Do Ported Chokes Really Reduce Shotgun Recoil? – TESTED

The internet has split opinions on whether ported choke tubes reduce felt recoil in a shotgun. The debate is fierce and there are strong arguments on both sides. I will give an overview of the some of the key points here. But instead of weighing the merits of various opinions, I got my hands on a recoil meter, some ported and un-ported choke tubes, various kinds of ammo and decided to put this to the test once and for all.

I studied and searched for some time to find an objective way to measure this phenomenon and get some real data on the subject. I was shocked at how little there is written or published on the subject and how hard it is to objectively measure recoil in even quasi-scientific ways. But after much research, I found a way to examine this.

I should state up front, I have no vested interest in whether or not choke tubes effect recoil. I only want to know the truth so I can know what to buy and shoot for myself. And I figured other people might want to know as well, hence the study, videos, and articles I’ve published. Recoil is a big subject when it comes to hunting, to go deep on that subject in general, check out my podcast episode: What Hunters Need To Know About Recoil.

Why Might Ported Chokes Help?

The idea is that the porting on a choke tube enables gas to vent out perpendicular to the barrel, so it does not exit the muzzle of the barrel. The less gas escaping through the muzzle, the less felt recoil there will be. That is a fair hypothesis, it makes sense, and the physics line up. The big question is whether or not this effect is large enough to make any measurable difference. And that is the main question I set out to answer with these experiments.

There are some other hypotheses though. Some expect the porting in the choke to reduce muzzle rise and recoil similar to a muzzle brake. Ported muzzle breaks are designed in such a way that aggressively cut channels angle escaping gas upward and toward the shooter thus creating a downward and forward force which mitigates rear pushing felt recoil. Muzzle breaks are real, they really do this, and they can have a major impact on how a gun handles.

But choke tubes are not muzzle breaks. Their porting is to the sides, not rearward or on top. They create no downward or forward forces. They screw into the end of the barrel and their ports go all the way around uniformly. A choke tube will not produce the benefits of a muzzle break.

Muzzle breaks are also most often used on rifles to mitigate recoil and muzzle rise with high velocity loads. In these applications the cartridge is producing much higher pressures in the chamber and barrel than a shotgun will, and those gases are more swiftly and forcefully working to escape which enhances the impact of ported muzzle breaks.

Ports = Louder

Regardless of any impact on recoil, an unintended consequence of ported choke tubes is an increase in the volume level of the shotgun behind and beside the muzzle. The ports do let gas vent out perpendicular to the barrel and with that gas comes sound. A ported choke can significantly impact the volume of each shot from the perspective of the shooter and those nearby. This amplifies an already significant danger. 

Shooting and hunting without ear protection is dangerous. Every shot can take a toll on your hearing. Add a ported choke and the risk becomes greater still with every shot. People often shrug this off when they are hunting, as if it is just part of the cost of going into the woods. But that is just not true. If you do not protect your ears, you will pay for it. You will pay a little bit now and a lot over time. You will also likely pay for it in ways you do not realize. Often hearing loss is accompanied by ringing and other endless painful sounds. It also increases your odds of developing various conditionals like dementia by 300%.

It boggles my mind that people flippantly hunt without ear protection, especially today when quality digital hearing protection is available that both protects your hearing and enables you to hear game animals better and more clearly. This is a big subject that I won’t take the time to cover here, but to go further check out my article: Tetra AlphaShield Review – Hearing Protection for All Hunters.

Actual Recoil vs. Felt Recoil

There is often confusion between actual recoil and felt recoil. Actual recoil is the force generated by the cartridge, it is real, mathematical, and inflexible in a sense. Felt recoil is how the recoil is experienced by the shooter. Additional factors come into play that can lessen the perceived effect or intensity of felt recoil. Diverting gasses to create a counter force like with the muzzle break is one way this can occur.

Adding weight to the shotgun also slows down the recoil impulse, allowing it to be experienced over more time and thus with less severity. A padded but plate on the stock has a similar effect. The action of the shotgun can also impact the distribution and timing of the recoil impulse some as well. You can find more about that in my article: Do Semi-Auto Shotguns Have Less Recoil REALLY? 

If choke tubes do have an effect on recoil, it would be with respect to the felt recoil, potentially diverting gas to slow down the reward acceleration of the shotgun into the shoulder of the shooter. 

So How Do You Test Chokes & Recoil?

Well, for years people would change choke tubes and take a few shots to see if they can feel any difference. You can imagine how that approach would lead to different opinions. To test it, we need an objective and quantitative way to measure recoil. After much research I came upon the Mantis x10 Elite Shooting System. The Mantis is a training sensor that you can attach to the end of your barrel that enables you to measure the effects of recoil. It gives measurements for shot recovery time, muzzle rise, and recoil width among other things. 

I reached out to Mantis and asked if I could borrow one of their sensors for this test and they were very kind to send me one. The Mantis really does ALOT of other things for training, trigger control, accuracy, etc. What I used it for with this testing is about 5% of what is capable of and designed to do. The full Mantis system is worthy of its own review, which I made do down the road.

I then attached the Mantis to my shotgun and got two different types of ammunition, Remington Sporting Clays target loads with 1 1/8 oz at 1200 fps and some heavy waterfowl hunting ammo, the BOSS Copper Plated Bismuth #1 with 1 5/8oz at 1350 fps. I fired a 3 shot string with each load using an extended un-ported choke and then fired them in an extended ported choke, I used Carlson’s Sporting Clays Extra Full Chokes. The Mantis tracks and averages the results of each shot and each string of shots. I then compared the ported vs. un-ported data from each test group. You can see the entire test video here:

Preliminary Results

Having never used the Mantis before this test and making up the methodology as I went, I encountered a few problems with my initial test. The individual shots and shot strings produced wildly inconsistent results. I found that good data was incumbent upon me to hold the shotgun in the same exact position with the same grip every time. I also found that a single string of three shots was not enough to produce robust data. I had to keep shooting more strings off camera to figure out what my problems were and then shoot more shots to get enough data to get results.

It was messy research and by the end I was weary and bruised. The BOSS #1 Hammers, as they are called, are a late season goose load that produces so much recoil that every shot was painful for someone with my build and t-shirt. They hit as hard as heavy turkey loads. After firing most of a box, I was anything but consistent. People often do not realize that just by adding a little bit of shot you can significantly increase the amount of recoil, here is a video I did testing that with the Mantis: Does 1/8 Ounce of Shot Really Increase Shotgun Recoil? TESTED. I ended the test with the conclusion that IF ported choke tubes made any difference, it was not much. I then began planning for a better way to test this.

