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Whitetail vs Crossbow – Deer Bow Hunting Tips

Since everything is already in the deer’s favor, these bow hunting tips may help even the odds! Using a crossbow requires a close range target, so even seemingly small changes in your protocol, can sometimes make a tremendous difference in whether or not you come home empty handed.

Wind direction is extremely important

It ranks right up there with being one of the most important factors you can use to your advantage.
Have various stands or places to hunt, so you can hunt with the wind in your face whenever possible.

Camouflage

Another important tip is wearing camouflage or dull clothes, as you do not want to stick out like a sore thumb.You want to blend yourself into the environment as much as possible. Don’t forget about covering your hands and face also.

Be Quiet

Sound and movement are major factors, so try not to move around too much while waiting for the deer to arrive, and make sure that any movements are done slowly.
Try not to make sound and be as absolutely quiet as you can. Make sure none of your equipment rattles or is up against a part of your stand to bump against, causing noise. When deer are moving into your hunting area, quietly and slowly take your crossbow off of safety, so it doesn’t make a loud clicking sound.

Be scentless

Other valuable bow hunting tips involve scent control. Wash your clothes in a scent blocking detergent or plain baking soda, using no fabric softener, and dry your clothes outside.

Along those lines, if you smoke or chew while in your stand, do not spit or throw your cigarette butts on the ground.Take a bottle with you and use it, or preferably, do not smoke or chew on your hunts. Do not leave trash laying around, such as empty water bottles or wrappers.If you took it in with you, bring it back out with you.

Make sure to use the right deer attractants to lure them in. They will focus on that smell instead of yours.

On your way to your stand, try to avoid brushing up against leaves and branches. Use your bow to push branches out of your way.

Be there earlier

Other good bow hunting tips include being in your stand early. At least an hour, preferably more, before the sun comes up, so that the woods have time to settle back down.

If you are doing an evening hunt, again, go much earlier than the deer normally move, so the area has time to settle down.

Good timing is essential

When you do see a buck that you plan to shoot at, wait until his head is turned away from you, or better still, his line of vision is blocked by a tree or bush. Then raise your bow up, so he doesn’t see you move it.

Whitetails have this annoying little trick that they do if they sense something is out of place. They will look around, then graze as if everything is safe, then, they will pop their head up and look straight over at you.

They are trying to see if they can catch any movement by surprise. Be prepared for this and do not fall for it! Go into a freeze position and do not look them in the eye.

Do not even move your eyes, just steady them into a stare that is not directed at their face, but  to the side of them instead.

You always have time to take a deep breath and tell yourself to calm down so that your shot is slow, steady and sure. If you don’t have time to calm yourself, you probably don’t have time to make an accurate shot!

Wait until it moves into a kill shot position. If he does not ever move into a position that lends itself for a kill shot, then do not shoot.

It is better to go home empty handed, than to superficially wound a deer, but not kill it, or to give away your location to them.

A mature whitetail buck may not come back into the area once he busts you out for being in there.

These deer bow hunting tips may seem very simple, but trust us, it is the basic fundamentals that many times decide the way a hunt turns out!

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