There is no better way to learn about deer hunting than to go out and do it with an experienced hunter.

Unfortunately, not all experienced hunters want to take a tenderfoot afield with them. Understanding deer signs, habitat and communications will go a long way in helping a new hunter get proficient about deer hunting. There is so much to tell and to learn that it’s probably best to zero in on a few items.

Perhaps the first thing you will learn about deer hunting is that there is a lot to learn and know about deer communication. Deer are exceptionally sharp when it comes to scent (smelling things) and ever alert to sounds.

Hunters are always seeking ways to use scent to work for them. Some use scent covers which mask odor, such as avoiding any human related odors such as smoking, cooking, fragrances, and even sweaty clothing. This is when they use special body washes and laundry soaps to clean their clothing and boots.

Many hunters use scent to attract deer as well. They take advantage of a deer using their natural behaviors of feeding and mating. When a doe goes into estrous, it’s all about the scent they leave as a trailer, that’s when bucks follow them around until they are receptive to them.

Many hunters will use lures that will imitate a doe in this condition and trick a buck into their shooting range. Experienced woodsmen will use the doe scent (doe urine - during estrous) on boot pads, cotton balls, drag rags or in buck scrapes.

Hunters refer this time as hunting the rut and when a buck is in rut, he has a one-track mind and is very vulnerable to making a mistake he normally would avoid.

When hunting, the best plan is to hunt with the wind in your favor. Your odds of taking a deer go up greatly when the wind is in your face when you are hunting.

Knowing deer behaviors also means understanding deer language. Deer do make sounds to communicate and especially use body language to communicate danger and greetings to other deer. The large white tails of deer are especially useful for sending out messages.

Most people have seen the flagging side to side movement of a deer as it is alarmed and heading for safety. Along with that tail movement, they will make a whooshing and shrill-like sound as they blow air out as an alarm.

Once you hear that and see the tails, the surprise is over as they head for safety. Other sounds that you may hear are doe bleats and buck grunts.

Hunters will use deer calls to imitate these and try to draw a deer in range. There are times when you will scare off deer if they are subordinate bucks and afraid of running into the boss buck.

The first time I heard a buck grunting, I didn’t know what was coming my way, a pig or a buck. I searched the thickets and then I saw and smelled the rutting buck trailing a doe like a beagle after a bunny.

Deer rubs and deer scrapes need some equal time for the novice hunter. The rub refers to the bark rubbed off a tree when a buck tries to clean off the velvet on his antlers.

Sometimes it will indicate the size of the buck and can take place anytime after August. All it tells you most of the time is that a buck was around the area.

Fresh rubs during hunting season can mean that a buck is monitoring the trail and area for does — hunt it. Deer scrapes are better signs for deer hunters than rubs. Primary scrapes are areas with the dirt and leaves scraped clean and deer urinate in the middle of it.

They also like a low overhanging branch over the scrape, which is chewed, and they rub their scent glands on the ends. This is an invitation for does to also urinate in the scrape and later the buck will check out his scrape areas and trail the receptive doe.

Fresh scrapes will tell a hunter that a buck is still active in the area during late season hunting and a hot area to hunt.

There’s much to learn about becoming savvy about deer hunting. Experience is the best teacher, so remember that each day in the woods will teach you in first hand experiences much more than reading about them will ever be able to do.