I am a firm believer of no eye contact. I could be wrong but have enough experiences even well beyond bow range to think there is not something to it.

The tip about them dipping their heads down and you think you're good just for them to raise it up again and catch you moving is spot on. That's gotten me in the past.

Eyes in front,born to hunt.Eyes on the side born to hide...Deer know!

As far as deer's sight, I've always felt eye contact and the human form were the worst triggers for them. Two eyes on the front of our head indicates a predator. Same with the standing human shape. I've been able to crawl on hands and knees straight toward them in the open, keeping my head down, to within about 10 feet as it's a different shape they don't find as threatening.

As a female, the eye contact thing occurred to me a little differently. I will slowly close my eyes until I’m looking through my lashes (basically a squint). I can still see, and I don’t feel the need to blink. I agree completely that it’s a little creepy to look some thing in the eye when you’re close enough to kill it with a bow, ha.

Terrific video editing. That picture-in-picture effect was awesome. It can be very informative to just be around deer even in the off-season to see how they do these things

"It's a fine line between taking risks, and being too passive." You nailed that one, just like that doe. Extremely useful clip here. I remember before I shot my fist deer, I was way too passive, waiting for the perfect opportunity, and shaking like crazy. I also believe that when you start the process of drawing your bow, your nerves calm down a bit too. Well done!!!

I’ve been bow hunting for 48 years and this is spot on, very solid advice and demonstration video. Yes eye contact especially with a deer that’s already suspicious of your position is to be avoided at all costs. I’m extra cautious and always wear a face mask of some sort, my experience is they spot you significantly less if you have a mask, they seem to have a face recognition instinct. I use a mesh face mask in warm weather early season and then a balaclava in mid to late season, keeps you warm while absolutely shutting off the cold air getting to your head and neck, give it a try. Practice shooting with whatever mask you go with. Happy Hunting!

When deer are close and looking my way, I squint my eyes nearly closed, but still can see. For a fact it makes a difference. Never lock eyes with them. 58 years of deer hunting with bow and still trying at 81.

My first deer was a spike this year, instinctually stayed perfectly still and looked slightly away from him. Stood in my stand for 40 minutes and he occasionally jumped and ran away but would come back after not seeing anything. Super spooky deer but I never confirmed his fear and ended up with a heart shot at 15 yards

Years ago my dad taught me the exact thing about eye contact. He told me that we have predator eyes. He was right!

Yes, avoiding eye contact is critical. I have gone so far as to almost close my eyes entirely when they get close; sometimes with just a squint of day light coming through. I can't tell you how many times doing so has helped me disappear from their sight. Great video, showing patience and deer knowledge. Which you have certainly learned over many, many trial and errors. True skill here. Thanks for sharing.

Absolutely no eye contact. I agree 100%. You handled this exactly the way I would've handled it. Another tip I'd share: if the deer is walking you can smoothly move at a speed that matches the deer's speed. If they are slowly walking, you can slowly move and if the deer is moving more quickly, you can move more quickly too. The reason for this, is because the trees are obviously stationary, but since they are varying distances from the deer, their depth perception of each individual tree is unique and that mimics movement as they walk -- closer trees seem to be moving faster than trees in distance. You're just trying to blend in with that natural artificial movement of the trees. However, the moment the deer stops, you must stop on a dime.

Yup, if a deer sees two eyes, it gets nervous. You can close one eye and that helps, if they're still nervous, close both eyes, count to 10 or 20, then squint through 1 eye.

As a new hunter, 5 years, i try to learn as much as I possibly can before going out each hunt. Glad i saw this video because i never knew that they would duck their heads and go back up as quickly to paint the picture.

My son got his first buck with almost the same technique. It took probably 5 min. to get all setup for the shot, but we just did it all while we stared at the buck. We moved when he looked away and froze when he looked at us. I agree that leaning towards the aggressive side seems to work more often.

I squint my eyes almost close if one looks at me. I think they can pick your eyes out before focusing on anything else while your still and not moving. I have blinked one time while looking at a doe from maybe 25 to 30 yards and spooked it. I think she saw me blink no doubt. Because in my opinion she was trying to make eye contact. Just almost closing your eyes makes you face look not so much like a face.

The thing about the head bobbing is that it’s not just to catch you moving, deer can also see about 270 around their head so they are also trying to spot your silhouette against the backround. 👍

Im SO glad you mentioned the eye contact thing… ive noticed avoiding eye contact makes all the difference in settling down a suspecting doe/buck. They try to pic up the movement in your eyes . Ever since i made it a Habit of not making eye contact ive been busted far far less.

I squint when eye contact is made, I close my eyes as much as possible, but still watching the deer. Has worked every time

Brother that was an excellent video. Super well done overall. Good explaining, good visual examples, and in general the points you made were spot on to a lot of my own experiences that I just didn't know how to put into words. I learned something today so thank you!

