In my opinion, post season scouting is some of the best scouting you can do. In the post season, you can find out if your Buck is still alive and more important, where he's hanging out. Many places either have snow on the ground or will have snow. This can be the best time to follow a Buck and see where he's holing up. In most cases, he'll still be in his hiding/evading mode due to Small Game hunters in his area.

The places he likes to hide, his travel routes and his escape routes will be much easier to find this time of year than when your scouting in the Pre-season. It's also a great time to snoop around your public hunting land and see where he likes to hide or where other hunters are setting up.

I've found more Big Buck escape routes and Sanctuary's by scouting when there was snow on the ground than any other time of the year. Snow almost makes it too easy...almost! And you don't have to worry about things like Mosquitoes, Snakes and Chiggers like you do when you're scouting for deer in the Summertime.

While snow on the ground is my favorite time to scout for Bucks, I've also found good areas for the upcoming Deer season when I was scouting and hunting for Turkeys. Many of the movement habits of Deer are the same ones Turkeys use in their day to day life.

Bottlenecks, feeding areas and loafing areas that Turkeys use can be the same areas Deer use. I've also located new Deer hunting areas when out Turkey hunting. It's amazing to me how much Deer sign you can find in the Spring. The Deer will normally be in their Fall and Winter patterns before greenup and it's just an excellent time to find new areas and to tweak your existing hunting areas and treestand sites.

Post season is also an excellent time to find sheds. With the exception of actually sighting a Big Buck after Deer Season has ended, nothing says that the Big Boy is still alive like finding fresh sheds. You'll typically find sheds in bedding areas and travel corridors.

So take a few days off from fishing or just get out in the snowy woods for a romp of your deer hunting area. I'm betting you'll be surprised at what you find.

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But better late than never!

I receive quite a bit of email about Deer hunting on public land. Having just came back from a Controlled Hunt on Public Land myself, here are some tips for you that are heading out to hunt Public Land Deer.

1. Get a map. Preferably a topo map and an aireal photo of the area where you'll be hunting. You can find good topo maps on the Internet at several areas or contact the USGS for an index. A good map will show you many things. Some of the things you'll be wanting to look for are: where are other hunters parking, areas that will funnel deer into a tight area such as saddles in ridges, potential feeding and beddeing areas, waterways, old roads, etc.
2. Do your scouting. This should go without saying, but you'd be surprised at how many just pick a place and go hunting without ever setting foot on the place. Prepare for success by using some boot leather to get the feel of the land and to try and pattern both the Deer and Deer Hunters!
3. Pattern the Hunters. Since you'll likely have company from other Hunters when visiting Public Hunting area, get to know where they park and the areas that they'll likely be hunting. Use this information to determine Where Not To Hunt! You can also use this information to determine likely areas where these Hunters will push the Deer as they're coming and going to their stands.
4. Hunt the Midday. It doesn't take long for Deer to pattern the Hunters. They know that most Hunters will be out of their stands by 9 a.m. (many much sooner) and walking around before heading back to their vehicles for coffee, lunch and a nap. Plan on hunting during the midday hours. I can't tell you how many Bucks I've seen from 11 to 3 on Public Hunting land. If you've done your homework and are set up away from the other Hunters, you may be pleasantly surprised at a visit from a Buck during the midday when other Hunters are back at their trucks taking a Siesta.
5. Call the Manager. Part of your pre-hunt scouting should be a call to the Manager of the Public land where you'll be hunting. They can provide valuable information on Hunter access and likely spots to find a Buck during the Hunting Season. They can also let you in on how the Deer herd is doing and clue you into what the Deer are feeding on.
6. Plan on getting your Deer out. Many Deer Hunters never plan on how to get their Deer out once they have it down. They never think about it until they are faced with the daunting task of dragging a Buck out of the woods. It would be smart to invest in one of the Big Game Carts
   advertised in the Outdoor catalogs.
7. Think outside the box. As I said earlier, Deer pattern Hunters much better than Hunters pattern Deer. If most hunters are Hunting fields or easy to reach areas, do something different. Find thickets or other areas where Hunters will not hunt. Swamps and overgrown clear cuts are two of my favorite areas to hunt on Public land. I love to hear Hunters say "That area is too nasty to hunt, you can't see very far in there". That's the kind of place I want to be. The group of guys I grew up hunting with were the first to hunt the flooded timber for Deer. No one else would put on wader and go in after the Deer. Now, many people will but few are successful because the lack the patience and experience to still hunt the flooded timber properly. Do and go where other Hunters will not!

Most public hunting is not easy. But with a little planning and thinking outside the box, your hunt can be successful. Just remember, these Deer are hunted hard so plan on outsmarting them. You can reason, Deer can't!

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Over the years it seems that rubs are one piece of buck sign that most deer hunters mis diagnose when scouting. I'm not sure why, perhaps they haven't taken the time to really educate their self on the different types of rubs. I've even heard old Grizzled deer hunters call deer scraps "rubs" and deer rubs "scrapes".

I hope to shed some light on the different types of buck rubs and the timeline you'll likely see these rubs.

Late Summer Buck Rubs

Starting in late August through September in most parts of the country, you'll start finding rubs on small bushes and saplings. In my area, the Sumac, Pine and Cedar are favored bushes that bucks rub on.

