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As I wrote in my first book, “Aggressive Whitetail Hunting”, the reason why hunting can be so tough during this time frame has to do with something I’ve come to refer to as “The Transition”. Both the dear heard and the environment in which the deer live are undergoing major changes at this time.

Much of what happens during the transition period and the resulting negative effects it has on us as deer hunters can be blamed purely on a number of natural occurrences. First of all, there’s a fact that buck groups begin to break up. Second, mature bucks adopt very restricted, mostly nocturnal movement patterns at this time of year. And third, foods that whitetails may have been using as primary source of nutrition throughout much of the late summer, loose their appeal to the deer. Which means, that a big bucks travel routes and daily routines suddenly change.

But one of the most critical factors that occurs during the transition period is big bucks temperament. Since their not doing much in the way of rubbing and scraping and since their certainly not being sidetracked by hot does, big bucks are very much in tune with their surroundings. Put simply, they are the epitome of the ultimate survival machine at this time of year.

Obviously, taking big whitetails during the transition period is not an impossible task. And here are some keys to help you accomplish that goal.

• First of all, you must figure out exactly what it is the deer in your hunting areas will be eating come opening day.
• Second, because of their often restricted daytime movement patterns, your going to have to establish stand sites as close as possible to the bedding areas of big bucks.
• Finally, you must take all the necessary steps for ensuring that the deer your hunting don’t catch on to the new predator continually invading their domain. In other words, keep a low profile.

Not only must you prevent deer from figuring out the location of your stand site, you must keep your comings and goings an absolute secret as well. Along with always using the wind to your advantage, make sure you take all the necessary steps to ensure that your not continually contaminating your area with human odor.

I’m confident that if you apply these strategies, you will realize more successes during this tough transition period. Remember, hunt hard and always hunt safe.

I think it’s safe to say that just about all whitetail deer hunters, especially bowhunters, consider grunt calls and/or rattling antlers to be a necessary part of their deer gear. Actually, it’s my opinion that, over the past 10 years especially, there isn’t another aspect of hunting for trophy whitetails that has garnered more attention than calling.

As I wrote in my second book, “Proven Whitetail Tactics”, it’s my opinion that all the attention calling has garnered is well-deserved. For as anyone who has had the unique opportunity can attest, there’s really nothing quite as exciting as calling-in and then harvesting a trophy whitetail. Truth is, just getting a buck–any buck–to respond positively to some rattling or grunting can be an exhilarating experience.

The biggest misconception hunters have about calling is that they should be able to walk into the woods just anywhere and expect to call in big bucks. As a result, they end up calling from spots where A) no bucks hear their calling efforts or B) no big buck in his right mind would consider approaching even if he did hear the calls.

Here’s the deal. The single most important factor for achieving positive responses to your calling efforts is to call from spots that big bucks feel safe and secure approaching. It’s really not any more complicated than that.

Even though big bucks might have hundreds or even thousands of acres on which to live, for survival reasons, they’ll almost always restrict the majority of their activities to very select parts of those many acres. They eat, bed and travel only in very select spots.

Fortunately for us, whitetail bucks have a propensity for leaving highly visual evidence of exactly where they most prefer to walk as they travel between their primary bedding and feeding areas. Now I realize this is going to sound like a very basic philosophy, but it really is this simple: The most preferred buck travel routes are going to harbor the most rub and scrape sign–period!

It should be mentioned, however, that setting up just anywhere along an active rub- or scrape-line won’t necessarily guarantee a rise in calling response rates. For most of the pre-rut period anyway, the closer you set up to bedding areas, the higher your response rates will be. Likewise, the closer it gets to the actual rut, the more time mature bucks will be on their feet in daylight.

