller than mule deer bucks.

In Canada and Alaska reindeer (caribou) are hunted extensively.

United Kingdom

There are six species of deer in the UK: red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, Sika deer, muntjac deer, and Chinese water deer, as well as hybrids of these deer. All are hunted to a degree reflecting their relative population. It is illegal to use bows to hunt any wild animal in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Method

North America

Nature and Appearance of Deer and how they may be hunted with Dogs

There are four common methods of hunting deer:stalking, which consists of following signs and trails of deer; stand hunting, waiting where deer are likely to travel (including tree stands); still hunting, alternately walking silently and waiting concealed in the pursuit of game; and line drives, which consists of flushing deer toward a line of hunters. Scouting and stalking involves following deer sign. Common signs to pursue include rubs, scrapes, and tracks. Scrapes are places where bucks scratch the ground and urinate below low hanging branches on the edge of fields. Bucks do this to mark territory and attract female deer. Deer tracks may tell you the size, age, and species of a deer. Rubs are marks on the trunks and low branches of trees which indicate where bucks have rubbed the velvet off their antlers; this leaves a tell-tale mark because it takes the bark off the tree where the deer rubbed. Another purpose for this action is that it marks territory with a visual signpost.

A New Hampshire Deer Hunt

Another method of deer hunting, although illegal in most states, is dog driving. A dog is let loose and used to drive deer out of their bedding area to where the hunter may get a shot. The next five paragraphs are Terry Jones’ accounts of “dog driving”[1].

Traditionally the deer dog was a long-legged walker, a blue tick, or a redbone. Today this breed of big dog has been mainly replaced by the beagle or the short-eared black and tan. These dogs are smaller and cheaper to maintain. They do not eat as much and they will stay in a smaller pen. These dogs are slower, too. They will not run as far and they are easier to catch at the end of the hunt.

The driver, the one who owns the hounds, picks a place to hunt and assigns everyone a location. A stander is a hunter with no dogs. This hunter is put in a designated deer-crossing, a place where the deer are known to cross. Deer crossings may be dirt roads, old logging roads or just a spot in open woods. The driver walks the dogs through the woods to jump a deer and run it to a stander. The deer will lie in the woods, and unless the dogs stumble across it, the driver could walk right on top of the deer and never know it was there. The odds are mainly in favor of the deer. Only a few of its exit routes may be covered by the standers This opens up many windows of escape for the deer.

The old belief that a deer is always ran down and caught by the dogs is not true. The deer have no trouble staying in front of the dogs, and since no two deer run alike, the drivers have to be ready for anything. The deer runs as far out in front of the dogs as he wants to unless he is hurt or injured severely. Even then, the dogs bay the deer and keep it surrounded until the hunter gets to them. They do not attack the wounded animal.

The deer eludes the drivers many of the times. They run way out in front of the dogs to listen and smell for danger. After they get out of the designated hunt spot most of the drivers spend good quantity of time looking for the hounds. Some hounds will return to the location they are cast from. However, some hounds may run forty miles or so before getting caught. If the hound is wearing an identification collar, the person who catches the dog may notify the owner.

The kill of the deer is only a minor part of the thrill the hunter gets from dog-driving. Most dog hunters enjoy the race of the dogs they have trained and raised more than killing the deer. Some hunters save their vacation time for the season and those who own their own businesses will sometimes shut it down. Cutting the shirt tail of someone who has missed a deer is an old tradition of dog hunting that has almost been forgotten. The tradition of smearing blood on the face of a hunter who just took his first deer has also almost been forgotten.

— Terry Jones, Dog Driving, [2]

United Kingdom

The vast majority of deer hunted in the UK are stalked. The phrase deer hunting also refers (in England and Wales) to the traditional practice of chasing deer with packs of hounds, now illegal under the Hunting Act 2004. Two people have been convicted for breaking the new law.[3]

Norway

Most of the deer hunting in Norway is by hunters driving the game towards other hunters posted in strategic locations in the terrain, though there is also a fair bit of stalking.

Time

Male white-tail from Kansas

There are also numerous factors that play a role in deer movement, but the one thing that may usually be counted on is the movement of deer 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset when the deer are going to or leaving their feeding ground. The main factors in deer movement are precipitation, wind, hunting pressure, rut, and lunar movement. Deer will stay in their bedding area during times of heavy precipitated events, and when the storm stops, the deer usually start moving. Trees and brush are usually dripping with the precipitation from the storm, which causes noise. This makes the deer nervous, so upon the end of a storm the deer will then move to an area they feel is safe for them; they will also start moving if the storm passed through their feeding period. Most deer feeding occurs in fielded areas of agriculture such as corn and soybeans; not liking to be caught in the open during a storm the deer will tend to move off to a more covered or concealed area of the feeding ground or leave the ground enitirely till storm end. Wind blowing in the woods may become very noisy, making the deer nervous and causing them to start moving. The rut, which is a month long period; depending on previous activity as well the above mentioned factors can last much longer or slightly shorter than one month, is when bucks mate with does, causes deer to be more active and do things that they would not normally do. The last factor in deer movement is the position of the moon. Whenever the moon is directly overhead, or below foot, deer seem to be more active in general.

