FIRST DOE OF THE SEASON
First doe of the season in the freezer and this is how it went down. I will talk about the hunt and what I’m seeing in the woods right now. Along with the tactics that are working. I will probably hit on the weather we have been seeing and moon. So here we go.
The hunt started out more as of a normal trip to put out mineral, change batteries, and exchange SD cards from the trail cameras. I took my crossbow and normal gear but left my main camera in the car because I didn’t plan on hunting. Even when I put out mineral I do the same scent control as if I’m hunting so scent free clothes washed with Dead Down Wind and I spray all my gear down along with myself with Dead Down Wind. I threw on some face paint and that’s how it started.
I walked to my site put out my mineral changed SD cards and sat at my tree looking at the pictures and getting upset by the fact one of the two cameras has stopped taking pictures. I decided I would try a rattling technique that a friend told me about before I walked out. I used a can call twice then waited about 2 minutes before using a young buck grunt call a few times. Then I used a different grunt tube and did a few mature grunts before I started rattling. During the rattling I was kicking branches and leva’s along with stomping the ground and hitting the trees with the antlers. I did this for about 4 minutes and taking 2 and 3 second breaks when I was rattling. I could hear a deer running through the woods and busting branches as it ran. I dropped the antlers and grunted two short times smashing leafs and branches like a buck was running off.
The deer I heard running was a young eight point and he ran within 20 yards of me giving me a perfect shot but he isn’t on my hit list. He stayed around for about 20 minutes before walking back the way he came. About an hour latter a group of does worked their way to the mineral and I took the shot. A perfect lung and heart shot she was quartering away from me so arrow placement was front of the near shoulder and exit was behind the rear shoulder. She ran less than 20 yards and died.
The tactics that are working right now are rattling and calls. There are some many acorns on the ground that the deer aren’t moving as much or as far because the food is plentiful. Hunting near bedding areas are the most promising for the same reason. With the weather being so cool the water isn’t as big a hit like it was a few weeks ago.
The deer have seemed more active for evening hunts then morning hunts and I’m going to say that is because the moon is out by the time the sun is setting and the deer are feeding into the night and then getting up in the early afternoon for a snack then bedding down and moving again in the evening to feed into the night.
The plan now with meat in the freezer will be to focus on a mature buck I will be throwing it all out there scents, decoy, and calls we will see how that works and I will update you all when it happens. Be safe out there and good luck.
The hunt started out more as of a normal trip to put out mineral, change batteries, and exchange SD cards from the trail cameras. I took my crossbow and normal gear but left my main camera in the car because I didn’t plan on hunting. Even when I put out mineral I do the same scent control as if I’m hunting so scent free clothes washed with Dead Down Wind and I spray all my gear down along with myself with Dead Down Wind. I threw on some face paint and that’s how it started.
I walked to my site put out my mineral changed SD cards and sat at my tree looking at the pictures and getting upset by the fact one of the two cameras has stopped taking pictures. I decided I would try a rattling technique that a friend told me about before I walked out. I used a can call twice then waited about 2 minutes before using a young buck grunt call a few times. Then I used a different grunt tube and did a few mature grunts before I started rattling. During the rattling I was kicking branches and leva’s along with stomping the ground and hitting the trees with the antlers. I did this for about 4 minutes and taking 2 and 3 second breaks when I was rattling. I could hear a deer running through the woods and busting branches as it ran. I dropped the antlers and grunted two short times smashing leafs and branches like a buck was running off.
The deer I heard running was a young eight point and he ran within 20 yards of me giving me a perfect shot but he isn’t on my hit list. He stayed around for about 20 minutes before walking back the way he came. About an hour latter a group of does worked their way to the mineral and I took the shot. A perfect lung and heart shot she was quartering away from me so arrow placement was front of the near shoulder and exit was behind the rear shoulder. She ran less than 20 yards and died.
The tactics that are working right now are rattling and calls. There are some many acorns on the ground that the deer aren’t moving as much or as far because the food is plentiful. Hunting near bedding areas are the most promising for the same reason. With the weather being so cool the water isn’t as big a hit like it was a few weeks ago.
The deer have seemed more active for evening hunts then morning hunts and I’m going to say that is because the moon is out by the time the sun is setting and the deer are feeding into the night and then getting up in the early afternoon for a snack then bedding down and moving again in the evening to feed into the night.
The plan now with meat in the freezer will be to focus on a mature buck I will be throwing it all out there scents, decoy, and calls we will see how that works and I will update you all when it happens. Be safe out there and good luck.
RATTLING
Rattling when used correctly is one of the most effective calling techniques that can be used when hunting mature whitetails. I will be talking about how I use rattling combined with grunts, bleats, and scents to make it the most realistic authentic technique of bucks fighting and explain how to do it. It’s the technique I use and have already called in one buck with it.
To start with I hang three different scents hung in a triangle up wind of my position. I use two different types of buck scent and one doe in estrus scent. The reason I hang them up wind is because when the bucks come in they will normally scent check the area by going down wind of where they think the buck fight is at. The key is making it seem like there was a doe that two bucks are fighting about and that’s why you need the two different buck scents and one doe scent.