Thank you for this video. Great explanations and descriptions. Eye contact: never gaze eyeball to eyeball with a prey species or predator. Look to their left or right or at their feet but not their eyes. Think about it folks, when someone is staring at you, can’t you feel it?

I am glad you said something about eye contact! I definitely freeze and avoid eye contact in those situations.

Great video. Eye contact has busted me several times and conversely, avoiding eye contact in these situations has paid great rewards!

This just happened to me recently, she had to 2 big bucks behind her, but what you did was perfect, that’s how you need to do it I’ve already got does so I could not take the one in front of me, unfortunately the night set in and I had no shot but I just stayed in my stand til I could hear them walk away , I didn’t want to bust them getting down. Also appreciate the video of taking a doe and not saying “I need to wait for that mature 10 pointer”. There’s a difference between Trophy hunter = bragging Meat hunter = putting venison in the freezer.

You may consider rigging something where at the push of a button a noise (or a motion) is made in the woods at the opposite side of the clearing. Noticeable enough to attract attention but not frighten the deer. This will make the deer look the opposite way and allow you to aim and pull the bow.

That part about putting their head down then snapping it back at you is SO TRUE! they all do this! I learned it as a kid. I had a doe keep popping her head around a bush at me over and over and I was like "she is trying to trick me! wow!" I learned right then! I squint my eyes when they look at me!

Yes! I did as you said this past Monday and it did work!! Patience paid off and the arrow ...flew.

Great video. Took a nice six point a few days ago ding exactly that. Totally agree on the eye contact. Also, deer cant recognize movement if its coming straight at them as long as it slow and quiet. During off season I came upon 2 doe at 40ish yards. Slowly walked directly at them while they were staring at me. At 15 yards I took one sideways step and they bolted.

Great tip! I actually used this technique this morning while in a chair blind with a crossbow. The doe was a regular at this feeder and saw the chair blind as an unusual thing. She stomped, huffed once and moved her head every which way. I enjoy observing animal behavior, it amuses me, but I digress. I froze and kept my head low and was eventually able to get the shot.

This was awesome. Thank you

Had to find this video again.......litteraly helped me get my deer today with what you said......thank you much!

Can confirm that not moving, but making eye contact will run deer off. As a novice hunter It's happened to me every time I was spotted in a tree. Now I know not to make eye contact. Thanks for the video!

I was wondering about eye contact and then you mentioned it. I do everything you did in that video when it comes to movement. As for eye contact I'm w/ you. Once I've been busted and I can't look away, I will slowly squint my eyes to avoid eye contact until I can find my window to slightly look away. I think to myself if I was looking a dog right in the eyes what would happen. He or she would either run or attack. I don't think the deer will attack (LOL) but I'm afraid they will run. Great video...thanks for sharing and thanks for confirming that I am doing the right thing in the woods.

Great advice and great video. NO EYE CONTACT is correct. Especially if someone has had cataract surgery, your eyes are like a mirror or light if the light catches them at the right angle. Good advice.

This is an excellent demonstration. I love this video.

If they're looking at you squint. They can absolutely see your eyes moving or just in general. As long as you're squinting you can make eye contact, but you'll probably make the seconds feel like hours and your adrenaline spike so you'll shake. I only look away if I need to take a moment to compose myself but I prefer to stay looking at the deer the entire time. Also I totally agree with getting your release clipped on your bow and using alternating hands to take the weight off so you don't fatigue too quickly. If you're trying to be a statue for too long your feet will start to hurt and your bow feels like it weighs a ton and if you're not used to being starred at by a deer intently you might just start shaking uncontrollably. For me the best position to be in is leaned against the tree holding my bow by the grip and with my release and it also resting on the front of my hip. If I see deer approaching I try to get in that position as soon as I can and can go a very long time completely still because everything is supported, while also being ready to lean forward and draw a moments notice.

I agree with your eye contact theory. At first opportunity I turn my head so I just have peripheral vision of deer. I wear eyeglasses and sometimes wonder if they see some glare that I’m not aware of. But being a statue is absolutely critical. Great video.

Well demonstrated and described. Thanks. A deer's field of vision in w-i-d-e.

I’ve had so many stand offs - this is a great video. As far as eye contact - it doesn’t seem to affect my situation much. I killed two great buck with eye contact being off and on. I want to see what they’re doing and watch body movement and eye movement. Great video.

