The hunter had been sitting in the tree stand since daylight and hadn’t seen a deer. It was almost 1 p.m. now and cold, hunger and discouragement was setting in. Where had the deer all gone? He checked his cell phone and began texting his friends to see if they were having any better luck.
The sudden snapping of a twig made him look up, a beautiful buck with wide heavy horns trotting by him, broadside, at 30 yards. How did he get so close?
He grabbed for his rifle, but couldn’t find the deer in the scope, finally catching a glimpse of the buck before it disappeared into the brush and jerked the trigger.
Nothing happened! He’d forgotten to take the safe off in his hurry.
Our poor hunter went home without a deer, unhappy and downhearted.     
I’ve seen a lot in my years of deer hunting and reviewing my experiences and others, certain skills have to be mastered before you can stand any chance of bagging a deer by yourself.
It is surprising how many details a hunter has to remember in one or two short seconds. When a big buck appears, or even a doe for that matter, events unfold very quickly.
A hunter on stand must keep eternally vigilant. It’s critical to see the deer coming in time to prepare for a shot. Your head has to be on a swivel, looking all around and behind you. It is hard work, takes concentration and discipline to remain constantly alert. When you get tired or lazy and lose your edge, it’s then that the deer surprises you at close range, sees you raising your rifle or simply gets past you before you can react.
If you do see a deer coming are you prepared to take that fleeting shot? Have you prepared a rest? Can you use a handy limb or shooting sticks to steady your aim? Have you closely examined the woods around you and identified openings through the trees clear enough to shoot through and wisely trimmed limbs and brush to create shooting lanes? These preparations are a must for consistent success.
Another critical factor many neglect is becoming totally familiar with your rifle or shotgun. I bought a close acquaintance a rifle a few years back. He was thrilled, but like any newcomer to the sport wasn’t entirely sure how to handle the rifle or how to mount it properly to be looking perfectly down the barrel at his target. I told him to play with his new rifle every day; take the safety on and off, throw it up, take it down, swing left and right and continue to do so until his head automatically centered itself on the stock with his dominant eye looking squarely down the scope at his target.
About a month later I asked his wife if he was doing as I asked.
“Good grief!” she exclaimed, mixed notes of humor and exasperation in her voice. “He has that thing out all the time. He’s driving me crazy whipping it up and down, working that bolt back and forth!”
A week or two later we went shooting and there was no doubt he’d done his homework. As we prepared to fire I saw he held the rifle easily in his hand, at its balance point. He loaded it quickly and efficiently and when he threw the gun up to his shoulder the gun was part of him. He quickly was hitting the bullseye from the bench and a 6-inch circle from the sitting and kneeling positions; the gun had become a familiar friend, not just metal and wood.
Let’s replay the opening scenario the way it should have happen.
Our hunter is cold and hungry, but he still forces himself to look constantly around. It is almost 1 p.m., the time many hunters will be returning to the woods after lunch. For what seems like the thousandth time he looks behind him and sees a flicker of motion and then a deer.
His heart races, but he carefully grabs his rifle, kneels on the stand and picks an opening in front of the deer. Horns flash and he sees it’s a big buck. He rests on a limb in front of him aiming down the shooting lane, double checks the scope, making sure it is on four power and takes off the safety. The rifle is aimed exactly where it should be and without moving it he raises his head off the stock and rotates it slightly to keep an eye on the buck. When the buck is six feet from the opening he lowers his head and is instantly looking through the center of the scope just as he has practiced so many times.
The buck enters the field of view, when the crosshairs touch the front of his chest he quickly squeezes. Wham! The rifle roars, belting him in the shoulder, the muzzle jumping skyward. Our hunter never hears the shot or feels the recoil for the buck is down. He’s done it: the buck is his and what a beauty!
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Take the time to train yourself and your young hunters on safe gun handling, the ability to use it quickly and accurately while preparing your stand for a clear shot. The rewards are well worth the effort.