If you’re hunting mature whitetails and not scoring often, it may just be the little things that you're doing wrong. Success seems to come with consistency.  So why do some hunters score more consistently than others?  Talking to many whitetail enthusiasts over the years and messing up time and time again, I realized I was doing a few things wrong.  It was mostly the little things and bad timing on my part.

#1 - Start scouting in June from either long distances or from game cameras. This allows you to start patterning early season deer and learn what bucks are in your general area.  Early season scouting allows you to get a feel for the number of deer in your area and your herd’s overall age structure.  This will also tell you what food sources they prefer at certain points throughout the summer and into early fall so you know where to hang your stands for the beginning of the season.

#2 - Hang your early season stands by the end of July. (If this is possible, depending on the property you hunt)  This allows things to get back to normal after disturbing your hunting area before your season begins.  It also affords you some additional freedom in not having to be quite as cautious with your scent while hanging stands and trimming lanes as it will have ample time to dissipate before hunting.

#3 -  Trim your shooting lanes soon after you set your stand.  Cut open shooting lanes and make them big enough to shoot into.  After a few weeks the deer will be used to them and pay no more attention to them than anything else.  If you do this late in the year the deer may get a little nervous.  If the lanes are for gun hunting, I would suggest really over-cutting them, it will pay off.  If you can hunt the land year after year, make the lanes big enough so you only have to cut them back every couple of years.

Before and after pictures of a shooting lane created the first week of june for my daughter's gun setup.

#4 - After about July 15^th, start being more scent cautious and visit your hunting area only to check your scouting cameras or glass from a distance.  I use this date only in reference to antler growth.  About 80 to 85% of a whitetail's antler growth is complete by this date. 

What I have been told, and have seen, is that this is the transition period in which the big deer start acting like big deer.  Most people will understand that statement as most have all seen a big buck early, only to have him disappear sometime in late July or August.  The reason I believe this sometimes happens is that this is when most hunters start scouting and tromping through the woods.  This is a delicate time for the older mature deer and we may be able to bump him once or twice, but three times and we may not see him again.  He will either find an undisturbed area within his home range, find a new home range, or will go nocturnal until the rut.

#5 - Practice makes things easier.  Shoot your bow mocking a realistic hunting setup.  Try shoot ing from treestands or ground blinds.  Make sure you wear the clothes you will wear during different phases of the whitetail season to ensure they won't interfere with your shooting.  Practice in your mind when to draw by thinking of different situations (deer’s head down, looking away, stopping the deer, etc.)  All of these different practice scenarios will help you when the moment of truth arrives.

Using Hunters Specialties scent neutralizing products is the first step to getting rid of your scent.  Shower with their soaps and don’t forget the shampoo as your hair holds most of your scent and it takes a few weeks to completely get rid of the smell.  Make sure you use this every day, not just before you go hunting!!!

Spray your clothes with either Scent-A-Way or Scent-A-Way Plus Fresh Earth, (unless you are using Scent-Lok clothing) then spray your gloves, hat, bow, etc.  Pay attention to the small things, boots, arrows, release, hands, hat, face mask, etc.  These things, like your bow, are the last things we think about but these are usually sitting around the house with the dog or cat lying next to them or they are sitting out somewhere collecting some type of odd scent.

Scent-Lok activated carbon clothing is the next step as this alone helps to eliminate your scent, but make sure you also use deodorizing soaps and shampoos to become as scent free as possible.   Follow the manufacturer’s directions as if it is reactivated or used incorrectly, it does you no good.  Use scent proof bags from either Hunters Specialties or Scent-Lok, as garbage bags just don't work.  Think about it, if you can smell your garbage through the bag, odors can penetrate the bag from the outside and make your clothes stink.

#7 - If possible avoid over-hunting your stand or letting the deer pattern you.  Approach your stands from different directions and at different times of the day to avoid forming a pattern.  Also rotate stand locations depending on wind directions.  Don't chance it, there is always tomorrow!

Hopefully these seven tips will help you get a good start on the finer details of trophy whitetail hunting.  Good luck and shoot straight this fall!

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