It’s imperative hunters keep this old adage in mind when calling: “if a little bit is good, more IS NOT better”. The most common and costly mistake that whitetail hunters make is they call way too much and way too loudly. Don’t overdo it with your grunt calls either. Truth is, mature bucks seldom grunt loudly. And they seldom do what this 2 1/2 year-old buck is doing–grunt with literally every step. Yes, it does happen, but very rarely. Forty-plus years of observation have taught me that mature bucks seldom grunt loudly or frequently.

The best advice I can offer when it comes to calling is to pay close attention to how the big bucks in your hunting areas behave — how they vocalize, how they behave around other bucks their size, how much they fight — those sorts of things. Then decide what sort of a calling sequence you need to adopt.

Hey remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!

In my first book, Aggressive Whitetail Hunting, I wrote that I’ve heard deer hunters refer to funnels by several different names. But whether they’re called bottlenecks, choke points, narrows or funnels, one thing remains constant. They are one of the absolute best places to wait in ambush for a mature whitetail buck.

In the simplest terms, a funnel is any sort of narrow corridor that’s found along the travel route of a whitetail deer. To visualize this, imagine an hourglass shape. Then assume the hourglass represents the entire range covered by a whitetail buck during his travels.

Now, if you had to chose the one place where you’d have the best chance of ambushing that buck, where would it be? Even hunters who possess just a basic understanding of funnels should answer that they’d chose to set up where the hourglass is most narrow–here in the middle. And of course, this is a funnel.

But a word of clarification is in order here. Although the hourglass illustration provided a perfect example of a funnel, I’m afraid there are darned few funnels you’ll find while scouting or hunting that have the classic hourglass shape. However, that doesn’t change anything about the way whitetails relate to funnels. No matter where you find whitetails, and no matter how they traverse their home ranges, those deer eventually will walk through some narrow corridor, which is the funnel you’re looking for.

All kinds of natural occurrences may force whitetails to travel through these narrow corridors. Water, whether in the form of a river, creek, lake or beaver pond, may cause funneling. And in more “developed” areas, man-made objects such as buildings, roads, fence lines, and open ground may force whitetails through certain spots.

Changes in elevations also may prompt whitetails to establish travel routes through certain locations. It may be an extremely high ridge that they’d rather walk around that over. Or it might be a swamp they prefer to skirt instead of slog through.

Regardless of what it might be, when an existing situation dictates walking through a certain spot, whitetails are restricted to a rather narrow travel corridor. And somewhere in this corridor–or funnel–is where your stand should be placed. And as I mentioned previously, I’ve seen perfect examples of funnels in every type of whitetail habitat I’ve hunted across North America.

It’s imperative I interject a word of warning regarding hunting in funnels. My observations have shown me that mature bucks seem to realize that walking through funnel areas puts them at great risk from any of their natural predators. Because of this suspicious nature, it’s very important you give a lot of thought to your funnel set ups. In short, take very conceivable precaution to ensure your presence remains an absolute secret!

Lastly, remember that no technique for hunting mature whitetail bucks, no matter how refined or perfect, can guarantee success every time out. But there are some that are far more consistent than others. Waiting in ambush in funnels is one of those techniques.

Remember, hunt hard, but ALWAYS hunt safe!

I’ve had the unique privilege of being able to spend time and talk with many of the most successful trophy whitetail hunters in North America. If my time around these individuals has taught me one thing, it’s that they all approach the sport with the same basic philosophy. Where mature bucks are concerned, there’s no such thing as putting in too many hours.

As I wrote in my second book, “Proven Whitetail Tactics”, without question my best allies for consistently taking big bucks over the years have been absolute dedication and a persistent attitude. I seriously doubt there are very many serious trophy whitetail hunters out there who would disagree with this assessment.

Though it certainly has been going on longer, during the past 10 years especially deer hunters have been the victims of information overload on how to become consistently successful at scoring on mature whitetails. While it doesn’t hurt to have a wealth of book-learned and in-the-field knowledge, it’s my opinion that dedication and persistence are the best weapons in any deer hunter’s arsenal.