Take 2 – The REAL Test

I devised a new research methodology where I would use only one ammunition, regular target ammo that I could easily handle and fire many shots of consistently. I then shot 25 shells with each choke tube to get a much larger data set, one box of ammo per choke tube. I focused very intensely on my shooting form and grip to be as consistent as possible. Thankfully this was much easier with regular shells. I easily shoot 125 or more in a day of sporting clays so doing a test with 50 was not taxing at all. 

The data from this second test was much more consistent, reliable, and easy to interpret. Here is the full breakdown:

In short, the ported choke had less than 1 tenth of second worse recovery time, 1.98 degrees more muzzle rise and half a degree less recoil width. Put plainly, the differences were so small that they could have been rounding error. The ported choke did ever so slightly better in some areas and ever so slightly worse in others.  There was no functional difference to speak of. Both chokes were practically identical when it came to impact on recoil. You can watch the full test video here as well:

Conclusion & Recommendations

So the bottom line is that this myth is busted. Ported choke tubes have no significant impact on felt recoil. That isn’t opinion, feelings, or reasoning, it is real data. I can also say that subjectively, as the shooter, I could not detect any difference in recoil myself. Both chokes seemed identical to me across all of the different testing scenarios, good and bad. 

My conclusion then is to stick with non-ported choke tubes in those situations where equally patterning options exist in both. Some choke tubes only come ported for some reason. I will not discard a high performing ported choke in order to save a few decibels of volume, but I now prefer to search out non-ported choke tube options first. 

Be sure to listen to The New Hunters Guide Podcast and check us out on YouTube. 

Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!

George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.

The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.

As a note, Carlson sent me with these chokes and Mantis sent me this sensor to do this testing. Thanks to them for their support. 

EP237 Unconventional Crow Hunting Tactics

Hunting crows with good cover and a big decoy spread is a time-tested strategy that works well. But depending on your season, budget, and location, that may not be viable. On this episode I talk about alternative crow hunting tactics that can help you take birds wherever you are with almost no specialized gear.

Crows have good eyesight, are wary, and can hear very well, but they do not have the mythical capabilities many hunters ascribe to them. They are birds and can be hunted with less than perfect technique. There are many ways to hunt crows that can produce successful results, to varying degrees. 

A mental shift away from traditional hunting methods needs to take place though. You need to begin thinking about taking crows one at a time instead of in great numbers. You are looking for birds coming in to take a look vs. coming in for a landing. The first bird that comes may be the only bird, and so on. Look to take every decent shot presented because it may be the only shot you get.

I am not saying unconventional methods are better, but they are viable. If you cannot hunt with traditional methods due to season, location, budget, or preference, then by all means you can still enjoy the crow season and take birds with the tactics I talk about on this episode.

Listen to the podcast episode to hear all of the unconventional crow hunting tactics. 

Best Bismuth Shotshells Review | BOSS, Kent, Winchester, HEVI

As a note, these shells were provided by YouTube viewers or bought with my own money, though BOSS has sent me other shells for other tests and Winchester did once send me shells well, and Carlson’s supplied me with this choke tube at my request, thanks to them for their support. 

Modern bismuth waterfowl hunting ammunition has achieved impressive performance that has essentially eclipsed the capabilities of steel shot. Several brands now make premium bismuth ammo that is able to outperform even the best steel on the market. These new bismuth loads are able to pattern tighter and penetrate deeper than steel. I do not believe there is still any need to make a case for bismuth duck hunting ammo, it is clearly impressive relative to steel. The big question I will address in this article, is which bismuth shells are best for various hunting uses.

This is not a fluff review packed with regurgitated internet research either, I have personally pattern tested and ballistics gel tested the top four bismuth brands on the market, including BOSS copper plated bismuth shotshells, Kent bismuth, Winchester tin plated bismuth, and HEVI-Bismuth. I have examined recoil, reliability, price, and availability as well. Some of these shells ARE better than others, and some are better in certain circumstances. 

This article is not sponsored, these are my insights drawn from my personal tests, most of which has been recorded and published online. I will link to some of the more relevant videos as we go if you want to look deeper still. There is a lot of marketing involved with all duck and goose hunting gear, which is why I also did this podcast episode that might be of interest to you: How To Navigate The Duck Hunting Marketing.

Overview Of Bismuth Shells Tested

BOSS Copper Plated Bismuth. For years BOSS has been one of the top contenders in the waterfowl bismuth marketplace. Owning the patent on the process of copper plating bismuth has given them a distinct competitive advantage that other companies have been working to make up. The load I tested was #4 shot, 3″, 1.375 oz (232 pellets), 1350 FPS. It is worth mentioning that BOSS makes a 1.5 oz and 1.625 oz version of the same 3″ shell at the same velocity. None of the other companies have any other load options. I had to intentionally use BOSS’s lowest payload 3″ shell for this test in order to match the payloads. I have shot a lot of BOSS bismuth shells for different tests, so many that I did a full article: BOSS Bismuth Shotshells Review.

Kent Bismuth. Kent is one of the longest standing companies producing bismuth duck hunting loads, and for good reason. They produce a very high-quality product that certainly performs very well. The specs on their shell were #4 shot, 3″, 1.375 oz (232 pellets), 1450 FPS. 

Winchester Bismuth. Winchester is the newcomer to the bismuth marketplace, having just released their new duck hunting shell about a year ago. There is also of controversy around this shell with accusations flying around about alleged plastic beads used as buffer material. I did not even attempt to evaluate that but what I can say is that Winchester Bismuth came to play. This new shell performs very well. It is tin plated, most likely because BOSS holds the patents for copper and nickel-plated bismuth. This shell’s specs were also #4 shot, 3″, 1.375oz (213 pellets), 1450 FPS .

HEVI-Shot HEVI Bismuth. HEVI-Shot mixes bismuth into some of their other loads so it is only natural that they would also have an all-bismuth waterfowl hunting shell. They are not new to game by any means, but they do lack a differentiating factor with the other shells. If HEVI-Bismuth has one unique element it would be availability. They seem to the shell I most often find in stores. This shell also had the same specs, #4 shot, 3″, 1.375 oz (232 pellets), 1450 FPS.