Bucks rub on these saplings at this time of the year to help remove the velvet from their antlers. In fact, it's not uncommon to find these bushes with pieces of velvet still on them.

I've never seen a buck come back to these rubs on a routine basis. For them, these are simply a tool to remove velvet. They simply tell you that a buck, or bucks, have passed by and rubbed velvet off. Nothing to see here folks, just keep moving.

Pre Rut Buck Rubs

I was once told by an Old Timer that bucks rub on trees to mark their paths. Ummm....okay. I have a small problem with that theory. Bucks live in their little patch of woods year round, why do they need trail markers just for the fall? How would they find their trail at other times of the year? I've never bout that piece of advice personally.

The type of rubs I find during the hunting season leading up to the rut are what I call the Pre Rut Buck Rubs. These are rubs bucks make going to and from bedding and feeding areas. You'll likely find many along deer trails.

Look for trees in your area that are very fragrant when the bark is peeled back. Sumac (called Shoe-Makes in my neck of the woods), Cedar and Pine are all favorites of bucks around here. Bucks love to rub trees like these. My theory of why bucks prefer these trees is that it's possible the thick sap holds scent from their glands for a longer period of time. I believe these rubs are bucks letting other bucks know they're in the area. Marking their territory so to speak. Kinda like your dog walking the perimeter of your yard and peeing on ever little bush it comes to.

It's been my experience that bucks will make clusters of these rubs near their bedding area. Once you get outside of their bedding area, you'll start to see rubs spaced apart along a trail. You can sometimes tell when and what time a buck made the rubs by looking at which side of the tree the rub is on.

If the rubbed part of the tree is facing the feeding area, it's likely this rub was made by a buck on his way back to his bed. That's generally in the Mornings.

On the other hand, if you find the bare part of a rub facing the thicker bedding area, it's likely the buck made the rub in the afternoon or evening as he is heading to the feeding area.

In big woods areas, I've also found these types of rubs between Doe groups. I can generally find these along ridgelines or along remove waterways such as creek beds.

Sign Post Rubs

Nothing, and I mean nothing, screams "Big Buck" like a sign post rub.

I don't think that there is another piece of buck sign, other than a sighting, that will tell you that you're dealing with a He Man of a buck.

I've heard several theories of why big bucks make sign post rubs. But in my opinion, they're made to tell all other bucks to "stay clear, The Boss lives here."

The buck that makes these rubs may rub smaller trees, and generally does. But I've never seen a smaller buck make a sign post rub.

I generally find sign post rubs near a bucks bedding area. When I find one, I start paying real close attention to the surrounding area and on which side of the tree the rub is. It's not uncommon to find a sign post rub that has been rubbed entirely around the tree.

Most sign post rubs I've seen have been on trees 2 inches in diameter and larger. The largest one I've ever seen was on a Cedar tree back in the sticks in Eastern Oklahoma. The tree was nearly 4 inches in diameter.

If you find an area that has fresh sign post rubs and dead trees from previous years rubs, you've found the Mother Load. This tells you the buck has lived here for at least two years.

Deer Hunting Tactics For Rubs

I've known hunters who found a few rubs on small bushes early in the year and hunt the entire season over those rubs. Like I said earlier, those early season rubs don't amount to anything other than getting rid of some velvet.

The rubs you really want to concentrate are the ones made in the Pre Rut. These are the ones that Bucks will generally follow, simply because they make them along their paths.

Here's a hot deer hunting tip for you. When looking over trails, look parallel on both sides of the trails for buck rubs. The reason why is that some smart old bucks will not travel down the same trail as does and smaller bucks, but will travel parallel downwind. If a Buck is paralleling a deer trail, I generally find it around 50 to 70 yards on either side of the main trail. Smart old bucks know it's not wise to walk down just any old trail in the Fall!

If I find one or more sign post rub, then I try to back off just a ways along the route I think the buck is coming into or exiting his bedding area. I pick a spot where I have favorable wind. Many times, I'll only be able to hunt this stand a few time during the season. The buck picks his bedding area because of the benefits to him, not because it's easy for you to set a stand up on him!

Hunting Rubs During the Rut

During the rut, everything is off. By this time, if I haven't killed a Buck, I'm switching tactics and hunting the Does. If a Buck is with a Doe, he's not worried about making rubs and scrapes.

If he's an older Buck but hasn't found a Doe yet, he's traveling looking for Does, making and checking scrapes and looking for Does. Generally he doesn't have the time nor desire to make rubs.

In my opinion, hunting bucks along rub line during the Rut is low priority for me. The bucks are either going to be with the Does or traveling between the Doe groups.  (although they may follow trails that have rubs along them when traveling between Doe groups)

So get out there and look for those Pre-Season buck rubs. They'll likely point out where your buck is traveling. Now all you need to do is find the best spot to take him in!

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buck fever

I think it's safe to say that most of us have had to deal with Buck Fever at one time or another. But as most of us know, it's how you deal with buck fever that will decide whether or not you go home with a deer or not.

Buck Fever is the condition that comes over a Hunter when they have an opportunity to take a deer. The deer may be right beneath their tree stand or 100 yards away. For many hunters, the sight of any legal deer puts them into an uncontrollable jerky convulsions. Hitting a deer at any range under these conditions is pure luck.

Even the best of us get buck fever. It's how you deal with it that counts.

Here are 5 tips for dealing with Buck Fever.

