To be consistently
successful, there are only 3 places to hunt:
Hunt acorns.
Successful hunters know where the Oak trees are
located where they are hunting:
Hang your
stand near the trees with a heavy nut crop
around September or early October because
the deer will be there when the nuts are
falling.
Hunt does. Know
where the doe bedding areas are, and hunt the
downwind edges:
Hang your
stand near the most heavily used trails on
the downwind side of the doe bedding areas.
Look for suitable trees about 20 yards from
the edge as bucks know that they can scent
check every deer in a bedding area quickly
by skirting a bedding area on the downwind
side. Chances of success can be increased by
adding a scent wick or trail of estrus urine
past your stand, as the buck is hoping to
find a “hot” doe.
If hunting
food sources, bucks can use a similar
strategy by circling crop fields by skirting
the edges. Stands should be placed 10-20
yards inside the woods.
Hunt funnels
[they bring deer through a narrow piece of terrain].
Bucks often expand their home range in search of
“hot” does as they travel from one doe group to the
next:
Hang your
stand in areas such as a saddle, converging
hub [deer trails come together like spokes
on a wheel], brushy fencerow separating two
fields or woodlots, a bench on a ridge, a
strip of woods or thickets connecting two
woodlots, the edge where two types of
vegetation meet, a strip of trees alongside
a creek which connects two lots of woods,
inside corners or double inside corners, or
timber between two clearcuts.
Remember: The best time to be in the woods to
bag a trophy buck is during the most intense part of
the rut – a few days before peak breeding begins –
which outside of the deep South, falls somewhere
between November 7 and 10. Be on the downwind side
of a funnel connecting two bedding areas, and DON’T LEAVE THE WOODS FOR LUNCH. For more
strategies, tips and information on bagging your
trophy, see our book
Whitetail
Trophy Hunting Secrets