Federal Bismuth? I did not test this shell by itself, mainly because I have heard that ever since Federal and HEVI-Shot were bought out by the same company, that the HEVI-Bismuth was relabeled and also sold as Federal Bismuth. So if that information holds true, they are essentially the same load. If anyone knows better, please let me know so I can adjust this and try to test them in the future. 

Pattern Testing

To test these duck hunting loads I used my Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl with its 28″ barrel and a Carlson’s Bismuth Bone Buster ER choke tube, which is the equivalent of an XF choke. For more info on that shotgun, I did an article here: Mossberg 940 Pro Waterfowl Review.

I fired these shells at 40 yards at extremely large paper with a reactive shoot and see target in the middle. Other folks doing test videos often do the same thing but they often make a critical research error, they count the pellets on the shoot and see target. This is NOT a reliable way to judge pattern. Evey shell may have a different point of impact. You need to use much larger paper and then draw a 30″ circle around the densest part of the pattern and count the pellets within, whether they are on the shoot and see target or not. The Winchester and Kent loads had the most pellets in the 30″ circle followed by the BOSS and the HEVI. Take a look at the data:

It is noteworthy that the Kent and Winchester are designed and marketed as high pattern density loads. And they would indeed perform better for long range applications, however for short range applications their patterns may indeed be too tight. You would want to use a very open choke for regular hunting ranges, perhaps improved cylinder. The following field test video tells the story very succinctly and enables you to see the patterns for each. 

Ballistics Gel Testing

For the ballistics gel tests, I shot each shell at 40 yards. I tested two shells in each block of gel because that is all you can reasonably see and count in one piece of gel. I used several blocks of gel for several tests comparing each load against the others.

A big issue people run into with gel testing is comparing the results from different blocks of gel, especially across different days. You cannot do this. A block of gel is only useful for comparing the ammo fired at that block of gel under the current conditions. Even the same gel on different days will give different results. So you cannot compare measurements between tests unless you are under lab conditions and using lab calibrated gel every time. 

These ballistics gel tests are useful for comparing the two shells tested in each. The below links will take you all four short and concise test videos, each is complete with a second pattern test as well. As you might imagine, the differences in ballistics gel penetration between the loads was not huge. The faster Kent, Winchester, and HEVI loads got just slightly more penetration than the slower BOSS, between 2% and 8% more to be exact. 

Recoil Analysis

A big factor in being able to shoot accurately is recoil. Many people do not realize how big of a difference recoil makes when it comes to how quickly and effectively you can make follow-up shots. It has nothing to do with your ability to shoot the shotgun without crying, or even to fire it without discomfort. It is all about how much the recoil impacts your body position, moves the muzzle of the gun off target, and disrupts your vision with the muzzle blast. The more recoil you have the less effective you will be with second and third shots. This all factors into why I made the video Why You Should NOT Hunt With 3.5″ Shotgun Shells.

Most hunters do not realize that with less recoil they would take more birds, despite the velocity or payload advantage the comes with heavier loads. Felt recoil plays a massive role in being an effective and efficient wing shooter. When comparing these shells, the recoil analysis is actually very simple. All of the shells have the same recoil, except for BOSS. 

Per the chart below, BOSS has 30% less recoil than the other shells. It seems crazy but the extra 100 fps you get with the other shells at this payload weight adds almost 12 lbs. of recoil. And it feels like it too. Those loads hit noticeably harder than the BOSS. To me having 2-8% more gel penetration at the cost of 30% more recoil isn’t worth it. But you do you.

Quality & Reliability

After testing all four shells, I found that all of them performed well. There were no misfires, failures to eject, or bad rounds. They all seemed perfectly reliable. In terms of shot quality, no bismuth shot is perfectly spherical due to the most common production methods. But 3 of the four seemed fairly consistent with only the HEVI-Bismuth being noticeably odd-shaped.

There were some massively larger and mutated looking HEVI pellets.  However, it is worth noting that despite really big and bad looking pellets, those pellets hit the duck sized ballistics get target and were recovered for evaluation. So, the odd shapes and sizes did not seem to hurt performance much. However, overall, the HEVI was the worst patterning shell, and this could very realistically be why.

Price & Availability

When it comes to cost, the prices do fluctuate. BOSS sets their prices, and they are what they are, but others are based on the retailers selling them and when availability is low, prices can go up a lot. All in all, on average BOSS is usually a little cheaper than the others.

The big story here is the options available. Winchester has the fewest options, followed by Kent and HEVI-Shot. But BOSS on the other hand specializes in bismuth waterfowl loads and makes nothing but bismuth. And since they are a direct-to-consumer brand, you can only buy their shells from their website. This may seem like a con initially, but BOSS has 17 different options in 12 gauge alone. Different shot sizes, different payload amounts, different shell sizes, etc.

If you add all the options up including 10-gauge, 16-gauge, 20-gauge, 28-gauge, and .410 bore, they have about 50 different options of shells to pick from. That is amazing and unheard of. Whatever you want, you can have. BOSS is all in with bismuth, and no one can touch their shell options. 

The Winners & Losers

If you look at all the data points and consider all the variables, the best shell for you will depend on what you value most. If you value selection, price, low recoil options and all around performance then BOSS is the best shell. If you value long range pattern density above all else, then Kent or Winchester are in the lead. If you are most interested in the shells you can find at your local outdoors shop then HEVI is most often going to be the winner. If you prefer penetration as the most important piece, then Winchester seems to have a slight edge. 

All in all, I think the two best performing shells tested are the Winchester and the BOSS. Winchester Bismuth has the edge in pattern and penetration while BOSS leads in every other category. If I am jump hunting ducks on the water at range, I will prefer the Winchester. If I am hunting decoying ducks at any regular range then BOSS would be my go-to. For more on the subject of waterfowl ammo, check out my podcast episode: All About Shotguns & Shells For New Duck Hunters.

I should note, that as I write this, BOSS is talking about their newest buffered bismuth shotshell that is not yet available. They are calling it “Project Warchief” and it is designed match the Winchester in pattern and penetration without increasing velocity, recoil, or price. If it does all of that, it will likely be the greatest bismuth shell ever produced. But time will tell. Once it is released, I will work to get some and add it to the test.  Edit: The BOSS Warcheif has been released, here is the full review on the Warchief.

Conclusion & Recommendations 

You cannot go wrong with any of these shells, they are all great performers. My recommendation is to get a box or two of your favorite ones and do some pattern testing with your gun and choke. You need to see how they shoot for you and feel how they shoot. I would absolutely buy a box before ordering a case to make sure you really like whichever one you pick. 