1. Get out and see deer. For people who never see a deer except during deer season, the sight of a legal deer within range can send them over the edge. Get out and watch deer. Go to a game farm if you must, but get out and see deer. Not only will it help with Buck Fever, but you might also become familiar with the body characteristics of Bucks and Does.
2. Control your breathing and thoughts. When you see a legal deer, focus on controlling your breathing. Nice deep breaths and slow exhales. Whatever you do, don't hold your breath! Also, don't freak out and start thinking "Oh my God, there's a deer, I better shoot quick before he/she is gone". Concentrate on making the shot. Focus on a spot. Count backwards if you have to in order to get your mind off the deer. Anything that will help you focus on making the shot.
3. Visualize yourself making a successful shot. I often sit in my stand and visualize myself making a successful shot on a deer. Even when I'm not in the stand, I'm thinking about making a good shot on a deer. See yourself remaining calm, cool and collective. Visualize yourself easing your weapon up and getting a good sight picture and focusing on a small area. Visualization can be very important in controlling Buck Fever.
4. Practice, Practice and then Practice more. It was three years of bowhunting before I took my first deer with archery equipment. The previous two years I had many opportunities, but failed for many reasons. On year three, the second weekend of the Season I had three Does come through the brush near my stand. I'd spent all Summer practicing with my bow. That year I had switched from shooting with sights to instinctive shooting. I never gave it much thought, but one thing I realized when that Doe was at 15 yards was that I was going to drill her. I couldn't explain it, but I KNEW without a doubt where that arrow was going. Practice with your weapon until you know it intimately. Practice builds confidence. Confidence in knowing you can hit what you're aiming at goes a long ways in settling your nerves.
5. Hunt small game. For many Hunters, deer hunting may be the only time when they have an opportunity to shoot anything. Buy a 22 rifle if you don't have one or take your bow and get out in the woods and hunt small game. Squirrels, rabbits or even varmits. It doesn't matter. The same dynamics that go into putting a deer on the ground are the same that goes into putting small game on the ground. Sight picture, control your breathing, steady aim, squeeze the trigger. When you can consistently take Squirrels at 40 and 50 yards with a 22, you'll be ahead in your deer hunting game. And who knows, you might find that deer hunting hotspot you've been looking for.

I've learned to control my Buck Fever until after the shot. That's when the shakes will hit me hard. My right leg gets short circuited and starts thumping like it has a mind all its own. There's no shame in getting Buck Fever. But you need to work at controlling it until after the shot. Then you can shake so hard that you knock all the leaves off the surrounding trees!

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Hunting Clothes

You want to know a secret? You don't have to have the latest designer Camo to kill a deer! Yeah, shocking hunh!

Hunters in the Northeast have been killing deer for eons wearing nothing but Grey wool pants and the traditional black and green pattern wool coats. Some even wear the black and red plaid coats.

Any dull colored clothing will work fine as long as you're comfortable in it and it's quiet. Olive drab military surplus clothes work great. You can generally find the Military camo patterns available also. The Desert Camo is great for late season bow hunting. I would avoid wearing any brown or white colors during the Gun season though. Expect to pay less than $100 for true Military Surplus clothing (the stuff that has actually been used!)

You can also browse your local Wal-Mart store for hunting clothes. I scored several years ago on a green fleece jacket with huge pockets. Perfect for the way I hunt plus it's warm. I don't have a problem saving money on hunting clothes, I don't care who the retailer is.

Hunting Boots

Any good leather or rubber/leather boot will work for deer hunting. I've seen guys out in the woods with tennis shoes on, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Personally, I would buy a pair of boots just for deer hunting so they could be put back and kept clean.

In bow season and Muzzleloader season, I'll wear either the $15 a pair rubber boots from Wal-Mart or any other discount retailer. Good Ole Black PVC rubber boots are cheap. These rubber hunting boots will keep your feet dry if you hunt in wet areas. They're also very good and keeping your scent off the ground, which is why I use them during bow season.

They'll even work well in cold weather if you'll buy a size larger and layer your socks. I've used one pair of Cotton socks on first followed by a thick wool sock. Works wonders for keeping your feet warm.

Don't get the sock and boots too tight. A tight fit will cut the circulation off to your feet and they'll get cold, not matter how many layers you have.

I will tell you that you should not scrimp on your hunting boots if you can avoid it. If you have feet that get cold easy or have sensitive feet, pay the money and get you a good hunting boot.

When I'm not wearing the old cheapo rubber boots, I have a pair of LL Bean Maine Hunting Boots. Leather tops with rubber bottoms. In my opinion, one of the finest hunting boots on the market. They keep my feet dry, they're durable and I leave minimum scent walking in. I think my pair was around $95 and worth every penny.

Deer Scents, Calls, Etc.

Okay, for you new people to deer hunting, here's another secret I'm going to let out of the bag. You don't need all the scents and deer calls on the market to kill a deer! In fact, you don't need any! Yeah, I know what the marketing departments of the big companies all say, but don't listen to them. They're just trying to sell you deer scent and deer calls.

In fact, if you don't know how to use calls or scents, they can hurt your hunting more than help. Learn how to hunt deer without the gadgets. When can kill a deer on a routine basis without using calls and scents, then you'll be ready for them. Calls and scents are nothing more than an aid to deer hunting. Any as I just mentioned, in the wrong hands they'll hurt you more than help. You'll not get that many chances, so take advantage of every one you get.

