How to Hunt Bucks in Early Season: Strategies and Techniques

Best time of day to hunt

Different people have different opinions on hunting early season whitetails. One group says they only take buck in the back when they hunt in the morning, while others say that afternoon is a good time for hunting. Should you go hunting in the morning or afternoon?

Afternoons: Use Their Stomach Against Them

During the summer, animals live in the same way. They wake up at 2:30 A.M. and they go to fields for food. The cycle of feeding is different for bucks who lose their velvet or when hormones change. Deer hunting seasons (before autumn) is still effective because hunters can see them better during this time of day than they can in the afternoon when it's darker outside.

Mornings: The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Is it more important to go hunting early in the morning or later? Generally, this means that you are sneaking into the woods and hiding under the shade before dawn. The villagers hunted for an hour until lunchtime. Early season bow hunting is better than night time because deer have begun wearing their winter coats.

Know the Land

It's an essential factor to consider while preparing for early hunting, and it all comes down to common sense. Locate the area where you will hunt! Investigate the hunting ground, look at the map and photographs, and see what others have done there as well as elsewhere.

Google has a useful map of hunting grounds that can help you plan your journey. Also, go check out your own backyard! While aerial pictures are nice, they cannot compare to actual encounters. Prepare a few months in advance by scouting.

Acorn-er Them

During hunt early season, deer are likely looking for acorns. Acorns are good for them. If you want to hunt deer, spend time in areas with many acorns and muck around the trees. You should be able to pick out fruit-producing trees before the first hunting season when plants grow. You can set your camera near fruity acorns in the morning to see how light moves there. The acorn scout can help find good places to hunt deer.

Hunt Near Water

Early season deer hunting can be very hot. The camera should be close to a water hole, or a river. You can find out if deer are going for drink by looking at fresh tracks of them around the water source. If they have larger footprints, there is a greater chance that they will drink from it.

Hunt inside field edges

Some new hunters mistake deer that are in fields that have not been cultivated. Yes there are a lot of deer around, but sometimes it is hard to find them in areas where crops grow. During observation, sit at the edge of the field so you can see where they enter. If you go through the woods during daytime, you might be able to find the Big Bear.

Cover Your Scent

You might scare deer away before you get a chance to see them. That does not work. You will smell an animal and be scared of it before you see it! Never use soap that smells too strong when you are outside or doing something. Some shops sell spray that breaks down scents, and others sell charcoal to break up sweat.

Go for afternoon strolls

The heat can be very hot at the beginning of the season. When it is hot, not many people go out to hunt for deer. This makes it easier to find a deer that has become tired because they are hot. So you should hunt them when they are in their tired state so they don't go away before you shoot them with your gun.

Look for Rub Lines

Rub lines are a signal deer use to communicate. There are many signs in rubs that will help deer hunters. For example, the direction of the road and the time of year. Explore Rub Lines for scouting and hunting Rub Lines for a better understanding.

Know where they sleep

Buck usually sleep close to or near food sources early because there's cover everywhere. Sometimes it is difficult to find food for early season hunting. Hunt slowly until leaves disappear and the beds are more predictable. It is important to make an impression on deer.

Consider wind direction

This is a way to help you when hunting. As long as you have a sense of smell, it is possible for you to know which way the wind blows. Look for places where there may be wind sources and that will help you hunt better.

Cut shooting paths

During a tree-top hunt, the small things that people don't think about can make the hunt either great or impossible. The preseason is a great time to prepare for those small things by cutting paths in the trees where you plan to put your stand.

When it is early in the season, you have to be careful. You need to make sure that there is a good sense of safety and that it is easy for people shooting to see where they are going. Sometimes, hunters forget the path where they are walking.

Don't be afraid to use a Grunt Caller

Deer make a different noise when they are in season than when they are not. We can call deer with a grunt during the rut, but we can also call them earlier in the year too. The difference is that we have to talk louder to get their attention during rut season.

The first season starts during the do and the faws. They communicate by soft grunts and bleats. You can call a buck by using grunt calls, but if they stay soft or subtle then it does not work well. If a mature buck eats outside of his own fields, it might want to see who is challenging him with these grunts.

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