Be sure to listen to The New Hunters Guide Podcast and check us out on YouTube. 

Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!

George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.

The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.

As a note, these shells were provided by YouTube views or bought with my own money, though BOSS has sent me other shells for other tests, and Carlson’s supplied me with this choke tube at my request, thanks to them for their support. 

EP236 Alternative Predator Hunting Weapons & Setups

Hunting predators at mid to long range with a varmint rifle is the regular approach and for good reason. But there are many lesser-known weapons and tactics for hunting coyotes and more. On this episode I talk about the many ways you can hunt predators based on the guns and gear you have, or your thirst for challenge. 

The tools you have and are comfortable with are often the tools you want to use when it comes to hunting anything. That is often the case for predators as well. A shotgun for example can be a good weapon for predator hunting but it changes the way you hunt, the ranges, the tactics, and of course the way you setup your shotgun makes a difference.

Ammo selections, choke tubes, practice routines, sights, and cover all need to be considered well in advance to be effective. The decoy positioning needs to adjust as well because the predators must get close. Your call location and routine may be different, and off course you must judge the wind flawlessly. You have to get the coyote within 100 yards, and usually much closer to get a good clean ethical kill shot.

When using a bow, you have to begin taking into account not just a predator’s excellent sense of smell, but also their keen ears. Trying to get a coyote to come within 30 yards and stop long enough for you to draw, aim, and shoot is a noble challenge under even the best of conditions. Using a red or green flashlight at such short distances is also very difficult.

At 100-200 yards, predator hunting flashlights give you an excellently sized light beam for illuminating your target and limiting their depth of vision. At 20 yards, that same flashlight is more like a laser pointer. Many of the higher quality flashlights give you the ability to adjust the beam density from focused to floodlight but good luck adjusting the focus on the flashlight while keeping it on target and holding and drawing a bow at the same time. For more, here is another podcast episode I did titled All About Predator Hunting Flashlights.

No matter what weapon you use, you have many adjustments to make in order to be effective. And the more you can think about in advance, the better your odds will be. Take using a flashlight again for example, the way this is done with a rifle, vs. a bow, vs. a handgun are very different. Advanced planning and practice are the keys to preparing for different hunting strategies. The key is that you need to practice before you are in the woods to develop effective ways to handle new situations.

Listen to the podcast episode to hear more.

How To Hunt Turkeys Without Decoys & Be Even More Successful

If you watch TV or YouTube it would be easy to think you must have decoys to hunt turkeys. The truth is, in many situations, decoys are a liability for turkey hunters. There are reasons they are almost always used when video recording a turkey hunt, and there are indeed times when using a turkey decoy is beneficial, but for most hunting situations they can do more harm than good.

Since the dawn of turkey hunting until just a few years ago, decoys were not often used. Many turkey hunters chased spring gobblers their whole lives without using a decoy. And when decoys became available, many hunters found them to add little benefit. I am convinced that new hunters should not use a decoy except under a handful of circumstances which I will outline soon.

I am not a decoy hater, I do sometimes hunt with turkey decoys and have shot toms with their assistance, but only under very specific conditions have I found them to be more good than bad. If you rely on decoys then chances are you have adapted your hunting style to one of the specific approaches that benefits from decoys, which is just fine. But in this article, I will share additional hunting strategies that can help you save time, money, and effort by skipping the decoys and being even more successful than if you had used a decoy.

For entry level info on how to hunt turkeys in general, check out this article I wrote: How To Hunt Spring Turkeys – A Practical Beginners Guide.

Why Are Decoys Used In TV Hunts?

There are four main reasons that decoys are so often used in turkey hunting videos online and on TV:

  1. The turkey hunters work for a decoy company. This is pretty obvious, they are making the video to demonstrate that their decoys work so they can sell decoys. They may have had 10 failed hunts but the only one that makes it to you is the successful one to make you feel like this works every day.
  2. The hunters are sponsored by a decoy company. Again, there is money involved to show the decoys on camera and create the perception that they are a must have piece of turkey hunting hardware to bring home a nice tom. 
  3. You need to get turkeys into the frame where the camera can be effectively positioned to film them. And you need to have those turkeys in that spot long enough to get enough footage to make a good video. Decoys can help with this, when they work. Again, you never see all the failed hunts or turkeys that were spooked by the decoys and didn’t come in.
  4. You need to draw turkeys into a very open area where they can be easily filmed, free from brush, clutter, branches, and tall grass. Decoys can help you do this and are valuable if the goal of getting footage is more important than filling your tag.

How Can Turkey Decoys Be A Negative?

The benefit of a turkey decoy seems obvious, the hunter makes turkey sounds and when a real gobbler gets close, he sees what looks like the hen turkey making the calls and comes in to court her. That sounds great, and it does work. But it can cause problems just as often, if not more often. The reason is that this is not how nature works for turkeys. When the tom sees the hen, he often gobbles to get her attention and may strut to show off. The idea is he wants the hen to come to him. That is how it normally works. If a hen wants to breed, she seeks out a gobbler.

So, if an interested tom is lured into an area by a hen turkey calling, he may gobble, but he goes on trying to get close enough for the hen to hear or see him. When he doesn’t see the hen, he keeps looking. This is what brings him within shotgun range. The gobbler only knows the general area he last heard the hen, she may be far away by the time he gets there, but he comes looking, trying to close the distance to get her attention so she will turn and come to him.

When that gobbler sees a decoy, it is as if he accomplished his objective. He closed the distance, and now the hen should come to him. So he stops getting closer, this what it means for a gobbler to get “hung up”. He comes until his sees the decoy or feels he is close enough for the hen to be aware of him, and he waits for the hen to come to him. 

Decoys do still work because sometimes the tom is so eager that he will just walk right up to the hen and try to breed her. But this is more the exception than the rule for how turkeys generally behave.

Carrying decoys around on public land can also be a big safety hazard. To many times a desperate hunter saw a turkey decoy moving through the brush and shot at it irresponsibly, wounding another hunter. For more, here is a podcast episode I did: The 3 Times Turkey Decoys Are A Liability Not A Benefit.

The Right Times To Use Decoys

I find there are a handful of hunting situations where using a turkey decoy is more good than bad. And I will use them under these circumstances.

