By Matthew Weiser and Tim H. Martin
Part I: Pay Attention to Blue Jays:
When hunting, if you hear blue jays making a ruckus, there might be some deer coming your way. So, pay attention to the direction of their noises. — By Matthew Weiser
Part II: More on Nature’s Alarms:
Experienced hunters pay attention to local animal behavior to predict the approach of whitetails as well as other big game species.
A fussing bird, as Matthew mentioned, is a sure sign to perk up and get one hand on your bow or rifle. But birds aren’t the only things to listen for.
Throughout the years, my hunting senses kick into high alert whenever I hear ANY disturbance, no matter how subtle. I pay attention to squirrels barking, sticks popping, ducks, quail or other birds flushing, distant splashing, activity from neighborhood dogs, or even spells of unusual silence. Nature has its own set of alarms, if you pay attention.
One neat instance comes to mind while on a spring black bear hunt in Saskatchewan.
I’d struggled to stay awake in the stand after seemingly endless hours of seeing nothing. Late in the afternoon of the third day, the cameraman who was filming my hunt suddenly nudged me into wakefulness. I became instantly alert, but saw no bear.
“What the heck?” I quizzed.
“Hear that?” he said, craning his ear to one side.
“Hear what?” Then it occurred to me a tiny red squirrel was chirping nearby.
The cameraman whispered. “They always do that when a bear is coming.”
Sure enough, moments later, I spotted my future bear rug waddling deep in the aspens, but at an awkward angle to the camera.
The alarm from our rodent friend gave us time to get a game plan together and move into a better position.
Because we did not disregard that little squirrel, we were not caught off guard. We had time to capture lots of footage and I was given an unhurried opportunity to prepare for a steady and humane shot.
I could write about countless similar instances with whitetails, but I’ve run out of space! — By Buckmasters Tip Editor Tim H. Martin
— Photos courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service