Now to the calls to start with I use a doe bleat from a can and I do it two or three times. I wait about 2 minutes then I will use a snort wheeze and grunt then I will respond from another grunt call with another grunt or two. The key on this is the two different grunt calls since you are trying to mimic two bucks challenging each other it needs to sound like two separate bucks. Each grunt call has a different tone and sound and that’s why you want to use different calls even if you can make your grunt sound like a young buck you should use a different call.
Now the rattling real antlers are best but most hunters don’t have antlers that they want to cut and use as rattles. Especially when you think about the fact that you want it to sound like two different bucks so that means you need different antlers, one from one buck one from another. It is extremely hard to mimic real antlers but some of the rattles you buy at the store are very close. You want to start with a loud smash and using force to move the antlers across each other. Rattle for two to three minutes with one to two second breaks before smashing them together again. Listen for deer during the short breaks so you aren’t rattling when the deer is looking at you.
During the rattling you want to kick leaves, step on branches, rattle with the antlers close to the ground so that they make noise, bang the antlers against trees, and stomp the ground. The reason you make so much commotion when you are rattling is because deer aren’t standing still they are moving around and making a lot of noise. To make it realistic you really need to imitate the sounds that would be made if two bucks were really fighting.
When you add all this together you have the scent of two different bucks and one doe in your area along with the sounds of two bucks fighting over who gets the doe. When bucks in the area hear the sounds and noises that they can associate with what they think is two bucks fighting over a doe they will come in running but mature bucks didn’t get that way by being stupid they will circle down wind and scent check the area and will probably approach with caution just to see what going on. And that is where the scent comes in to play, they might not see the bucks fighting but they hear and smell that they are in the area and will hopefully come within range to give you a shot.
You have now created the most authentic and realistic buck fight that will fool mature bucks to coming in. This is the way I do it and it has worked on more than one occasion for me. If you really want it to be the most realistic you can add decoys one buck and one doe will add to the realism. When you set up your decoy make sure you have it set so that when the buck’s circles around the decoy to scent check him you have a shot along with when he moves in to start a fight with the decoy you can take your shot.
When mimicking two bucks fighting remember that it isn’t a gentle soft fight it’s aggressive and loud the bucks will make vocalizations during the fight very quick low noises that sound different than a grunt these are called growls try adding those in every now and then. Using this technique is sure to draw attention to you and you may get more than one buck coming in at a time so make sure you are prepared. Good luck and I hope this technique works for you.
To start with I hang three different scents hung in a triangle up wind of my position. I use two different types of buck scent and one doe in estrus scent. The reason I hang them up wind is because when the bucks come in they will normally scent check the area by going down wind of where they think the buck fight is at. The key is making it seem like there was a doe that two bucks are fighting about and that’s why you need the two different buck scents and one doe scent.
Now to the calls to start with I use a doe bleat from a can and I do it two or three times. I wait about 2 minutes then I will use a snort wheeze and grunt then I will respond from another grunt call with another grunt or two. The key on this is the two different grunt calls since you are trying to mimic two bucks challenging each other it needs to sound like two separate bucks. Each grunt call has a different tone and sound and that’s why you want to use different calls even if you can make your grunt sound like a young buck you should use a different call.
Now the rattling real antlers are best but most hunters don’t have antlers that they want to cut and use as rattles. Especially when you think about the fact that you want it to sound like two different bucks so that means you need different antlers, one from one buck one from another. It is extremely hard to mimic real antlers but some of the rattles you buy at the store are very close. You want to start with a loud smash and using force to move the antlers across each other. Rattle for two to three minutes with one to two second breaks before smashing them together again. Listen for deer during the short breaks so you aren’t rattling when the deer is looking at you.
During the rattling you want to kick leaves, step on branches, rattle with the antlers close to the ground so that they make noise, bang the antlers against trees, and stomp the ground. The reason you make so much commotion when you are rattling is because deer aren’t standing still they are moving around and making a lot of noise. To make it realistic you really need to imitate the sounds that would be made if two bucks were really fighting.
When you add all this together you have the scent of two different bucks and one doe in your area along with the sounds of two bucks fighting over who gets the doe. When bucks in the area hear the sounds and noises that they can associate with what they think is two bucks fighting over a doe they will come in running but mature bucks didn’t get that way by being stupid they will circle down wind and scent check the area and will probably approach with caution just to see what going on. And that is where the scent comes in to play, they might not see the bucks fighting but they hear and smell that they are in the area and will hopefully come within range to give you a shot.
You have now created the most authentic and realistic buck fight that will fool mature bucks to coming in. This is the way I do it and it has worked on more than one occasion for me. If you really want it to be the most realistic you can add decoys one buck and one doe will add to the realism. When you set up your decoy make sure you have it set so that when the buck’s circles around the decoy to scent check him you have a shot along with when he moves in to start a fight with the decoy you can take your shot.
When mimicking two bucks fighting remember that it isn’t a gentle soft fight it’s aggressive and loud the bucks will make vocalizations during the fight very quick low noises that sound different than a grunt these are called growls try adding those in every now and then. Using this technique is sure to draw attention to you and you may get more than one buck coming in at a time so make sure you are prepared. Good luck and I hope this technique works for you.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Hunting during the month of October can be hard due to the weather and that brings up a question that I get a lot and get asked my opinion on it more often than not. The question is what is the best weather to hunt and should I not hunt during other weather conditions. My answer is simple; you can’t fill your tag sitting on your sofa! I will go into detail on some of the frequently asked weather conditions and explain a little bit about them.