Leave the calls on scents on the rack until you're a little more experienced.

Archery Hunting Equipment

Don't start out thinking you need the latest whiz-bang-wammy-mammy bow in order to kill a deer. You don't.

If you're not experienced in archery, I would strongly suggest that you stop by your local archery shop to buy your first set up. Tell them you're on a very limited budget and you just need a reliable bow set and arrows. Expect to pay around $200 for a bow set up for hunting and about $75 for arrows, field points and broadheads.

It's important for first timers to get help from experienced archers. Generally you'll find helpful staff in a bow shop, however from time to time you'll find the self adsorbed jerks there also. If you're jerk - snooty meter goes off when the guy or gal opens their mouth, leave and go elsewhere. You'll eventually find a shop staff member that is helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Life to short to deal with cocky bow shop staffers!

If the store owner tries to sell you some 3,4,5 or $600 bow, go elsewhere, they're worried about their profit rather than seeing you're outfitted well.

Also, don't go buy a bow setup from a catalog or a discount store then take it to a bow shop and expect them to give you help. Some will, but most won't. Can you blame them? They way they look at it is that their bows may be slightly higher than Wal-Mart or one of the big Outdoor retailers, but you're getting personalized service and helpful customer service when you buy from them. Don't be surprised if you ask for help and they tell you to go back where you bought it from for help. Something to keep in mind when buying a bow.

Don't get caught up in the "Speed Kills" marketing hype. I believe this was a marketing buzz word put out by the Bow manufacturers many years ago to sell new bows. The funny thing is, I was just browsing Bass Pro's Archery offerings and looking at all the bow speeds. Most of those $500 to $600 bows are shooting in the 300-325fps range.

I can remember back when I bought my Darton Viper over 15 years ago. There were many bows on the market then that would shoot carbon arrows in the 300+ fps range. The main thing that has changed over the years is that the bows have become shorter and lighter. I'm not convinced that a shorter and lighter bow is worth $500 to $800. But hey, it's your money!

Treestands

If you're not experienced in using treestands, it's best to just leave them be. There are far too many hunters getting permanently hurt every year from falling out of treestands or having accidents while putting them up. Find someone to help you and who will show you how to use one or leave them alone for now.

If on the other hand you do have experience with treestands, then I'd suggest buying a new one. I've bought several used ones that have had problems. Better to get a new one that the manufacturer will stand behind. You'll also likely get a free harness as well. Use it!

You have several types of stands to choose from; Hang On, Ladder, Tripod, Tower or Climbing. I started out using Loc-On stands that had the plywood platforms and the chains. Geez, talk about dating myself! Now that I'm older, I look for comfort and the stands that do that for me are the Ladder stands and Tripods. However they are not a good choice for a person who wants to be mobile.

If you plan on hunting public land, you'd be wise to invest in a lock. Those treestands have a tendancy to walk away when you're not around.

If you choose a hang-on type stand, you'll be able to choose how to get your stand and yourself up the tree. Screw in steps, strap on steps or climbing sticks/ladders. Obviously the screw-in type steps and the strap on steps are the lightest and easiest to carry. Climbing sticks and ladders can add not only expense, but weight as well.

Good quality hang-on type treestands can be had for under $125 and many are beneath $100.

Blackpowder Rifles

A good blackpowder rifle will run you less than $200. I'd suggest your first blackpowder deer hunting rifle be a .50 caliber rifle that will accept 209 shotgun primers as the ignition source. CVA and Traditions both have rifles like this for under $200.

A scope would be nice if you can swing it, if not, don't sweat it. Save your money and buy one later.

If you know what you're looking at, Pawn Shops can be a great source for good muzzleloaders and most can be had for a song.

I'd recommend trying several of the .50 caliber bullets on the market. Hornady, Thompson Center and others put out quality bullets for muzzleloaders. Next, I'd start with Pyrodex or Triple Seven pellets. They're easy to use and come in 50 grain increments. In most rifles, two pellets will be all you need.

The pellets are pricey, but for the ease of use and the speed in reloading, they're worth the price in my book. (not to mention you don't need a powder measure!)

If you live in a State or region that only allows Shotguns or Muzzleloaders, then it might be worth your while to get a good flat shooting muzzle loader. I'd much prefer a flat shooting muzzleloader over a Shotgun. Check out my review of the MDM Buckwacka muzzleloader for a flat shooting, hard hitting muzzleloader.

Spend some time at the range with your new muzzleloader. Follow the directions for cleaning your gun. If you're going to hunt with muzzleloaders, you'd better learn how to clean and care for them properly. Even the modern blackpowder rifles need to be kept clean in order to work properly.

Deer Hunting Rifles

This will probably be your biggest expense when you start deer hunting. (if you choose to hunt with a modern rifle)

Here again, you don't need a $800 or $1000 deer rifle to kill deer. A $150 Marlin or Winchester you bought at a Pawn Shop will do the job just as well. There are many used deer rifles on the market that are just waiting to get taken out in the woods. Here is a list of 7 used deer rifles I'd recommend.

Pawn Shops can be a great source for good rifles at discount prices. If you're on a tight budget, plan to spend less than $200. You can even find some great military surplus rifles that will be more than adequate for deer hunting.

Here's an article you can read if you're just beginning deer hunting and looking for a rifle cartridge. 5 rifle cartridges for the beginning deer hunter.

