Nov 7, 2019 4 min read

Last week, I wrote of a few of the little things done by the successful hunter versus the things that the empty-handed hunter has ignored. It might be something so small and commonplace that we tend to forget it.

First of all, always hunt within the boundaries of your equipment and ability allows. Not so much today but any time I have bumped into a hunter on stand waiting and watching. Nothing wrong with that except leaning against the fence post was his trusty 30-30 and he was watching a field that offered shots out to 400 yards. That lever action Winchester is a great rifle within its range but 400 yards is way out of the range of this gun. I wouldn’t ask it to do much more than what it is designed to do.

A good tip for the hunter whose gun scope combo is right for such sniping is don’t forget the Harris Bipod or a shooting rest of some type. No one hits game reliability at distances of 400 yards shooting off hand, at least not without an angel sitting on his or her shoulder or a lucky rabbit’s foot or something in his pocket. Match your stand to the firearm you are carrying.

Another big mistake that has caused the missed shot involves the human aspect of hunting. The average hunter will study the trail and take note of deer movement, where they cross and deer trails. But they neglect to think about the human activity in the area and its effect on the deer’s path. When human activity increases it moves the deer around. Be aware of your surroundings.

The third boo-boo is something I always say: The time to sling one’s rifle over their shoulder is when dragging a deer to the truck. It is darn slow getting a rifle to an arms position when it is shouldered. This delay can cost dearly. It is much quicker bringing the rifle into action from where it is leaning on a post or a tree than getting it from a shoulder.

Another thing that can cost you a buck involves the scope. Most hunters use a variable scope on their deer rifle. The higher power might be needed to check antler count but can also be a handicap. This is especially true when they are used to identify something at 9 power and not turned back down to 3 or 4 where it belongs. Remember, the higher the power gets the smaller the field of view. Keep the power low for a close buck and probably a moving buck. If the buck is at a far distance you will usually have time to increase the power of the scope. So keep it turned down until you need to turn it up. Then, remember to turn it back down.

Lastly, a thing that involves practice. The ability to pick out the deer on the other side of a tangle. You don’t learn this inside an office but only by viewing deer do we learn to see deer. In their domain they don’t stand out like a photo in a hunting magazine. You see parts of something that looks different than the trees and out of place. It may be the up and down of a leg or the y formed by the ears and nose. This is when the other natural problem can arrive. Keep in mind mother nature and be aware of air movement. It may be the wind that gives you away or it could be the thermal currents. And for heaven’s sake don’t depend on all of the gimmicks on the market. To block scent just keep the air movement the way you want it. If the wind is moving the air from the deer to you it can’t smell you. Makes sense and sometimes wind does shift and one has to pay close attention.

So over everything else the most common mistake is not paying attention. This last mistake can be the one that causes the deer to see you, smell you or avoid you, thus causing so many people to not get their deer. It also is the one that causes the most accidents so use common sense I wouldn’t want you to mistake me for a deer.