Anticipation builds with each passing moment. A buck you recognize from trail cameras passes through, but nothing of interest walks into view. The remainder of the sit is slow. Leaves periodically rustle in the wind. The occasional squirrel searches for acorns. Otherwise, all is still. The deer woods feel dead, and you can’t seem to shake the feeling that you won’t get a shot at a mature buck this season. At least, not one you’re aware of.
While trail cameras are likely the best and most impactful invention in modern deer hunting, they do come with a drawback. Because of these tools, most deer on the landscape are known. Used efficiently, a hunter can capture the bulk of deer that are on their land. Obviously, that’s a good thing for those who plan to find and target big deer. That’s the objective, after all.
Still, it comes at a cost. For those who began hunting before trail cameras, I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the mystical nature of deer hunting prior to this invention. I could delude myself into believing the next state record lived in my block of woods, and it was moments from stepping out. But the advent of scouting cameras stole some of the mystery away from hunting. And that’s the only downside I can find to these incredibly useful tools.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never give up my trail cameras. I run about 50 of these each season, and they’re the best scouting tools at my disposal. I’m not nearly as effective at finding mature bucks without them.
So, while most big deer are known, that doesn’t mean that some deer go unnoticed. Some do. But some hunters hope to kill a stud they’ve never seen before. Or, they don’t currently have a target deer on camera. Fortunately, there are ways to increase the odds of shooting a big buck you don’t know about. There are certain times, places, and ways you should hunt, including the following methods.
Enhance Hunting Spots
For hunters with the land and means to do so, enhancing the quality of the ground is very advisable. Improving the bedding cover, food sources, and water availability is a great way to attract new bucks to your hunting land. Offering bedding, food, and water in strategic locations takes extensive thought, planning, and work, but the juice is generally worth the squeeze.
Sit Seasonal Shifts
Deer don’t live in one spot forever. Their average home range is about 650 acres, but core areas are about 30-50 acres. Oftentimes, deer spend time within smaller areas for certain amounts of time. How long these periods last is dependent on seasonal ranges (summer vs. fall), bedding cover type, food sources, hunting pressure, the rut, and more.
For example, deer prefer different types of bedding cover throughout the year. Their needs change, and so do the locations of where they can find such things. During the summer and early season, they need areas that are cooler, yet still offer security. As hunting season kicks in, they seek out thick cover that offers sanctuary from hunters. During the late season, they still require that, but also need solar (southern slopes) and thermal (coniferous trees) bedding that offer more heat.
Food sources change, too. Deer have been known to eat upward of 700 plant species throughout their range. Other than general browse, most foods only last for a short period, which means deer are regularly shifting to new things. Hunters must shift, too.
Each of the different types of shifts in deer movement can bring deer into new areas they weren’t previously located in. Being present when that happens is an excellent way to shoot a newcomer buck.
Hit the Big Woods
Big timber can be daunting and very difficult to hunt. This is even truer in flat terrain where there’s no varying topography to influence deer movement. Still, deer live in big timber, and can spend their entire lives in it without coming out. If a big deer is going to hide and avoid trail cameras or hunters in general, it’s here.
Hunt The Rut
Whitetail movement gradually increases throughout spring, summer, and early fall. It peaks during the rut, and then tapers off into the late season. This means deer move longer and farther in daylight during the rut. This oftentimes leads bucks past hunters that wouldn’t venture quite so far otherwise. Hunting during the rut is arguably the best time to intercept a deer you’ve never seen before.
Watch Pinch Points
Speaking of the rut, sitting along pinch points is an excellent way to see a deer that isn’t native to the area, but is going on an excursion away from home. Local and visiting deer alike travel the path of least resistance. Hunting spots that force them into tight areas is even better. Camp out on such places all season long, but especially during the rut.
Find Overlooked Pockets
Mature bucks find areas that don’t get hunted. These can be a few acres, a few hundred, or even more. But they discover these overlooked pockets and spend most of their daylight hours within these small areas. Determining where these areas are, no matter how big or small, and gaining access to them, is an excellent way to capitalize on a new buck that gets overlooked.
Start Still-Hunting
While it isn’t advised to still-hunt on small tracts of land, those who have access to large acreages can still-hunt and boost their chances of seeing a new deer. Covering ground is a simple method of increasing the odds of encountering a new deer, especially if you regularly still-hunt new areas.
Get to Yapping
Those who hunt on other people’s lands should stay in contact with the landowners. This is good practice for numerous reasons. It’s good to maintain these relationships and be respectful of them. In addition to that, landowners often see deer that you haven’t, and that’s valuable information. This happened to me last season, but more on that momentarily.
Discover a New Spot
You can only shoot big deer where big deer live. If you’ve hunted an area for numerous seasons, and you still haven’t crossed paths with a deer that trips your trigger, it’s time to find new dirt. The most obvious way to see a new deer is to hunt a new spot. Trying new areas doesn’t always work out. Not every property or area holds a big deer that meets your standards. But some do. Finding these is important.
Wait Until Next Year
Sometimes, deer season doesn’t work out the way we hope it will. Bucks go unseen. Tags go unfilled. Seasons end unfulfilled. And while shooting a big buck certainly isn’t all there is to hunting, it’s part of it for some hunters. After months or years of planning and preparation, not getting a chance at a mature whitetail can wear on a hunter.
Fortunately, the good Lord willing, there’s always next season. And if you went all season (or seasons) without opportunities to fill tags, it’s time to act. It’s going to happen next year. Not because you roll the dice again. Rather, you’re going to prepare, stack the deck in your favor, and create your own luck. That’s how good deer hunters consistently kill mature bucks season after season. They don’t wait for big bucks to come to them. They go to the big bucks.
— Deer & Deer Hunting contributor Josh Honeycutt is an avid whitetail hunter and land manager from Kentucky. His work has appeared in more than 50 publications and numerous websites, including regular contributions for www.realtree.com for many years.