Windy conditions are a double edged sword because deer will move during the windy conditions but it’s normally going to be on the edge of a ridge that’s blocking a lot of the wind. The deer seem to be more on edge due to the fact it’s harder to see, smell, and hear predators. That also means that it’s harder for the deer to detect you as a hunter and on the same token you won’t be able to hear the deer approaching. Some of the biggest deer I have seen taken have happened during high winds.
Rainy conditions can make for a miserable soaked hunt but they do pay off. Unless it’s a complete down pour the deer don’t really seem to mind the rain. They seem to move more freely during the rain because they can move and walk without much noise. A light drizzle seems to amplify scent and hold it for a longer amount of time but a heavy rain seems to dilute scent. Under rainy conditions I normally see more deer feeding and traveling. As long as you can stand being wet, hunting in the rain is a pretty good time to hunt.
High temperature conditions are one of my least favorite conditions to hunt because the bugs seem to come out in swarms and the deer do seem to move less but they don’t stop moving all together. When the deer do move it will be to water and that’s where I would hunt. The problem is that when deer come in to water they are normally on alert and it makes them hard to hunt so find a trail that you can set up on leading to water and you should be good. The other problem is that with the heat comes sweat and nobody likes sitting and sweating or walking to a stand and being covered in sweat. But it can be dealt with making for a decent hunt.
Under any weather conditions make sure to use scent control and plan accordingly. If you only hunt the perfect conditions you will miss out on a lot of hunting opportunities. By playing the odds game there is a 100% greater chance you fill your tag by going to the woods than watching television. Most of us have a limited amount of time to hunt so using it increases your odds of seeing a deer. Unless its tornados or flooding I will be out hunting every chance I get. There might be better days than others to hunt but using the weather to your advantage and hunting the conditions rather than the deer you make it so you increase the odds of seeing deer.
All weather conditions can be hunted effectively if you understand what deer do during certain conditions. Figuring out what the deer do in different weather conditions will make it not matter what the weather is doing, you will know how and where to hunt. Always remember a bad day hunting is still a good day and use your experiences from every hunt to help you on your next hunt.
Windy conditions are a double edged sword because deer will move during the windy conditions but it’s normally going to be on the edge of a ridge that’s blocking a lot of the wind. The deer seem to be more on edge due to the fact it’s harder to see, smell, and hear predators. That also means that it’s harder for the deer to detect you as a hunter and on the same token you won’t be able to hear the deer approaching. Some of the biggest deer I have seen taken have happened during high winds.
Rainy conditions can make for a miserable soaked hunt but they do pay off. Unless it’s a complete down pour the deer don’t really seem to mind the rain. They seem to move more freely during the rain because they can move and walk without much noise. A light drizzle seems to amplify scent and hold it for a longer amount of time but a heavy rain seems to dilute scent. Under rainy conditions I normally see more deer feeding and traveling. As long as you can stand being wet, hunting in the rain is a pretty good time to hunt.
High temperature conditions are one of my least favorite conditions to hunt because the bugs seem to come out in swarms and the deer do seem to move less but they don’t stop moving all together. When the deer do move it will be to water and that’s where I would hunt. The problem is that when deer come in to water they are normally on alert and it makes them hard to hunt so find a trail that you can set up on leading to water and you should be good. The other problem is that with the heat comes sweat and nobody likes sitting and sweating or walking to a stand and being covered in sweat. But it can be dealt with making for a decent hunt.
Under any weather conditions make sure to use scent control and plan accordingly. If you only hunt the perfect conditions you will miss out on a lot of hunting opportunities. By playing the odds game there is a 100% greater chance you fill your tag by going to the woods than watching television. Most of us have a limited amount of time to hunt so using it increases your odds of seeing a deer. Unless its tornados or flooding I will be out hunting every chance I get. There might be better days than others to hunt but using the weather to your advantage and hunting the conditions rather than the deer you make it so you increase the odds of seeing deer.
All weather conditions can be hunted effectively if you understand what deer do during certain conditions. Figuring out what the deer do in different weather conditions will make it not matter what the weather is doing, you will know how and where to hunt. Always remember a bad day hunting is still a good day and use your experiences from every hunt to help you on your next hunt.
BEST DAYS TO BOW HUNT
It was hard to narrow it down but I did narrow it down to 5 days and I will explain why I picked those days. A footnote not knowing the weather effects the days greatly, the days were picked going off of moon phase and my interpretation of rut behavior, so lets dive on in!
Opening day of the Missouri bow season is September 15th the moon will be 5% visible the moon will be rising a little over two hours after the sun at 8:58am and directly overhead at 2:52pm. Bucks should still be in summer patterns and in bachelor groups but starting to spar and develop a pecking order. It should make for a good early morning and afternoon hunt if you have your buck’s summer pattern down you should be able to fill your tag on opening day.