Equipment

The Diana of Versailles with arrows used to hunt deer

Many different weapons are permitted in various states of the USA during certain times of deer season. These include bows, crossbows, rifles, shotguns, pistols, and muzzleloaders.

Archery season usually opens weeks or months before a state or locality's gun season and usually is permitted for several weeks or months afterwards. Modern compound bows and recurve bows are used, as well as some primitive recurve and longbows by historical enthusiasts when permitted. Crossbows are often reserved for disabled hunters who are unable to draw a bow. Most bows and crossbows offer an effective accurate range of 30-40 yards. Comppound bows are the most popular archery method.

Rifles, shotguns, and pistols are all commonly used for hunting deer. Most regions place limits on the minimum caliber or gauge to be used; rimfire rifles and centerfires under .22 caliber are often prohibited due to ethical concerns, although they have been used to hunt deer and larger game in some cases. Some areas of the United States prohibit rifle hunting altogether; most firearms hunters in these areas use 10, 12, or 20 gauge shotguns with buckshot or slug loads. Handguns are also prohibited in many deer hunting situations, but hunters in some areas have success with .357 magnum, .41 Magnum, and .44 Magnum revolvers and larger calibers such as the .500 S&W Magnum and .454 Casull. Specialty hunting handguns like the Thompson Center Arms Contender and Encore are capable of firing many big game cartridges like the .30-06 Springfield and .45-70. Large caliber semiautomatics (such as the Desert Eagle, LAR Grizzly, and many 10mm Auto pistols) also deliver enough power to take deer.

Muzzleloader hunting is also a common practice. Modern muzzleloading rifles equipped with synthetic stocks, telescopic and fiber optic sights, in-line ignition systems, advanced conical or sabot bullet designs, and black powder substitutes such as Pyrodex are much more effective than the muskets of generations past. However, many traditionalists still use wood stocked, iron sighted rifles with round lead balls and traditional black powder charges.

Hunting deer with edged weapons, such as the lance or sword, is still practiced in continental Europe, primarily in France. In such hunts, the hunters are mounted on horseback, and use packs of deerhound or greyhound dogs to track and drive deer. Only the hunt masters have the right to deliver the death blow, while other mounted hunters simply ride to the chase.

Alabama permits spear hunting of deer during its archery season.

Tools

A few things every hunter needs are:

• Camouflage
• Deer stand/blind
• Weapon
• Waterproof boots
• Knife
• Tags
• Orange clothing
• Permit.
  

Camouflage has been used for ages and while it is very important, it is not essential, especially during gun season when it is required that hunters wear blaze orange clothing when on public land. There are many different types of deer stands, ladder stands, climbers and stationary blinds. Ladder stands are ladders with a platform on top of them chained to a tree. Climber stands are platforms with a seat that may be carried on your back and then placed usually about 4-8 feet off the ground on a tree. Stationary blinds, built from wood and other materials are meant to be a durable and long-lasting blind either on a stand or on the ground, depending on the terrain. No hunter may take down a deer easily or legally without using certain weapons when they are permitted. Waterproof boots are not essential but they come in very handy, especially since deer do not always fall down where you shoot them and may run for a few hundred yards into unfamiliar woods. Knives are essential for skinning and field dressing deer. Tags and permits are required to hunt deer legally; they may be purchased from local sporting good stores.

Cold Weather Deer Hunting

Cold weather deer hunting requires the hunter to prepare properly and make sure he or she has the right clothing and equipment for prolonged exposure to the elements. Humans must maintain a stable body temperature while cold weather hunting. When away from external sources of heat, our only heat source is that which we produce internally. This inner warmth primarily comes from burning food, or the oxidation of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are available to us in the form of raisins, chocolate, candy, sugar, and fruits.

The best way to dress for cold weather hunting is to wear clothing that preserves your body heat while allowing body moisture to evaporate freely. This is accomplished through layering, or wearing alternate layers of clothing to provide insulation and ventilation.

References

• Bailey, Ronald

One of the best ways to stay warm is to put under armour on as your first layer of clothing.

See also

• Big Buck Hunter
• Heated Clothing
• Deer & Deer Hunting
• Deer and Deer Hunting Television
• Deer farm
• Deer horn
• Deer Hunter (computer game)
• Deer Avenger (series)
• Deer Hunter (sports computer game)
• Deerskin trade
• Fox hunting
• Reindeer hunting in Greenland