  • If you are hunting in the middle of a field from a blind, decoys may be what you need to get a gobbler to cross the distance to come to you, or even to pull in a whole group of turkeys. There is not much else you can do to try and get turkeys to cross open ground and come into a wide-open space. They can plainly see if another turkey is there or not. So, if you do not have decoys, it can be very difficult to find success here. 
  • If you are hunting the edge of a big field, you may find decoys beneficial for the same reason. If you want a turkey to come into the open, it helps to give them one or more other turkeys to look at.
  • If you are hunting in clearing in deep woods, especially one surrounded by open hardwoods, the decoy will set a gobbler more at easy because it can connect your yelps and clucks to another turkey. This creates authenticity.

In each of these situations the decoy may hurt you, but not having one may make the hunt nearly impossible. If a turkey looks into a wide-open area and does not see the turkey it hears, that can cause it to spook much easier. So having a decoy is worth the risk. For the last few years, I’ve been using a version of the Primos Hunting Gobstopper Hen and Jake Combo to great effect when hunting in these kinds of places. They are a mid-range decoy that I think provides the most realism and durability for the price. For higher end decoys, Avian-X makes some extremely realistic one, like this Breeder Hen Decoy.

When It Is Best To Not Use Decoys

The best time to not use decoys is essentially every other hunting situation. If you find tress, brush, cover of any sort, then not using decoys is going to be advantageous, even if you can still see a fair way through mature hardwoods. The reason is that there are plenty of obstacles than can obscure the view of the hen the gobbler is looking for. So he keeps searching, trying to make visual contact with the hen. She could be behind any tree or shrub, and he keeps looking.

In these kinds of situations, the chances of a gobbler coming into range looking for his hen are much higher and having a decoy does very little to help you while there is a good chance it will hurt you. If it is too thick, the gobbler may not even see the decoy anyway. Or he may see it and get hung up. So for essentially all hunting in the woods, the odds can be better for you, if you have no decoy.

Of course, a decoy can always work. Anything is possible. But in these situations, I think you will have more success without a decoy, especially if it is a very thick area. Here is a video I did on this exact subject as well:

Strategy #1 – The Strategic Sit

This is one of the most effective turkey hunting strategies, and sadly one that is too infrequently employed. The strategic sit involves heavily scouting an area, possibly even a very small property, and locating high levels of turkey activity via tracks, sightings, droppings, scratches, cameras, or listening. You then strategically select the most advantageous hunting spot and head in there before dawn. You find a good large tree or bank of cover and lean against it to break up your outline.

You wait until you hear early morning gobbling and then reposition yourself to be facing the right direction or shift your location some to get you closer to 150 yards of the roosted birds. You then try to call them in once they land. How you hunt them warrants its own article but the main thing is to always keep something to your back so you blend in as part of the bush or the base of the tree.

If you do not have decoys, you have to be more stealthy and less vocal as the birds get closer. The gobbler will be intently searching for that hen. Which is why this works, he will keep coming closer if he doesn’t find what he’s looking for. If possible, your only move should be to pull the trigger. This hunting style should not be confused with blindly going into the woods and hoping turkeys are near you, unfortunately this is what most hunters do. This is all about strategy and if you do it well, you will come out on top more often than if you were using a decoy.  For more, here is an article I did titled: How To Hunt Turkeys On Small Properties

Strategy #2 – Running & Gunning

Running and gunning is too many people’s favorite way to hunt turkeys, they like it because it’s active, you keep moving and need less patience. Subsequently many people are unsuccessful because they do not know what they are doing and have too little patience… That said, this technique does work. And it works better without decoys much of the time.

You will be covering ground and stopping every 200 yards or so to call. How far you travel should depend more on the terrain and where you can hide well than any specific unit of distance. When you call, you may get an immediate response and have only seconds to take cover before the bird is on top of you. So pick out that spot first, then call and wait.

Be patient, pause, perhaps try a couple different call or sequences of calls, and put some time in between them. If you have reason to believe this is a good area do not be afraid to spend some time here. Too many people call and move on after 30 seconds if there is no gobble. Then 10 minutes later a gobbler is standing right where they were but they never know about it. For more, here is a podcast episode I did titled: How To Hunt Silent Turkeys.

To hunt well like this, you need to be extremely stealthy. Birds often don’t gobble because they heard you walking in, making noise, talking, setting up decoys, etc. Having no decoy means you can travel lighter, quieter, and less distracted. You do not have to setup a decoy every time you call or hear a response while you scramble to figure out what to do. Be stealthy, be patient, find the right place to hide early, and you can have good success. 

Strategy #3 – Ambush Hunting

Ambush hunting turkeys is one of the least favorite techniques of people who do not take a lot of turkeys. They see it as not exciting enough and would rather be walking miles spooking every turkey out of the county than learning where birds move mid-morning or mid-day and lying in wait to ambush them. This technique revolves around scouting and knowing the land and terrain. 

Similar to deer hunting, you are patterning the turkeys, learning their habits, and setting up with total stealth to catch them unaware. If you do not scout, don’t try this, you won’t have the reconnaissance needed to give you the confidence to stay put and wait for the birds to show up. This strategy puts you near the path of the birds, a route they will be traveling anyway. Having a decoy can only cause problems because the birds were going to walk through there anyway. You didn’t need the decoy to do anything, it just becomes a distraction and a liability. 

If you want to take a lot of turkeys, you must adapt to hunt the land an opportunity provided. A good ambush hunt, especially later in the morning or in the day has put a great many turkeys in the freezer.  For more info on how to hunt turkey’s check out this video I did:

Conclusions & Recommendations

There is nothing wrong with hunting turkeys with a decoy. It certainty does work. But turkey hunts on television make it seem like it works much more often than it actually does. If you are hunting in a scenario where decoys are helpful, then use them. But do not limit your hunting to only those situations. 

One of the greatest things about turkey hunting is the amazing variety of ways you can hunt. Build your experience hunting with different strategies and you will be well prepared to adapt to whatever you encounter during the next turkey season.

Be sure to listen to The New Hunters Guide Podcast and check us out on YouTube. 

Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!

George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.

The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.

EP235 Unconventional Winter Goose Hunting Tactics

Everyone knows there is only one way to hunt geese in the winter, right? Not even close! There are many ways to hunt geese and there are many objectives for different hunters in different regions. On this episode I talk about less conventional strategies for taking a goose in the late season!

Unconventional goose hunting usually centers around going to the geese instead of waiting for them to come to you. But there are many variations of a traditional setup, depending on the conditions and locations. You can hunt in broken ice, use fewer decoys, setup in passing areas and many more strategies.

