It may be the “off season”, but is there really ever such a thing? Even though most of us aren’t able to shoot deer right now, the work being done at this very moment could help you close the deal next fall. So with that being said, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get to work and here are four projects you can focus on right now that should help you close the deal in 2012!

1. Look For New Hunting Ground: As we all know, hunting ground can come and go more often than we like. So it’s always a good idea to have more than you need. Now is the perfect time to start your search for new property, and I like to do this in several ways. First off, if you’re looking to determine what properties are worth leasing or asking permission on,  over the next few days you can still spot a lot of deer in fields with headgear, and a few drives around town can help you identify general areas with good bucks. Then in February and March go ahead and try getting permission to shed hunt on some of these properties. From here, take this opportuntiy shed hunting to also do some good scouting and determine whether any of these properties are worth pursuing further.

If you’re looking to lease or buy ground, take advantage of online hunting property sites like Whitetail Properties, Hunting Lease Network or Base Camp Leasing to help you find available properties. The internet is an incredible resource when it comes to finding and researching new properties, and online maps like Google Maps can be hugely helpful as well. That all being said, don’t forget about the power of good old fashion people too. Sometimes just asking around can be the ticket for finding a gem of a hunting location. And remember, when it comes to asking for permission, the worst they can say is no!

2. Practice With Your Bow Or Gun: This is a task that should, if possible, be year round. I know this is certainly not revolutionary advice, but it’s so important I just have to bring it up again. All the work in the world is wasted if you can’t make the shot count in the end.

Practicing with your weapons of choice in the off season is obviously helpful to stay in shooting shape for next fall, but it’s also a fun way to shake off that cabin fever. And if you’re really looking to take your target practice to another level, hit the woods and do some coyote hunting! Kills two birds with one stone.

3. Review Your Past Season: Here’s something that I’ve been trying to do a better job of the past few years, and it is reviewing my past season. If you keep a hunting journal, it can come in really handy for this. If not, no worries, just try to take some time over the coming weeks to look back on your hunts in 2011 and analyze what went right and what went wrong. If you can pick out at least one mistake, and brainstorm how you could have done things better, it should help you down the road.

You can also study any notes, videos or pictures from the past season you collected, and sometimes these records can help you identify trends or patterns. I’m trying to get better at collecting as much data from each hunt as I can, for example wind/weather/stand location/etc, and then recording it. This gives me some great information to look back on and consider for future reference.

4. Keep Learning: If you want to be a great whitetail hunter, I’m convinced you need to be a life-time learner. There’s always more to learn when it comes to whitetails, and these cold winter months are the perfect time to catch up on some whitetail studies.

Looking for some ideas? Here are a few pieces of recommended reading that I’ve enjoyed recently – Mapping Trophy Bucks, Bowhunting The Eberhart Way, Deer & Deer Hunting’s Guide To Better Bowhunting and Hunting Mature Whitetails the Lakosky Way. It also couldn’t hurt to keep up on Wired To Hunt too!

So if you’re starting to get the post-whitetail season blues, don’t fret. A new season has begun and it’s time to get busy!

Now that my 2011 season is through, my thoughts have immediately shifted to planning for 2012 and let me tell you what, I’m excited! In August of this past year I moved to my new home/farm and immediately went about preparing for the 2011 season. But with only a month or so to prepare, I really didn’t have much time. Now with a full year ahead of me, I feel like the sky’s the limit.

Over the coming months I’m determined to make my 90 acres the best it possibly can be for the wildlife in my area and more specifically, to be the best possible ground to grow and hold mature whitetails. But can you do that with only 90 acres? Can you truly make a difference and practice quality deer management effectively on a property this size?

I say yes, and I aim to prove it in the months and years to come. But this is obviously a long journey that must still begin with a few, small steps. So in 2012 I’m setting out to accomplish several goals on my farm that will hopefully help me grow, hold and hunt some great whitetails this fall, while also setting a strong foundation for the future.

