Raising the Odds
Posted By
Cifford Neames
at
10/26/2009 12:00:00 AM
Filed under:
midwest whitetail il
Raising the Odds
Tagging a whitetail buck
is not that hard, if you are able to free up any reasonable amount of time to hunt. But, add in a minimum size and age, and the surety of that statement begins to recede.
Mature bucks have learned many ways to avoid even the best of hunters.
So, you have to take advantage of the weakest parts of their survival skills, in order to close the deal.
Since more folks hunt from a stand, or blind, than the more classic still hunting, the spot where you choose to set up is a big factor. This is about finding travel routes that put them at risk.
Whitetails, no matter what age or sex, are adept at avoiding being seen, and invariably take routes that require using the least amount of energy.
These two factors mean they will use certain terrain features as they travel. And, finding these areas is the first step to locating prime stand sites.
Aerial photographs, and topographical maps make that job a snap, once you have learned what to look for. (www.mytopo.com)
I discovered a long time ago that knowing what a buck was doing was more important than knowing why he was doing it, so for the sake of keeping this brief I’m not going to get into that. This is exactly how I locate stand sites on new places, and it works.
So, get out your aerial photograph, and mark any area that has an edge, meaning a change in cover. That could be a transition from older trees to a newly planted grove, an overgrown field next to timber, or simply a place where a creek borders an open spot. All of these are potential gold mines, and need to be investigated.
Next, look for secluded inside corners of fields, places where fingers of timber reach out across fields, and low spots that allow deer to cross open areas unseen.
Finding these areas gives you a starting point for scouting, avoids tramping all over the place, and saves a ton of time.
Now, you have to put some boot time in, and dial in a little tighter.
As you check out the places you marked, look for spots where a short stretch of fence is down, creek crossings, and deep ravines. All of these steer bucks into what may be a great place for a stand.
Keep your eyes open for old permanent stands too. If someone bothered to carry materials in, there’s a chance that the area might still be producing.
During scouting trips be on the lookout for old rubs. These mark travel corridors, which may be used by bucks all season long.
And, if you find a lot of fresh sign, be prepared to hunt it right away.
I have frequently killed bucks on hunts where I carried a stand in, and set up to hunt as soon as I found the right spot.
Once you choose an area, plan access and stand location with the predominant wind direction in mind. It is a waste of time to hunt a stand, if you let your scent blow into the area a buck should come from when you walk in, if he is in the area. And, with mature deer, you won’t get many opportunities once he knows you are closing in.
Remove limbs and clutter on your trail that will make noise as you ease into the area. And, cover any metal on your stand, harness, or gear that might clink together with moleskin or fleece. A quiet hunter will tag more deer!
Successful deer hunters spend most of their time scouting and planning hunts, and less time on stands. They know that picking the right spot turns it into nothing more than a waiting game!
If you want more mature bucks on your wall, you should follow that lead.
Pro Tip: Areas that combine several of the terrain features I mentioned, multiply your chance of success! One of my best spots is a fence crossing on a trail that follows a creek, in a corner of a hidden field, at the base of a ridge, where a line of trees connects to big woods! It is nothing short of magic!
Watch the show, and I will be hunting there!
