The image of the big 8-point in the early afternoon was impressive. Batteries in the camera had been dead for weeks in an area that was difficult to access. This big buck and several smaller ones had endured three months of bow season, two weeks of rifle hunting, and two black powder stints, yet here it was. Since baiting is legal in Maryland, I thought I’d increase my odds of bagging the deer by scattering half of a bushel of corn in the spot. Ironically, that was the worst thing I could have done, as it caused an increased deer presence and forced Mr. Big back into a nighttime feeding routine.
Don’t Change Anything
Camera images are an excellent scouting tool, yet they can cause a hunter to overthink the situation. Once a hot spot is found, it can be tempting to move a stand, cut more shooting lanes, put out scents, and use other aggressive tactics. As I learned from the instance above, the best approach is to leave the situation as it is and use a saddle, climbing tree stand, or build a small ground blind on the perimeter to create a promising ambush.
Find a Pre-Rut Corridor
Finding a fresh rub or scrape is exciting, but you only have one piece of the puzzle. Hunters have more success if they can capture a travel route a buck uses in the pre-rut, and this can be done by scouting the perimeter of the fresh sign or posting or moving additional cameras to learn that route. It is particularly frustrating when you catch a great deer in your area at night, but it doesn’t show up during business hours. The following video speaks of finding daylight opportunities at “nocturnal” deer and is a strategy that anyone can follow:
Here’s a Solid Plan
Wild Camo produces some of my favorite videos. As a trained educator, I love the graphics she uses to make points and create a plan in a step-by-step method. Here’s a strategy that anyone can pull off.