September 20th the days are getting shorter and the moon will be 43% visible when it rises at 1:31pm and be directly overhead at 6:45pm. The sun will be setting less than 30 minutes later at 7:12pm giving you a great opportunity for an exciting evening hunt. The bucks should be starting to transition to a fall pattern but the younger bucks most likely will be in bachelor groups sparring more frequently and trying to show who is the boss.
October 13th the days are now almost a full hour shorter than the first day of bow season and the bucks should be broken up and laying down a lot of sign marking territory. You may even see some young bucks harassing does by this point. The moon will be 0% visible and one day into the NEW MOON rising 30 minutes after the sun at 7:47am and overhead at 1:33pm. With no moon all night the bucks will be moving early and should give a great opportunity for a morning hut with lots of activity sitting in your stand through lunch and into the early afternoon.
November 11th now the days are really short over two hours shorter than the first day of season. Bucks should be in full rut with does in estrus the chase is on. The moon will be 0% and the NEW MOON rising 15 minutes before the sun at 6:31am overhead at 12:01pm and setting 21 minutes after the sun at 5:25pm. I will be bringing a snack and drinks with no plan to leave my stand until after shooting hours are over. The deer will have no visible moon to help them chase at night so expect to see bucks on the hoof all day looking for a HOT doe.
November 12th the moon will be 1% the sun will be rising at 6:47am with the moon 30 minutes behind it at 7:27am and the moon will be directly overhead at 12:48pm this day will be 3 minutes short of the shortest day of the early bow season. The rut in full swing by this point it’s time to use every resource in your arsenal to put a tag on a buck before firearms season starts in two short days. You will be seeing more bucks searching and chasing for the does running crazy. Be prepared to hunt all day long focusing on saddles and travel corridors.
When I started going through my notes and looking at the moon phase calendar it was really hard not to just put the last week of the season down as the best time to hunt. The rut will be in full swing and the most visible the moon will be is on opening day of firearms season that week at 9%. Bucks aren’t really going to have a pattern during this time because they are going to be chasing and breeding it’s the most exciting time to be in the woods all season long. I won’t be missing a day in my stand that entire week of November 8th but I wanted to spread out the days I feel will be best and explain why.
The early part of the season September early October the bucks will still be in groups and in summer patterns so if you have spent all summer watching bucks and doing your scouting those early days are going to be best. If you don’t tag Mr. Big you still have plenty of time and good days to hunt. I could have gone through and picked any day out of the season and said when I think a good time to be in the woods will be and when I wouldn’t waste my time but who knows what the weather will do all I can say is good luck and I hope this helps you determine what days you will be sick.
Opening day of the Missouri bow season is September 15th the moon will be 5% visible the moon will be rising a little over two hours after the sun at 8:58am and directly overhead at 2:52pm. Bucks should still be in summer patterns and in bachelor groups but starting to spar and develop a pecking order. It should make for a good early morning and afternoon hunt if you have your buck’s summer pattern down you should be able to fill your tag on opening day.
September 20th the days are getting shorter and the moon will be 43% visible when it rises at 1:31pm and be directly overhead at 6:45pm. The sun will be setting less than 30 minutes later at 7:12pm giving you a great opportunity for an exciting evening hunt. The bucks should be starting to transition to a fall pattern but the younger bucks most likely will be in bachelor groups sparring more frequently and trying to show who is the boss.
October 13th the days are now almost a full hour shorter than the first day of bow season and the bucks should be broken up and laying down a lot of sign marking territory. You may even see some young bucks harassing does by this point. The moon will be 0% visible and one day into the NEW MOON rising 30 minutes after the sun at 7:47am and overhead at 1:33pm. With no moon all night the bucks will be moving early and should give a great opportunity for a morning hut with lots of activity sitting in your stand through lunch and into the early afternoon.
November 11th now the days are really short over two hours shorter than the first day of season. Bucks should be in full rut with does in estrus the chase is on. The moon will be 0% and the NEW MOON rising 15 minutes before the sun at 6:31am overhead at 12:01pm and setting 21 minutes after the sun at 5:25pm. I will be bringing a snack and drinks with no plan to leave my stand until after shooting hours are over. The deer will have no visible moon to help them chase at night so expect to see bucks on the hoof all day looking for a HOT doe.
November 12th the moon will be 1% the sun will be rising at 6:47am with the moon 30 minutes behind it at 7:27am and the moon will be directly overhead at 12:48pm this day will be 3 minutes short of the shortest day of the early bow season. The rut in full swing by this point it’s time to use every resource in your arsenal to put a tag on a buck before firearms season starts in two short days. You will be seeing more bucks searching and chasing for the does running crazy. Be prepared to hunt all day long focusing on saddles and travel corridors.
When I started going through my notes and looking at the moon phase calendar it was really hard not to just put the last week of the season down as the best time to hunt. The rut will be in full swing and the most visible the moon will be is on opening day of firearms season that week at 9%. Bucks aren’t really going to have a pattern during this time because they are going to be chasing and breeding it’s the most exciting time to be in the woods all season long. I won’t be missing a day in my stand that entire week of November 8th but I wanted to spread out the days I feel will be best and explain why.
