Category: Deer Hunting

The early deer season can be the best time of the year for hunting certain areas but it requires a unique set of strategies that is different from the rest of the year. On this episode I share the story of my early season whitetail buck and the tactics that helped me bring him home on opening day.

Take Aways

• Before the whitetail shift occurs, usually around the first frost, deer are often still in their summer habits and areas.
• Your normal deer hunting strategies for temperature, weather, and time of day do not carry as much weight in the early-early archery deer season.
• In the early season deer may be more used to human activity in areas closer to homes, farms, parks, etc. because more people are spending more time outside.
• The number one principle of early season hunting is scouting, in person or by camera.
• Deer movement patterns in the early season usually change greatly by the time of the rut, so if there is favorable activity then capitalize on it right away.
• If your hunting area has been soft on deer activity during the early season, do not lose heart, that may be the place the deer go once the shift occurs.
• Listen to the episode to hear about the early season strategies that helped get my 2021 buck.

The best time of day to hunt bucks changes as the season goes on. It is true that you can take a buck at any time of day and on any day of the whitetail deer season, but there are times when the odds are better. On this episode I talk about the best time of day to hunt bucks in the early season, pre-rut, rut, late season and everything in between.

Take Aways

• Deer movement tendencies will differ by region, landscape, micro-climate, and local food sources and cover. This episode provides broad recommendations that must be measured against what happens in your local area.
• There is no better way to determine the best time to hunt than by real data from your hunting spot. Trail cams provide the best objective measurements of when bucks are moving.
• Consider reviewing last years trail camera data for the time you plan to hunt this year to get a sense of how deer typically use the land.
• Early Season – Deer may still be in their summer habits and habitat and may be less skittish and more forgiving until hunting pressure pushes them to moving less during the daylight.
• Pre-Rut – Bucks are up and covering ground looking for does, they are active much more during daylight.
• Rut – Bucks are active around the clock, chasing does, fighting, and looking for the next moment of excitement, until they putter out and enter a rest phase.
• Late Season – Bucks are still interested in breeding but begin to return to their regular habits, specifically eating and looking for thick cover.
• Listen to the episode to hear about the best time of day to hunt bucks in each phase of the deer season.

The crossbow market can be a crowded place, but if new hunters focus on a few core factors they can navigate things more easily and cheaply. On this episode I talk about how to streamline the consideration process so new users can make simpler and faster purchase decisions.

Take Aways.

• A more expensive crossbow does not always mean a more effective crossbow.
• Often you are paying more to make the bow lighter, smaller, more balanced, more ergonomic, simpler to use, etc. These things all have value but they do not necessarily make the bow more effective at taking game.
• Three factors to focus on are price, speed, and weight.
• If the velocity is high enough to effectively take deer and the bow is light enough to effectively wield, it will do the job.
• Bows do not retain their resale value as well as firearms do, so spending alot of money on one you ultimately do not appreciate can be an expensive mistake.
• It is better to start with something cheap and effective to get you into the woods.
• Then let your own experiences teach you what features best suite your preferences, hunting style, and real world opportunities. 
• Then you can confidently upgrade to something that is a better fit for you down the road.

We should always be learning from our hunting experiences, and the experiences of others. This past season I learned a very important lesson about opportunities in the deer woods and how to manage them. On this episode I talk about how you can make decisions that enable you to enjoy your deer hunt to the fullest.

Listen to the episode to hear about the #1 thing I learned about deer hunting last year and how you can avoid making the same mistake I did.

Show Notes:

It doesn’t take rocket science to improve the ability of your land to draw and hold more deer. On this episode I talk about the cheap three-step process that I used to increase the number of deer on the small property that I hunt by over 660% from one year to the next.

Take Aways

• I measured the increase of deer activity using the same camera, pointed at the same spot, during the same exact time period from last year to this year.  And no, this camera was not over new food or bait, it was a trail.
• Assuming you have or could borrow a week-wacker, swing blade, sheers, a hand saw, and a spreader, you could do everything I did for a total budget of less than $100. You might even be able to do it for less than $50.
• I did three main things starting in March:

1. 1. Improved deer’s ability to move around the property in a strategic way.
   2. Added focus points to define deer movement.
   3. Planted a super cheap and small staging plot of perianal forage.

