Do You Have a Deer-Hunting Superstition?

Posted At : August 31, 2010 9:32 AM | Posted By : Mike Hanback
Related Categories: Big Deer Blog

Mike: In all the deer camps you have been in, how many crazy or not so crazy superstitions have you come across? Hunters tend to have little things they carry or do that they believe will tip the scale in their favor--from putting on a game face, to wearing certain clothing or a hat... Many years I have not shaved until the first deer is down! Get this: The fella that taught me to hunt thought it was a complete jinx to carry a camera or knife into the woods, he saw it as sign of overconfidence that a kill would take place.

Curious to see what the fellow bloggers might do to sway the odds in their favor. Is there a gizmo, lucky rabbit's foot or routine that I should know about before the season comes, ha!--Thanks,
Flatlander (check out his lucky hat in the picture)

I have 2 to start. Every day before each hunt, I touch the tip of the broadhead or bullet I'm using. An old-timer taught me to do that years ago, said it made good karma run from your body to your weapon. I don't know about that, but I still do it.

Also, in every camp I go to, I pick a chair at the eating table and sit there for EVERY meal until I kill a buck, no exceptions. If somebody is in my chair, I wait until they are finished. Sitting in a different chair every meal is bad luck, man! Pick your spot and stick with it till you shoot your deer.

What's your superstition? comment

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Not a superstition, but I've shot 3 deer in my 12 years of hunting, and for every one I forgot my deer drag back at camp. Other than that, we all try to grow a beard for our 10 days in Maine. The 1st time we did that I shot my first buck. I still think it's all just dumb luck though. :)

Dan

# Posted By Dan D. | 8/31/10 9:51 AM

I walk to my deer stand be it a tree or ground blind...then I walk 3 times around the base of it, the last one backwards! Works like a charm I don't always kill a deer that day but often enough that I'll not stop doing it.

# Posted By Lap Dog | 8/31/10 10:29 AM

I don't have any hunting superstitions. At least none that I am aware of. However, one of the spots I hunt, there is a white cat that walks around hunting in the same field. Everytime I have seen him, within 5 minutes I have seen deer, usually a nice buck. Once, the buck even stopped & let the cat walk down a log before he proceeded. Maybe the buck was superstitious, too. I know one thing, I never pulled the trigger in that field the entire season. Maybe the deer are onto something.

# Posted By Curt | 8/31/10 10:57 AM

I always break up one of my cigars and bury the tobacco under an oak tree near my stand. I also always light a cigar after a kill and blow the smoke to the four winds and into the deer's nose to release it's spirit back to the land.

# Posted By Rodger | 8/31/10 11:35 AM

I few time while driving to hunting spots, one of my favorite songs came on the radio and I had very successful days. So now I play that sonf off my CD. Not everyday, just once in a while to summon a good day. Metallica - Enter Sand Man. (Yeah, its heavy, but I love it)

# Posted By Silverback | 8/31/10 12:13 PM

Exit light............
That get's me too pump up to sit still.

# Posted By Curt | 8/31/10 12:17 PM

Just another reason I like you Curt, we seem to have a bunch of things in common. We should get Hanback to listen to it and maybe make it the theme for his show opener. Off to never never land.........

# Posted By Silverback | 8/31/10 12:31 PM

That cat's a Dave Mason fan. I think his head would explode if we dropped some Metallica on him!

# Posted By Curt | 8/31/10 12:35 PM

Hey, I can go metal, AC/DC or Ozzy??

# Posted By hanback | 8/31/10 12:41 PM

Hanback, If you can do AC/DC, you can give Metallica a try. Just have that medi alert button close, just in case.

# Posted By Silverback | 8/31/10 12:45 PM

that's funny!!!! " i've fallin and i can't get to the volume button"......
Metal is good but nothing beats listening to Nuge on the way to the stand "Fred Bear" or "Sunrize"

i'm not really superstitious but i do have my habits .......and when one works.........i'm not changin"!! :)

# Posted By Flatlander | 8/31/10 12:50 PM

I've got a couple: This might seem weird, but I ALWAYS draw a smiley face on my chosen bullet that goes into the chamber of my rifle every year- and i stick with the same round for the whole season. I also keep a couple of cigars on hand for luck. Years ago, I would wear a PSE t-shirt that read "Happiness is a full tailgate" every opening day. I NEVER shot a deer wearing that shirt, so I won't even wear it anymore.