 Food Throughout The Year: My number one concern on my farm for the 2012 season is food. About half of my 90 acres is leased to a farmer and this year he’ll be planting soybeans. This will be great for providing stellar nutrition during the summer months, but I know once hunting season arrives in October those beans will be turned and my resident deer will be searching for new food sources. If I want to ensure that a handful of good bucks stick around, I better have the food they’re looking for on my farm. So with that goal in mind, I’m right now trying to plan how and where I might be able to squeeze in any new food plots. These plots will definitely be hunting plots, but I also need enough food to hold deer in the area, so I’ll be looking to put in some decent acreage. I plan on going into my 2012 food plot strategy in further detail down the road, but I can say now that I plan on planting a variety of different crops that will be very palatable from October – December. I am currently considering some combination of Imperial Whitetail Clover, brassicas such as Whitetail Institute Tall Tine Turnips and Winter Greens,  and possibly some cereal rye or oats.

Improving and Expanding Cover: While late fall food will be incredibly important to my hunting success this season, I know that improving the available cover on my property will be just as important in the long run. Food is great, but mature bucks are going to want areas they feel very secure, and I want to make sure that the best cover for a long way around is on my farm. With about 40 or so acres of my property in crops, that doesn’t leave a ton of acreage for cover, so my goal is to make sure that whatever possible ground I have that could be cover, is as thick and secure as possible. The hunter before me had already begun some timber management on the property, and it’s helped produce some very thick and nasty areas of downed tree tops and thick undergrowth. So my plan this year is to continue what he started. About 20-25 acres of my timber is a good swamp, but the remaining 15-20 acres is tall grass and open timber. I’m hoping to use the chain saw this spring to thin out some less desirable trees, hinge cut a few others and hopefully get a little more under-story in my timbered sections. Additionally, I have some CRP type grasses growing in a few areas directly within view of my house and currently these parts of the farm only get used during the night by deer. I’d like to eventually make this part of the farm more usable and secure for deer during the day, and my plan is to start that by planting young cedar trees throughout the grassy stretches. Hopefully over the next few years this can grow up to be some great, thick bedding cover!

Preparing Better Access: Having the best food and cover in the area will hopefully make my farm a popular destination for big bucks, but if I hunt it recklessly, I most certainly won’t be able to reap the fruits of my labor. On small farms like mine, you have to be incredibly careful about putting too much pressure on the deer, especially if you’re targeting mature bucks. One way that hunters often pressure deer, and I’m still very guilty of this, is by spooking them on the way to or from the treestand. The layout of my farm makes it a little difficult to access certain areas, so my goal this early spring is to plan out some trails that will make good access/entry routes and carve these out before green-up. Hopefully with a few stealthy routes into and out of my hunting locations I can put as minimal an amount of pressure as possible on my deer.

90 acres isn’t a ton to work with and I know I can’t expect to be all of a sudden hunting giant Iowa class bucks like you see on the Drury videos, but I do think that I can take steps to improve my farm and hunting possibilities. While practicing quality deer management on a small piece of property isn’t easy, it’s certainly better than not trying at all. By passing on young bucks, and providing the best food and cover possible, I’m confident that more deer will reach maturity in my area and more often than not, they’ll spend some time on my farm. For a dreamer like me, that sounds like a pretty good start.

One of his points is that late season hunting requires surgical precision, and I couldn’t agree more. So if you’re still looking to fill a tag, give this video a watch and I’m sure it will help you fine tune your set up and strategy over the remaining sits of your season! Good luck out there Nation.

One thing I love about deer hunting is that you can always, always learn something new. And despite hunting for about 20 years so far, I’ve certainly still learned more than my fair share this season! Now that being said, one thing I’m trying to do a better job of is taking these lessons learned, immediately processing them and then quickly putting my learnings back into action. And just this past weekend, a hunt I went on highlighted what I believe was an important lesson I learned earlier this season, that I quickly turned around and applied on this hunt. So with the hope that my example might help a few of you in the last few days of 2011, here is a brief review of this past Friday’s hunt and the unique steps I took to try and make this night a success.

