It is now the second weekend of the annual firearms deer season. They are the object of a massive invasion. All their instincts are now geared to survival - the same trait that escorted them virtually unchanged from the last ice age till today. To hunt them successfully now, a hunter must crack their security defenses.
Roy Holst, Versailles, Mo., was an Ozark native who developed successful deer hunting tactics during these conditions. Born at the mouth of Proctor Creek on a site now inundated by Lake of the Ozarks, he grew up hunting his supper across Ozark ridges.
As a youngster, Roy stated it was rare just to see a deer track in south Missouri. As the restocked animals increased to their present day numbers, Royput his share of venison in the freezer. He employed still-hunting techniques and learned driving procedures that move deer into the open when they would rather lay tight.
Driving has inherent risks. The drive master controls all standers and instructs direction of firing lanes. Standers, placed at known crossings, are forbidden to wander. No firing takes place past 45 degrees on a horizontal line through their position. This protects the line of standers stretched 50 to 75 yards apart. One or two drivers push deer towards the standers. Drivers moving slowly, though steadily, might force two events to happen.
When pressed, if deer do not feel spotted, they often let the drivers go by - then sneak out the back door. If the drivers move slow enough to unsettle the animals, they might, and often do, ease out ahead - or finally break in front of the drivers. Drivers frequently have shots at deer that wait till the last minute before reacting to the pressure of the situation. The key is: Move slowly and erratically. Occasionally, turn and face another direction suddenly and intently. A buck laying under a snag in that direction may figure the jig is up and bolt. ALWAYS know where it is safe to shoot BEFORE taking a shot.
Drivers MUST accept the discipline not to shoot except when the terrain protects standers from their fire. They MUST know the area thoroughly and judge their actions honorably. They must know the terrain like the back of their hand. Likewise, standers are obligated to respect everybody’s firing lane. Break the rules here, and tragedy might make the front page of the local newspaper.
No deer is worth the slightest risk involving human life. Road hunters shooting from vehicles do not consider that people might be hunting unsuspectingly within their line of fire. I still remember shots fired in my direction from a vehicle crawling along the road above a hollow I was hunting. Gut wrenching fear and then intense anger is the best way to describe my reaction following the Hail Mary gunfire. (It never ceases to amaze me that road hunters do not consider that, whether inadvertent or not, targeted hunters have a major advantage over unarmed animals - a puzzle worth pondering.)
Still-hunting is a technique that was fine-tuned while driving deer with Holst. He was a master at still hunting whitetails for the pot. Watching deer come into photography blinds further illustrated their unusual stop-and-go motion getting from point A to point B.
They might take two steps and wait five all the while scanning ahead and all around for movement. Ears turn this way, then that way, then both ways at once, listening behind and peripherally for potential danger while continually testing the wind with their nose. Their apparently weaker sense of eyesight still picks up the slightest of movements in more than a 180 degree arc facing forward.
When they feel safe enough, they take a few more steps and go through the same process anew. It is a maddeningly slow process. It teaches one much about a higher plane of acquired patience.
To hunt them afoot on their level, nimrods must also consider wind direction. If it carries your scent to them, it is all over - period. From reams written on this subject of scent sensitivity, believe all of it and then multiply that by a factor of ten. They are on the alert now and any sign, no matter how slight, of human presence will alarm them.
Once wind determines direction of the hunt, discipline movements to two steps and wait ten. By moving slower than deer usually move, you stand a good chance to see them before they see you. Strain to see an ear’s twitch, a tail’s flicker, flank’s quiver, lifted foot, horizontal line where only verticals should appear - anything out of place - before taking the next step.
Travel made through dry crusty leaves should simulate the activity of foraging squirrels and other deer. These are familiar sounds that deer expect to hear as well as those of feeding wild turkeys. Using the technique described above has had squirrels busily foraging for dropped nuts virtually at my heels as I moved through an area. They apparently do not regard a human moving at a snail’s pace as an aggressive threat. Their presence is always a bonus. They are good camouflage - visually and audibley.
Thom Gumm, Main Street Opry Star, Osage Beach, Missouriuses a diaphragm turkey call to reassure startled deer when still hunting. This technique eventually generated several stock photos in my files. A startled caulk run followed with soft putts can work miracles at these times. I’ve also simply used vocal grunts with my natural voice to stop them as well.
A Boone and Crockett trophy buck can drop to the ground and crawl unseen out of the slightest depression in the landscape. It will elude 99.999% of hunters in the woods in the process. That is just one way he lived long enough to become a world class trophy. Hunting him successfully during firearms season involves a definite measure of luck. However, certain disciplines and intense focus on the business at hand will put more hatracks on the wall than luck will.
MISSOURI Dept. of Conservation’s: 10 COMMANDMENTS OF SAFE GUN HANDLING
1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
2. Treat all firearms as if loaded.
3. Keep the firearm’s action open except when hunting.
4. Make sure barrel is free from obstructions and be sure
to use the proper caliber ammunition in it.
5. Be certain of the target before pulling the trigger.
6. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot. Use field glasses to investigate other hunters or territory – not rifle scopes. Horseplay is indefensible.
7. Do not climb trees, fences or jump ditches with loaded firearms.
8. Never shoot at a flat hard surface or water.
9. Store firearms and ammo separately.
10. Avoid all alcohol and drugs before using firearms in any manner.