Gun shows are also another source for good bargains, especially late in the day on the last day of the show. The remaining vendors will be looking to sell some inventory before packing up. You'll also find people walking the isles with For Sale signs on their guns. Cash talks so take it with you and leave the plastic behind. You'd be surprised at how a wad of green will get a Gun dealer to come down off the price of a gun!

If you don't know much about guns, then it would be in your best interest to find a local gun shop and buy your first deer rifle there. Just as with bow shop owners, if you run across jerks who happens to own a gun shop, move on.

A good gun shop owner will help you pick your first rifle and accessories. They'll also help you keep it under your budget.

Just like with the blackpowder rifles, grab you several different brands of ammo. Find what shoots best in your rifle.

Cabela's sells bulk ammo for several popular calibers like .270, .308, 30-06 and 30-30. It's 100 rounds and comes in a waterproof ammo box.

If you really want to go cheap, learn to reload. You can reload on the cheap by grabbing you a reloading manual and a Lee Classic Reloading Kit along with some powder, primers and bullets (follow the instructions in the Reloading Manual and Lee Reloader set to a "T")

The Lee Classic Reloader Kit comes for many popular calibers and the kit sells for about $20. If you have several rifle or pistol calibers you'd like to load for, then look at the Lee Hand Press reloading kit at around $35. It uses standard dies so you can switch from caliber to caliber. A reloading manual will cost you about $15 to $25 depending on which one you go for.

If you're really on a budget or live in one of the Midwest states that prohibit rifles, then break out your Shotgun. There are many choices when deer hunting with a shotgun. You may have a Shotgun like a Mossberg or Remington where you can exchange the smooth barrel for a rifled barrel. Or a barrel with rifle sights on it. So don't feel left out if you can't afford a rifle or live in an area where rifles are not allowed. If you can use a Shotgun, grab it and run to the range. Try out several different brands at 25 and 50 yards to see which one shoots best. You can then move back further and further until you reach 100 yards. That's just about maximum for most Shotguns with slugs.

Summary

So there you have it. Let's go over what we have.

• Hunting Outfit(s) bought at Military Surplus or Discount Store - $100
• Boots - $20 for cheapo's or $125 for better quality
• Deer Scents and Calls - $0
• Bow set, Arrows and Broadheads - $275
• BlackPowder Rifle and Accessories - $300
• Modern Rifle or Shotgun - $200

See, getting started in Deer hunting doesn't have to cost an arm and leg. Many times we get caught up with keeping up with the Jones' thinking we have to have the latest and greatest gear. If you can afford it and it makes you happy, know yourself out. On the other hand, if you want to get into the sport of deer hunting and don't have a lot of money, this is how it's done.

Good Luck and share some of your hunts with budget gear with me. You can even send me a picture, maybe I'll post it and share the story with other deer hunters here!

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Now that most deer season's are over and the deer hunting is done for another year, many of you are wondering how to score a deer.

It seems that scoring carries a mystical nature to it. It's like some secret code passed down by the Templar Knights or something.

Scoring a buck's rack is easy. There's really nothing to it. Now non-typical bucks can be a real challenge, depending on how nasty their racks are. Typical racked bucks are pretty easy. The more you score, the easier it becomes.

I thought about going into details of how to score your deer here on this blog. Then I found The Buck Manager blog that has excellent articles about how to score a deer and decided to give you the link to their site.

I also found this short video on YouTube that quickly explains the basics of scoring a buck. It's a little vague, but it will give you an idea of how to score your deer.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40noZpdWo3s]

As you can see, scoring a whitetail deer, or even a typical mule deer, is pretty easy. Don't let it intimidate you.

Now if you've killed yourself a giant of a deer and you think it may make the Boone & Crockett record book or the Pope & Young record book (if taken with archery equipment), then you'll need to find an official scorer for one of those organizations.

You should also know that many States have their own awards for the big deer killed in their states. Check with your States game department to see if there are awards offered in your state, who knows, maybe you just put the State record buck on the ground!

Finally, if you did kill a buck, big or small, and would like to show it off, just send me the photo and I'll get it into the photo gallery here. I've been meaning to redo it but I've been putting it off. What a better motivator to reorganize my Photo Album here on the Buck Hunters Blog than to show off some of your kills. Even if you don't know how to score a deer, I'll gladly put your pictures up!

How To Score A Deer

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I've never given much thought to baiting Deer until recently. When I moved to Texas 8 years ago, I was amazed at how many people here used corn feeders. If you didn't know any better, you'd think that a Deer couldn't be killed in Texas unless you had a corn feeder!

What's even more bizarre is that a lot of Texas hunters do not consider sitting over a corn feeder as baiting!

In the area where we hunt in Oklahoma, more and more hunters are using corn feeders. I personally do not see the attraction. I've tried it and I believe it's a bunch of Deer pellets. Sure, I saw Deer, quite a few Deer to be exact. But it just wasn't for me.

However, I'll be the first to put a lot of work in and grow a food plot. I'll take a good food plot over any type of feeder any day.

I never stopped to think about it, but I guess you can consider food plots as baiting also. If that's so, so be it. Unfortunately, where we hunt in Oklahoma, many of the landowners raise Cattle to supplement their income. If a good food plot will attract Deer, it'll attract Cattle a helluva lot faster, especially in Winter! Needless to say, we don't plant many food plots!

