You would have been better off asking this question 6 months ago, but...

Early season hunting and pre-rut hunting is normally centered around feeding areas. Most hunters make the mistake of putting their stands on the edge of the fields. The bucks are normally the last ones to come in the field, after shooting hours. Walk the field edges and look for runways. Follow these back into the woods. These runways usually lead to doe and fawn bedding areas. Look for rublines when you are in the woods. Rublines are usually made from the buck' s bedding area to the feeding area. You must know what your deer are eating. When hunting the transition zone, it is imperative to know what they are eating. One week they might be hitting the mulberry tree, the next week they' re eating fresh alfalfa. During the early season and transition zone, set up on the trails leading from the bedding areas to the feeding areas. Normally, near a feeding area is a spot in the woods called a ' staging' area. The bucks hang back there and spar and generally hang out before entering the field. These are excellent places to hunt, but you must find them. Again, find the trails that go from feeding to bedding areas and you' ll be alright.

slayer