If you think you are going to march right into a buck’s core area, climb in the stand and put him down, then good luck! Although it will happen on rare instances, the majority of the time it takes intense attention to details and planning.
By Jeremy Flinn
One of the most common actions that will ruin your chances at killing a buck in his core area is the way you arrive and depart. Hunters often will bump deer walking to their stand and believe it “wasn’t that bad” since it was under the cover of darkness.
Wrong! Any disturbances can instantly imprint on that buck and without any notice he could disappear. Typically, you can get away with one or two of these; however, when it occurs pull up an aerial map and identify a new route to get to your spot to avoids those areas.
Additionally, although not hunting a spot enough can cause you to miss an opportunity, over-hunting a spot can be even worse. If the buck you are after regularly moves through his core area during daylight hours, there is no need to hunt the same spot morning and afternoon five days in a row.
Use your knowledge of his movements through observations or trail cameras to set up additional stand locations in the vicinity. By moving 40-50 yards from your initial stand, you not only relieve disturbance but also create a new opportunity to hunt a secondary trail the buck uses. This could be the difference between success and failure, particularly when pursuing mature bucks with archery equipment.
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Put More Venison in Your Freezer by Understanding the Rut
In Deer & Deer Hunting’s Guide to Hunting the Rut, you’ll discover how to understand the three phases of the rut — pre-rut, rut, and post-rut — and how understanding each of these phases can help you become a better hunter.
Expand your understanding of the rut and corresponding deer behavior with contributions from experts like John Ozoga, Jeremy Flinn, Charles Alsheimer and many more. Discover how to maximize your time in the field in order to realize more success killing big bucks, and get top tactics from top names like Patrick Meitin, Bill Vaznis, John Eberhart and more.