I believe baiting Deer is a personal decision. Each Hunter has to decide whether or not they feel okay hunting over bait. It doesn't matter if that bait is a truckload of Sugar Beets, a corn feeder or a food plot.

Baiting Deer - The Good

I believe the can be positive aspects of baiting Deer. For one thing, if you practice harvesting Does, it can help you remove Does that are straining herds in over populated areas.

Also, if you're putting out a lot of bait, it may help Deer put on a little more fat before Winter arrives. This may help many of them make it through Winter and to Spring greenup.

Baiting deer can also be a good thing for new hunters. How many of you could remain rock still when you first started Deer hunting? New hunters want to see Deer! Even if they don't get the opportunity to take one. It's better to see Deer, even over a bait pile, than to spend the whole day shivering and moving around because you're bored, wishing you were back home playing video games.

Baiting Deer - The Bad

In some areas, a Deer herd can become dependent on bait. This isn't good if you stop putting it out after Deer season.

Over the last few years, I've also read stories of Hunters sitting over bait piles after hours or after the season has closed and poaching deer.

Probably the worse thing about baiting is that it can spread disease's among the Deer herd. If you live in an area that has cases of Chronic Wasting Disease, you really need to take a long hard look at baiting.

Deer are browsers. They don't feed at trough's like Cows. Think more in terms of Goats. They take a nip here and a bite there. When Deer feed at bait piles, pieces of food get mouthed and left behind. Other deer can pick these pieces of food up and eat them. If the first Deer was diseased, the disease is passed on. By concentrating Deer in one area with bait, diseases's can spread through the herd quickly, having a devastating and long lasting effect on local Deer herds.

Baiting Deer - The Ugly

If there is one thing that turns me off about baiting, it's that most Hunters stop doing it as soon as Deer season is over.

Why is that a problem?

Because Deer season ends just as Winter is ramping up. If Deer are used to supplementing their browse habits by stopping by a bait pile or corn feeder, then all of a sudden it's gone, it can have devastating effects on the herd during the Winter. Especially the further North you are.

That's why I prefer food plots. They're there for many months. Some are there year round. They feed Deer through the Winter and into the most nutritional challenging time of year, just before Spring green up.

Hey Hunters, if you're going to bait, at least keep the bait out until Spring greenup arrives!

Better yet, plant food plots. It's less likely to pass disease and the Deer will get long lasting benefits from it. And you won't have to think about putting out more feed on Sunday afternoon, you can stay in and watch football!

As a final note, in some States, baiting and feeding wild Deer is against the law. So make sure you read all the regulations before putting out that pile of corn!

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I've looked forward to this store opening ever since Bass Pro announced they were going to build it. Currently, the nearest Bass Pro Store to me is in Katy Texas. It's about an hour and half, sometimes two to get to the Katy store. You have to drive through Houston stop and go traffic, navigate a mess of road construction and short tempered drivers to get there.

The Pearland Bass Pro Store is about 45 minutes away and usually the drive is very easy.

So you can see why I was really excited they were going to put one in.

The Pearland Bass Pro had their grand opening last week. I fought the urge to go knowing I would be in the area this week. So I waited patiently, imagining all the neat things I was going to buy when I got there.

First Impressions

As soon as I walked in, I felt like I had been in there before. This store is the two story design, not the 1 story design like the one in Katy. This is the same design as the Bass Pro in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. My Mom lives about 10 miles away from the Bass Pro in Broken Arrow so I visit that store when I go and see her.

These stores seem cramped to me. They seem never to have the space that the larger stores like the one in Katy have. The store in Katy has ample room to browse and shop.

Not so with the Pearland Bass Pro.

The decor is wonderful, but Game mounts and suspended birds can only go so far. I don't go into these stores for the decor, I go to buy equipment and supplies that I can't find elsewhere.

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep But Ugly Goes All The Way To The Bone

I'm a Big Ole Boy as the saying goes. I wear a 3x shirt. Many times I'll buy some 4x camo to layer over my 3x. In the Houston area, the only outdoor store I've found who regularly carries 3x and 4x clothing is the Bass Pro in Katy.

Academy Sports and Outdoors stores do not carry them, Gander Mountain does not carry these. Heck, Wal-Mart carries more Big Man's outdoor clothing than Gander Mountain and Academy stores combined.

Now you can add the Bass Pro store in Pearland Texas to the list of local Outdoor stores who do not carry Big Man's clothes! I can't believe two stores from the same company can be so different! The Pearland store and the one in Katy are only about 35 miles apart, but these two stores are different in the products they carry.

I then went to find some Hunting boots in size 13. Didn't have any. So, I went to find some Hornady SST .45 caliber Muzzleloading bullets. Since I had bought some at the Katy store last year, I was sure they'd at least carry these. Nope. Nadda. In fact, I saw no .45 caliber Muzzleloader bullets hanging on the pegboard!

This is what happens when you let Pencil Pushers design, build and stock a store. They only carry products that appeal to the masses.

For example, last year I went looking for some 7mm-08 ammo. No Academy or Gander Mountain stores in the area had these and didn't stock them. Wal-Mart had one box of 140 grain Remington's. I already had those, I wanted something different. I ended up at the local Outdoor store called Carter's Country. When I asked the lady behind the counter if they carried any 7mm-08 ammo, she said "What flavor? We have 5 different types."

