Best Deer Hunters

Newaygo Michigan is a small rural community located in West Michigan, just 30 minutes north of Grand Rapids. Newaygo contains 100,000 acres of Manistee National Forest.

You will need to get a Newaygo County map that indicated areas of the Manistee National Forest because, chances of finding a private landowner willing to let you use his land is slim.

Whitetail deer hunting in these parts is as big as the 4th of July celebration as the school systems shut down for the day of and day after rifle season. This is why you will need to hunt the Manistee National Forest, but there are big deer there.

You will need to walk in a little way to get away from the crowds. Be prepared to walk into areas where other hunters are unwilling to go. Go deep and look for the many low areas and swamps.

Seek out some deer runs, these run will generally run just inside a row of trees or brush along ravines, near creek beds, fence lines, etc. Set up your blind about 40 feet from these runs. You do not want your blind right over a run.

At midday, mature whitetail bucks frequently bed down on high ground next to the edge of heavy cover, within hearing distance of moving water. Identify such places in your hunting territory and check them for signs of large single deer beds. During hunting season, approach these bedding spots cautiously from downwind, and be ready for a close-range shot at a deer rising from its bed.

Move slowly when still-hunting for deer. Take a step or two, and study the terrain around you for anything that doesn’t quite fit. If you see deer running away, these are deer that saw you first, a clue that you’re moving too fast. The same is true if you have to look down to place your feet. Plan your steps so that you can keep your eyes up, studying the terrain, when you are in motion.

Take your turkey call along when deer hunting: Deer are often reassured by turkey sounds. An occasional turkey feeding call made between bouts of deer grunts and antler rattling gives nearby deer a sense of confidence that your area is safe. After all, turkeys don’t feed or talk when they feel endangered.

When a buck track turns downwind and begins to move uphill, assume that the buck is going to bed down. He will probably stop at the edge of heavy cover, on a high spot that offers a view of his surroundings and permits him to see and get the scent of anything following on his back trail. To approach his bedding site without being seen or winded, circle away from his track for roughly 100 yards and then move cautiously parallel to the track. Study the terrain ahead carefully and be alert for any shape that does not quite fit.

Use a handheld propane torch to remove the hairs that always stick to a carcass after skinning. First, wipe off as many hairs as possible with a damp cloth. When the carcass is dry to the touch, singe the remaining hairs with the propane flame just long enough to make them disappear. Better table fare will result. The longer you let your deer hang, the better your game will taste.

When deer are being pushed, they head for high ground and thick cover. If there are a lot of hunters in your area, go to a remote place that offers high ground and thick cover and wait for deer to be pushed to you by the activity of other hunters.

It is best to hang tree stands and cut shooting lanes a full month before you plan to hunt. The scent you leave and the disturbance caused by cutting brush can cause mature bucks to avoid a stand site for some time when it is new. After a month, big bucks will be accustomed to the changes you made and will return to their former haunts.

When searching for a place to locate a deer stand, look for ground scrapes. Bucks make ground scrapes on trails that are often used by does and return frequently to check the scrapes for signs that a doe has shown interest by marking it. Locate your stand where you have a clear shot at the scrape, for that is where the buck will go.

Loading the carcasses of big-game animals into your vehicle or boat is much easier if you first remove the lower legs at the knee joint. Not only do the lower legs tend to catch on things, but they also cause the carcass to take up more space than is really necessary.

When you miss a shot at a deer or other game animal, don’t move. Unless your quarry actually sighted or smelled you, the noise of the gun probably caused the animal only momentary alarm. Its initial reaction will be to run for cover and then stop, listen, and watch. If the animal cannot identify the source of the sound, it will usually calm down and return to its natural behavior. Remain still for 20 minutes after missing a shot; then resume hunting. Chances are good that the animal will still be within range.

Dropped antlers in the spring are a sign of where bucks spent time the previous winter. The vicinity in which you find a large dropped antler is also an excellent place to start looking for a big buck late in deer season of the following year. Look in places that offer a food source such as acorns, beechnuts, corn, or apples, close to heavy cover that might offer a quiet hiding place.

