Deer Hunting Myths

While I've seen the "Myths" approach used in many topic areas, I can't say I remember such a list being thrown around here.

Here's my starting list of those things that leave me questioning if they are 100% true. (Disclaimer- Some of these I "repurposed" from other articles.

1. It's possible through the use of sprays, soaps, and other products to make it difficult to impossible for a deer to smell you.

2. Rubber boots will keep a deer from smelling where you have walked.

3. There's no difference between deer and human urine.

4. Big bucks rub big trees and small bucks rub smaller trees.

5. ?

5. Once a spike always a spike

6. Mature bucks will not eat at a corn feeder in the daylight.

7.Taken a leak near your feeder will run off the deer

The wind and weather are PERFECT on the same day you told your Wife you'd take her out to lunch.

You ask if you can go hunting today and take her to lunch another day.

She says "That's Fine".

Ha - never trust a "that's fine".

I never lost a deer shooting one with my .223!

It's all in the tone. "Okay" can mean many things. "Whatever" is the word you don't want to hear because it really means "shove it."

Deer are smart.

Deer have never been on the endangered species list so there might be something to that!

In my experience this usually holds true, although I have seen big bucks also rub small trees.

Deer avoid high traffic areas.

That has been my experience as well. Small bucks tend to rub small trees, whereas big bucks will rub both.

IMO, the indicators that often get missed with rubs is how high they are on the tree and how they indicate the direction the buck was traveling when he made the rub. A rub that's higher on the tree indicates a larger buck most likely made it. Also, if the rub is facing the direction of a bedding area or away from the feeding area, the buck probably made it in the evening after he had left his bed and was heading out to feed. And likewise, if the direction is the opposite of known bedding and feeding areas, he probably made it in the morning when he was headed back to bed.

I've heard way too many BS statements to recall them all. I do remember though that the most outrageous ones are uttered by the most obnoxious ones. Our avocation is crowded with lots of "experts". I do believe, however, that the guy that throws his weight around the most has killed the fewest deer in any given setting.

Good point. The hunter who is most quiet around the camp fire is more than likely the one who is seeing the most and biggest deer.

Ozonics work is a myth.....if it did every drug runner in the world would buy every unit.

When the cows are eating so are the deer

High Fence shooting is the same as hunting

Deer don't see colors...

Antler color depends on the trees they rub.

Some of those aren’t absolutes, but they aren’t “myths” either.

I am now an "old timer", but the old timers before me use to always cut the downed deers throat.

That the rut is started by cold weather.

I have had people tell me “ yeah I don’t think we had a rut this year, just wasn’t cold enough “

Size matters

They may not be “smart” in the Einstein sense, but it’s hard to put any other adjective on a buck that can elude hunters his entire life and die of old age. I have known some like that.

You may choose “elusive” or whatever, but I’ll continue to call those deer smart - damn sure smarter than all the guys trying to kill them.

I say this one is true " Ten out of ten deer ignore celebrity endorsements"

Smoking in the stand keeps deer away, my FIL has disproved that over and over!

A Top 5 choice for sure.

Maybe he was referring to a young spike or even an older buck during the rut.

We found a buck in a briar patch in WV that went in opening morning and stayed all week. We knew because it snowed that morning and the only tracks out were from when he was jumped.

"Ozonics work is a myth.....if it did every drug runner in the world would buy every unit." That's a good point!

People with high post counts are experts!......

10 percent of the hunters kill 90 percent of the deer..... At least in east Texas.

Neighbor says when the cows are lying down the fish are not biting. I guess cows are also a good predictor fo deer hunting too.

Be careful of where you field dress your deer because the gut pile will scare off the deer. If you did field dress at a feeder, the deer would be eating around and over the pile...if not even take a nibble or two of the pile. I'm not saying to do that, but it really isn't going to scare them off where you do...that is until the coyotes arrive.

May not be a myth...but I am certain deer are Democrats...

They eat corn for FREE
The bed down on my place for FREE
They get educated for FREE - had a NICE 10 point last year see me move in my stand. He was 250 yds away down the main sendero. Sucker would stare at my blind EVERY time he came out and never get closer than 250 yds. Nice deer...not a shooter YET....but he be educated

...and finally...I think they are ALL illegal immigrants - havent heard a one of them speak the first word of English...

That's not a myth, that's a true statement!

Outside of season...

Old deer are tough and gamey

It's also true that 90% of the harvest during any given year occurs during the first two weeks of the season.

You need only compare the number of shots you hear on Opening Day with those heard during the third weekend of the season and beyond to believe that one.