Now THAT is what an Outdoor Store is suppose to do! I ended up buying 4 different brands to test.

Yeah, But How's The Hired Help?

I wasn't too impressed with the Associates at the Bass Pro in Pearland either. Maybe I caught them at a bad time, but many were just lounging around shooting the Bull and not being very helpful. A couple were friendly and seemed to want to help, but none really went out of their way. I saw quite a few customers looking around for someone to help.

Compare this to the store in Katy where the Shoe Associate brought out 6 pairs of boots last month when I was looking at Snake Boots. I'm hard to fit so she had taken the time to bring out all the Snake Boots that she thought would be close. She then went back and got a few more. It's like those folks at the Katy store are working on commission! The people at the Katy store have always been very helpful.

Basically this new Bass Pro in Pearland is just another Academy or Gander Mountain. Nothing you can't find at this store that you can't find at Academy or Gander Mountain, well, except maybe the RedHead brand! There's very little reason for me to go back, just the hope that after everything settles down after the Grand Opening, they'll come to their senses and start stocking a lot of the same Hard-To-Find products that the Katy store does.

Overall Experience?

I couldn't be more disappointed in a store if I'd tried. Since I buy most of my Casual clothes and work clothes at the store in Katy, I was really hoping this Bass Pro in Pearland would be the same, but tis not to be.

I told my Wife it was like meeting a girl online, falling head over heals at the sight of her Glamour Shot's picture and meeting her only to find out that the picture was taken 10 years and 50 pounds ago!

Since I refuse to put myself through the ordeal of driving to the Katy Bass Pro, I'll wrap this up and go fill the order for my Oklahoma Muzzleloading trip online at Cabela's. If Cabela's was to open a store on the North East side of Houston, I'd never see the inside of a Houston area Gander Mountain, Bass Pro or Academy's store again!

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I'm going to assume that you haven't lived under a rock your entire deer hunting life. However, even if you have, I'll briefly describe what a deer funnel is.

A deer funnel is basically anything that causes deer to pass through a narrow or restricted area. Think of the tiny midsection of an hour glass and you'll get the picture.

Deer funnels are great places to take your Buck, or any other Game animal for that matter.

Deer funnels can be nothing more than how the land lays. Game animals normal follow the lay of the land so anything change in the lay of the land that causes them to pass through a restricted area can be considered a funnel. Beaver dams can create great deer funnels if the terrain permits. A Beaver dam may be the best crossing over a creek that there is for hundreds of yards. Deer will naturally walk across a Beaver dam before they will swim. So will Hunters!

Man can also create funnels. Fence lines, Ponds, cleared fields, etc. can all create deer funnels.

Below are a few of the popular funnel areas. I'm going to attempt to help you identify deer funnels in your area.

Classic Mountain Saddle Funnel

A saddle in a ridge line creates the classic funnel. Here is a snap shot of an area I bow hunted quite a bit in the late season. As you can see, it is a perfect funnel. There are two red X's, each is next to the saddle. When you see deep saddles in ridges like these two, sharpen you hunting knife!

Both of these spots were a long walk unless you wanted to walk straight up from the road below. I prefer a long fairly straight walk as opposed to a straight up walk!

These saddles produced deer year after year. As you can see, these saddles are on a State PHA. I've only seen hunters twice in those saddles in all the years I've hunted there. I'm not sure why more people don't hunt them, but they don't.

The best bet to hunt funnels like these are in the mornings as the air heats up, the mountain thermals will cause your scent to rise. Deer will normally be coming from the valleys to bed near the top or cross over to the other side.

Deer Funnels In Bottomlands

This next funnel has also been a great funnel area for myself and others.

One funnel is created by a Wet Weather slough pinched up against a river. The red "X" indicates the funnel. This funnel is about 50 yards wide and is great for Bowhunting (as well as Muzzleloader and Gun). There are big open Red Oak flats on each end. During dry times, the slough has thick growth in it. When it rains, it holds water. That's an old Beaver dam that dissects the slough just above the "X" (our treestand is actually at the end of the Beaver dam you can see in the photo).

The Yellow "X" also represents another funnel. Not quite as effective as the Red "X", the Yellow "X" has big woods on either end. This about as far away from the Public parking area as you can get. We get into our stand well ahead of daylight and let Hunters push deer to us when we hunt the Yellow "X" funnel.

Man Made Funnels - Fencelines

Ahh fencelines. Not many hunters realize what a great funnel fencelines can make.

The aerial photo below shows one area I've hunted for over a decade.

We hunt the 80 acres in the center. To the West, there is open pasture with a scattering of Pecan and Oak trees. To the North, there is a National Wildlife Refuge with overgrown pastures. To the East and North East, private property and a Agriculture field to the South East.

Deer go back and forth between the West field and the woods on the East side. They also come out of the heavy underbrush on the grown up NWR to the North.

The Red "X" represents one of our stands. We've taken 3 - 8 pointers scoring over 130 points out of that stand as the deer follow the fence line.

The Yellow "X" is where an Oak tree fell on the fence about 2 years ago, creating yet another funnel. The NWR fence is a stout fence and it didn't offer the deer many areas to get across at. When the tree fell, I assume it didn't take them long to find it as they now have a path beat down across the fence...15 yards from another Red Oak with my stand in it! (on the private land side obviously)

The green line represents another fence running North and South. While not a strong deer magnet, every once in a while a buck will be following it, either going to, or coming from, the Ag field.