When a deer suddenly appears at close range in response to your grunt call or antler rattling doesn’t be afraid to move slowly to pick up and shoulder your gun. Deer coming to calls will usually just stop and stare at you, mistaking your movements for those of the deer they were expecting to see.

When you find antler rubs on trees of more than 4 inches in diameter, you are in a big buck’s territory. Summertime scouting for a concentration of large rubs made last autumn will tell you where to expect a big buck to show up next deer season. If those old rubs are freshened up again in early autumn, the buck is still alive and still using his old turf.

To make a set of effective, comfortable rattling antlers for deer hunting, choose pair, which is of medium thickness with long tines. They make the clearest sounds. Hacksaw off the brow tines, then, use a rasp to smooth away any burrs or ridges that will make the handle section uncomfortable to grip. Drill 1*4-inch holes through the antler bases, and string them on a carrying cord. An annual coat of linseed oil will preserve the resonance and give the antlers a “live” sound.

Deer move little during heavy rains and snowstorms. However, they actively seek the most nutritious food sources the day after a period of stormy weather ends. On the day after a storm breaks, concentrate your hunt wherever trails lead to feeding areas such as oak groves, beech ridges, or cornfields. Does and fawns will be heading out to feed, and bucks are sure to follow.

Take my word here, I take several deer each year, usually with my car, but I get them and I keep my local body shop guy and insurance agent in business.

I also own and manage several hunting cabins in Newaygo called Hess Lake Vacation Rentals. You can view our website at www.hesslakerentals.com.





By: Brent Vanderstelt

If you are an occasional hunter, did you ever try hunting in group? Hunting with a companion is of great way and it helps you also in your trail and stalking the deer. But it is difficult to find a hunting companion who will be a help rather than a hindrance. This is because unless they work, as a team, the chances of either of them sighting a deer depends more on luck than it does on hunting skill. When hunting with a group that is large enough to cover all probable crossing places, it is not so important for the trailer to stick to his trailing. It is not so important for the trailer to stick to his trailing. You can apply a different type of hunting when in group.

There are several ways in which two hunters may work as a team in deer hunting. They may go into the woods and travel a short distance apart in an effort to stalk feeding or resting deer. If they start a deer, they may separate, with one man on the trail and the other off to one side so that he may sight the deer if it should turn in an effort to evade the trailer. They should keep in touch with each other so that as soon as the deer’s course may be predicted, one of the men can circle and cut in ahead of the deer and intercept it on its expected course. This is where most hunting teams become individual hunters. If the deer fails to show up at the expected place at the expected time, the watcher is apt to start hunting aimlessly instead of trying to intercept the deer at another point or rejoin his companion in order to determine the deer’s new course. If two hunters are able to contact each other occasionally, they may be able to alternate on the trail and may hunt all day without too much fatigue to either.

A large part of my hunting has been done in a farming country where deer were in patches of woods which varied in size from several thousand acres down to practically nothing. When hunting the smaller of these wood patches, one man would start and trail the deer, and his companion would watch the place where the animal could be expected to leave the woods. In this type of hunting, the man who jumps and trails the deer should not try to stalk or to intercept the animal, but should confine his attention to the trail unless he should overtake the deer and have a good chance for a shot.

When the trailer hunts as he would if alone, he is apt to cause the deer to change its course enough so that his companion will have no chance to prevent the animal from reaching another piece of woods and prolonging the hunt. Of course, when hunting with a group that is large enough to cover all probable crossing places, it is not so important for the trailer to stick to his trailing. In such cases it is probably better to organize a “drive” which is a different type of hunting and requires different tactics.

While hunting with one or two companions, it is desirable for them to have a plan and for each man to play his part in that plan until the deer’s actions prove it to be useless and the hunters have a chance to meet and devise another plan. Nothing discourages a trailer more than to follow a trail to the place where a man has been stationed only to find that he is gone.

Two hunters can work as a team in deer hunting. Even though they go separate ways they should keep in touch with each other so that as soon as the deer’s course may be predicted, one of the men can circle and cut in ahead of the deer and intercept it on its expected course. Therefore as a whole you can sum up that there is a need to have good combination between the two of the hunters.





