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I know what you're thinking, the sunny and hot days of summer in Missouri are for recreational activities only right. Things like boating on the lake, floating one of our great streams, fishing anywhere (who can argue that), or just soaking up the rays. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy these things also, but I have a sickness I think some of you also have, whitetail fever! I don't know what it is but I can't stop thinking about hunting those wary, awesome creatures for a minute. Being a taxidermist, I have to look at great bucks from the previous season every week and I can't help but wonder about how they were taken, how exciting it must have been, and what might have been going through the hunter's mind. My wife thinks I have some sort of terminal illness the doctors haven't come up with a name for yet. Myself, I call it passion, obsession, excitement, and okay, a terminal illness! I believe this constant yearning over whitetail deer makes me and thousands of others a more successful hunter. I have been fortunate enough to bag a good buck and a couple does in the past seasons with either a bow or firearm. I have two main goals when it comes to hunting deer. First, it is filling up the freezer for my family with venison. Secondly, I focus on taking a buck, preferably a mature buck. The most successful deer hunters have something in common, they are really into it, fanatics if you will. I'm not talking about the guys who get together the weekend before rifle season and sight in that old rifle that they haven't picked up since last season. Nor am I talking about the hunters who hang their stands up the day before you hunt, just hoping it is in the right spot. I'm talking about getting out in the woods three months before the season and continue scouting two or three months after all the deer seasons are over. This article is geared towards bow-hunting early season, well before the firearms deer season begins, roughly speaking, Sept. 15th through mid-October. At least in my home state of Missouri. If you're a firearms hunter only, don't quit reading now, this article could very well help you to be more successful too. Early season whitetails are on a fairly simple pattern. You've first got to familiarize yourself with what they are doing and the terrain that they live in. Sometimes I think that hunting gets almost to complicated for hunters to undersand the basics and picture what is happening in the woods when they step into them. With all the gadgets, information, expert advice and marketing in the hunting industry, it makes the average hunter a little overwhelmed and intimidated. I know, I'm one of the overwhelmed at times. However, I've found a simple method that helps me pattern deer. Once you are in the woods where you intend to begin scouting, take a deep breath and ask yourself a few questions. First, do you have any idea where the deer bedding areas are, or where the local deer are feeding? How about the trails that lead between both bedding and feeding areas? Once you establish the answers to these questions you are in good shape. Once you have determined where the deer are bedding and feeding and the trails that lead to and from each area, that's when you get huntin'. You've got to be careful though. This includes paying close attention to wind direction, and entering and exiting the woods without spooking deer. Begin your scouting expeditions in areas that target or "hold" deer already. Begin by looking for deer in crop-fields. If you don't have an agricultural field that you can hunt early in the season, try to find a landowner who will allow you to hunt theirs. The fields are where you want to be early season. Don't rule out public land. I know of quite a few public hunting lands that have private farmers planting crops in them. My personal favorite fields to hunt over are alfalfa, soybean, and clover. I believe that deer prefer these too. Once you've found a field to hunt, walk along the edge of it and try to locate well worn deer trails entering the food source. Visualize or try to actually find the bedding area and then you're in business. Hang a stand and get the wind right. It's almost that simple. I've found that the biggest obstacle to overcome when hunting whitetails at this time of year is patience. The bucks are still in their bachelor groups and it's not uncommon to see groups of does in the double digits. This can make for unpredictable entrances into the field or food plot you are hunting. I don't mean that they may or may not show up. I mean where they enter the field may be unpredictable. Generally, it will be within 50 yards or less of where they went in the previous few days, or even last season. We all know 50 yards can make or break a bow-hunt, so hang in there and be patient. Don't get frustrated and move your stand 50 yards to where the deer came into the field the last two days because sure as you do, they'll go directly beneath the tree you just moved from. The great thing about early season bow-hunting is that if you are