REASONS HUNTERS DON'T TAKE DEER

Brian Pearson is the lodge manager at The Roost near Aliceville, Alabama. Each day of deer season, both bow and gun, Pearson guides hunters who take whitetail deer. Over the years Pearson has learned why some hunters take bucks and others don't. In today's information, Pearson gives you his secret for bagging a buck once you've spotted him.

Question: How long have you been hunting deer?

Answer: 25 years.

Question: How long have you been the lodge manager of the Roost?

Answer: Four years.

Question: Tell me about your three-second rule.

Answer: My dad taught me this rule when I was 9 or 10 years old. Once you see a big deer, you've got three seconds before something goes wrong. It's not always that way, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Question: What do you tell a hunter to do in those three seconds?

Answer: I tell him to identify the deer he wants to take, take a deep breath and hold it. Then he needs to pick a spot and squeeze the trigger. If you'll follow these steps during three seconds, you'll take more bucks more often.

Question: What is your routine?

Answer: Every time you click the safety off to kill a deer, go through the same routine. You can practice at the rifle range: click the safety off, hold your breath, squeeze the trigger - whatever works for you. If the buck's a big one, and you've already established that, there's no need to look at his spread and count his points. Pick a spot on the deer, concentrate and go through your routine. I had a note card that I actually taped to the stock of my gun with the list of steps in my routine. It sounds foolish, but if you read it every time you shoot, even while practicing on the rifle range, it will become habit. Eventually you'll do go through the steps without thinking about them.

Write Brian Pearson at The Roost, P.O. Box 509, Aliceville, AL 35442, (205) 373-3147, to learn more about hunting deer.

Check back each day this week for more from Brian Pearson.

Day 1 - Reasons Hunters Don't Take Deer
Day 2 - How To Look For Deer
Day 3 - How To Avoid Spooking Deer
Day 4 - Know And Understand Your Gun
Day 5 - Why You Shouldn't Give Up On A Hunting Area

John's Journal