Targeting specific locations at specific times of the deer season can help you to encounter more bucks this fall.
By FeraDyne Staff
Hunters looking to harvest a mature buck (or any deer) must pay close attention to stand and/or blind placement to maximize success odds. Specifically, let each seasonal phase guide your setup selections. Of course, an astute knowledge of each phase can help you hunt the right places at the right times, which is this article’s purpose.
Now, what exactly are the different phases, and when do they occur in most of the whitetail’s range? Following are some considerations along those lines. When we’re through, you’ll have a better understanding of the phases and examples of where to hunt during each one. Let’s discuss, but first, a quick preface.
Why Treestand/Blind Placement Matters
Some hunters misconceive that a big buck will eventually walk by broadside if they put in their time in a “good-looking” spot. In most instances, that’s far from reality. Yes, time spent afield increases your success odds, but hunters who continually hunt the same spots throughout the entire season are destined to see mediocre results at best. A better plan of attack is to establish multiple stand/blind sites and take advantage of changes in a whitetail’s behavior throughout the course of the season complete with options to hunt different wind directions. Here’s what that looks like.
Phase One: Early Season (Opening day-October 9)
A whitetail’s life revolves around food in late summer and into early fall. This should be considered when searching for early-season hunting locations. If you’re merely looking to harvest a doe or young buck for some venison procurement, hunting the downwind edge of food sources can be effective. Hunt there in the evening to allow access to the stand without spooking deer off the food source. Deer will typically begin entering the food source about half an hour before dark, possibly earlier given good weather and low hunting pressure.
If you’re after a mature buck, you should focus on hunting staging areas during this phase of the season. A staging area is a location near a food source where mature bucks hang out or “stage” before entering the food source at dusk or in the dark. Staging areas can be created by planting small mini food plots just inside the woods from larger food sources with a comfortable shot opportunity from a ground blind or treestand placed well in advance of the season.
Phase Two: The Lull (October 10-25)
Many deer hunters dislike this phase. Early-season feeding patterns have changed, and the rut is still to come.
Experts debate on why deer move less during this period. Some believe that it’s a response to hunting pressure. Others think the falling leaves and lack of concealing foliage make deer feel vulnerable. Another school of thought is that the mature bucks are resting up for the coming breeding season. Regardless, deer movement slows during this phase.
Hunters can increase their chances of connecting on a mature buck by staying out of their best spots during this seasonal phase, saving them for the pre-rut and rut. If you do hunt, place your stands as close to bedding areas as possible and hunt only when the wind is perfect. Don’t inch in too close and blow deer out of bedding areas. Smart hunters play it safe, knowing that the best is yet to come.
Phase Three: The Pre-Rut (October 26-November 3)
Now, rubs and scrapes will be appearing regularly. Use information from prior years and careful on-the-ground scouting to determine which scrape and rub lines are receiving the most buck traffic, and then set up along these routes.
Bucks will often exhibit more daytime movement than in previous phases yet still maintain a somewhat regular schedule within their home range. This can be the best time of the season to harvest that mature buck you have on trail camera.
Phase Four: The Chase (November 4-12)
During this phase, some does will come into estrous, causing bucks to begin actively seeking receptive females. Treestands should be placed in funnels and travel corridors. Bucks will use the paths of least resistance while sticking to the best available cover when scent-checking for does. Hunters should be prepared to stay on stand all day during this phase because daytime movement will be at an annual high. Given good stand or blind placement, hunters will generally have the most success with rattling and grunting during this phase.
Phase Five: Breeding Lockdown (November 13-20)
Most of the does will be bred during this window. When a buck finds a receptive doe, he will corral her into thick cover and stay with her until breeding occurs. This process can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of days. Movement will decrease drastically from the chase phase, but don’t give up.
The good news for hunters is that once a buck breeds a doe, he’ll move until he finds another one. Treestand/blind placement for this phase should focus on thick cover. Set up on the downwind side of the nastiest thicket on your hunting property and put in your time. It’s likely that a buck will eventually come out of the cover or attempt to move a doe into it. Patience is the key during this phase because action can go from cold to hot almost instantly.
Phase Six: Post-Rut (November 25-End of Season)
Once most of the does have been bred, deer movement typically begins subsiding, though bucks will still be searching for the last unbred does. During this period, which usually only lasts a few days, you should sit in your phase-four stands.
After breeding is done — usually at the end of November — bucks must eat in order to replenish calories lost during the rut in preparation for the winter ahead. Food sources are once again your best option for treestand/blind placement. Hunters should be prepared to hunt during periods of unseasonably cold weather, which will force bucks to eat to pack on weight.
Tips for the Entire Season
Hunters should keep a few things in mind whenever they head to a treestand. From phases one through six, hunters should strive to:
- Have multiple stand/blind sites: Over-hunting one or two spots can cause the area to go cold.
- Practice scent control: Never sit in a location when the wind isn’t in your favor, and adopt a strict scent-control system while hunting and hanging stands.
- Establish entry and exit routes to your stands/blinds: Make sure you’re not spooking deer on the way into or out of your hunting location. This may mean a longer walk back to the truck, but the end result will be worth it.
- Move your trail cameras.
Following feeding and movement patterns can be done by moving your cameras to the different locations discussed above in the different phases.
Conclusion
Blind and treestand placement is one of the most important elements of a successful whitetail hunt. To hunt the right locations, you must be attentive to the seasonal changes discussed above and hunt the areas where bucks are likeliest to be at those times. Do that, and you’re bound to be in the right place at the right time.