By: Mitch Johnson

A brownish-gray in color and stocky in build, mule deer are spread far and wide across western Canada and western USA, as well as to the eastern states of Wisconsin and Texas. They have got their name from their long and mule-like ears which can attain lengths of 10 inches. Though white-tailed deer hunting is also a popular sport, people put a higher preference on mule deer hunting, as their population is much larger. Also, the meat of the mule deer is delectable! As a matter of fact, mule deer hunting is extremely popular in North America!

Keeping track of the animal’s habitat and habits will lead to a more successful hunt.

Mule deer choose various habitats. Generally, they prefer being high up in the mountains. Only in the case of the Chisos Mountains (Texas), they exchange positions with the white-tailed deer and settle down in different parts of the valley. Mule deer can also be found at the edges of forests; they do not venture into deep forests mostly. Forest areas are therefore best for mule deer hunting.

The rusty red color of their coats which is maintained throughout the summer, changes color during late fall. The mule deer and the background seem to appear as one since the color of their hides is grayish tinted. Mule deer hunting therefore poses a challenge during this open season!

They are larger than the white-tailed deer. The average height is about 3 1/2 feet. The female specimen weighs the same as a male white-tailed deer. She weights about 100 to 150 pounds. The males or bucks range from 125 to 400 pounds. Despite its bulk, a male mule deer can run at a speed of 40 miles per hour. The hunter has to be alert that the buck does not come charging at him when mule deer hunting!

Since they are not very finicky about food, these animals can feed on any kind of vegetation. If they could choose their diet, they would go for yew, willow, berries, Douglas-fir, grapes, mushrooms and aspen. In contrast, the white-tailed deer have choice preferences regarding food. So they are easier to hunt down than their bigger cousins.

Conception takes place around November; so the young are born between April and June (spring). By the time the mule deer hunting season comes round, the fawns are around six months old. The population grows in leaps and bounds because four fawns can be born at once, unlike two fawns being born to a white-tailed doe. Since they are plentiful, very few regulations are placed on mule deer hunting. Mule deer kills need not be logged even on land without a special permit in the state of Texas. The same is not the case with the white-tailed deer, which has a smaller population.





By: Abhishek Agarwal

There are many times a hunter likes to go to hunt the deer alone. But going to hunt the deer in a group can give a different experience. This article you will read how fun it is to go in a group.

The method of locating deer with a car and then leaving the car to shoot the deer is still legal in this State (Maine), but it is little more sporting than shooting them from a moving vehicle. In time this method will be banned here as it is in some of the other deer hunting areas, because it will become a serious threat to the deer population and to the safety of the traveling public. Wardens know that many people do not bother to leave their cars before shooting, but, unless these people are caught in the act, there is little chance of convicting them. Little can be done to stop this practice except to ban shooting from a highway. If a workable law can be devised, this will probably be one of the next prohibitions that the hunter will find in the Maine game laws.

The driving of deer is another way to hunt the animals. This method is successful in areas where there are small patches of woods. Organized groups can cover quite a bit of territory and can bag a sizeable number of deer during a season, if their aim is good. While these groups kill a large number of deer, there is usually more or less dissatisfaction among the members about the division of the spoils and about who should assume the credit (or blame) for each kill. The Maine law prohibits a man from registering a deer that he has not personally killed. It also prohibits a man who has killed one deer from hunting during the remainde of the hunting season. These laws are evaded by members of many of these deer-driving groups.

The use of noisemaking devices in deer driving is forbidden, but no judge has yet ruled that the human vocal cords are in this category and some of these drives have been quite noisy affairs. This shouting, together with more or less indiscriminate shooting, has resulted in opposition to this practice among some land owners where these hunts have occurred. Hunting territory has been posted and lost to hunters because of these gang drives. As a result, the Maine Legislature has placed a limit on the number of men taking part in these drives. There are other restrictions that regulate the deer hunter’s actions. Most of them are on the books for the protection of the deer herd or for the hunter’s own safety. Some of them may not please the hunter, but they should be observed in the interest of continued hunting. There are many legal methods of hunting to which the true sportsman should stick.