Far too many deer hunters are under the mistaken impression that merely having access to trophy rich property is a guarantee that their success rate on huge racked whitetails is a given. Take it from someone who once harbored that same impression, while it certainly does increase your odds for success, simply hunting areas that are inhabited by big bucks by no means guarantees you’ll eventually put your tag on one.

Actually, I firmly believe that if there’s ever a time when a hunter really needs to adopt a dedicated and persistent attitude, this is it! What many wanna-be trophy hunters don’t yet realize is that being a true trophy hunter entails far more than just making the claim. Put simply, it’s easy to talk the talk. But it takes a rare breed indeed to also be able to walk the walk.

I’m convinced that it’s much easier for hunters to maintain a dedicated and persistent attitude during the off season than during the open season. Why do I feel this way? Because serious trophy hunters, especially those who have just recently taken the step up, have a tendency to put way more pressure on themselves once the season opens. This is especially true for those individuals that don’t get a lot of time to hunt. I know, because I’ve been there.

I was a seasonal construction worker for nearly 20 years. Yet even with very little free time, I managed to be very successful during those years. It was all about the exhausting work ethic I applied during the off-season. I took time during the winter and spring to thoroughly scout and study my big woods hunting areas. Eventually, I learned a very important lesson. There was far more unproductive than productive country out there.

Now I realize this sounds quite basic, but without doubt the single most important key to consistently taking bragging size bucks is to spend your available free time hunting in areas that such creatures spend the majority of their time in. The second biggest key is to adopt a dedicated and persistent approach. The rest of the pieces should almost naturally fall into place after that.

Hey remember, hunt hard, but ALWAYS hunt safe!

In Chapter Five of my book, Aggressive Whitetail Hunting, I wrote that much of the frustration and low hunter success rates during the post rut period are simply because hunters lack understanding. Adding to this frustration and low success rates is the fact that whitetail bucks, especially mature animals, once again revert to reclusive, secretive lifestyles.

This isn’t to say, however, that it’s impossible to connect on mature whitetails during the post rut. Just like it is during other tough parts of the season, post rut trophies can be had. The key to success hinges directly on gaining a thorough understanding of exactly what’s happening with the deer at this time of year.

It’s a fact that prolific breeding bucks actually “hunker down” for a short period immediately at the conclusion of the rut. During this time, which might be several days, big bucks do very little traveling or feeding. They’re simply resting up to regain some of the strength and energy they expended during the rigorous days of the rut.

But things change dramatically once bucks get their legs under them. I’ve personally seen tremendous flurries of activity approximately a week after the rut has concluded. At the heart of this intense activity is their desire to chow down on highly nutritious foods. It’s interesting to note that mature bucks often become just as caught up in these feeding-related flurries of activity as smaller bucks.

However, being successful during the post-rut period requires more than just knowing the exact locations of preferred whitetail foods and the travel routes big bucks are using to reach those foods. Remember, mostly due to weeks of hunting pressure, post rut bucks are going to be EXTREMELY sensitive to even the slightest bit of human intrusion. Obviously, if there’s ever a time when it’s imperative you take every precaution to keep your presence a secret, this is that time!!

As I said, the key to taking mature bucks during the post rut is to first gain an understanding of what’s happening with the deer at this time of year. Trust me, things get significantly easier once you’ve accomplished this goal.

Hey remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!

In my book, “Proven Whitetail Tactics”, I wrote a chapter entitled, “When Deer Disappear. That chapter chronicled what happens when the first couple days of the gun season are history, and you’re still in possession of an unfilled tag. As many hunters already know, trying to find a mature buck after the guns have been going off for a couple days can be like trying to find the proverbial needle in the haystack.

It’s true. Mature bucks seem to possess the uncanny ability to literally fall off the face of the earth after the opening two days of gun season. Even with a fresh tracking snow, I’ve often found it’s darn near impossible at this time of the season to find even one set of huge, hoof-dragging deer tracks coursing through the woods.