Mistake Made and Lesson Learned: More than ever, this year I’ve been trying to pay attention to how I get to and from my stands. Specifically doing so in a fashion that won’t spook deer. This became particularly top of mind about two weeks ago, when I spotted four bucks enter one of my corn fields right in front of a stand of mine. One of these bucks looked to be a shooter, and I knew I had to get out to that spot soon. So the next night, I trudged out across the cut corn field towards the Muddy Stand hanging on the edge of the woods. A hill rose up about 50 yards in front of the woods, so I was hidden from view of the woods until I crested this hill. Unfortunately, upon reaching the top of the rise I looked down to the edge of the woods and my treestand, only to be greeted with an explosion of white tails bounding off into the swamp. Literally 15-20 deer had been bedded right on the very edge of the woods and I never had  a chance of getting to my stand undetected. This was the first time this year that these deer had bedded so close to the food, but given the late season patterns changing and the cut corn, I shouldn’t have been too surprised.

A Solution: So fast forward a week and a half later, I finally have the right wind and I wanted to try this field out again. My family had spotted a large group of deer heading out into this corn not a day or two earlier and I thought I could have a good chance if I could just get into position undetected. That being said, I knew a change of strategy was in order. You can see in the map above my old access route in red, which then ended at my tree stand marked by the red X. Essentially the ground to the west of the red X is very tall grass, swamp and thicket and the deer have been bedding in there heavily. This access route and stand worked wonderfully when the corn was standing and the deer weren’t bedded so close to the field, but that certainly wasn’t the case any longer.

After considering the options, I decided I would need to get creative. My solution was to travel along the southern edge of the corn field, by creeping just inside some tall swamp/grassy cover that bordered the crop field and paralleled the nearby creek. You can see my route in yellow on the map. The catch though, was that I would still stick out like a sore thumb if I just walked along the edge of the field or even in the grass. So I decided I would have to instead crawl on all fours just inside the edge of the grass until I reached a suitable location. So I did.

I crawled on hands and knees, through a very muddy sprawl of swampy grass for several hundred yards, while also carrying a muzzle loader, seat cushion, tripod, video camera, and all the other goodies you need to have in the field. Needless to say, it was a true joy…

After a long crawl, I finally reached my desired location, as marked by the yellow X above. This was the point where I finally could see across the field to where my stand hangs , which would allow me a shot if any deer should enter the corn where they had in the past. And upon finally reaching my destination, exhausted, muddy and wet kneed, I set up my camera, kicked back on the ground and settled in.

The Outcome: The rest of the evening was slightly less eventful and ultimately unsuccesful in regards to killing a big buck. BUT all was not lost, as my change in strategy did in fact result in a positive outcome.  Later that evening I did end up seeing a handful of does cruise out in front of me and one deer at last light may have been a buck. If I had stuck to my usual entry strategy, I am confident I would have once again seen nothing but tails bounding away. But by making a quick adjustment and taking the more stealthy, albeit difficult, route I was able to enjoy a better hunt and ultimately could have had a chance at the buck of my dreams.

So while I still didn’t bag my buck, this change in strategy was certainly still one I’m happy I made. Being able to learn from mistakes made throughout the season and quickly act on lessons learned is, in my opinion, the true mark of a growing and improving hunter. And although I certainly can’t claim to be a great hunter, I’ll take “improving” any day.

 I sat stock still in the tree as she bounded towards me, steam blowing out of her nostrils and tail held high. Above the bristle of the few remaining leaves, I heard a steady and ever loudening “urp, urp, urp”. Twenty yards behind the doe, a tall and wide rack burst from the thick swamp grass and the buck bird-dogged his way right towards the doe fawn and my tree stand. I steadied my gun, took a deep breath…and then woke up.