# Posted By Chad S. | 8/31/10 12:52 PM

Fred Bear is a great tune! Uncle Ted is a beast!

# Posted By Curt | 8/31/10 12:59 PM

dble drops love the marquette t shirt im there right now i shoot 6 arrows right before i hunt and the day i shot mu biggest buck i robin hooded the last one. also on the way to a stand there is an old horse shoe welded to a fence i touch it everytime i walk past.

# Posted By ian in wisconsin | 8/31/10 1:18 PM

I carry a homemade wing bone turkey call in my shirt pocket. My Grandfather made it years ago and told me it always brought him luck. I have carried each season since his passing in 1982. Comes in handy when turkey season is in as well.

# Posted By Buddy in South Central Viginia | 8/31/10 3:46 PM

I seem to pick articals of clothing for my lucky gear. If i am trying or wearing somthing new and i shoot a deer while wearing
it, it becomes lucky. Dad and i have the same looking shirt that we have worn for years for gun hunting. I have this long sleeve t-shirt
i have been wearing while bowhunting for about 12-14 years now. It has blood stains on it and is getting wore out but i wash it
every year and keep using it as a layered shirt when its cooler out....cant give it up man. I might even have to find a place on the wall
for it at some point if i retire it and get a new lucky one.
My last piece of lucky clothing is my Big Deer black hat that i shot a buck with while rifle hunting two years ago.

# Posted By Scott from MI | 8/31/10 5:34 PM

Indian,

Now that's what I'm talking about! I'll even through in some Bill Monroe and Wilburn Brothers as well!

# Posted By Buddy in South Central Va | 8/31/10 7:55 PM

That should say "Throw"

# Posted By Buddy in South Central Va | 8/31/10 9:26 PM

Funny stuff. I put my layers and hunting clothes on the exact same way and order. Will start over if I mess it up. I stick with the same arrow until a deer is down and will continue to use it if it survives.

I'm with Buddy and Indian. Bluegrass baby! Old Crow Medicine Show and the Avett Brothers right now. Still love Ralph Stanley, though. No other voice like his.

# Posted By DougInWisconsin | 8/31/10 10:19 PM

I have sentimental items in my pack, most of which were my grandfathers. He got me hooked on the outdoors.
Gotta have my twix bars, the small ones. One a hunt!!!
I agree with jamming to Uncle Ted on the way....."There I was, back in the wild again...."

# Posted By Buckwheat | 8/31/10 11:16 PM

I dont really have any superstitions, but i have noticed a few things that happen around a good hunt. Whenever i wear a new article of clothing to the bush, something good happens and i used to buy a choclate milk before every morning hunt, one day i forgot and shot my first deer haha. I would rather depend on skill than luck or charms.

# Posted By Cam | 9/1/10 2:31 PM

I polish and hug on my cartridge a bit before loading

# Posted By Mack | 9/1/10 2:54 PM

Cam, did you say 'Lucky Charms'. Good stuff there. I think that the rituals and mini-traditions can make it fun if you hunt with a companion or two. Last year my brother shot deer immediately after arrowing squirrels out of his stand. I know, a bit reckless, but it worked. So.......watch out my little grays.

# Posted By ChadMS | 9/2/10 11:18 AM

Neat thread to follow. Not getting shot is my only superstition. Need to go to work Monday.

# Posted By Andrew Mooers | 9/16/10 8:25 PM

my superstition is every year since my son was just knee high, we put up a tire swing in the tree i hang my deer in. the first year i was in a slump.i had seen deer but, couldn't seal the deal. i had to make the tire swing before the afternoon hunt. i was joking with my mother saying that the swing won't be up there long! that night i sat in a homemade blind that i had thrown up after seeing a six point and decent doe coming out a trail near my spot. i whack them both!! every year now i make sure the swings up. I've been out three times so far,and bagged my first deer on my second day. ;-) as a matter a fact, i just got done processing it. i have to go hang that swing up!! i saw two nice ten point Friday night. i think one has my name on it.

# Posted By charles stevens | 9/19/10 6:53 PM

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