Show Notes:

Some of the worst misinformation out there is that does and bucks are the same, live the same, and are in the same places.  On today’s episode I talk about how does live, how bucks live, and how you need to hunt them very differently.

Take Aways:

  • Does are social, patient, and forgiving creatures. They can coexist with lots of deer, animals, people, and hunting pressure.
  • Mature bucks are reclusive, wary, and keep a long list of transgressions. They do not like to be around many deer and have very little tolerance for people or anything man made.
  • Mature bucks and does don’t spend a lot of time together outside of the rut, and too many does will even push mature bucks away.
  • Even if they eat in the same fields, does and bucks will bed in different places, browse in different places, and even walk different trails.
  • If mature bucks are in your area, hunt them during early archery before they leave their regular areas in search of mating.
  • If you have no bucks on your trail cams at all, that may be perfect once gun season comes around because they may move into your area.
  • Even when bucks are on the run in search of does, they still want more cover and more privacy, so you may need to hunt them different even during the rut.

Show Notes:

Anyone can be get lucky, but to have consistent success in the whitetail woods you need strategy, experience, reconnaissance, and some understanding of how deer live. One today’s episode I focus on how you can define deer movement in order to multiply your chances for success, while spending little to no money.

Take Aways:

  • Deer are creatures of habit, and to be consistently successful you need to both learn their habits and how to influence those habits.
  • The main ways to impact deer movement are by cutting trails, building mock scraps, digging water holes, planting food plots, and adding cover.
    • Cutting trails can help by creating a path of least resistance in areas that are thick and hard to move through.
    • Mock scrapes can give deer a focal point to come to and stop at along a trail or in a movement area.
    • Water holes help in the same way a mock scrap when used on dry parcels or on high ground.
    • Food plots, especially small ones like 1/2 an acre to 1/8 of an acre, can give deer a place to browse on their way to more substantial food supplies. I recommend a perennial crop, something cheap and low maintenance, like clover.
    • Adding cover can create bedding areas and give deer more peace of mind for traveling through or eating in an area. One of the worst habitats is open woods in all directions, deer need places to hide.
  • Even if you are unable to add any of these habitat improvements, the more you know about them, the better you can read naturally occurring ones and use them to your advantage.

Show Notes:

A mock scrape is a powerful tool for defining deer movement that any hunter of any experience level can use to boost their chances of success. In today’s episode I talk about how you can use mock scrapes to improve your scouting and hunting setup.

Take Aways:

  • Mock scrapes should be placed in areas that deer already move through, or have a reason to move through.
  • Less is more when it comes to scrapes, the fewer you have the more value each has because you do not want to split the attention each gets.
  • The best time to setup a scrape is a few months before the season starts or in the post season.
  • Deer often begin to start using a new mock scrape within a few days or weeks.
  • A scrape can last for years with little to no maintenance. 
  • Scrapes are great places to put a trail camera.
  • All you need is a three step ladder, some black rope, a few zip ties, and a rake.

Show Notes:

When it comes to deer hunting, an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of hard work. In this episode I talk about simple and inexpensive trail camera strategies that can completely transform the way you hunt by saving you time and improving your odds of success.

Take Aways:

  • Trail cameras help you do four things.
    1. Know if deer are the area you are considering hunting. You can’t hunt what isn’t there.
    2. How many deer are in the area. This lets you know your odds of success.
    3. What kind of deer are in the area. Whether it’s bucks or does, big or small, you need to know. 
    4. WHEN deer are in the area, so you only hunt when deer are likely to be around.
  • Simple and inexpensive cameras are an ok place to start if you can find the perfect place to put and aim them.
  • Your camera MUST be able to date and time stamp each photo and you MUST set this up to get the full benefit.
  • Put your trail camera above a deer‘s eye level to reduce the odds they will see it.
  • Avoid a deer’s most likely line of sight.
  • Put cameras back from a trail so you don’t need to walk the trail to check them.
  • Here is mid range camera that I’ve had good success with. It can give you a sense of the features to look for. I got mine on sale, the sticker price is a little high.
  • Setup a camera in August and check it every 2-3 weeks. Stop checking at least 2 weeks before you plan to hunt.