Yes, this was merely a dream, but it’s one that I hope will be a premonition of things to come. With the much talked about “second rut” either here or fast approaching, the chances of a December rutting buck running into my life could be more than just a fantasy. But I’m getting ahead of myself. What is the “second rut”, you ask? For those that aren’t aware, the second rut is a period of time about 1 month after the peak of the rut, in which fawns or other does that were not bred yet come into estrus again for a short period of time. This brief period of time in early/mid December can provide occasional flurries of rutting action, as bucks chase around the last few remaining chances for action. Now with all that being said, the second rut is not nearly as prevalent or noticeable as the primary rut. But there can still be some action, and because of that, I think it’s worth discussing some ways to capitalize on this time period. So here are a few simple, but helpful tips to help you make the most of the second rut if it rears it’s head in your neck of the woods!

1. Hunt The Does: Just like the main rut, when a doe is in heat, the bucks will flock to her. So hunting known doe bedding or feeding areas is always a great option. Additionally it’s been hypothesized that areas with more does than bucks have more second rut action. This makes sense, as these areas would have too few bucks to breed all the does in the original rut, leaving a few left to cycle back through in December. If you have a property with way too many does, this could be your spot to catch that second rut spike.

2. Hunt Travel Corridors: Another tried and true rut tactic is to hunt travel corridors, and again this applies well to the second rut. Given that we’re in the late season, catching deer moving from bedding to feeding will most likely have the best results. But keep in mind that these deer have been pressured all fall, and the travel corridors they use could be different now than they were earlier. Look for the thickest cover that offers passage from bedding to feeding and set up. More weary does will travel these thick areas, and without a doubt this is where the bucks will travel as well.

3. Be Ready: While late season action on food sources can be great at any time in the late season, you’ve got to be especially on your toes during the second rut time frame. Noticeable rutting action will most likely be rare, but when it happens it can happen fast and furious. Stay on your toes and don’t get caught unaware. In the late season, it’s easy to assume action won’t happen until late evening. But if a hot doe comes through, all hell can break loose in an instant and you don’t want to miss out on that.

While the second rut may be rare to experience, it’s definitely important to be aware of  it and a few tactics for taking advantage of it’s occurrence. If nothing else, the possibility of  second rut can do wonders for your attitude and sense of hope in the woods. So keep hunting hard and be ready for that rutting buck if he does come running out in front of you! Just be sure you’re actually awake!

For more tips and tactics for the second rut, visit the links below.

Seek Small Does to find Big Second Rut Bucks

Second Rut Secrets – Outdoor Life 

With gun seasons popping up across the country, including here in my home state of Michigan, I figured now is the perfect time to examine a few helpful tips for using the boom stick in the whitetail woods. I actually just picked up a new Thompson Center muzzle loader, seen above, so I’m particularly excited to be heading out during firearm season myself this year. Given the fact that most of my hunting time is spent with a stick and string, it’s been even more important for me to slow down and think about the unique factors that must be considered when using a firearm. Although firearms can be used at longer distances and are sometimes easier to learn how to use, it doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. So be sure to know your gun, practice and prepare as diligently with your gun as you would if you were bowhunting. That being said, I’ve put together four sure fire tips for gun hunting that should help you make the most of this year’s firearm seasons! So good luck and shoot straight!

1.  Consider Aiming For The Scapula: According to one of the most thorough studies on gun shot placement, conducted by the South Carolina DNR, the most lethal shot for gun hunters is the shoulder blade shot. A quote from the report explains the effectiveness of this shot quite well…. “Presumably, it works well because it strikes part of the heart and/or lungs, which itself is a mortal blow. However, a shot through the scapula damages the brachial plexus, which is part of the central nervous system, therby rendering the animal immobile. It knocks the animal out and it never regains consciousness. Also, the shoulder is a large target that offers room for erro. A high shot hits the spine; a low shot, the heart; and a rearward shot, the lungs”

2. Never Taken An Unsupported Shot If You Don’t Need To: When aiming and firing a gun at a deer downrange, having some kind of support can be absolutely crucial to getting and staying on target, so don’t forget to do it. If in a tree or blind, try to use a limb, a wall or some kind of solid item to rest your gun against. Another option, if you hunt on the ground is to carry shooting sticks. If you’re walking, try leaning against a tree, kneeling or sitting down to shoot if you can. Some times the quick pull up shot is your only option, but if you have time, find a way to steady yourself and you’ll be glad for it.

