Whitetail Deer Hunting by the Numbers

• It's safe to say that millions of whitetail deer are harvested each year in North America--the state of Iowa alone reported 142,192 harvested deer in the fall of 2008-09. Though the numbers may seem high, the fact is that each jurisdiction on the continent is responsible for management of deer populations, and strict limits are placed upon the numbers of deer harvested to ensure a sustainable herd.
  
  

Whitetail Bow Hunting

• Broadhead arrow used in deer hunting.tip on an arrow image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
  
  Bow hunting has continually grown in popularity over the years as more whitetail hunters opt for the challenge of getting within the relatively close range required to make a clean kill with a bow. Not only must bow hunters know the habits of deer in the area in which they hunt to be in the right place at the right time, but they must also possess the steady hand and the skill required to make an accurate shot under pressure.
  
  

Muzzleloader

• Like bow hunting, muzzleloaders take hunters back in time, in a sense. The muzzleloader (also known as top-loaders) allows for a hunter to take only one shot before reloading--a process that involves cleaning the barrel, stuffing another round in and refilling the powder charge. In recent years muzzleloaders have been designed to be accurate at greater distances, but ethical hunters still wait for their target whitetail to come within close proximity to ensure an accurate shot and a clean kill.
  
  

Centerfire Rifles

• A 30-30 rifle is a common choice for deer hunting.rifle image by studio vision1 from Fotolia.com
  
  By far the bulk of the hunting population harvest whitetail deer during the open season when centerfire rifles are allowed. Their use for whitetail deer, however, is entirely dependent on location. Certain jurisdictions prohibit centerfire rifle use because of proximity to human population and others disallow them because, frankly, it's too easy to shoot a deer with a rifle that can be accurate at 300 yards. Where centerfire rifle hunting is prohibited, most often there is still an open season for muzzleloaders, bow hunting or shotguns.
  
  

Whitetail Deer Hunting Strategies

• The most reliable way to increase chances of a successful hunt is to study the habitat and habits of the deer. Whitetail hunting is allowed only in autumn and winter, generally from around the beginning of October to the end of January. Bow hunting season in most jurisdictions runs the longest, and the rifle season typically lasts only one or two weeks. A hunter must know how, where and why deer move; in the fall, there are really only two factors that dictate movement--food sources and mating. As the nights grow colder and winter approaches, mating season comes into full swing and whitetail bucks are in hot pursuit of breeding does. Deer are creatures of habit, so good hunters will take advantage of regularly used trails where signs of deer movement exist and watch those areas closely.