in an area that is holding deer, and remember, that's the most important point, then the hunts will be exciting. You should get to see plenty of deer and other wildlife because they too will enter these fields to feed. The majority of the movement in these food source areas is in the evening at this time of year. However, I have personally observed a lot of deer traffic in alfalfa fields from dawn through 10 a.m. For those of you that have only hardwoods or thick cover to hunt, don't despair. Early bow-season whitetails can be had other ways. If I don't want to drive to one of my hunting areas, I will hunt on our farm in Jefferson County, Missouri, where I have no choice but to hunt the timber. No lush fields or green patches here, just hardwoods and thickets. In such heavily timbered areas, I have had a lot of luck hunting over mineral licks early in the season. I buy the ingredients at the local feed store and mix it myself. There are plenty of recipes on the internet or check with your local sporting goods store or archery range. Chances are you can find someone with a mineral lick recipe or simply purchase a commercially made mineral supplement. The most important thing about a mineral lick is keeping it wet. I keep mine going all year long, working it twice a year. Once the lick is established and dug down into the ground a little, it becomes easier to keep water in them. Most of the time, the rain alone will remain in the lick and keep it damp. Another one of my favorite summer-time scouting routines that my hunting friends and I enjoy is using game cameras. If you don't have a game-cam of some sort yet then you need to get one. I have hundreds of photos off mind and it has helped me tremendously and has also saved me hours of walking through the woods on hot, summer days looking for sign. I still look for the sign and scout, but what better proof can you get besides and actual photo of the deer? You know the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Game cameras can tell you exactly what time of day and which day the deer passed in frond of the camera. With careful scrutiny, you can usually tell what direction they came in from, how often they return, how many deer were in the group and much more. My friends and I like to supplemental feed the deer during the off season. We often set the game-cameras over the feeder to document and see what sex and size whitetails are using the area. This is a great time to get some good bucks in velvet captured on film. I personally feed deer on our farm from February to August to help keep the does healthy as they have fawns and to help bucks put on weight. I believe everyone should put out some type of supplemental feed to help the deer stay healthy in their area. My neighbors and I have been doing it for a few years and we have seen the results in a healthier and larger deer population. Hunting over bait is currently illegal in my home state of Missouri. But you'll have much data gathered about the deer in your area long after you remove the feeder prior to deer season. Not only that, you will also have the satisfaction of knowing that your local deer herd is healthy going into the much anticipated archery season. So, to the summer-time deer scout, I would suggest any of the following. First, find a farm or tract of land with fields or food plots. The field doesn't have to be big, just large enough to create an edge or break for the deer to come out in. Second, walk the edge of the field and locate heavily used deer trails entering the opening. Also, take a couple of evenings a week to drive to the field, if possible, and get out of your vehicle and glass the food source with binoculars or a spotting scope. I also like to bring along a camera in case I'm lucky enough to spot some good bucks. Make mental notes of where and when the deer enter the field to feed. Make plans accordingly for the hunting months ahead of you. Keep this up and get in the area well before you plan to hunt and set up your stand or blind. Be patient and enjoy the show. If your are hunting the big timber try setting up your stand over a mineral lick or a water source. A water source in the hot, early season might be nothing more than a puddle of water in a deep woods draw. Both choices, mineral licks and water sources are good bets in the big woods early in the archery season. If you do everything right, you should get a shot at a whitetail, maybe even that buck you've been chasing! If not, chances are good that you'll see many deer and turkey and maybe even a coyote, fox or, well, you get the picture. Try some of these tactics and I know that you will have a good early season hunt! written by Matt McAnally hunter profile-Keith Pinson | Whitetail Feeding Habits All Year Long | The Ridge Stand by Matt McAnally | Off & Running--J.P. Mahn | Elk Photos | Confidence Doe | Shed Hunters | Chad Goetten Buck | hello M.B.B. Rob | Mud Lick Monster | | Return Home | Taxidermy Shop | Hunting Photo Gallery | KIDS TRAIL! | Wild Hog Mania! | Fishing Photo Gallery | |
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