Geese are great for late season hunts because they are less water dependent than ducks in many areas. There are alot of land hunts that can be had. You can also hunt them on land or right at the shore of moving streams and creeks. They are often less picky about how much water is available and are happy to stay mostly on land next to just a little bit of running water. Ducks on the other hand tend toward the opposite which makes geese easier to hunt in colder areas and places with less open water.

If you can identify a handful of areas along a stream or creek that may hold geese, you can setup a circuit and hunt them on foot. If you are able to slowly sneak up on a 3-4 spots in an hour or two, your chances of taking a couple of geese are fairly good. And you do not need to be out hunting hours before dawn to do it. 

One of the big things that helps the waterfowl hunter is a shift in mentality. You do not need to take your state’s limit of birds to have had a successful day. A goose is a sizeable prize. Taking just one in some areas is a great accomplishment and can provide a couple of meals.

Do not set your expectations and tactics based on what you see on TV. A good hunt is a fun hunt. A great hunt puts goose on the table. Taking a limit of birds in some areas may only happen every few years. Set your sights on what is realistic and rewarding for your area.

Listen to the podcast episode to hear the unconventional tactics.  

 

EP234 How To Stay Alive Waterfowl Hunting In Winter – Gear & Tactics

Hunting in the winter is not just difficult, it is dangerous. Things that were an inconvenience in the early season can be life threatening in the cold. On this episode I talk about the most common things that threaten the safety of waterfowl hunters and what you can do to avoid those dangers and live to hunt another day.  

As mentioned in the episode here is the review video for the First Lite Furnace 350 Merino Base Layers.

And here are all of the podcast episodes on Duck Hunting.

The most dangerous things in waterfowl hunting are the water and the cold. And of course, cold water. Firearms are not even close to the chief danger.  If you want to stay alive you need to learn how to use more caution navigating boats, retrieving birds with waders, and anything that brings you close to the water.

The gear you wear in the late season also makes a big difference. Hunting ducks and geese will cause you to get wet, you are around water constantly and sweating almost as often. Moisture plus cold creates big opportunities for hypothermia and worse. Having the right gear for the weather can make a big difference. However, none of it matters if you make even larger mistakes.

Listen to the episode to hear about the tactics and gear that can keep you safe and comfortable in some of the harshest conditions out there.

How To Hunt Deer On Small Properties | Win With Limited Acres

Much of the deer hunting strategy and advice out there is geared toward properties that are 50+ acres. And that is great, but smaller properties require a more nuanced approach, especially when you get down under 10 acres. These small parcels are less forgiving and afford fewer opportunities to attract and hold deer. But the truth is, you can hunt deer effectively on tiny pieces of land, even as small as 1 acre. And this article will help you make the most of those small land opportunities, be them public or private.

This will usually be private land, you almost never see public land areas this small, however you will occasionally find challenging or baren public land that only has a few acres of decent deer habitat in an area. So many of these same tips will help you hunt public land too. If you are new to hunting, then be sure to also check this other article I put together for you as well: How To Start Hunting As An Adult Without Help – Easy 15 Step Guide.

Why Hunt Small Properties?

Years ago I started hunting small properties because that was all I had available to me. There may be 5 acres here or 8 acres there that I could get permission to hunt from friends or family. I had no connections and no success when out on my own trying to get access to 50+ acre areas. Other hunters had those permissions long secured before I came around.

Public land near me proved problematic as the few acres near me were overrun with an endless see pedestrians wearing orange and carrying arms who were calling themselves hunters. My early forays into suburban located public land were both fruitless and dangerous. I have since found many more locations where I could hunt more safely and effectively, but I still mostly hunt small private land properties, though it is for a different reason.

After years of developing strategy, learning the land, improving the habitat, and learning deer patterns, I find unparalleled success hunting on the small properties that I have access to. I have shot 3 nice bucks on my last 3 sits over the last couple seasons. I don’t know anyone in my half of the state who has that kind of an average on any size property, public or private.

But it didn’t start like that, it wasn’t until my third season that I even shot a doe. It would be two more seasons till I finally even saw a legal buck. But once I learned and implemented what I am going to share in this article, things improved quickly and rapidly. In fact, I had 660% more deer activity on one property after just 1 season.  In fact, I did a whole podcast episode just on that: How To Get 660% More Deer On your Property Next Season.

Can Small Properties Be Better Than Big Ones?

The short answer is no. larger properties will generally have more opportunities and potential than smaller ones, as well as more margin for error. You will have to work harder to get comparable results on small pieces of land. And your results will be more impacted by your neighbors. But often you can outdo your neighbors if you work smarter and more strategically.

Your neighbors are not likely going to diligently pursue sound whitetail habitat strategy and will not have the same level of discipline that you can by not over hunting. In fact, you can use your neighbors as a mechanism to push deer on your land. You can become the safe place that the deer run to. But while bigger is generally better when it comes to acres, small properties do provide some advantages you will want to exploit.

Small Property Advantages

Learning Every Inch Of The Land. A benefit of small land is that you can walk, scout, and learn every part of it. And not just learn it once but learn how deer use it year-round. An early season hotspot might be gone by rifle season, and swamp may get no use until late rifle season when the safe places are few. If you can keep an eye on land year-round, you can maximize your hunting potential. 

Fewer Trail Cameras Needed. Many of people with big land need a lot of trail cameras and only have them out for part of the year to minimize wear and tear and battery use. But if you only have two or three cameras on 10 acres, you can save a lot of money and time on camera maintenance and checking. You can then leave your cameras up year-round and learn how deer use the land at all times. Here is a good entry level trail camera that I use.

Mastering The Wind. When your land is small you can become intimately familiar with how the wind effects every stand location, blind, travel or access area. You can know exactly where to hunt during certain winds, and even use the wind to blow your scent off the property and better preserve the little slice of heaven you have to hunt. You can not just learn the wind but master it.

Save Money On Stand Locations. Fewer spots means less investment. Instead of 10 tree stands or ground blinds you may only need two or three. You need each one to count through. And you may opt to build some more permanent structures that require less maintenance after you finish optimizing your land and find the areas that produce the best results. 

