Preparing for Ohio White Tail Season

Hunting is a recreational sport that plenty of people enjoy, especially in the United States. In Ohio and some of the neighboring states, the most popular game are deer. In specific, the whitetail deer. You might know them as a pest that destroys your garden if you try to plant tulip bulbs.

While the season is still a little way away, we can use the summer months to prepare for it. Not sure how to make the most of it? That’s okay. I’ll be explaining how you can best get ready for deer hunting season if you’re in Ohio or a neighboring state.

When is Whitetail Season?

There is not necessarily a blanket answer to this question. You can find the specific details here: https://www.eregulations.com/ohio/hunting/deer-hunting-regulations. Be sure to check your county or municipality for the rules and regulations there in regard to how many you can bag.

Now, depending on your weapon of choice, the season opens sooner or later. Archers get the first opportunity, while gun wielders must wait until later in the autumn. You should also educate yourself on what time of day you can hunt: that being thirty minutes before sunrise and thirty minutes after.

Getting Ready for it

Here is the meat and potatoes – what you really came here for.  As you’re prepping for the season, keep a few things in mind.  Let’s start off simple.

Tune Your Rifle or Bow

You should not wait too long to sight your bow or rifle before autumn rolls around. Make sure to keep it maintained long before then and practice with it working correctly at a shooting range if that is available to you. That way, you won’t run into trouble when it is time to begin.

Gather Intel

Now, this can mean a few different things. First, you could talk to any of the farmers that are in the area. Because they manage livestock and crops and spray pesticides (in some cases), they tend to have a good idea of what the deer nearby are doing.

Maybe they have seen where bucks are foraging, for example. However, anyone who lives out near the woods could be a valuable resource. Don’t hesitate to talk to friends and neighbors to get valuable insights!

Be sure not to ignore the does, though. If you watch them and their patterns, you can get a better sense of how deer operate in general. Maybe one of their kids will grow into a large buck, too! 

Get the Proper Gear

What do I mean by this?  Well, it could be setting up cameras in the area you want to hunt in. It also refers to the clothing you wear. Camouflage is a classic choice for a reason – it helps you blend in with your surroundings as you hunt.

Another facet of this is to ensure that you will not be detectible due to something like your smell.  Try to use soaps or scents that are mild or natural. This will help ensure that the deer won’t detect you via their sense of smell.

Of course, you want to maintain all your weapons as well. This includes a hunting knife. Make sure it is sharpened before you go out on the field!

Decide Where You Want to Hunt

This is one of the most important steps. You could try a private space to hunt Ohio Whitetail, like a farm or something like that. This will help to ensure that you bag at least one buck to take home and proudly display (if that’s your thing). If that sounds like a good option for you, make sure to research it!

Now, if you are going to go with the natural route of setting up in the woods, you will probably want to clear the pathway that you want to use. Don’t do this too early, since vegetation might sprout up again. However, about a month prior you could go out and clear some of the sticks or other things to step on.

If you break twigs or sticks in the middle of the hunt, it could scare off your prey. Getting around will also just be more difficult if you don’t. I would recommend it.

Learn about Deer

Maybe this one sounds unnecessary. Why should you study them that closely if you’re just going to be hunting them? Well, getting a better understanding of their “language” can really help you prepare for the season.

What I mean by this is both the different calls they make and their body language. You don’t need to know absolutely everything, but a general handle on this stuff can certainly serve you well. It will at least assist with locating and tracking the whitetails.

Remember the Best Practices

Don’t wait too long to shake off the rust if you are a veteran hunter. Now, if you’re new, you should still keep all of this in mind. Anyone interested in hunting can benefit from these tips.

One of them is to let the deer run if you miss your first shot. Don’t waste time chasing after that first one that you see and aim at. Even if you do connect, don’t chase immediately.

Usually, a wounded deer will not run too far away. However, if you are going tearing off after it, it might go further than you want. Exercise patience.

Honestly, that is probably the best advice I can possibly give no matter where you go to hunt whitetails this upcoming season. Don’t try to rush things. Patience is truly a virtue in this activity.  For more details, you could look at this site: https://www.northamericanwhitetail.com/editorial/10-ways-to-prepare-for-deer-season/263003.

Something else you might want to do is to bring your lunch with you. If you leave for lunch, you’re losing valuable time. Especially if you are competing with others – take advantage of them leaving and bag a high-value target if you can!

This season is coming faster than we think. Before we know it, it will be September, October, and November. Don’t wait too long to consider these things!