ORIGINAL: WildlifePhoto

I'm not. Just friends from another website.

ORIGINAL: WildlifePhoto

I'm not. Just friends from another website.

NOW as to hunting tactics - here is my favorite way to go about guiding for trophy class bucks.

Because:

1. I am always looking - not just for any deer - and not just for bucks - BUT, for bucks that will score above 140, and above 170 if possible (in that area) -

2. as a result of reading the research papers of several top biologists, and the experience of my own 10 year research project into the biology and behavior of deer - I have a fairly good understanding of how they will react to the weather each day, and what activities they will exhibit during the different phases of the rut -

3. I understand the whitetails in most areas have traditional home ranges every year, with a "daytime core area" where they spend the majority of the day, and that bucks in particular, have preferred "very lightly used trails" (because there is generally only one buck using the trail, none direction, one tine per day),that they use as they leave their core areas in the evening to go out and feed or look for does, and often another "lightly used trail" they use as they go back intro their core area in the morning -AND that bucks often leave evidence of where they travel - by leaving rubs and scrapes (which is why we call it a "rub route"; and that these buck trails or rub routes often parallel the more heavily used doe trails, but may be up the hill, down the hill or in heavier cover, and that these buck trails can often be found near food sources -

4. I know that the terrain and type of habitat the deer are in often governs where they have their daytime core areas, bedding sites, travel routes and trails, and where they feed and water -

5. I realize that the hunting pressure - and type of habitat (particularly food sources) on adjacent properties - often governs when and where deer may enter or leave the property I hunt

6. I realize that the weather each day - governs to a great extent how active deer will be that day, and when and where they will be thaqt day

7. I realize that by glassing the property, from one or more areas where I can watch the enitre property to actually see deer, from high spots or roads and open areas - and by actually "field scouting" the property to look for deer sign and determine where the travel corridors, trails, buck trails, rubs, scrapes, core areas, bedding sites and food and water sources are -

THEN:

I realize - I just can't gain enough information about a piece of property - from an aerial photo and a topo map - to determine the best places to hunt for deer, none the less a particular large racked buck.

So -I would not hunt a property going in cold - without doing some glassing and/or field scouting - first. And at least taking into scout where the preferred food sources are that week, which phase of the rut the deer are in, and the weather conditions that day.

No matter where I hunt - I want to take into account the habitat and the wind, also the rut phase the deer are in, the amount of hunting pressure there might be in the surrounding areas, which might affect "where and when" the deer come onto the property I am on, ande Anything else that may affect deer activity that day.

I've not had a situation where I could not scout (at least a bit - say "all day" before the hunt). BUT, if I were going in basically blind - I'd choose a site - depending on what the weather was doing the day of the hunt. I'd go to low-lying, protected or wooded areas if the wind was above 10-15 mph - and I'd set up closer to where I think downwind-bedding areas are (the downwind side of the hill). If there was medium to heavy precipitation - I'd look to hunt near areas with overhead cover, and expect the deer not to move too far. If it was hot I'd expect the deer to be in or near the heaviest overhead vegetation (for shade, and possibly in areas where the wind might cool them off in the shade, or in or near water (the lake or swamp if there is one). I'd also expect them to move during the cooler part of the day, with them (and me) playing the wind and thermals for morning and evening hunts.

My plans depend on how much time I have - to glass, field stalk, and the sign I see - both before the hunt, and while I'm hunting - and my plans and hunting locations may change based on what occurs each day, and what I find, or see each day.

First thing I would do is, pick as many spots (up high - like I do elk hunting) as needed - to see as much of the property as I could, and glass it both sunset an sunrise - several days (or weekends) just prior to peak breeding in that area - then I'd narrow down my field scouting to the areas where I saw the biggest buck. Or - if no buck shows - possibly where I saw the most amount of doe activity, or I might just go with my "gut".
Next I'd try to hunt the week of peak scraping, or the week before peak breeding - when the bucks are still fairly predictable.

If there are food cources, and if the wind in that area is primarily out of the northwest, and if I could scout the area around the property, and knowing that older bucks like to bed down on the downwind side of hills (during the day), I'd look for a rub route leading up onto any of the ridges in the area, look for a buck core area on the downwind side of those ridges, and if a stand site was close to the core area (but not in it) I'd setup there in the evening to see if the buck walks along it's rub route and get a shot at it.

Just my initial way of choosing a spot, if it doesn't work, I do more field scouting (actually looking for sign).

Although I rely to a great deal on the type of habitat and the topography - I also rely to a great extent on glassing, and a ton of field scouting - to locate prime travel routes, rub routes, scrapes, and daytime core areas (especially those of bucks).

If I can't scout at all before the hunt, I rely much more on my general knowledge of deer core aras, bedding sites and travel routes, and combine it with
the use of a topo and an aerial - then choose a spot. If I don't get anything the first day, I quit hunting about 10- noon, and "still hunt/stalk" the property to look for sign - until about three hours before sunset. If I see something while "still hunting" - fine - if not I choose the best location based on what I've seen that day while scouting.

I also want to know what is in any agricultural fields, and were they cut/harvested lately - ie, if there is an alfalfa field; is it still growing up, or has it been cut and baled within the last week; or has it been cut, baled and has started to grow back - with new, lush, tasty, green growth in it? Makes a difference where I may setup.


God bless,

T.R.