goose25

Scouting is the most important piece of the puzzle when trying to kill trophy whitetails.
When I scout I am looking for multiple strategies to come into play in one area. I never settle for just a few rubs, or just a couple of trails. Starting with early season bowhunting. Majority of hunters out there are always waiting for the magical rut that falls here in the Midwest at the time frames of end of October to mid November. Now over 20 years of hunting and guiding, I have seen that the end of September and first week of October are very deadly times to harvest mature trophy bucks. Especially when one of the first cold fronts of the Fall arrive during these times. When I am looking for the ultimate early season spot, I am looking at food sources that are easy to get in and out of without spooking deer. Im normally hunting on edges of food plots or agriculture fields that deer are piled into of an evenings. I'm looking for multiple trails and pinch points coming from bedding to the feeding areas. During early season hunts I highly recommend just hunting evenings! I know for a fact that 9/10 times you will be doing more harm then good when hunting mornings. Majority of hunters only have a farm or two to hunt all year and lots of them do not favor getting into easily without busting deer. You will be pushing deer off the fields and threw the woods. Leaving more human sent and educating mature deer. By the time the rut hits you will have already burned out your area!
Once mid October rolls around I then start pressing and getting more aggressive in my hunting strategies. Now scrapes will begin poping up more often and big scrapes are my favorite! I then will be scouting during the middle of the days when most deer are layed up and start slipping around in the woods between bedding and feeding. I will not settle for just a couple signs of deer activity. It has to have multiple trails crossing within bow range of each other where they are pinching down together. Second I will want scrapes and rubs in the area. I prefer to be within range of the scrapes. Third I will position the stand that will favor the best winds pushing my sent away from where their traveling. Last find the best route into your tree stand without walking threw majority of the deers traveling routes.
When the primetime rut arrives i am now in thier bedrooms and hunting mornings. I will hunt bedding of the mornings and focus on areas between bedding and feeding of the evenings. Stay focused on the food sources that's drawling most of your does. The females have to eat and will still be focusing on the food sources, and them big boys will be lured out by them does! Come on guys it's common sense, we all been there ourselves! Haha. Some places are difficult to get into for some hunters and their farms but just do the best you can and try and do little things that can help. Such as walking threw low areas in the fields or cricks in the woods to help cut down movement. By this time of playing cat and mouse you will learn more on what the deer are doing in your area. Then use your judgement to keep changing stand positions on them until its right. Somtimes moving a set 50 to 100 yards makes a huge diffence! Looking back over the years and all my trophy bucks with a bow 90 percent of the time been harvested the first time or two i hunted the stands.