• Listen to the episode for all the details and to hear about the even more impressive increase in bucks and mature bucks.

Show Notes:

The best time to scout for whitetail deer hunting locations is usually right after the season you plan to hunt them. On this episode I talk about why post season scouting is ideal and how you can make the most of your scouting to improve your chances for success next year.

Take Aways

• Deer patterns shift seasonally as cover, bedding, and food sources change.
• When scouting you need to ask the question “where will the deer be when I plan to hunt them” instead of just trying to find where they are today.
• Early winter scouting helps you identify deer habits and habitat as they were during the hunting season.
• Pre-season and or mid season scouting can spook deer and push them to other hunters.
• If possible, you want to make your hunting area a haven for deer after you have finished hunting, so they have a safe place to survive the rest of the season. 

Show Notes:

There are a lot of great things about eating venison; the thrill of the hunt, knowing where your meat comes from, the satisfaction of besting a deer in its element to provide for your family, and more. The flavor and quality of the food you put on your table can and should be near the top of that list. On this episode I talk about how to tenderize venison and share some of the preparation and cooking methods that can also help improve tenderness. 

Take Aways

• Venison is not beef. Do not cook it like beef. do not treat it like beef. Do not try to turn it into beef.
• Do not compare tough cuts of venison with tender cuts of beef. Each animal has its tender cuts and its tough cuts, and each cut can be prepared well.
• Tenderness is a factor of field care, butcher care, freezer to fridge care, meal prep, cooking method, and doneness.
• Do all of those just half decently and your will be impressed with what is possible.
• Popular meal prep tenderization methods include; soaking meat in milk, buttermilk, olive oil and wine, vinegar, and similar fluids.
• These methods take the most time and produce the smallest results.
• Listen to the episode for the top tenderization techniques and tips to get the most out of your venison. 

Show Notes:

For those who hunt the same areas year-after-year, it is common for the number and quality of deer in the area to diminish over time. On this episode I talk about why this is a normal occurrence and what you can do to reverse it!

Take Aways

• Great whitetail habitat will do one thing if left untouched for decades, become bad whitetail habitat.
• Most of the time it is not the fault of the game commission, too many hunters, too many tags, etc.
• There are more whitetails in America today than there were 50 years ago, 100 years ago, or the day Columbus stumbled upon the continent.
• The number of hunters also generally decreases year after year.
• Deer do not leave an area without reason and they are not attracted to a new area without reason.
• Deer are creatures of edge. They need food, cover, and bedding.
• Thick cover will eventually become open forest, young forests will become old forests. All of this is bad news for deer.
• The number one simplest way to improve failing whitetail habitat is to get sunshine onto the forest floor. This creates cover and food.

Show Notes:

For many, hunting is a seasonal pleasure. But it has the potential to be a year-round pursuit, even when you are not in the woods chasing game. On this episode I talk about cultivating the joy of the year-round hunt.

Simple ways to enjoy whitetail deer hunting even during the off season:

• Scouting and checking trail cameras to see what deer survived the hunting season.
• Watching movement and feeding patterns in winter when cover is sparse in the woods.
• Looking for new tree stand locations during the winter when cover better resembles its fall state.
• Checking trail cameras to see what deer survived the winter.
• Hunting for antler sheds.
• Planting clover or other food plots.
• Watching anthers grow via trail cameras over the spring and summer.
• Creating habitat improvements.
• Studying summer and fall movement patterns to help direct hunting locations.
• Shopping for gear on Black Friday and after Christmas when deals abound.
• Mounting antlers, tails, or your trophies of choice.
• Talking about hunting and sharing stories.
• Thinking about past hunts and anticipating new ones.
• Practicing with your rifle and/or bow.
• The list goes on and on!