7 Things Deer Want

  1. Food – Above all else, deer will come for food. If you have, find, or can add food to your property you can multiply your land’s potential. And it often does not require big food plots, heavy equipment, or major investments. I’ll talk more about this later in the article. 
  2. Cover – Deer must have cover, they will limit their time spent in open areas during daylight, especially as the season wears on. Bucks especially thrive on cover, even when moving. The more cover you have and the longer it lasts through the season, the greater the advantage your parcel can have. 
  3. Bedding Areas – Whitetails must have bedding areas. Does are more tolerant than bucks, and mature bucks are pickier still. But they will want cover, security, and freedom from human scent, sounds, and sights. If you have bedding you will be able to predict daylight movement much better.
  4. Water – Deer usually get most of the moisture they need from their food, but as you get into the rut when deer movement increases and green vegetation becomes scarcer, they will be drawn more and more to water. A stream, pond, or waterhole can be a hotspot for activity at certain times of the year, but only if other sources of water are limited or far away.
  5. Browse – This is a food source, but it is more of a casual food source that deer will munch on around their bedding. This is most often woody shrub tips, briars, and other things they can snack on while waiting for evening to head to their choice feeding areas. If you have browse you can hold more huntable daylight deer. 
  6. Safety – Whitetails gravitate to safety. Sometimes this means areas without traces of humans, other times it means areas they are not being shot at that moment. It will almost always include cover with minimal human intrusion. You can often give deer safety by hunting less than your neighbors and staying off the land during the hunting season except for strategic hunts. 
  7. Travel Corridors – Just like us, deer like to travel the path of least resistance. If you have travel lanes that cut through your property and enable deer to navigate through or around thick areas, elevation changes, impassible areas, fallen trees, etc, then you have a habitat feature that can bring deer to you and funnel their movement. Learn more with this podcast episode: Defining Deer Movement Patterns.

What Kind Of Property Do You Have?

No small properties are going to have all 7 things, in fast most larger ones still do not have all 7 in a meaningful way. But if you have at least one, you can significantly impact deer movement and have a disproportionately high number of deer on your property. If you have 2 or 3 of them, you can do better still.

There are properties that are nothing more than a thin strip of tangled mess between two much larger properties, but they can function as a major travel corridor between the properties. Create a few pinch points and even wasteland can become prime hunting land for when deer cross over. 

If you can identify the type of property you have, and the kinds of attractions there, you can develop a solid whitetail hunting strategy. 

Scouting & Picking Spots

It is much easier to scout fewer acres and find the best spots. But to pick those couple spots you need to identify how deer are u sing your land. They will likely on be on your land at certain times of the day, maybe only during certain parts of the season. More on that later. But to pick a spot you need to scout.

Trail cameras can help a lot after you’ve identified high potential areas. You want to look for significant movement patterns. Not just a few deer tracks here and there, but evidence that deer are frequently in an area. Lots of tracks, droppings, rubs, beds, etc. When you find a high potential area for a stand or blind you should setup a mock scape in the middle of the movement area to help focus the movement and put a trail camera on that spot.

Monitor when and how many deer use the land and use that info to decide if this is a good hunting spot. For more on mock scrapes here is a video: How to Make Mock Scrapes and a podcast episode: When To Setup Mock Scrapes & Trail Cams that I did.

Also consider what the most common wind direction is BEFORE you setup a stand. Ideally you want 2-3 spots on a property that work with different winds. This way you can have at least one spot to hunt no matter what the wind is doing if all other conditions are right. 

How To Sweeten The Land

If you have strong factors that draw deer to your property then perfect. If not, add them. You can add food, water, cover, browse, travel lanes, even safety with relative ease. Bedding areas are not so easy on small parcels, but that is ok. You do not need all 7 draws, just one or more.

The single biggest thing you can do to make a difference is adding food. Cover is second. adding cover can be as simple as taking down some trees so that sunlight can reach the ground and cause growth to spring up. Taking down a few trees and letting some time pass may do the job, and the fallen trees can provide cover in the meantime.

You can also plant switch grass or let parts of fields overgrow. You want cover that does not fall down after the first frost. It should be robust enough to help deer hide through the heart of the hunting season in your area.

I do not view mock scrapes as a way to sweeten a property and attract deer. They work to focus deer movement in an area and help get them where you want for trail cameras and shooting lanes but they are not going to cause deer to go hundreds of yards out of their way. They might go 20 yards out of their way. And that makes them a very handy tool, but the impact is limited. 

Micro Food Plots

If you have a small property then you only have room for small food sources. I am a big fan of micro food plots, maybe 1/2 acre or less. Something very small, even 1/10 of an acre is enough to make a difference. And depending on your area it can be a big difference. 

I often recommend people use white clover because you can plant it easily, without any heavy equipment, and it grows back year after year. So, effort today turns into years of payoff.  Here is a podcast I did focusing in on that specific subject: All About Planting Clover For Deer & Turkey Hunting.

Not everything makes a great micro food plot, and a lot of factors can impact what is best for you. But often clover works really well. Imperial Whitetail Clover is maybe the best clover seed I’ve ever used or heard of, it makes up the majority of what I plant. You do not need much for a microplot, $20 or less is often more than enough.

Planting some fruit trees may also be valuable for your area. Late dropping apples can give you a couple weeks of strong deer draw in areas where competing food plots makes clover or other smaller plantings less impactful.  The bottom line is that it does not take alot to make a meaningful difference. 

The 3 When’s Of Deer Hunting

When is the best time to hunt deer? That is not a hard question to answer but there are several dimensions to it.

Weather. The best weather is immediately following a drop in temperatures. Anything more than about 5 degrees can be helpful, but the bigger the drop, the more the impact. If the morning low is 10 degrees lower tomorrow than its been, that is a great morning to hunt. The reason is that the drop in temperature is refreshing to deer, especially after their coats start to thicken up. They can move around more in daylight without overheating. Here is a short podcast episode with more: The Best Weather Days For Deer Hunting

Time of Day, This changes as the year goes on. In the early season, evenings are generally better. When hot days begin to cool in the evening, deer start to move. In the pre-rut, mornings are generally better because bucks begin to cruise looking for early estrus does. During the rut, all day is a good time to hunt because deer are constantly moving. And in the late season, evenings are usually best because pressured deer often will move little during the day until it starts to get dark, and they go looking for food.

Season. Your property will likely have more deer activity at one point of the season. If you have lots of greenery and soft cover that goes down with the frost, the early season may be better for you. If you have dense hard cover, later in the season may be best as deer have fewer places to hide. You need to find out when your land is at its peak and make sure you focus your time and energy then. I hunt one early season location that is best the first 3-4 weeks of the season. After that, its draw reduces drastically, so I hunt it hard early on and almost always leave with a deer. 