In order to enjoy the sport fully, a deer hunter needs a thorough understanding of the animal and, to a lesser extent, of the country to be hunted. This knowledge cannot be obtained in one short hunt, but must be acquired by years of hunting, by reading or by listening to other hunters who have this knowledge. There are some laws of the state on how you hunt deer. They are like registering of the deer which you had not killed personally, prohibitions of noisemaking devices, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes these laws not really get well with the hunters.





By: Mitch Johnson

It is better to spend a night in the dark wood than getting yourself more confused when you are lost. And it always safe to know some survival tips when you are in that situation. There are many factors that could lead us to get lost in the wood even in the daytime. Reads more on how you could survive in those kinds of situations.

There are times when even the best of woodsmen are forced to spend a night in the wilderness. A man might travel so far into the woods, after a deer that it might be unsafe or impractical for him to try to find his way to the camp in the darkness. He might become lost as to direction, and prefer to camp out instead of risking the chance of becoming more confused by aimless traveling. If, for any reason, it is necessary to spend the night in the woods, knowledge of some of the fundamentals of woodcraft will aid in the comfort and even the survival of the lost person.

People seldom become lost on a day when the sun is shining, so the chances are that cold, wet or stormy weather has to be dealt with. If a person becomes lost early in the day, it is all right to travel (unless he finds that he is traveling in circles) with the hope of stumbling onto some tote-road, which could be followed to habitation. Otherwise it is best to try to make a camp somewhere in the vicinity and prepare to spend the night. Usually one night out is all that is necessary, unless the lost person is a lone hunter and no others know of his absence, or in the case of a continued storm of several days’ duration. In any case the camp should be made as comfortable as possible.

Fire is the most important item in the camp. The hearth is the symbol of the home and nothing does more to make a man feel at ease in the woods than a good fire. Build it against a fallen tree or a dead stub so that there will be a back-log to hold the heat. Gather as large a supply of dry limbs and down-wood as possible, because an open fire can use a surprising amount of fuel in a night and it is no fun to hunt for it in the dark. Gather anything which might burn and which can be dragged. Long pieces can be burned into shorter lengths and damp wood may be dried enough to be burned after the fire has had a chance to get a good start. Sometimes it is hard to find enough dry wood which can be used for kindling the fire, but the dead branches on the lower part of the softwood trees are nearly always dry enough to start with. Any of these branches that will break with a snap are satisfactory. Some of the mosses which hang from fir and spruce branches may be used for tinder if there is no birch bark nearby.

Sometimes a man will be caught with no dry matches or other conventional means of starting a fire. In such cases it is possible to borrow a page from the days of the flint-lock, when the hunter would use his gun as a fire starter. This modern adaptation should not be used except in an emergency, but it is usually effective.

Remove the bullet from a cartridge and empty about half of the powder onto a dry piece of bark. Cover this powder with crumbled, dry punk which is found in decayed stumps or in the interior of dead trees, or stubs where woodpeckers have been working. Be sure to keep this dry. Fill the bullet-end of the partly loaded cartridge with cotton cloth, or, lacking cotton, any cloth of vegetable origin. Place the cartridge in the gun and shoot it in a direction that will permit recovery of the cloth. This cloth will be smoldering from the heat of the explosion. Place this smoldering cloth in contact with the punk and powder, using sticks to handle the burning cloth and being careful to keep the hands and face away from the flash fire which is almost sure to result. Powder will not actually explode in the open air, but will burn very rapidly with an intense heat which will ignite the punk, leaving a mound of glowing coals that can be utilized to start a blazing fire.

There is something that you should learn which could be useful when lost in the woods especially in the woods. These tips given above will help you in your fight to survive in the woods when you are lost in the deer hunting. You can starts practicing them now, if you have any plan to go deer hunting in the near future.





By: Mitch Johnson

Joe Thomas travels to the Texas Hill Country to hunt with Heart of Texas Bow Hunting in search of Deer, Turkey, Hogs and even an Armadillo. … Joe Thomas Whitetail Deer Hunting bow archery turkey hog armadillo heart of texas