I’m with you 100% on the eye contact deal. There’s an energy transfer when making eye contact and they pick up on that very well. People say that’s bs, but think of how you can sense when something is staring at you, you just know…

Everyone is correct on eye contact. But let's not forget other factors! While I agree that flannel will break up your outline and dark colors will help you blend into the shadows, MOST importantly is that one has to make sure that the clothing you choose doesn't have UV brighteners dyed into the threads before the clothing is sewn together at the factory. Deer (amongst other animals) are highly sensitive to UV light. This helps their night vision as well. Here's an example and my case in point...My trail cams have infrared flashes for night pictures. The deer don't see the IR flash so it doesn't spook them. While walking to my stand in the dark I'd passed into the camera shot. After reviewing the pics I was shocked to see my 'high-end camo' clothing had spots that looked like a frikken neon sign in the dark!!! Specifically, the full length zippers that ran down each leg of my bibs. That camo clothing company had most likely ordered the zippers separately (from China, no doubt) to assemble the clothing. Although the zippers were brown fabric, the company that made them undoubtedly had UV dye brighteners in the brown threading. I had then performed a test with other camo I'd had. MOST of them shine like a beacon!! Imagine sitting in your tree and looking like a lit up, nuclear Walgreens scrolling billboard at dawn or dusk. The one set of clothing that I'd found that didn't shine AT ALL was my dark green Carhartt jacket & bibs!!! Also, most laundry detergents have UV brighteners in them. There are 'UV killer' soaps out there, but I use Dawn dish soap. No need to 'brighten' your dishes, right? Another thing to consider is extensive studies done on the anatomy of deers' eyes. They see in tones of black, gray & white and not true colors. The studies have shown that...PINK (😂), of all colors, is the least visible to deer. Some states have even approved pink as a 'safety' color. Have fun out there, ladies...🤣

Totally agree on the eye contact point. Just had this happen Saturday night in WI. All the leaves are gone now so we're way more exposed but those stands can still work if the wind is right. I always drop my eyes when they lock on like that and it always works if you don't move. Good tip about the dropping their head and faking you out, too!

All good advice. Especially about the eye contact.

A buddy of mine, who got me into hunting, used to hang an old shirt, or a plastic bag tied to a branch in his stand. The deer would get used to the movement there and were less likely to be spooked by him moving around. It must have worked because he always had a freezer full of venison. Eye contact is bad, I've always felt that they could see our eyes as if they were lit up, even at further distances. screen or camo glasses seem to help. I think blocking or breaking up your silhouette and face is as or more important than scent but i also think they can see, hear or sense our exhaling breath sometimes. More than once I've been spotted or had a deer stop and carefully gaze my way and all I'd do is freeze and close my eyes or look away and almost always they will go back to what they were doing oblivious to my presence.

I never make eye contact. Not sure why, but any time I do it's game over. Atleast that's how it seems!

Wow… You stood still while the deer that you lured in with food smelled you… You are a real Davy Crockett

Love this video! For my eyes i do what i call "dead eyes". Just the same way i freeze i try to keep my eyes still and just be part of the scenery. I feel like if you can have relaxed and unphased eyes the deer feels less preyed upon, rather than just training in on them or something else

I had a stare down with a doe for 20 minutes. She did every move this video demonstrates. She even left but not really gone because I could hear her foot stomps. She walked under my stand, back out 20 yards. Stared for minutes at a time. She did not smell me and I was frozen still the whole time 16’ up in a tree. I made face to face contact with her the whole time. I don’t think she can see your eyes well enough to determine fear. It makes you nervous as you watch her eye’s because you know she’s trying to figure you out. Aggressive behavior like bears will take eye contact as a challenge if they are close enough to see them. A defensive deer is using smell and vision to identify you. Eye to eye contact is superstition. That’s my opinion.

Something I believe about their vision is they have a problem seeing in 3-d. It doesn’t take much to hide behind, not moving naturally, to fool their vision. I have dozens of times watched deer approaching and get my bow in my hand and have it in an up right position getting ready for a possible shot. The bow is basically in front of my face. Some deer have looked up to see that strange object in the tree but don’t leave or get spooky. Many have stayed around and eventually got shot. That’s when it’s a true game of patience. And that’s why I believe they don’t have the ability to see in 3-d??

Agreed on eye contact. I've been in that situation where a doe came up close to investigate and she stared at me for minutes. I couldn't get the shot because she was facing me and there was a herd of them some 20 yards behind her in the cover with a nice buck. Never got a shot, but I didn't give myself away.

Great video!

Yup. I've been in the same scenario multiple times, and you're right, but I've never known eye contact to be an issue. On the other hand I've usually been wearing dark glasses, so there's that to consider. A related scenario is spooking up a deer while on foot. Do NOT despair. The ruminating quadrupeds, when spooked, will usually run a short distance, then stop to turn and look back. That's your shot. I've gotten several bucks that way, with primitive firearms. Maybe a bit out of range for most bow hunters though. On two occasions I've spooked the same buck several times in the same hour and still nailed him. Deer are fast, and have some amazing senses even if still shape recognition isn't one of them, but they are not terribly smart. The key is to take the time to get to know the "deer culture" in your area.

