Fall is setting in across the region of Northeastern Ontario! Cooler temperatures, darker evenings and autumn colours have been appearing throughout October. It's the time of year the hunter to starts thinking about BIG game. I am sure many people have been pursuing moose, waterfowl, or other small game up until now, but whitetail deer season is only a few short days away!
I have been spending as much time as possible in the bush preparing for the hunt— scouting land, setting up tree stands, clearing out game trails and monitoring game cams. I want to ensure that I have completed all I can for the hunt to be ready for when it counts the most.
Once the preparation for the season is in place, there's no reason to stop learning and increasing your opportunity for a successful hunt. Here’s some knowledge gleaned from past hunts that I hope can be helpful to you and your party this whitetail deer season.
No matter the method you choose to hunt, I can’t express how important it is to use the proper scent cover and ensure minimal detection by your prey. It’s a simple fact that human scent spooks deer, and if you can minimize this you will have better odds.
Showering with a scent-free soap prior to every hunting trip is a great start, as it removes any of the perfume scents from many soaps and shampoos.
Washing your clothes in a scent-free detergent is also beneficial, as it removes any odours you may brought with you from previous travels. Who knows what type of food, fire, gasoline or other game scents remain on your hunting clothing. Once washed, all your hunting gear should be separated into plastic bags. If you’d like, go a step further by storing these clothes with leaves and dirt from your hunting areas.
I like to start all my hunts by thoroughly spraying all my outerwear with a natural or dirt scent. This ensures any possible odours are eliminated or reduced prior to entering the woods. Once you’ve made it to your stand or watch, reapplying is beneficial. Pay special attention to your hat and hair.
Never underestimate the importance of being able to navigate undetected through the woods. A stealthy approach takes a conscious effort to avoid all the sticks, branches and rustling leaves. Pay attention the next time you go for a hike or walk on rugged terrain; you will soon realize how loud we actually travel without a conscious effort.
We all know how much noise a chipmunk makes, so you can imagine how loud we could be. Don’t think that travelling under the cover of darkness will help either. Try using a creek or dense forest to cover your entry as much as possible.
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