3. Know Your Gun and It’s Limitations: I very often hear about gun hunters encountering a buck way off, and despite the fact that the hunter doesn’t feel good about the shot, they say something like “well I had to at least throw some lead at him”. Well, I’d recommend a different approach. Know your gun and stick to shots that are within it’s maximum range. As a gun hunter, it’s important to look at your unique firearm and operate within it’s limitations. The differences in what you can achieve between a rifle, a muzzle loader and a slug gun are vast, so be realitic with yourself. Practice on the range and then stick to what you know you can do comfortably.

4. Take A Deep Breath, and Squeeze: This is nothing new, but it’s so important I feel it’s worth mentioning. You need to focus on squeezing the trigger when the moment of truth arrives, rather than hitting, punching or pulling it. Any of these harsher trigger pulls will result in you pulling your sight off target and a big buck possibly slipping away. My best advice is to work on two things while preparing for a shot with your firearm. Number one, control your breathing with long, deep breaths. Secondly, while doing this talk to yourself and repeat some sort of mantra. Something like “Focus on a spot, squeeze. Focus on a spot and squeeze”. Keeping your mind focused on this can help you prevent a rushed shot and a punched trigger. Take aim, and slowly squeeze that trigger til it surprises you with a “Boom”! The next thing you’ll see is a down deer or one that is soon to be!

Do you have any helpful tips for firearm hunters? Please share them in the comments!

While rutting/chasing activity may be pretty hot still in some areas, in others you may begin to see a decline in visible action and thats because we’re entering the lockdown phase. The dreaded period of the rut when bucks actually have found receptive does and have begun to breed. At this point bucks will typically coral their chosen doe into the thickest cover possible and hunker down with her for long stretches of time. This results in fewer sightings of bucks, and frustration for many hunters.

But don’t get too down, there is still plenty of opportunity for success. One of the first things I would mention is that you’ve got to stay in the stand. Although sightings overall may go down, the action can turn back on at any moment. If a doe in estrus does come rolling by your stand, she most likely will have some bucks in tow and your day could go from slow, to great in seconds. Make sure you’re ready when it happens.

A second factor to consider is that typically during the lockdown, a buck and doe will be holed up in thick cover. Hunting near the thickest nastiest patches of dense cover can sometimes be the ticket to getting your eyes on a big buck.

Lastly, I’d say that the lockdown can be one of the best opportunities for spot and stalk success. While I’ve never done it myself, I’ve heard a lot of stories of people seeing a buck bedded down with a doe in thick cover and then moving in for a shot. If the winds in your favor, and rain or wind has silenced the leaves, you can sometimes sneak up and get in position for a shot or get closer and then call the buck within range. Although not easy and rather risky, it sure could make for an exciting hunt.

In addition to these thoughts on the lockdown, check out the video below from Charles Alsheimer of Deer & Deer Hunting, as he discusses this phase of the rut and some additional strategies for success.

I’m on my sixth and final day of bowhunting in Michigan during my rut vacation before I head to Ohio. While I’ve seen a lot of deer, the lack of mature buck sightings has been frustrating. So with just two days left, I decided it was time to focus on the absolute core truth of hunting the rut. And that’s hunting funnels. You can try a lot of different things during the rut, but when all else fails, heading to a funnel is always a safe bet.

At no other time are deer, particularly bucks, traveling two and from locations so consistently. Particularly it’s from one bedding area to the next, as bucks scent check for does coming into heat. So when the going gets tough, find a funnel that connects doe bedding areas and you should be in the bucks in no time.

What would constitute a good funnel? This could be a pinch in the timber, a creek crossing or a narrow strip of thick cover connecting two sides of  a field. Any natural feature that provides good cover for deer movement, that narrows down where they can travel will do the trick.

Funnels are about as deer hunting 101 as you can get, and I know I’ve written about them before. But when the going gets tough, it’s time to go back to the basics. So if you’re still struggling to put your rutting buck on the ground, don’t sweat. Just set up on the best natural funnel between beddings areas you know of and get ready. Because here he comes…