How to Find Big Bucks
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Time to read 5 min
As September draws to a close, there's a palpable excitement in the air. The leaves are just beginning to turn, and the crisp mornings hint at the approaching fall. For many of us, this can only mean one thing: deer season is right around the corner. Today, I want to share some insights on how I consistently locate and harvest good bucks, just in time for the upcoming season.
This topic is crucial because many hunters, perhaps yourself included, may have preconceived notions about where bucks live, move, and bed. A lot of these misconceptions stem from popular hunting shows and magazines. While these sources can be informative, they often portray idealized scenarios that don't always reflect the reality of deer behavior in your local hunting grounds.
As we stand on the cusp of October, now is the perfect time to challenge these assumptions and rethink our approach to finding trophy deer. Whether you're a seasoned hunter looking to up your game or a newcomer eager to fill your first tag, understanding how to locate and hunt overlooked spots can be a game-changer.
Understanding Deer Behavior
To be successful in hunting big bucks, we need to understand how deer perceive and interact with their environment:
Deer's Superior Sense of Smell
Deer can smell where you've been for weeks. They can detect the slightest human scent, which means they're constantly aware of human presence in their territory.
Avoiding Human and Predator Activity
Deer are always searching for places where people, coyotes, and other predators don't frequent. This behavior leads them to areas that might surprise most hunters.
Deer as Edge Creatures
It's important to realize that deer aren't primarily timber creatures. They're more edge creatures, especially in flatlands. You're more likely to find them on the edge of timber or in brushy grass areas.
Finding Overlooked Spots
Now, let's talk about what I mean by "overlooked spots":
Definition of Overlooked Spots
These are areas that most hunters ignore or underestimate. They're places where deer feel safe because human presence is minimal.
Examples of Overlooked Spots
- Areas alongside roads: Surprisingly, some of my biggest bucks have been taken from spots right next to roads.
- Near parking lots: One of my biggest bow kills was so close to a major parking lot that I could have hit my truck with a rock from where I shot the deer.
- Wet areas: Many hunters avoid trudging through water, but these can be prime locations for deer.
Thinking from a Deer's Perspective
Here's a mental exercise I use: If I'm looking at a woodlot where I know there's a good buck, I ask myself, "If 50 hunters were trying to kill me and I had to stay in this section, where would I hide?" I look for spots where those hunters aren't likely to look. More often than not, that's where I find the biggest bucks on the property.
Scouting and Property Analysis
When evaluating a new hunting property, it's crucial to approach it strategically. Ask yourself: How are other hunters accessing this property? Where are they typically hunting? What areas are they overlooking? By answering these questions, you can effectively eliminate about 90% of the property from your consideration. This leaves you with the 10% that others are overlooking - and that's where you should focus your scouting efforts.
Don't forget to consider remote or difficult-to-access areas. These might include spots across a river or out in water. Sometimes, the most productive areas are the ones that require a bit more effort to reach.
Hunting Near Bedding Areas
For consistent success in bagging big bucks, it's crucial to hunt near bedding areas. Deer only move so far during daylight hours, and hunting close to bedding areas increases your chances of encountering deer during legal shooting hours.
However, it's important to strike a balance. While you want to be close to bedding areas, you also need to avoid over-hunting these spots. Limit your hunts in a successful area to 1-3 times per season. Be mindful of your scent and impact on the area. Remember, once a buck smells that you're frequently in an area, it's no longer an "overlooked" spot.
Characteristics of Good Bedding Spots
When scouting for potential bedding areas, look for these key features:
- Proper cover and concealment: Deer need to feel hidden and safe.
- Escape routes: Mature bucks won't bed in a spot without a good escape plan.
- Vantage points: Deer prefer areas where they can monitor their surroundings.
For example, wet areas with brush, high spots, and little trees can be ideal. These spots allow deer to bed out of the water while being surrounded by it, providing both safety and a good vantage point.
Avoiding Common Hunting Mistakes
95% of hunters go walk the middle of the woods, look for rubs or scrapes, and set up on them. If you're doing this, you're going to have the same success as 95% of the hunters. Instead, focus on those overlooked spots we discussed earlier.
Successful Hunting Strategy
To be truly successful, you need to be mobile. Hunting the same stand over and over rarely pays off. Move from spot to spot. Since September, I've hunted almost every day, but I've only hunted the same spot two or three times at most.
Remember, for deer, it's not about seeing you - it's about smelling you. They know you've been there, and they perceive it as danger. So, get in, make your kill if possible, and get out. If unsuccessful, move on to the next spot.
Take a methodical approach. If you have a 200-acre property, after eliminating the 90% where everyone hunts, you're left with about 40 acres of scattered, overlooked spots. Your strategy should be to systematically hunt each of these spots until you either kill that buck or run out of spots. Then, move on to the next property.
Conclusion
Finding big bucks isn't about following the crowd or sticking to traditional hunting grounds. It's about understanding deer behavior, identifying overlooked spots, and being willing to adapt your strategy. By thinking like a deer and hunting smart, you'll significantly increase your chances of bagging that trophy buck this season.
Author
Steve Shi
Steve Shi is a professional writer for TideWe. With years of experience in hunting, he has unique insights and suggestions for outdoor activity. Sharing his passion for hunting to help those who love hunting makes Steve happy.
