The best days of the year for the deer hunter are finally here! It’s time to make the most of the opportunities in the weeks ahead. But how will you capitalize on those opportunities?
Here’s a look at how to kill your biggest buck in the next 10 days.
Scout and Find the Freshest Sign
Finding deer sign won’t kill big bucks. You need to find the freshest sign. Old rubs, tracks, poop and other sign reveal where the deer were in the weeks past. You’ve got to dig deeper to find the freshest sign, the stuff that tells you where the deer are today.
Also, a lot of hunters get excited when they find acorns on the ground. But are the local deer using that particular feed tree? Watch close and you’ll notice deer walking past certain oaks with acorns on the ground to feed in one particular spot. That’s right! Not all acorns are created equal. Find which ones they are feeding on and make your move.
Monitor Trail Cams for Daylight Activity
There’s no greater tool for knowing when to make your move than the use of a trail camera. Now is the time to roll through your photos and target the daytime patterns of your target bucks. They’ll be showing up more and more in the daylight over the next 10 days.
Even the bucks that are still showing up on trail camera after hours will soon be showing up in shooting light. Watch his pattern. Take notice of his subtle shift towards the daylight appearance. It’s just a matter of time before he steps out in the open at this time of year.
Hunt Scrapes
Hunting over scrapes in the next 10 days can pay off big for an encounter with a big buck. While some say hunting over scrapes is overrated, there’s no denying that a scrape is where things are happening.
Scrapes will be popping up along field edges and across oak ridges in the timber. Find these hot spots, particularly that oversized community scrape, and get your treestand in place.
Kill Your Buck While He's Still Predictable
Outside of the early season opener, your home bucks are more predictable now than they will be next month during the rut. Your target buck is still in a fairly regular routine. He’s predictable right now. When the does start poppin’ on the neighboring farms in November, chances are your home bucks will wander. Make your move now while they’re still predictable.
Break Out the Calls
Some hunters tend to think their deer calls are best suited for the rut. I personally feel like they are best used in the days leading up to Halloween. Grunts, rattling, and bleats will all work well in the next 10 days. Keep these calls in your pack, and don’t be afraid to use them to pull your your buck out of the thicket.
Make a Move
Hoping and praying something will happen rarely pays off in notched tags. You can sit the same stand over and over all season, but at some point, you need to come to grips with the fact that, it ain’t happening. It’s time to move. If you’re not having encounters with deer, make a move. Ask the tough questions. Where are they now? Where should I reposition my stand? Can I find a better access point?
At some point, you have to accept the fact that Plan A isn’t working, and it’s time to make your move to Plan B.
What about you? What changes have you made, or will you make, to kill a buck in the next couple weeks?
Comment below and let us know what you think.
