Deer season is coming up and there are many things that have to be done to prepare for it. In the 2007 September edition of Outdoor Life there is an article called “The Big Buck Master Plan.” In this article they discuss the different things that are critical to getting that big buck. I will spend the next several posts explaining each of these points. The first thing to do is to find where the deer are at by scouting.
During the summer deer develop regular daily movement patterns. They will bed and feed in the same areas and usually about the same time every day. These patterns usually last through early season, up to right before the rut. The trick is to find a big buck and learn what his patterns are before season starts. The best place to look is on crop fields and food plots in the morning or evening. There are several different ways to find right where the deer are at. One way is to go out in the morning and/or evening with binoculars and spot the deer that way. You should record the time that you see the deer come to the field to feed and continue to go out daily to see if the deer are consistently going to that spot. You should also mark where they come out of the woods so you know the best place to put a stand. This is a very good way to learn their patterns.
Another way to locate deer is to put up trail cameras. These are cameras with a motion detector that you strap to a tree and it takes a picture when a deer walks past it. This method is pricey but it requires less time spent in the field. There are many different types of cameras. You can get a simple one that takes regular film pictures or you can go extreme and get a camera that will email you the picture when it takes it. Most cameras will tell you the time the picture was taken so you will be able to figure out the deer’s patterns. Trail cameras are a good way to get a good look at a buck.
The last way to find the deer is done without seeing the deer. Tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs are excellent proof that deer are in the area. The more tracks you find the more deer there are in the area. A print five inches long indicates a pretty big buck but there is no way to tell the size of its rack. The droppings can also tell you a lot. If you look what is in them then you should be able to tell where they are feeding. Beds are recognized as matted grass or leaves. A buck’s bed usually measures 45- 50 inches in length. Rubs are an easy way to know where a buck’s territory is. Bigger bucks make rubs about an arms length on a tree. Lots of times you will find a cluster of trees with rubs.
If you want to get serious about finding a big buck, then I suggest doing all three of these scouting techniques. I have not invested in any trail cameras but I do spend plenty of time glassing and looking for tracks. To shoot a big buck it is important to scout for them.
During the summer deer develop regular daily movement patterns. They will bed and feed in the same areas and usually about the same time every day. These patterns usually last through early season, up to right before the rut. The trick is to find a big buck and learn what his patterns are before season starts. The best place to look is on crop fields and food plots in the morning or evening. There are several different ways to find right where the deer are at. One way is to go out in the morning and/or evening with binoculars and spot the deer that way. You should record the time that you see the deer come to the field to feed and continue to go out daily to see if the deer are consistently going to that spot. You should also mark where they come out of the woods so you know the best place to put a stand. This is a very good way to learn their patterns.
Another way to locate deer is to put up trail cameras. These are cameras with a motion detector that you strap to a tree and it takes a picture when a deer walks past it. This method is pricey but it requires less time spent in the field. There are many different types of cameras. You can get a simple one that takes regular film pictures or you can go extreme and get a camera that will email you the picture when it takes it. Most cameras will tell you the time the picture was taken so you will be able to figure out the deer’s patterns. Trail cameras are a good way to get a good look at a buck.
The last way to find the deer is done without seeing the deer. Tracks, droppings, beds, and rubs are excellent proof that deer are in the area. The more tracks you find the more deer there are in the area. A print five inches long indicates a pretty big buck but there is no way to tell the size of its rack. The droppings can also tell you a lot. If you look what is in them then you should be able to tell where they are feeding. Beds are recognized as matted grass or leaves. A buck’s bed usually measures 45- 50 inches in length. Rubs are an easy way to know where a buck’s territory is. Bigger bucks make rubs about an arms length on a tree. Lots of times you will find a cluster of trees with rubs.
If you want to get serious about finding a big buck, then I suggest doing all three of these scouting techniques. I have not invested in any trail cameras but I do spend plenty of time glassing and looking for tracks. To shoot a big buck it is important to scout for them.
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