Eye contact is THE most critical after movement. Way too much experience on this to say otherwise. Use your bows cams to peak through if possible.

First video I've seen that I will think of while hunting ! Thanks 👍

Great video. Going to use this as a teaching aid for a new hunter I'm taking out this year. Thanks

Definitely believe in keeping deer within range of vision, but don't directly stare, because deer as with many people seem to be able notice when they are being watched. Thanks

Love the encouragement. I'll take the eye contact recommendation; I had not thought of that. What you did in this video is NOT easy! I'm frankly impressed.

Great explanation and details that only comes from paying attention 👍

Great video and great information. Thanks!

You are so on point 😁👍👍👍👍 done this many times. Well explained.

Great info. and exactly accurate.

Informative video. GREAT editing! The P-I-P was so cool.

Learned something new in this video. Thanks a ton!

Wow dude. No one knew this. Truly revolutionary information

Very solid information. As alot of the comments below stated....there is a cosmic energy when eyes connect with the animals. I use face paint or fleece and look out of the corners of the eyes.

Brother, this is the exact technique I use. I agree 100 on the eye contact thing too. Putting yourself in slo-mo mode is key. Slow smooth movement. Sometimes can be hard with a compound and a bit easier with a crossbow but exciting as hell. What a rush. That's why we call opening day of bow season here in Michigan "Big Boy Christmas"... thanks for the content!

Great video and great shot!

Wonderful video eith great advice. I prefer to avoid eye contact

That was a fantastic lesson. Thank you very much!

Perfect advice. This is the same tactic that I use.

I got busted by a buck last month in a tree stand during the regular season. I had forgotten my gloves that day. I blame myself for forgetting my gloves and not being still enough for that deer to relax and keep walking. Being still is the best thing a hunter can do. Thank you for the video.

Awesome video and great job editing!

Amazing tips!

Well done and well explained.

Learned some stuff, thanks man !

Thanks for the info. I did not know about not making eye contact.

This is super helpful!! Thanks brother

BRO, so glad you mentioned the eye contact! Last year, was the first year I was able to not spook them, after being seen. What I did was NOT MOVE, and lower my gaze, to avoid eye contact. Which I thought was silly, but I did this more than 3 times last year! There was one where I goofed the movement bit, and she jumped off blowing like a frigin banchee.

very good explanation Thanks

Great information.

Hot tips" Thanx 4 posting!

EXCELLENT video 👍🏽

👍👍👍👍Thank you , I actually learned something .Just subscribed ...looking forward to your content !!!💯👍

great video we have all been in this predicament !! Im with you!! i try to never make eye contact.. i just shot a 6 point last week i thought he had me busted but i got away with it !! 22 yd heart shot..he didnt make 60 yards!!

Well done video. Very clear explanation. Thank you for sharing. It's always the snorting "you busted" i get from mature does

Agreed on the no eye contact. Like someone on here had said, if they focus on the eyes, I'll squint so they look closed until I can look away and watch from my perifrial.

Just this Saturday (11-04-2023) I stood still for two hours with 5 does around me and never spooked one of them!! It was one of the most exciting and frustrating times I've had hunting!!!!

Awesome. Thank you.

Great explanation.

The no eye contact was a game changer for me as a teen learning to hunt. But to support the eyelash tip, no large eye movement.(close prox.) I would be wild with excitement staring at the chest or legs and not busted as quickly. But when I could relax eyes (and breathing, lol) number of connecting shots way up.

Great tip!

Great video clip very instructional and useful.

Great video. Thanks

I think you nailed it ! Agree 100%

Great tips ty

I avoid eye contact, I feel like they can feel that stare in some sort of deer sixth sense. I also feel as if they are searching my soul 😂

Great info

Excellent advice! Thank you. I was in the stand last week and I try not to even look or move my head at least as I hear them approaching. I heard one coming my way and it must have taken 10 minutes for him to reach me from 20 yards max away. That's how tentative he was. I didn't get him in my view until he was almost right under me, as he was coming from my 3:00 position. The wind was all over the place that day and he probably smelled me. Just after he arrived just under me so I could just start to see him (again, I didn't move AT ALL, except my eyeballs), he suddenly looked right up at me (12 feet above) and stared at me for maybe 10-20 seconds. He then slowly made his way over to the corn pile and started eating. He was a spike and we have an unwritten understanding in our area that we only take 8 point bucks, so I let him go after watching him eat for 10 minutes or so, only to have my hunting buddy 70 yards away take him as he passed his stand. It was a 38 yard shot for him and he couldn't see the spikes, so we had venison that week. Meanwhile I had heard another deer approaching as he headed over to the other stand. Needless to say, I never saw what was approaching, as his crossbow release pretty much froze everything. But yeah, "still as a statue" works.

Fantastic !