Remaining invisible while you hunt should be your top priority as a hunter, but going undetected requires the highest form of discipline on your part. Luckily, there are a few easy tips and tactics for remaining undetected while stalking your perfect game.
Follow the best route
You must avoid routes that leave you exposed. These include ridgelines, open fields, old logging roads, and mountain tops. Also, keep off deer territories such as their feeding areas, deer bedding, and trails.
Instead, create your path clear from dead leaves and branches to avoid sounds as you approach your stand.
Dress appropriately
What you wear greatly affects your chances of success as a hunter. Of course, camo clothing is the best as it helps you hide behind greens and bushes, making you undetectable by sight. You should also leave anything reflective behinds, such as jewelry or even exposed skin.
When choosing your apparel, consider the hunting region and species. There are many patterns available in the U.S, including brush, woodland, snow/winter, and waterfowl/marsh that you can wear depending on your situation. For an extra high-tech boost in your stealth game, consider trying EMF-blocking camo like this on your next trip.
Ensure you’re light-footed
Silence is vital if you’re to conceal your presence in the woods. One of the best ways to ensure you don’t make alarming noise as you approach your stand or stalk game is to wear lightweight hunting boots featuring soft bottoms or outsoles.
Just avoid heavy and thick outsoles with pointy cleats. That way, you’ll feel your path and avoid all the crunchy debris on the ground that can alert bucks of your presence.
Use the sun to your advantage
Where possible, execute your plan with the sun behind you. Most prey animals are no different from humans in that their eyes struggle to look directly into the sun. Animals also have a hard time detecting movement or objects when facing the bright sun rays.
That means that your prey can’t see you if you’re standing beneath a rising sun. Hunting with the sun at your back can help you bring home a real catch.
Eliminate human scent
Eliminating odors is an excellent way to ensure you remain undetected while hunting. You don’t want to sidestep a deer’s nose. Remember, many animals have more sensitive noses than humans.
Therefore, use scent-neutralizing shampoo and soap to shower and wash your clothing in odor-eliminating laundry detergent. You can also try using a different set of clothes to hunt other than what you wore to travel to your site.
Don’t forget to ensure all the equipment and outdoor essentials you carry along are also scent-free, as even the tiniest whiff will send your next catch running.
Get down and dirty
As long as you’re crawling strategically on your belly, it’s hard for bucks to detect you. It’s a high-impact stalking technique that allows you to get nearer and nearer to the whitetail. It’s all about fooling the deer because crawling gives you a low profile. Luckily, deer don’t associate human predators with it.
Elbow and knee pads will come in handy when stalking across rough and rocky terrain or long distances. Sometimes, it leaves you no choice but to go low and dirty, especially if your hunting ground is open terrain with little cover.
Parting shot
Exploring your hunting grounds without alerting your prey is a tricky business. Luckily the tips mentioned above can help you approach your stand or stalk the animals you’re pursuing while they remain none the wiser. Ultimately, your hunting adventure in the best hunting location is likely to be a success.
