“The average hunter, like you or me, doesn’t typically have all the high level data at our finger tips to make educated observations. That said, we’re fortunate that this kind of data is actually made available for us,” says Wired to Hunt, which condenses the best of the 2015 Whitetail Report for its readers. “If you’re an avid whitetail hunter and/or concerned about the current state of deer and deer hunting in North America, this is a must read.”
When it comes to hunting on private land, your name doesn’t have to be on the property deed. “I learned early on never ask for the ‘right’ to hunt someone else’s property,” says veteran trapper, Bernie Barringer, in a recent article from North American Whitetail. Offer respect and service to the landowner, and you could gain access to some great, untouched hunting land. Barringer recommends you, “make your request brief and to the point. If you’re asking to bow hunt, say so. Say what you want to hunt and where.”
“They’ll start acting like bucks again…they hang back in the hardwood close to their beds, and head to the fields after dark. But this is the easiest time to kill a good one,” said seasoned buck hunter, Harry Pozniak, in a recent article from Field & Stream. Understanding big game’s behavior in the early season is invaluable when pursing and killing whitetail deer. “We kill 70 percent of our early-season bucks from ground blinds, and most of our shots are 20 yards or less,” said buck expert, Ed Koger. Buck deer have patterns and personalities that, with patience—and maybe a few cameras—can be learned to increase your chances of a kill.
Failing to plan is essentially the same as planning to fail. When it comes to consistently tagging top-heavy giants, this popular adage is definitely true to its word. Shot opportunities at big bucks don’t come easy and that’s exactly why you better start planning and taking the right steps now. The following tips and deer management tactics will dramatically increase your chances of tagging wall hangers on your property throughout the entire season.
Follow these steps to keep your trophy animal looking as good as the day you hung it on the wall! Step 1: Handle With Care Always hold and carry the mount with your hands placed directly under the chin and on the plaque or back of the mount (Avoid carrying by antlers alone).
Sometimes it's easy. Take an Oklahoma high-school teacher whose early morning commute took him past a farm he had permission to hunt. One morning several years ago, he glanced over and there it was - the buck of his dreams. The next morning about the same time the big buck was there again, and by the third morning the teacher had a tree picked out. On the fourth, he collected his buck. Normally, it's not that way. Few of us live at our deer hunting area, or get to drive past every morning. And since a buck's travel route changes throughout the deer hunting season, the tree stand that is red-hot in October can be cold-dead in November. Here are just a few tree stand locations to take you through all phases of the rut.
Hunters often consider early season the most difficult time to hunt with sweltering temperatures, pesky mosquitoes, and fear-inducing snakes being the main obstacles. Concentrating on deer’s needs—mainly food and water—during the early season can make all the difference to your hunt. When the weather’s hot, deer gravitate to water sources and eat along their path to the nearest pond. Using trail cameras to pattern their movements will help you locate the perfect trees for your stand, making it possible for you to bring the big bucks home. Want more early season deer secrets? For the full story, visit MoultrieFeeders.com.