7 Tried & True Deer Hunting Tips: Wisdom from the Field

1. Hunt the Wind, Not the Deer

This is the golden rule. You can have the most expensive camo pattern on the market, but if you’re upwind, you’re busted. Old timers will tell you: "If a person could smell you smoking a cigar, a deer standing in the same spot can smell you." Always approach your stand downwind. If the wind shifts wrong, move. It’s better to hunt a "worse" spot with the right wind than the "perfect" spot with the wrong wind.

2. The Best Camo is "Sit Down and Be Quiet"

Your grandpa likely hunted deer in a red plaid coat and still filled the freezer. Why? Because he knew how to sit still. Deer are experts at detecting movement. Don't scan for a whole deer; scan for the flick of an ear, the white of a tail, or a horizontal line in a vertical world. And remember: the best camouflage pattern is simply remaining motionless.

3. Bad Weather is Good Hunting (If You Have the Gear)

"A rainstorm isn't a reason to quit the hunt. It's a reason to stay." Many hunters pack it in when the sky opens up, but that’s a mistake. Deer often move right before and right after a storm. The key is durability. You can’t wait out a 36-hour soak if your feet are wet or your core is freezing. This is where your Trudavegear waders and waterproof boots earn their keep. Stay dry, stay warm, and you’ll be the one in the woods when the big buck steps out after the rain.

4. The Mid-Day Magic

Conventional wisdom says deer bed down at noon. But real-world data (and plenty of filled tags) suggests otherwise. Between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, other hunters get hungry and leave their stands to grab lunch. Their movement pushes deer around. While they’re eating a sandwich at the truck, you should be in your stand waiting for the buck they just bumped.

5. Watch Your Backtrail

When walking to your stand, stop and look behind you frequently. Some of the smartest bucks will let you walk right past them, holding perfectly still, and then try to sneak away behind your back. A quick glance over the shoulder has saved many hunts.

6. Dress Warmer Than You Think You Need To

It doesn’t have to be freezing out for hypothermia to wreck your focus. When you’re sitting dead still, your body heat tanks fast.

The rule of thumb? Dress just chilly enough on the walk in so you don't break a sweat. Since you aren't packing in heavy insulated gear to throw on later, managing sweat on the way in is everything. You have to arrive perfectly dry to stay warm with what you've got on.

Remember: if you’re shivering, you’re moving (see Tip #2).

7. Don't Look for Deer, Look for Movement

Novice hunters look for a deer. Expert hunters look for parts of a deer. A glint of an antler, the horizontal line of a back, the twitch of an ear. By the time you see the whole deer, it has likely already seen you.

The Bottom Line

Hunting is unpredictable. You can do everything right and come home empty-handed, or make a mistake and get lucky. But stacking the odds in your favor—playing the wind, staying out longer, and trusting your gear—is how you turn luck into consistency. Gear up, stay safe, and good luck out there this season.