No matter how sophisticated the technology, hunters are not successful 100 percent of the time. Bob Grewell relies on his senses, much like deer do, to beat them at their own game.

Use your senses

There are no sacrificial lambs when it comes to tagging whitetail bucks, because deer aren’t pushovers. Their senses, habitat familiarities and cautions don’t mold them into easy targets. Obviously, their hearing, eyesight and sense of smell are innate tools that increase their ability to survive. But hunters have these senses, too. Maybe not as attuned as deer’s, but you have senses, too. Every time we hunt, we must re-learn to listen carefully, watch every aspect of the landscape, and stop to study the woodland surroundings.

There’s no doubt that whenever hunters invade the configurations of deer habitats, our main focus is normally on mature bucks. Even skilled hunters can become so attuned to daily human social activities, we overlook how deer survive every day. You can dress in perfect camo. You can be an expert shot. You might have the ultimate location to hunt bucks. But, hunter senses will usually be the key to scoring. Hunters must stay focused when hunting any diverse foliage environment.

Listen, watch, learn

The three best words that can improve hunter successes are, “listen—watch—learn.” Perhaps constantly analyzing for deer color, shape and movement all around your stand. Forget about one’s social life and electronic tools. As hunters enter deer habitats, we quickly become transformed into human predators. Like deer, we must use all our senses if we are to spot bucks before they are within shooting range.

Forget about listening for your cell phone to ring. Carefully study the landscape. and do so carefully. If we expect to hunt with skill, we must become students of the outdoors.

Continue to expand your knowledge. There’s no doubt deer can communicate with us; it’s true! They obviously don’t do this intentionally. But if we are observant while hunting, we will learn that deer often indicate their next move through a form of sign language. Whitetail body gestures can inform us of their reactions. This so-called “sign language” often points out their responses to various stimuli.

Be observant

Hunting success involves more than just “aim and shoot.” Train yourself to study their ears, tail, nose, rump hair, leg movements; the way they carry their body. Watch as a startled deer explodes into a run to reach the security of dense cover, or simply move far enough away to avoid imminent danger. Often, they simply stand and study the landscape. They generally won’t run if they can walk and to avoid detection, they will remain motionless. This is particularly true when unexpected intrusions occur within dense cover. Hunters undoubtedly walk past more deer than they realize because of a whitetail’s refusal to expose itself.

Every deer’s tail tells a tale, too. Experienced hunters are aware of the importance of a deer’s tail for communicating. Obviously, when a tail hangs naturally, this is a clue they’re relaxed. And, while feeding with their head lowered, they usually twitch their tail from side-to- side before raising their head. However, when their tail is flipped-up to a vertical position, the animal is about to make a hasty retreat. Then, when their tail is tucked into their rump, it’s a signal they’re uncertain. If other deer are nearby, they might become alarmed, as well. Even erect body hair provides a signal. If a deer is standing motionless, then suddenly the white rump hairs flair-out, get ready. These actions reveal they are about to flee.

Whitetails use many parts of their body to express themselves. Study a cautious buck before he prepares to leave woodland cover and cross an open field. Statue-like in appearance, he will rotate his head to review the landscape. If other deer are nearby, they will watch his body gestures to determine if there’s danger. Therefore, don’t just look at a buck’s rack and body size. Study his subtle sign language. If we pay close attention to how deer use body gestures, we can make educated decisions when determining shot timing.

Watch does, too. I arrowed a six-point buck one cold December morning after watching a doe milling below my stand. She continuously turned her head to look behind her. Therefore, I was certain there had to be other deer behind her. Fortunately, there was a buck.

How will you hunt deer this year? Will you try to fool their keen sense of smell and dupe them with liquid scents? Maybe you’ll use a grunt tube or rattling racks and communicate with sounds? Why not learn whitetail body sign language? Your intimate awareness will improve detailed consciousness of whitetail’s activities through your understanding of their body sign language and how they rely on their senses, thus expanding your wisdom of deer behavior.

Learn hunting methods you may not have considered in the September issue of MidWest Outdoors, available the first full week of September at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.