The early part of the season September early October the bucks will still be in groups and in summer patterns so if you have spent all summer watching bucks and doing your scouting those early days are going to be best. If you don’t tag Mr. Big you still have plenty of time and good days to hunt. I could have gone through and picked any day out of the season and said when I think a good time to be in the woods will be and when I wouldn’t waste my time but who knows what the weather will do all I can say is good luck and I hope this helps you determine what days you will be sick.
Hunting Public Land
Hunting public land here in Missouri is a bit of a trick. sure you can drive the roads find the saddle park the truck and sit close enough to the road you can see the deer cross and bam you might get one. I’m here to tell you a few tricks I have learned hunting public land since I was thirteen years old.
First off get a Topo map of the land and study it look for the saddles that are off the road or the long ridges that drop down to big bottoms. With your Topo map highlight the property line then go back and highlight the high pressure areas. On opening day the pressure is going to get those deer moving. Think like a deer where are you going to go? You’re going to head somewhere you feel is safe. Those areas that are so think that you think a deer couldn’t get into. Where there is food and water close.
Second go out early enjoy the sun coming up and drive the roads slow watch for deer crossing the road and highlight those areas on the Topo map. After about 9am the footwork starts walk out those long ridges and look for bedding areas, trails, droppings, and maybe some early rubs don’t worry about the size of the rubs and find the does. I was told something by my dad when I first started hunting he said “now Doug you have to think like a high school boy when you’re trying to get a buck. What do you think of most?” I thought about it and didn’t know what to say. He said “all you’re thinking about is girls and food and showing every other boy you’re bigger and stronger then he is.” It got me thinking the bucks have a pattern until the rut kicks in then they are unpredictable. So how do you get a buck when the pattern disappears? You have to hunt the does and the areas that you know they pass through. The further off the road you get the less likely it is your hunt will be disturbed by other hunters. I have found out that fellow hunters are a lot of help to talk to. Talks to them see what they have to say. Keep a journal each season with the weather when and where you’re seeing deer cross all that.
Take a bottle of water and a snack to eat and stay in you spot make it an all-day hunt. When other hunters are getting out of there stands and heading back to camp they can get those deer moving again and could push them your way. I normally pick a morning and afternoon spot to hunt. I will sit in one spot I know the deer move threw in the morning and between 830 and 9 am I get up if I haven’t seen what I wanted to and I will slip through the woods moving slowly listening and watching everything. I try and follow a rub line or good trial deeper into the woods and down the ridge. I try and find a spot that has multiple shooting lanes and openings so that I can see the deer further away. When the other hunters start moving back into the bottoms the deer will start moving again and be pushed out and hopefully towards you.
If you have to use the bathroom I know you have all heard don’t go where you hunt! I have my own opinion on that and that is this yes don’t go right where your hunting slowly move away from your ground blind or tree stand to an area that you can see from your spot. When you’re done doing your business slowly move back to your hunting spot and sit there again. Deer are naturally curies and will check it out to see what it is. I have seen big mature bucks standing fifty yards from the road over a trash pile that smelled so bad I could smell it from the road. I keep a chew in when I am hunting maybe it scares them off maybe it has no effect and maybe it brings them in I really don’t know. I have heard old timers say they put out fruity flavored gum that they had been chewing on a tree limb and had deer walk up and put their nose right to it. Same goes for chewing tobacco.
I do use scents I normally put out doe in heat and make a circle around me all within eye sight of where I am hunting. There are many scents out there and the scent sticks get pretty pricy you can take small cans that won’t leak like film canisters or energy shots containers with a screw on lid. You need to super glue a piece of cloth to the lid. Then take a paper clip and bend it so it makes a Lupe and one leg bend it flat and glue it to the top of the lid make an upside down J out of the other leg so you can hang it on a limb. Make sure to attach a string to the bottle and the lid so they don’t separate when you hang it. Fill the bottle with the scent of your choice shake it up and there you go. You don’t have to fill the bottle completely full just about a quarter of an inch will do.
When you start calling do it about every five to ten minutes alternate between different grunts and the rattle throw in a doe bleat as well. If there is a deer out of hearing range and you can’t see him chances are you’re going to miss your chance if you’re not calling enough. Don’t call constantly take a break so if one did hear you you give him a chance to come investigate. During the rut those bucks will come in hot if there hear those grunts, rattles and doe bleats so be prepared. They might come in suspicious and trying to see the deer making the noise. Make your movement’s slow and methodical move as little as you can. If you hear something slowly turn your head to the point you think you should be able to pin point the noise and just look. I had a nice buck walking up on me from the left one year and there had been squirrels there all morning I turned quick to look and that buck was ten yards away looking right at me and when I turned quick he took off and I didn’t get a shot . So be slow with your movements.
Sometimes you can tell a big bucks trail apart from the other trails if there are lots of heavy trails and you know there is a big buck in the area that walks the trails find the one that you can walk standing tall and limbs aren’t hitting you in the face and chest. In general deer are lazy and will walk the path of least resistance. A big buck will walk the trail that has the fewest number of limbs knocking his antlers. I have sat in a ground blind and heard a buck walking through the woods I heard his antlers knocking tree limbs so they will walk that path but from what I have seen they try not to.