You'd think the fence line on the West side, (yellow line, left side) would be a great funnel. But it isn't. It never has panned out. One reason is that I believe that the fence line is so thick you can not see through it. There are a couple place where coyotes and other critters crawl under the fence, but you'll be hard-pressed to find any deer sign there. I believe it's because they can't see over or through it.

Subtle Deer Funnels

Subtle Deer funnels are areas that you'd normally overlook because you don't notice the slight change of the terrain. A topo map helps out with this.

This funnel here is a low spot on top of a very wide ridge. So slight we at first overlooked it when we started hunting the property over 20 years ago. If it hadn't been all the deer tracks in the old road, we'd never set up a stand there.

Luckily we did because this was a "Guaranteed" stand if there ever was one. I can't remember how many deer we killed out of that stand, but it was many. About 8 years ago the landowner sold the land and that ended our hunting on the property.

Notice how there is a slight rise on each side of the X? Basically this is a saddle, but you'd probably not recognize it if you drove down the road.

Deer would come from the right, cross through the saddle and down the point of the ridge and into the fields below.

In the Mornings, they be coming back from the fields.

During the rut, or when a front approached, it was an all day stand because you never knew when deer would show up!

So break out your topo maps and aerial photo's and find those Funnels! Just remember not all funnels are created equal, some good looking funnels are never used by deer for one reason or another. While subtle funnels like the one above can produce deer year after year.

Places To Find Aerial Photo's Online

Check with your state's game dept. Many states are now putting up aerial photo's and topo grids for popular WMA's.

A great resource for Aerial photo's is the Microsft's TerraServer. It's free and covers many areas of the U.S. On many of these maps, you can switch from Aerial Photo to Topo Grid. This makes it sweet!

I'm told that Google Earth has some fine Aerial Photo's and not of people on the Beach! I've never tried it though. Here's the link if you'd like to try Google Earth.

Take the time to search out funnels in your hunting area. I've never seen a hunting area that didn't have them!

how to hunt deer funnels 

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First off, it really doesn't matter if the field you're hunting is an agriculture field, a grown over field or a food plot so long as the Deer are using it for food, cover or passing through. These tactics will help you find the best treestand locations.

Points Are Deer Magnets

Just as with Bass fishing, points running into fields attract Deer. They prefer to enter a field by using a point because they can remain in cover long. Take a look at the picture below.

When hunting points, deer will usually pass by the inside corners. Sometimes they will enter the field from the inside corners while other times they will walk out to the very tip of the point. I like setting my treestand up on the inside corners. Which corner depends of the Wind direction.

The Lone Tree

Have you ever seen a field with a lone tree in it? If so, I bet you anything that there were more deer tracks around that one tree than any other place in the field.

Deer are drawn to single trees or a group of trees in a field. I think that subconsciously they feel it's cover. Whatever the reason, a lone tree in the middle of a field is usually a hot spot. The closer to the edge of the field, the better.

Years ago one October day I was putting a stand in a small strip of woods that was bordered on one side by a river and the two other sides by soybean fields (the strip of woods was on the outside bend of the river.

Anyhow, it was warm that day so after I got done I made a quick escape through an old road that ran up the end of the soybean field. I walked out about 100 yards to sit down under the only tree in the field which was a huge old Pecan tree about 300 yards away from the strip of woods.

It was muzzleloading season and I had my Thompson Center .54 caliber Hawkin. As I sit under the tree eating a snack and drinking water, something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.

It was a buck that had broke out of the strip of woods and was running across the field right at me! I guess he had caught my scent when I was hanging the stand and didn't know exactly where I was, so he headed across the field.

He would have been an 8 point, but one side was broken off. It didn't matter. It was late in the Muzzleloading season and I needed some meat in the freezer.

I thought the deer would veer off ("surely he's not going to run all the way across this field" I thought) but it didn't veer off and was coming toward that old ancient Pecan tree like it was caught in a Tractor Beam from the Enterprise. While he was running across the field, I was easing my Muzzleloader up and getting ready. At 30 yards he saw me, stopped, turned to run and stopped again to look back. When the smoke cleared, he was down and kicking.

Since that time I've proved time and time again that a single tree, or small group of trees, in a field is a great place to tag a Buck.

Ridges and High Spots

A small ridge or a high spot in a field is also another great place to put your tag on a Buck. They love to walk out and have the high ground. If it's a tall and wide ridge, they may come out on the sides. If it's a short or narrow, chances are good they'll come out on top where they can see the surrounding area. I usually set up about 50 to 75 yards back from the edge of the field.

Draws and Gully's Can Be Deer Super Highways

Draws and gully's that run from the woods into a field can be a Super Highway for deer! They love entering fields from either the upper edges at the sides or along the center and pop out in the middle of the field. It all depends on the size of the Draw. Never overlook a draw or gully no matter how small it is!

Your field may not be as perfect as the ones in the pictures (who's are?) but you can see how deer use the features to move.

If it's a big Buck you're after, you'll do better to move further back from the field edge. If any buck is your goal, you can hunt the edge. I prefer back just far enough so I can see the field edge and a little ways into it.

So if it's a field you want to hunt, don't just set up anywhere, plan a little in advance and set up on a field feature.

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