Managing Hunting Pressure

One of the biggest mistakes deer hunters make is overhunting their spots. When you are dealing with smaller properties and fewer spots, this happens much more easily. If you want to have a higher percentage of successful hunts, then you need to hunt less. That sounds like a contradiction but if you hunt a spot more than 2 days in a row, your chances of taking a deer, especially a buck drop dramatically.

Pressure is applied to a property when deer can see, hear, or smell you in a place they do not normally detect people. By a trail they walk, on a food plot, or near a bedding area. Even if you live 200 yards away, they may be perfectly content with moving all around your house, yard and shed. But step 50 yards into the woods and you’ve entered their domain where they do not expect you. Even something that small can impact deer habits. Too much pressure will push deer away from your land or push their activity into the safety of the nighttime.

The best way to manage pressure is leave as little scent behind as possible, use the wind to keep your scent away from deer, and do not be seen or heard in an area. In other words, do not be in the woods near your best hunting spots often.

I never want to hunt the same stand two days in a row. I prefer to not hunt the same location more than once a week in these situations. What will help you doubly here is hunting the weather. If you wait for temperature drops. you will naturally hunt fewer days because only a few days are ideal every couple of weeks. This both gives you the best chance to hunt deer on high movement days, and also helps you keep from burning out your spots on poorer days. For more you should watch my video: Should You Hunt Deer All Day From Dark To Dark? Long vs. Short Hunts.

If you want to hunt more, you need to have more locations. Hunt the weaker locations on the poor weather days and save your prime spots for ideal weather and wind conditions.

How To Ask For Permission To Hunt

People often struggle with getting access to private hunting land. And people with 100-acre farms may get a lot of requests to hunt on their land and just do not want to be asked any more. However, folks with 15 acres may not get many requests at all and may be more approachable to letting someone archery hunt on their land in the early season.

When asking for permissions do not try to ask for lifetime access to a parcel, or even a whole year of access. If you can ask for something smaller, like perhaps a month, you are more likely to gain some consideration. And do not ask empty handed. Offering to pay may or may not be viable for you but offering to help maintain the land is often more valuable to the landowner. See if there is a project you can assist with or do for them. This builds relationships, and relationship can get you more access in the future. 

Then be sure to follow-up by sharing venison, a pie around the holidays, box of donuts in the summer, etc. Build relationship, show you are not a freeloader, and you may end up with a permanent place to hunt and the landowners blessing to plant food or modify the habitat to some degree. 

Conclusions & Recommendations

Having hundreds of acres to hunt deer is nice and a small parcel does start you at a disadvantage, but you can make up much of the difference if you hunt smarter and with more discipline. You can turn a small property into a bustling deer habitat that gives you great levels of success season after season. It will take more strategy, more study, and more planning. But you can actually spend less, hunt less and still have great success if you play the game well. Check out my video on the subject to go even further.

Be sure to listen to The New Hunters Guide Podcast and check us out on YouTube. 

Till next time. God bless you, and go get em in the woods!

George Konetes Ph.D. – Founder and Host of the New Hunters Guide.

The New Hunters Guide is simply what George wishes he would have had when learning how to hunt; a single place to get practical hands on knowledge about different kinds of hunting, gear, strategy, and tips that can improve your comfort and fun factor in the woods.

EP233 How To Stay Warm On The COLDEST Hunting Days

When you hunt the coldest days of the year, half of the hunt is battling the elements, and that is a battle you can win with the right gear and preparation. You do not always need to spend big money on top brand gear either, the biggest thing you can do is follow proven principles. On this episode I talk about the strategies and gear you need to hunt the coldest days of the late season.

Here are some of the resources mentioned in this episode:

When it comes to comfort, acclimating to the cold is an important step that can be easily overlooked. The more time you spend outside in cold weather the more used to it you will become and the more comfortably you will be able to hunt in cold weather. That does not mean your body is better able to withstand the cold, it simply means you no longer need to be in 70-degree temperatures to feel comfortable.

Cold weather gear should consist of two main things, layers and barriers. Layers keep the warmth close to your body, and barriers keep the elements out that would plunder that warmth. You cannot have one or the other in the late season, you must have both. That does not mean you must have the most expensive gear on the market to keep warm, there are many reasonably priced layer and barrier options.  They may not use GORE-TEX or Primaloft but they will do the job almost as well and for a fraction of the cost.

There are some high-end brands that make some tremendous late season hunting gear like First Lite, Sitka, Cabela’s, and many more. But you can get much of the same benefit for a fraction of the cost if you understand what you are looking for in gear and piece together what you need from more modest brands. Don’t let the marketing hype fool you, you can stay warm by wearing almost anything if you understand how to use layers and barriers and pick your materials wisely. It might take more time, research, and knowledge, but you can build late season gear affordably. 

The same layer and barrier philosophy needs to be applied for every piece of gear, not just your parka and bibs. Boots, hats, gloves, facemasks, and everything else should work to keep the warmth in and the elements out. Addition items can be very helpful like hand warmers, body warmers, or even heated vests, socks, and coats. 

Listen to the podcast episode for all of the information.

 

EP232 How To Hunt Deer In January

When the weather, habitat, and food sources fully shift to their winter phase, your hunting strategies should also shift to give you the best possible chance of success in the deer woods. On this episode I talk about how to hunt deer in January and what is unique about that month in the whitetail season.

January is a unique time of the deer season. Everything is different in how the woods look and feel. The cover is gone, the food is scarce, the days are short, and the air is cold. Deer are very much huntable, but they are not in the same places doing the same things they were during the rut. 

Shorter days means less daylight movement, but the deer are still there. In order to hunt them you must see things through their eyes and understand their core needs, namely food and cover. Finding food sources is more important now than ever and finding food near any kind of cover is like finding gold now that woods are bare and empty.

Deer are also less stressed as the busiest time of the hunting season has passed, however due to how wide open the woods are, spooking deer at this time of the season can send them running far away where they might discover better places to hang out. Stealth is of the essence.

If you are hunting deer in January you must realize that the deer are less forgiving. If you make a mistake or push the deer, those particular deer may not return for days or weeks. The season could be over by the time you get another chance at them. This doesn’t mean other deer may not come around but the bottom line is they are more skittish and have to run further in order to find reasonable cover so that they feel safe again.

So strategy and tacks need to change when hunting this time of the year. However, if you are willing to make a few adjustments and hunt this part of the season for what it is, you can be very successful in the deer woods. For some people, this is their favorite time to be out.

Listen to podcast episode for all the info.

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