Now when it comes to rubs I have seen them too big to wrap my hands around and I have seen them as small around as a pencil. I have been on ridges where it’s covered with rubs and you can’t find the distinct rub line. I have been on ridges that the rubs are one hundred yards apart and you can see them in a distinct line. I have stood and stared at bushes or small trees grouped together that have been completely destroyed. Up until a few years ago my thought was small buck’s rub small trees big bucks rub big trees and young bucks rub everything. A few years ago my dad had already shot his buck and was trying to fill a doe tag. He was in an area that we thought there were a young buck and a lot of does. We were wrong on the young buck part. He had a buck walk past him that his antlers were about a foot tall chocolate brown and almost touching at the top. The buck couldn’t rub big trees all the little rubs we had been seeing were from him the monster that had been ignored. I have walked rub lines that every tree rubbed was the size of a half dollar and when I followed it down the ridge they turned into rubs five inches in diameter. Then I shot the buck that was walking the rub line a very nice buck he was. If you know you have more than one buck in the area he will try and rub a certain type of tree normally bucks have different preferences on the trees they rub. So look for multiple rub and decide if it’s the same buck or multiple bucks. Same goes for if you’re walking a rub line and find that there is another rub line intersecting the one you’re walking compare the trees to see if it’s the same buck or another one and this is where there paths cross. It could be the same buck so check the area for scrapes beds and droppings. You want to find out if he is staying around that area or just a normal pass through.
Fields on public land are great for beginning hunters there will probably be rubs and scrapes along the edge and the deer will feed or pass through the field. There will be a problem with the pressure on the field there easy to hunt so lots of hunters will try and hunt there they are pretty popular. If you want to stay close to the field but want to move away from the pressure find a ridge heavy trails leading to the field and walk out it looking for all the signs that the deer are moving threw that area. If you feel like walking but don’t trust yourself and are worried you might get loosed or turned around slowly walk the field edge stop at the trees that you can stand at and not be slowwitted. Stay there fifteen or twenty minutes and move on very slowly watching the edge line in front of you and the woods along with the field. If you’re not much into sitting in one spot for hours and you like to walk and stalk find a rub line or heavy trail to walk. When you’re walking move slow and make as little noise as you can stop frequently and let the woods calm down and come back to normal. Before you move look around listen and look around again before you move. Make sure to practice shooting a moving target if you’re not confident in your shooting at a moving target don’t take the shot a heart and lung shot deer can still run for hundreds of yards. So if you make a bad shot you may never find your deer and if you do you might have to track and drag it for hours. It’s best to not take the shot and enjoy the gift of nature. Then to wound the deer and make it suffer. You always want a good clean shot is what it comes down to. Every season make sure to take a few shots at the target to make sure your rifle is still sighted in.
Time and time again I have been sitting in camp with one deer hanging or because of weather whatever the reason and had a deer walk through camp and had a shot at and have shot deer from my camp. I have also been standing going to the bathroom and seen deer. What I’m saying is always keep your weapon close enough and ready to go so when you see a deer you have a choice to shoot or not. So then you’re not telling people I saw a deer but my rifle was in the truck. Keep your weapon with you at all times during legal shooting hours.
If you find the place you want to hunt deep in the woods mark your path in to your stand. Your way in needs to be marked with something only you and your hunting party know is the marker. When you get in and away from the road you can use your trail markers and flag tape. You don’t want to put in all the footwork and scouting and someone else follows your makers off the road and takes your spot. Let your hunting party know your plan if it’s to stay out all day or the time you think you will be back so they know when to expect you in camp. If you shoot a deer and have to come back to camp for rope or a deer sled something like that leave a note and make sure you know where you deer is mark it well and the way to get to it. In my camp if someone shoots a deer we leave the bullet casing on something of ours on the table the rest of the party knows someone has shot a deer and who. We all know where each other hunt and can come help if they are free.
I have been camping during deer season during tornados, wild fires, nonstop rain, super high winds, thunder storms, freezing temperatures, with sleet, and when the temperature was incredibly high. Every season has their challenge that’s why you need your journal you can look back to it and say this worked last time it was like this. You will see patterns that other hunters don’t see on your Topo map where you were hunting where you shot the deer and the direction it came from. This will help you in seasons to come. Hunting public land is a challenge in its self-it’s not just your hunting party out there so make sure you have your orange and it’s on so other hunters can see you. Make sure to do your homework with the Tope maps and scouting make sure to try and make it out three or four times to scout before season. If you don’t know the areas don’t get too far off the road without a map and GPS.
Try and bring a new person into hunting show them what you’re looking for and explain to them why. Teach them to shoot let them experience the outdoors and why we love it. I’m no expert I don’t have my own TV show and I don’t get to hunt every day of deer season. I hunt on public land and I don’t get a deer every year. For me hunting is a tradition and a bonding time to enjoy the gifts of nature that god has given us. It gives me Time to spend with friends and family, pass on what I have learned, and tell stories around the fire. We hunt the same public land my grandpa hunted and passed away on the day before opening day many years ago from carbon monoxide poisoning in a camper. It’s bonding and carrying on the tradition it a way to remember my grandpa and what he loved. My daughter is one year old when she gets older I will bring her with me on my trips to the wood. I see deer almost every year sometimes I don’t shoot but at least I had the choice and the chance. Even when I don’t see a deer its still time I’m enjoying away from work, the city, with my dad and friends. Take what you will from the tips I have given you. Public land is out there you just have to put your work in to find it. Enjoy the time you have in the outdoors you never know when your last chance will be. Think like a deer act like a deer and good luck.
