Whether you're planning a hunting trip to one of the major whitetail deer ranches in the country or you intend to head somewhere to a rural area, whitetail deer hunting can be one of the most rewarding adventures. Not only do whitetails offer just enough of a hunting challenge to keep you on your toes, they are an excellent meat to have tucked away in your freezer. However, if you have never been hunting for whitetail deer, your hunting excursion can be a little more of a challenge than what you expect. Here are a few fast facts every novice whitetail deer hunter needs to know. 

Unless you catch a deer sitting still, it is highly unlikely you will get a good shot.

Many novice whitetail hunters are incredibly surprised the first time they encounter a whitetail in the wild simply because of their agility. The average deer will be able to run around 40 miles per hour. They can leap over nine-foot tall fences or structures like it is no challenge at all. They can even jump as high as 30 feet if they get a good running start. This is why hunting these forest dwellers can be such a challenge unless you plan your hunt in such a way that you will not be approaching the deer, but the deer approaching you while you sit in wait.

Whitetail deer have especially keen hearing.

Hunting whitetail deer will mean that you have to learn how to be perfectly quiet while you wait in a deer blind or tree stand. These creatures have incredibly keen hearing. They can turn their large ears in the direction of sound without moving their heads, and the shape of their ears allows them to hear even the smallest sound from a long distance. A slight rustle of limbs, crunch of leaves, or cough, can send your target deer scampering off in the opposite direction. 

Deer use scent glands to communicate with each other.

Whitetail deer have scent glands around their feet and legs. Often times, when scouting for deer, you will spot deer rubs, which are markings on downed trees or on the ground created by the deer actually scraping their feet on the ground. This leaves a scent behind to let other deer know things, such as which deer was in the area. One of the easiest ways to track down a good spot for hunting whitetail deer is to get to know the signs that a deer has left its scent mark in a specific area.

Share