Early Season Hunting Tips

When it comes to early season hunting, there are many things you can do to improve your chances of success. Some factors such as the weather, crop harvest, and hunting pressure are out of our control. Follow these whitetail hunting tips to maximize your time this season! 

First, before you even go into the woods, make sure you are odor aware. Regulating human odor at home starts with a clean body, clean clothes/boots, and packs. I truly believe it’s important to practice scent control and to always be prepared, you never know if today is the day you might encounter the biggest buck of your life! Deer have a powerful, unique sense of smell, and we should always be aware of intentional and unintentional odors. Before every hunt, build a habit of showering with soap specially designed for hunting, and wash clothes in a scent elimination laundry detergent, like Scent Killer Gold. These are easy steps to help manage human odor at home. I like to keep the clothes hung up outside or in a sealed container to help with unwanted odor transfers. On my way into the field, I carry a bottle of Scent Killer Gold spray and spray the entire outer layer of my hunting suit, pack, and boots (even the bottoms). I do this every time before walking to my stand. What’s great about Scent Killer Gold is it works for 20 days after drying, so you can prepare your clothing before you hit the field!

Photo courtesy of Wildlife Research Center.

Another way to save time is to pack your backpack ahead of time. Not only does this help to ensure nothing is left behind, it allows you to be ready at a moment notice. So, what are those things I never leave home without and are always in my pack? Snacks, flashlight, water bottle, spare gloves, neck gaiter, knife, gutting gloves, hunting license, extra archery release, pull up rope, Scent Killer Gold Heavy Duty Washcloths, camera, and Hothands®.

Photo courtesy of Wildlife Research Center.

Now that you are prepared at home, the next step is understanding exactly what the deer are doing early season. I’ve often found their patterns can be very similar to late season. Food sources are key and learning where the deer are feeding and where they are bedding can be super important this time of year. I use a lot of trail cameras and scouting from afar to figure this out. You usually have a window of time where the deer continue these feeding/bedding patterns and you should capitalize on this consistency. I try and hunt as much as possible during this time because soon these patterns will change due to harvested crops, bad weather and of course, the rut. This is where applying deer lures and scents can be very helpful. I like to use the Wildlife Research Center’s Active Cam year-round with my trail cameras. It peaks the interest of essentially all local wildlife so you can quickly see what is nearby. When I’m hunting from the treestand, I like to place a little Trails End #307 in my shooting lane, causing the deer to stop for a second, investigating the scent providing you with a perfect shot opportunity without ever alarming the deer.

Photo courtesy of Wildlife Research Center.

Deciding where to hunt during early season is a question that often comes up as to whether it is better to hunt in the woods or on the field edge. There are pros and cons to both, but you need to let your local deer patterns determine where you should hunt. The first thing to consider is how early are the deer hitting the field when they are feeding. Ask yourself if they are out at last light or arriving earlier. If they’re getting there at last light I try to set up between their bedding and feeding area, cutting them off earlier with better daylight. If the deer are in the field early, I like to be setup on the field edge. If there are no trees suitable to hang a stand, brush in a ground blind. Watching deer on an open field allows you to see where deer are entering and exiting so you can make changes if needed. Don’t be afraid to move your stand. Much about deer hunting is being adaptable and changing your plan on the fly. Treat every sit in the woods as a learning lesson for the next hunt.

Photo courtesy of Wildlife Research Center.

Lastly, ensure you are not putting too much pressure on the deer or educating them of your presence. We often teach deer of our presence after we leave the woods, limiting your encounter with a mature buck. I can’t preach this enough, spray down, wear clean clothes, be scent aware every time you go into the woods and take a different route to your treestand or blind.

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