First off get a Topo map of the land and study it look for the saddles that are off the road or the long ridges that drop down to big bottoms. With your Topo map highlight the property line then go back and highlight the high pressure areas. On opening day the pressure is going to get those deer moving. Think like a deer where are you going to go? You’re going to head somewhere you feel is safe. Those areas that are so think that you think a deer couldn’t get into. Where there is food and water close.
Second go out early enjoy the sun coming up and drive the roads slow watch for deer crossing the road and highlight those areas on the Topo map. After about 9am the footwork starts walk out those long ridges and look for bedding areas, trails, droppings, and maybe some early rubs don’t worry about the size of the rubs and find the does. I was told something by my dad when I first started hunting he said “now Doug you have to think like a high school boy when you’re trying to get a buck. What do you think of most?” I thought about it and didn’t know what to say. He said “all you’re thinking about is girls and food and showing every other boy you’re bigger and stronger then he is.” It got me thinking the bucks have a pattern until the rut kicks in then they are unpredictable. So how do you get a buck when the pattern disappears? You have to hunt the does and the areas that you know they pass through. The further off the road you get the less likely it is your hunt will be disturbed by other hunters. I have found out that fellow hunters are a lot of help to talk to. Talks to them see what they have to say. Keep a journal each season with the weather when and where you’re seeing deer cross all that.
Take a bottle of water and a snack to eat and stay in you spot make it an all-day hunt. When other hunters are getting out of there stands and heading back to camp they can get those deer moving again and could push them your way. I normally pick a morning and afternoon spot to hunt. I will sit in one spot I know the deer move threw in the morning and between 830 and 9 am I get up if I haven’t seen what I wanted to and I will slip through the woods moving slowly listening and watching everything. I try and follow a rub line or good trial deeper into the woods and down the ridge. I try and find a spot that has multiple shooting lanes and openings so that I can see the deer further away. When the other hunters start moving back into the bottoms the deer will start moving again and be pushed out and hopefully towards you.
If you have to use the bathroom I know you have all heard don’t go where you hunt! I have my own opinion on that and that is this yes don’t go right where your hunting slowly move away from your ground blind or tree stand to an area that you can see from your spot. When you’re done doing your business slowly move back to your hunting spot and sit there again. Deer are naturally curies and will check it out to see what it is. I have seen big mature bucks standing fifty yards from the road over a trash pile that smelled so bad I could smell it from the road. I keep a chew in when I am hunting maybe it scares them off maybe it has no effect and maybe it brings them in I really don’t know. I have heard old timers say they put out fruity flavored gum that they had been chewing on a tree limb and had deer walk up and put their nose right to it. Same goes for chewing tobacco.
I do use scents I normally put out doe in heat and make a circle around me all within eye sight of where I am hunting. There are many scents out there and the scent sticks get pretty pricy you can take small cans that won’t leak like film canisters or energy shots containers with a screw on lid. You need to super glue a piece of cloth to the lid. Then take a paper clip and bend it so it makes a Lupe and one leg bend it flat and glue it to the top of the lid make an upside down J out of the other leg so you can hang it on a limb. Make sure to attach a string to the bottle and the lid so they don’t separate when you hang it. Fill the bottle with the scent of your choice shake it up and there you go. You don’t have to fill the bottle completely full just about a quarter of an inch will do.
When you start calling do it about every five to ten minutes alternate between different grunts and the rattle throw in a doe bleat as well. If there is a deer out of hearing range and you can’t see him chances are you’re going to miss your chance if you’re not calling enough. Don’t call constantly take a break so if one did hear you you give him a chance to come investigate. During the rut those bucks will come in hot if there hear those grunts, rattles and doe bleats so be prepared. They might come in suspicious and trying to see the deer making the noise. Make your movement’s slow and methodical move as little as you can. If you hear something slowly turn your head to the point you think you should be able to pin point the noise and just look. I had a nice buck walking up on me from the left one year and there had been squirrels there all morning I turned quick to look and that buck was ten yards away looking right at me and when I turned quick he took off and I didn’t get a shot . So be slow with your movements.
Sometimes you can tell a big bucks trail apart from the other trails if there are lots of heavy trails and you know there is a big buck in the area that walks the trails find the one that you can walk standing tall and limbs aren’t hitting you in the face and chest. In general deer are lazy and will walk the path of least resistance. A big buck will walk the trail that has the fewest number of limbs knocking his antlers. I have sat in a ground blind and heard a buck walking through the woods I heard his antlers knocking tree limbs so they will walk that path but from what I have seen they try not to.
