There are many questions deer hunters have. How to get a deer to come to you while hunting is probably at the top of their list. This question makes sense. Deer hunting trips are expensive and no one wants to sit and wait for a deer to come by.
If you’re always out in the woods and never see a deer, this article will save you hours of time.
Every year, I see deer hunters trying to lure deer to them incorrectly. I’m writing this article because so many hunters don’t know how to do this right and effectively.
Keep reading in order to learn how to get a deer to come to you while hunting!
What You Will Need
- Camouflage hunting clothes (boots, pants, shirt, etc.)
- Flowers and seeds to plant
- PH checker
- Knife
- Scent-free hunting detergent
- Deer attractants (food, urine, doe scent)
- Large metal bin
- Shovel
Create a Food Plot
A food plot is an area that is deliberately created in order to feed wildlife. For deer hunting purposes, many hunters create these food plots in order to lure deer to them.
Since deer are wild animals, their whole life revolves around finding something to eat. So, deer are very attracted to food that’s easy to get to.
Deer are smart and paranoid, so creating a food plot is an excellent way to get a deer to come to you while hunting.
In order to create a food plot, pick an area to plant some flowers and weeds. The average size for a food plot is 1 acre, so you’ll have a big area in order to get a deer to come to you.
Keep in mind that food plots require regular maintenance but are well worth it.
Pro tip: Check the soil’s PH before you start planting. Plants are sensitive to PH levels so don’t waste time planting in a bad area.
Here’s a video by Deer and Deer Hunting on how to create a food plot on a budget:
Create a Path
Deer are lazy creatures and if there’s an easy path to where they want to go, they’ll take it. You can take advantage of this by clearing a path for them.
There are many ways to do this. The most common and easiest way is to create a path to a hard to reach water or food source. Instead of letting deer take multiple paths, do them a favor and create an easy path for them.
This can be as simple as moving some rocks out of the way or cutting some plants.
Once deer realize that there’s an easy path for them, they will start taking it. Pretty soon, you’ll have your pick of deer that are using the path.
Pro tip: Make sure that the deer can easily see the path you will make. If your path is hard to find, then it will be hard for deer to find it.
Here’s a video by The Backwoodsman’s Institute on how to create a deer path:
Hide Your Odor
Did you know that a deer can smell a human from a quarter of a mile away? So, if a deer smells you, they’ll run away fast. Also, they’ll be more careful returning to that area in the future.
It doesn’t matter how much camouflage you wear, it won’t mean anything if they smell you first. Luckily, there are some good ways to keep from deer smelling you.
The most basic way is to know which way the wind is blowing. When you’re hunting deer, you want the wind blowing your smell away from the deer, not to it.
Another way to keep the deer from smelling you is to wear clothes with no odor. This means that you should wash your clothes with scent-free detergent. There are many hunting detergents out there that remove human odor from clothes and are scent-free.
Here’s a video by Jack Morris on how to eliminate odor:
Use Deer Attractants
During hunting season, deer know that they’re being hunted so they avoid going into open areas with no cover. This is frustrating to a hunter because it’s a lot harder to find deer in the woods than in an open field.
Luckily, deer attractants exist. This is one of the best ways to attract deer to you while hunting. Deer attractants are used to lure deer out in the open for an easier shot.
Most deer attractants are some type of food. The most common types of deer attractant food are corn, apples, and acorns.
Pro tip: The type of food deer prefer can vary slightly depending on the location and season. Do research on your area and season before you go deer hunting.
But, food isn’t the only thing that can attract deer. Expert deer hunters use deer urine or even doe scent to attract bucks as well.
Here’s a video by Deer and Deer Hunting on how to use deer attractants:
Create a Water Hole
Creating a water hole isn’t too hard but it’s an easy way to get a deer to come to you. There’s only one thing you need to make sure you do when creating a watering hole – pick the right location.
The right water hole location is very important. You want it nearby so you can easily shoot the deer but not too out of place or they’ll get suspicious.
To create a water hole, get a large metal bin and put a couple of inches of soil in it. This will add natural minerals and smell to the water.
The decision to bury the bin in the ground or not is up to you. I recommend burying it since a shiny metal bin looks out of place. But, hunters have success with this tip whether the bin is buried or not.
Here’s a video by Realtree and Josh Honeycutt on how to create a water hole:
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to get a deer to come to you while hunting. Did you enjoy this tutorial and do you have any tips on attracting deer I didn’t cover?
Make sure you know what you’re doing this deer hunting season. All deer experts will agree on one thing: Let the deer come to you, don’t go to them.
Last Updated on January 4, 2024 by Marty Prokop
