HOW TO LOOK FOR DEER

Editor's Note:

This week we're talking with Brian Pearson, the lodge manager at The Roost in Aliceville, Alabama, a longtime deer hunter.

- John E. Phillips -

Question: How do you look for deer?

Answer: Stay still. You should be looking for movement, not moving yourself. Move just your eyes instead of turning your head to look.

Question: How do you know what to look for?

Answer: You need to get in tune with your environment and watch for horizontal movement. Look for a parallel line about waist-high. That will be the deer's back.

Question: What else do you look for?

Answer: Look for the white of the deer's horns and the white inside the deer's ear. Once you see movement, check it out with your binoculars. A good pair of binoculars is the best equipment I've found that helps when looking for deer.

- John E. Phillips -

Question: Can you think of anything else to listen or look for when you're hunting deer?

Answer: Yes, look for a strange limb poking out from the bottom of the tree that may be a deer's leg. Listen for squirrels barking or bluejays scolding. Listen too for the sound of deer walking, grunting, antlers clashing or a doe bleating. Your ears are almost as important as your eyes to let you know when a deer's close by.

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