Now when it comes to rubs I have seen them too big to wrap my hands around and I have seen them as small around as a pencil. I have been on ridges where it’s covered with rubs and you can’t find the distinct rub line. I have been on ridges that the rubs are one hundred yards apart and you can see them in a distinct line. I have stood and stared at bushes or small trees grouped together that have been completely destroyed. Up until a few years ago my thought was small buck’s rub small trees big bucks rub big trees and young bucks rub everything. A few years ago my dad had already shot his buck and was trying to fill a doe tag. He was in an area that we thought there were a young buck and a lot of does. We were wrong on the young buck part. He had a buck walk past him that his antlers were about a foot tall chocolate brown and almost touching at the top. The buck couldn’t rub big trees all the little rubs we had been seeing were from him the monster that had been ignored. I have walked rub lines that every tree rubbed was the size of a half dollar and when I followed it down the ridge they turned into rubs five inches in diameter. Then I shot the buck that was walking the rub line a very nice buck he was. If you know you have more than one buck in the area he will try and rub a certain type of tree normally bucks have different preferences on the trees they rub. So look for multiple rub and decide if it’s the same buck or multiple bucks. Same goes for if you’re walking a rub line and find that there is another rub line intersecting the one you’re walking compare the trees to see if it’s the same buck or another one and this is where there paths cross. It could be the same buck so check the area for scrapes beds and droppings. You want to find out if he is staying around that area or just a normal pass through.
Fields on public land are great for beginning hunters there will probably be rubs and scrapes along the edge and the deer will feed or pass through the field. There will be a problem with the pressure on the field there easy to hunt so lots of hunters will try and hunt there they are pretty popular. If you want to stay close to the field but want to move away from the pressure find a ridge heavy trails leading to the field and walk out it looking for all the signs that the deer are moving threw that area. If you feel like walking but don’t trust yourself and are worried you might get loosed or turned around slowly walk the field edge stop at the trees that you can stand at and not be slowwitted. Stay there fifteen or twenty minutes and move on very slowly watching the edge line in front of you and the woods along with the field. If you’re not much into sitting in one spot for hours and you like to walk and stalk find a rub line or heavy trail to walk. When you’re walking move slow and make as little noise as you can stop frequently and let the woods calm down and come back to normal. Before you move look around listen and look around again before you move. Make sure to practice shooting a moving target if you’re not confident in your shooting at a moving target don’t take the shot a heart and lung shot deer can still run for hundreds of yards. So if you make a bad shot you may never find your deer and if you do you might have to track and drag it for hours. It’s best to not take the shot and enjoy the gift of nature. Then to wound the deer and make it suffer. You always want a good clean shot is what it comes down to. Every season make sure to take a few shots at the target to make sure your rifle is still sighted in.
Time and time again I have been sitting in camp with one deer hanging or because of weather whatever the reason and had a deer walk through camp and had a shot at and have shot deer from my camp. I have also been standing going to the bathroom and seen deer. What I’m saying is always keep your weapon close enough and ready to go so when you see a deer you have a choice to shoot or not. So then you’re not telling people I saw a deer but my rifle was in the truck. Keep your weapon with you at all times during legal shooting hours.
If you find the place you want to hunt deep in the woods mark your path in to your stand. Your way in needs to be marked with something only you and your hunting party know is the marker. When you get in and away from the road you can use your trail markers and flag tape. You don’t want to put in all the footwork and scouting and someone else follows your makers off the road and takes your spot. Let your hunting party know your plan if it’s to stay out all day or the time you think you will be back so they know when to expect you in camp. If you shoot a deer and have to come back to camp for rope or a deer sled something like that leave a note and make sure you know where you deer is mark it well and the way to get to it. In my camp if someone shoots a deer we leave the bullet casing on something of ours on the table the rest of the party knows someone has shot a deer and who. We all know where each other hunt and can come help if they are free.
I have been camping during deer season during tornados, wild fires, nonstop rain, super high winds, thunder storms, freezing temperatures, with sleet, and when the temperature was incredibly high. Every season has their challenge that’s why you need your journal you can look back to it and say this worked last time it was like this. You will see patterns that other hunters don’t see on your Topo map where you were hunting where you shot the deer and the direction it came from. This will help you in seasons to come. Hunting public land is a challenge in its self-it’s not just your hunting party out there so make sure you have your orange and it’s on so other hunters can see you. Make sure to do your homework with the Tope maps and scouting make sure to try and make it out three or four times to scout before season. If you don’t know the areas don’t get too far off the road without a map and GPS.
Try and bring a new person into hunting show them what you’re looking for and explain to them why. Teach them to shoot let them experience the outdoors and why we love it. I’m no expert I don’t have my own TV show and I don’t get to hunt every day of deer season. I hunt on public land and I don’t get a deer every year. For me hunting is a tradition and a bonding time to enjoy the gifts of nature that god has given us. It gives me Time to spend with friends and family, pass on what I have learned, and tell stories around the fire. We hunt the same public land my grandpa hunted and passed away on the day before opening day many years ago from carbon monoxide poisoning in a camper. It’s bonding and carrying on the tradition it a way to remember my grandpa and what he loved. My daughter is one year old when she gets older I will bring her with me on my trips to the wood. I see deer almost every year sometimes I don’t shoot but at least I had the choice and the chance. Even when I don’t see a deer its still time I’m enjoying away from work, the city, with my dad and friends. Take what you will from the tips I have given you. Public land is out there you just have to put your work in to find it. Enjoy the time you have in the outdoors you never know when your last chance will be. Think like a deer act like a deer and good luck.
