Drifting down a meandering stream is an easy way to sneak up on whitetails. They’re not likely to hear you coming, and by the time they see you, you’re within shooting range.
Float hunting is a good alternative to still hunting when the woods are dry and noisy, and it allows you to get away from the crowd.
The technique is legal wherever whitetails are found, but state regulations differ. In some states, for instance, your firearm must be unloaded and in a case when you’re outboard motor is running.
Most float hunters prefer canoes. They’re light, portable, maneuverable and ideal for shallow water. They easily carry two hunters, gear and a trophy deer. Others feel safer in jon boats or inflatable rafts, which are more stable, but not as maneuverable.
Before attempting to float hunt, try a preseason float to find launch and take out sites, learn the stream’s characteristics and determine floating time. If the float takes more than a day, locate a good camping area. Along the way watch for heavily used trails, dense cover and feeding sites, places you will most likely see deer during the season. Talk to landowners before scouting, hunting or camping along the banks.
Ideally, one hunter paddles and steers the boat or canoe from the stern while another in the bow watches for deer and stays ready to shoot. It’s important to be quiet and keep movement to a minimum. The shooter should never fire towards the stern.
Float hunting is difficult on straight, open stretches because deer can easily see you coming. But on a winding stream you can slip up on them by using the points of concealment.
Before rounding a bend, scan ahead with binoculars to spot distant deer. If it looks like the deer will see you before you float within range, pull your boat up on the bank and stalk on foot.
Waterways can help even if you don’t plan to shoot from the craft. You can paddle down a river to silently reach a stand hunting or still-hunting location. If you shoot a deer close to a stream, you can carry it out by boat.
Always wear a life jacket while float hunting. Any sudden movement can tip a canoe or small boat, and you could find yourself in icy water. A float coat is warmer than a bulky life vest and doesn’t hamper your shooting.
HUNTING THE SUBURBS
Suburban zoning ordinances often result in a patchwork of homes, parks, and undeveloped land that offers ideal living conditions for whitetails. The combination of excellent habitat and few hunters sometimes results in as many as 100 deer per square mile.
Deer populations this high destroy shrubs, gardens and crops and cause many deer-vehicle accidents. In heavily developed suburbs where deer hunting is not allowed, sharpshooters are sometimes hired to thin out the herd.
Outer tier suburbs, however usually encourage hunting to help control deer populations. Some hold firearms seasons, but many allow archery only.
When deer become a nuisance, special hunts may be held on nonresidential property such as reserves, parks, cemeteries and commercial land. Inquire at city offices for information on these local hunts.
Stand hunting is the most practical technique for bagging suburban deer. Even if there were enough space to pursue deer with other techniques, you’d have to get permission from many different landowners.
Locating good stand sites is easy to suburban areas; narrow strips of cover along fences, roads and yards limit whitetails to predictable trails.
When hunting the suburbs, remember that deer may be harder to hear because of background noise such as traffic or airplanes. If you’re not watching carefully, a deer could easily sneak past you.
It pays to start lining up hunting spots well before the season begins. Line up as much land as possible to increase your hunting options. Concentrate on large landholdings where you won’t have to contact many owners.
Even if you plan to hunt the same spot as last year, get permission early. If the property has changed hands, the new landowner may not let you hunt, so you’ll need additional time to find a new spot.
Most suburban landowners have had experiences with "slob" hunters, and are concerned about safety. If you have a hunter-education or firearms safety card, display it when asking permission.
Should you get permission, determine how many hunters are welcome and provide a list of names. Many owners prefer to deal with only one hunter. Leave your telephone number, describe your hunting vehicle and ask where you should park. Find out if there are times when you shouldn’t hunt. Assure the landowner that you will not build a permanent stand. Remove all portable stands when the season closes.
HUNTING WETLANDS
The water and thick cover found in cattail marshes, river backwaters, peat bogs and wooded swamps deter most hunters, but make an ideal hiding place for whitetails.
Deer find wetlands most attractive when other cover is gone--after trees lose their leaves, farmers harvest their crops or snow makes deep conspicuous in lighter cover. Whitetails also move into wetlands to escape the heat.
Although wetlands may offer some food, deer do most of their feeding in adjacent fields and woodlands around dusk, dawn or at night. During the day, they bed down on high ground within the wetland.
You can stand-hunt along the edge of a wetland in morning and evening. Place a stand, such as a portable tree stand, along an obvious deer trail between feeding and bedding areas. But this technique may not work when hunting pressure forces deer to feed mainly at night. In this case, set up a stand within the wetland, overlooking several trails. If there are no trees large enough for a portable tree stand, brace a ladder stand against scrub trees or use a tripod stand. Listen carefully; deer make alot of noise moving through the heavy cover, so you'll hear them long before you see them.
Jump-shooting may also pay off. Because deer feel secure in heavy cover, they often hold tight and allow you to get within a few yards before they bolt. Stop frequently to unnerve the deer. Otherwise, you may walk right past them.
Always stay on well-used deer trails when jump-shooting. Keep the wind in your favor and wear hip boots. Confine your hunting to shallow wetlands or those with ice thick enough to walk on.
HUNTING IN STANDING CORN
Peeking down a row of standing corn and spotting a whitetail will give any hunter a rush of adrenalin. Cornfield hunters commonly get withing a few yards of deer.
Whitetails feed and bed in corn from summer through harvest time. Standing corn makes good deer cover and offers excellent hunting once the season opens, especially as the harvest progresses and fewer cornfields are left unpicked.
Corn-hunting is most popular with archers, but gun hunters can also use this method, assuming some corn is still standing when the gun season opens. Before scouting or hunting a cornfield on private land, be sure to obtain permission. Assure the landowner you won't knock down standing corn as you hunt.
Prior to harvest, look for cornfields that abut woods, thickets, wetlands, ravines and treelines. Isolated cornfields attract fewer deer. After most of the corn has been harvested, look for any corn left standing, such as public or private food plots.
To be sure deer are using a cornfield, scout in and around the field, looking for tracks, trails, droppings and feeding sign. You're most likely to find deer in corn during midday.
Still-hunting is the best method for working standing corn. It's most effective after a hard freeze, when the corn dries and leaves droop, making it easier to see down the rows. Hunting corn is more difficult when the leaves are still green.
It's best to hunt cornfields in windy weather, when rustling leaves mask your sounds. Rain and snow also quiet the leaves. Archers usually wear white, gray or snow-camo clothing, whether or not there's snow on the ground.
Whitetails may be difficult to spot in standing corn. Rarely will you see the entire deer; it pays to use binoculars and look for parts. Remember that whitetails usually bed with their bodies parallel to the rows.
Another way to hunt standing corn is by driving, but this technique may be dangerous because posters and drivers are on the same level. Drivers should never shoot, and posters must wait until the deer are not in the line of the drivers.
If you prefer to stand-hunt, simply wait alongside a well-used deer trail where it enters standing corn. Sit on a 5 gallon bucket or folding stool a few rows from the trail.
Article written by Gary Clancy
Published in Whitetail Deer(The Hunting and Fishing Library)
