Deer hunting tactics and traditions are changing, so are today's hunters getting the same enriching experience old-timers used to enjoy?
You don’t have to be in your 60s or 70s to realize deer hunting isn’t what it used to be. In some ways, that’s good. In others, not so much.
What follows is a list of five tactics and five traditions modern deer hunters are missing out on — or are they?
5 Deer Hunting Tactics Modern Hunters Have Abandoned
Hunting Tactic 1: Woodsmanship
One of the most notable deer hunting tactics lacking for modern hunters is general woodsmanship.
Being able to recognize tree and plant species was important. Understanding if, how and when deer keyed on these foods was important, too. It still is, but fewer hunters can do it.
Hunting Tactic 2: Wooden Treestands and Blinds
I remember building wooden treestands with my father. We’d collect the lumber needed to craft it, saw and cut the pieces to form, and then haul them afield. We’d build it right there at the base of the tree it was destined for.
I remember the sweat, and even a little blood, it took to build those stands. And the feeling we’d get when raising the finished product into the air and leaning it against the tree. Today, few, if any, stands are built this way.
The same holds true with box blinds. Decades ago, we built our boxes by hand. Hunting buddies would work together to create nicer versions.
Some were elevated and others were at ground level, but all got the job done and help shield us for the eyes of deer, not to mention the elements.
Modern hunters still use blinds, but most are purchased models made from hard-sided plastic, vinyl or fiberglass. Of the homemade blinds still used today, most will soon age out, surrendering to time. Nothing — man, treestand or blind — can outlast the effects of time.
Hunting Tactic 3: Tracking
In deer seasons of old, hunters oftentimes followed live deer by means of tracking to get a shot. That’s all but gone from modern deer hunting.
Tracking like that only exists in the far northern stretches of the whitetail’s range, and generally only when there’s snow on the ground.
Still, it’s a handy skill to learn. Being able to identify other species’ tracks is helpful, too. Noting track size, shape, concentration, frequency and other details can tell you a lot about what’s happening. Reading this sign can help you find bedding areas, food sources, watering destinations and travel routes.
Of course tracking helps during scouting, hunting and in recovering your hit deer. When scouting, it paints a picture of how deer use a property.
During the hunt, it provides context on how recently deer traveled through an area. Tracking also can help you determine the gender and sometimes the size of the animal. After the harvest, it can even help find your deer.
Hunting Tactic 4: Still-Hunting
As with tracking, still-hunting is becoming a lost art, too. It was once a popular tactic. After all, if the deer aren’t coming to you, why not go to them?
A few hunters practice still-hunting these days, but not nearly as many as in years past. Today, most people have the patience to sit in a cushiony treestand from daylight to dark.
Because of that, many never develop the skills to slowly pick their way across a landscape, read sign, make gut decisions, and exercise the mental endurance to work through good deer ground slow enough to see game before it sees them.
Hunting Tactic 5: The Art of Silence
Most modern deer hunters sound like Clydesdales walking through the timber. Anything within a quarter-mile radius knows they’re there.
Being silent starts with quiet clothing. Swish-swish-swish won’t work. A fleece-like material is ideal. Some boots are quieter than others, too. Choose clothing and footwear that minimizes noise.
There are numerous other ways to be quieter in the deer woods. First, take your time and don’t get in a hurry. Most of the time, unless you need to rush to get in position, you should slow down.
Furthermore, watch where you’re walking. Avoid stepping on sticks, dry leaves, in mud puddles or unstable rocks.
Feel with your feet, and if it seems like a loud step, ease your foot back up. This is especially helpful when still-hunting.
When taking a step, place the foot downward in a heel-to-toe manner. That way, if your foot starts to land on a loud object, or is misplaced, it’s simple to raise it back up.
Gear is equally important. Make sure all items are in their proper pack or pocket. Implement a system that reduces the odds of things clinking and clanking against one another.
Ensure all buckles and straps are in place, too. Make sure stands, blinds and other gear are quietened as much as possible. Pad metals and other contact points.
Not All Deer Hunting Traditions Will Be Missed
Hunting Tradition 1: Hunting by Permission
As the price of land and leases continue to skyrocket, the odds of gaining hunting permission plummet. It’s hard for landowners to provide free access when they know they can get $20-$50 (or more) per acre. Your offer to take care of the land and keep trespassers out just isn’t bankable.
Don’t let this discourage you from trying to get permission, though. While it isn’t as common as it once was, it’s still possible.
You might just find a landowner who is willing to offer access. Perhaps you’ll strike a deal that benefits all parties involved.
READ MORE: Hunter’s Mentality: Get Your Mind Right Before Taking the Shot
Hunting Tradition 2: Deer Camp
I can’t help but look at black and white photos of old hunting camps without wishing we could experience something like that again. Today’s camps just aren’t the same.
Think I’m wrong? Just look at modern hunt camps, and then search for vintage hunt camps. You’ll see. It’s just different.
Sure, some groups still have camps, but not like we did back in the day. You know, the stacks of dead deer, images of midnight card games with food and drink, breaking camp and rolling through town with bucks on full display. Yeah, those days aren’t coming back.
Hunting Tradition 3: Cutting Shirt Tails
Those who’ve missed a deer or two know the banter that generally follows. Your hunting buddies make sure you don’t forget about the blunder, and in the past they memorialized it by cutting off your shirt tail and throwing it in a basket to remind everyone in the future.
That rarely happens anymore. People’s feelings have become too sensitive, I guess. Or maybe they’ve just forgotten about this with time. Regardless, it’s a dying tradition.
Hunting Tradition 4: The Blooding Rite
Remember when, upon completing their first kill, hunters used to smear blood from the downed game across their face? Yeah, that rarely happens today
That really doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t add to the experience, and it can make youngsters dread making their first kill. Not all traditions are worth keeping.
Hunting Tradition 5: Check-In Stations
Aside from deer camps, perhaps the most disheartening change has been the elimination of check-in stations. Today, most deer are checked via phone or web.
The camaraderie once found at check-in stations was unmatched. To be there and see all the deer and hunters pull in was special.
Bringing one in yourself made even the smallest in stature feel like a king.
Is Modern Deer Hunting Better or Worse? The Honest Answer
There are many deer hunting tactics and traditions that seem to fade further with each passing season. Meat polls, hunting parties, deer drives and other hunting staples are steadily being lost.
For those of us who’ve seen and enjoyed many of those traditions, it’s difficult to watch them die, not just for ourselves, but also because we know newer hunters won’t get to experience those wonderful times.
Of course, there are some traditions that won’t be missed, and there are many new tactics and traditions that simply haven’t been identified as such yet. We often look at change as bad, but that isn’t always the case.
Adaptation is a part of life. We keep what works and is good, and we moderate what doesn’t and isn’t. It’s the natural progression of things.
One thing that isn’t going away is our storytelling. American deer hunters are some of the biggest storytellers the world has ever seen. And as long as that continues, I think we’ll be just fine.
