Deer hunting is full of opinions. Hunters from all walks and different states have varying ideas on the same subject matter. Even two guys on the same deer hunting lease can disagree on this hunting tactic or that hunting tip.
Of course, some methods are great for hunting deer in general, but aren’t good for hunting mature whitetails. After all, older bucks virtually act like a different species. All said, if you want to stop hunting deer, and start killing mature bucks, read on for the following advice.
Let’s be clear.
It’s sad this disclaimer is necessary, but this in no way advises anyone to break any deer hunting regulations. Rather, it’s a list of tips that tend to work well for hunting deer (i.e.: does and younger bucks) but are not as effective when pursuing mature bucks.
1. Hunt Hard, Hunt Smart
Some say to hunt hard (more days). Others say to hunt smart (fewer but better days). The truth is, every situation is different, and hunters should approach each hunt, and target buck, with that mindset.
Sometimes, break the one to do the other (and vice versa). In some instances, it’s better to hunt smart. For example, poor access routes, tricky wind situations, and other factors can lead to hunters needing to hunt less often and wait for better days. In other situations, an area with great access routes, and low risk of spooking deer, can be hunted more times with less risk of pressuring the deer herd.
2. Hunt a Bad Wind
Most hunters sit spots where the wind is great for them. That’s awesome for killing young bucks, does, and some big deer in certain situations. That said, most mature deer don’t move well during daylight if the wind isn’t somewhat in their favor. This allows them to travel with a greater degree of safety.
Knowing this, if you understand the local deer movement, and have an idea where deer will come from and go to, it’s possible to set up with just-off (fringe) wind directions. Done correctly, it gives the deer confidence to move during daylight, but it’s just good enough that deer shouldn’t smell you.
3. Quit Hunting Big, Open Fields
Mature bucks hit big fields during daylight, but not often. When they do, it’s usually really early in the season, during the rut, or really late in the season. But most of the time, they just don’t do it.
So, unless you already have a daylight pattern of a deer consistently hitting open country during daylight, stop hunting big, wide-open fields. Instead, slink back into the cover. Set up along transition routes, staging areas, and other higher odds locations.
4. Stop Hunting Food Plots
Food plots are great for deer. They can be incredible for stand locations. But what if we stopped hunting these, and just let deer eat there. What if, instead, we begun hunting the transition routes between bedding areas and food plots, rather than the destination food source itself. Doing this, we increase the odds of seeing target bucks during daylight, and put much less pressure on the local deer herd.
5. Start Hunting Bedding Area Fringes
Big whitetails move minimal distances during daylight. Because of this, it’s important we find their bedding areas, and hunt closer to these locations. Cutting down the distances between buck bedding and stand locations means they must cover less ground to reach your position during daylight. Hunting the fringes of bedding areas makes a hunt higher odds, so long as you don’t alert the deer to your presence.
6. Hunt the Less-Obvious Spots
Most hunters focus on obvious locations. They sit traditional stand location types that have been preached for so long. Of course, continue to focus on these locations, as these are good for important reasons.
That said, don’t overlook less-obvious spots. Oftentimes, in pressured deer hunting settings, these are avoided by most hunters. Because of that, big deer live there, and you should hunt such spots. (Think small pockets of cover, ditch and drainage lines, and more.
7. Hunt During the Rain
A lot of hunters say to not hunt during the rain. They believe deer don’t move well. But that’s false. Deer do move well with light to moderate rainfall. For example, a good rain mid-afternoon can produce excellent movement the last few hours of the day. Plus, the damp ground makes it easier to sneak in and out more quietly.
8. Hunt with Higher Winds
Hunters also say that high winds stop deer from moving. Again, that’s false. A groundbreaking series of studies from Penn State Deer Lab (https://www.deer.psu.edu/blown-away/) displayed that, with higher wind speeds, mature bucks actually moved greater distances during daylight. The greater the wind speed, the more bucks moved in daylight on each given day.
9. Sit/Don’t Sit Those Funnels and Pinch-Points
Some hunters tell you to stop hunting funnels and pinch-points, and that mature bucks won’t use those. The truth is they do, and they don’t. In very pressured settings, where hunters are actively sitting these areas and overhunting, older bucks do avoid such areas (especially outside the rut). That said, in less-pressured areas, and during the rut (even in moderately pressured areas), hunting funnels and pinch-points is still perfectly viable.
10. Don’t Get High in a Tree
Some hunters swear by getting 20-plus feet in the air. They say you can’t kill a deer without it. But you can. And you will. In fact, a lot of big whitetails live in places you’d never kill them if hunting even 15 feet off the ground. (You simply can’t find stand trees to do it.) Therefore, getting lower to the ground helps get you into places where big deer live, and it also improves the kill zone for shot placement, because the steeper the shot angle, the smaller the double-lung zone.
What about you? What are the deer hunting “rules” you’ve broken over the years and still found success? Comment below, and let us know what you think.
