The 3 Hunting Myths Texas Hunters Get Wrong Every Year

Every deer season in Texas, especially here in the Big Country, hunters repeat certain “magic formulas” as gospel. Coffee shop wisdom can be fun, but it also causes hunters to burn daylight and miss opportunities.

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Let’s break down the three most common myths I hear every year, and what "I think" actually works (my opinion and from past experience).

MYTH #1: “You’ve gotta be completely silent, or you’ll scare everything off.”

Not true. Deer are cautious, but they’re also incredibly curious, like a 3-year-old in a toy store. If they hear something unfamiliar but not alarming, they’ll often come check it out.

Controlled noise can actually work in your favor:

• Light rattling or a rattling bag mimics bucks sparring
• A grunt tube or bleat call adds realism
• Short sequences followed by silence trigger curiosity

Silence has its place, especially when entering a stand, but strategic noise can be a game-changer.

MYTH #2: “Only hunt the scrape areas, that’s where the big bucks are.”

Scrapes are absolutely worth scouting, but they’re not GPS coordinates for a guaranteed buck.

Think of scrapes like a billboard:
“Hey, ladies, I’m single and ready for the rut.”

Scrapes show territory, dominance, and timing, but mature bucks often check them at night. The real value of a scrape is location information. Set up:

• Downwind of the scrape
• On trails between bedding and feeding areas
• Where thick cover meets open edges

Scrapes tell a story. They don’t guarantee a harvest.

MYTH #3: “Don’t hunt a full moon. Deer feed all night.”

Yes, deer may move more at night when it’s bright, calm, and clear, but hunger still wins. Weather changes still move deer. And feeders? Well, feeders are their own force of nature.

I have photos showing hundreds of mice and rats rushing to a feeder the moment it spins, as well as birds and sometimes hogs. Then, just minutes later, here come the deer.

Because to a deer:

“That feeder motor sound is like a dinner bell at the ranch house going off every time the feeder drops corn.”

• They hear the motor.
• They know what it means.
• They start moving.

If you set your feeder to spin 0-30 minutes after you're settled into the blind, let the noise and critter activity naturally attract the deer. It's like this:

• Sound = corn ➝ corn = deer

Just be ready, they’ll move in slowly and cautiously.

Final Takeaway

Deer hunting isn’t about being lucky. It’s about understanding behavior, using the wind, and being willing to adapt when “old-timer wisdom” isn’t paying off. These top three myths are what I have hunted on and I still believe. Hang on to your grandpa's hunting advice, as it will come in handy.

Curiosity kills more bucks than silence ever did. For hunting tips or "old hunting myths." Check out TrackerOffRoad.com.