Finding less and less deer sign as the season progresses can be downright exasperating. Believe me, this sort of thing happened a lot during my early years as a deer hunter. Fortunately, I eventually hit upon a system that has helped me consistently put big bucks on the ground well after the opening few days of gun season.

One thing became quickly apparent when I was developing this system. The amount of human intrusion into a specific area played a HUGE role in how the bucks in that area would behave. Of greater interest than this, however, were the kinds of places mature bucks would seek out in their attempts to avoid contact with humans.

I’ve seen instances when these perfect hideout encompassed many acres. But I’ve also seen cases where the “perfect” buck sanctuary consisted of less than an acre of cover.

Once while pheasant hunting, my dog jumped a huge 10 point buck and two does out of a tiny patch of knee high grass. The amazing thing is that I had just stomped through that grass myself. Those three deer had remained hidden, even though I had walked within a few yards of them. Judging by the sign I found, the grassy patch had served as a sanctuary for the whitetails throughout the just completed nine day gun deer season.

Here’s the deal. Regardless of the size of the area concerned, or how much pressure it’s being subjected to, there’s almost always some part of that area that, for one reason or another, hunters will ignore. Maybe it’s too thick and/or nasty. Or maybe it’s too far out of the way. Or perhaps it’s just too obvious. So the way you see it, no big buck in its right mind would attempt to hide out in such a spot.

If you remember one thing from this segment, let it be this: Mature whitetails are masters at quickly figuring out EXACTLY which parts of their ranges are being harassed and which parts are seeing little or no human activity. Provided all the right elements are in place, like quick access to food, adequate cover and safe escape routes, big bucks will immediately take up residence in these lightly pressured spots.

My philosophy is that if there’s enough cover to hide a rooster pheasant, there’s probably enough to hide a big buck. Hey remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!

In Chapter 11 of my book, “Rub Line Secrets”, I wrote that hunters have long been led to believe that mature bucks never travel along their rub-lines during the rut. As the theory goes, big buck travel along rub-lines screeches to a halt when the first does enter estrus. And they won’t resume traveling along their rub-lines until after the last doe is bred.

I can sum up my feelings on this theory with one word. BALONEY! Not only will rutting bucks relate to rubs, there’s every possibility that you could catch a monster buck moving along a rub line during the peak of the rut. Granted, some special circumstances must exist before this happens. Regardless, the fact remains. Rub-line travel during the rut does indeed occur.

One special circumstance involving the rut and rub-lines concerns antlerless deer numbers. The more breeding-age does in an area, the less big bucks must travel outside their core areas. And the less wandering they do during the rut, the more likely they are to travel along their rub-lines.

Of course, just the opposite is true in areas where antlerless deer numbers are relatively low, such as in big woods or wilderness environments. Obviously, if rutting bucks spend the majority of their time chasing hot does miles from their own core areas, they aren’t going to be doing much traveling along their rub lines.

Having said that, I’ve also come to believe that hunters everywhere can expect to see at least some big buck activity along rub lines during the rut. Here’s why. Even the most nomadic rutting bucks occasionally return to their core areas. In most instances these returns aren’t prompted by the prospects of finding hot does either. Rather, it’s more a case of bucks coming home to rest and recharge their batteries.

After laying low for a whie, rutting bucks often will spend a day or two feeding ravenously. After replenishing their energy supplies, they’re going to jump back into the breeding game.

Here’s the interesting part of this. When rutting bucks do return home to rest, rub-line hunting can suddenly become productive. That’s because, just like during the pre-rut, bucks are again traveling along rub-lines that link bedding and feeding areas. If you did even the slightest bit of scouting and/or hunting during the pre-rut, you should already know the exact location of the hottest rub-lines.

Another time to possibly catch a rutting buck on his core area rub lines is at the tail end of the rut. Mature bucks often return home before the rut is “officially” over. It’s not that they’re no longer in a rutting mood, it’s more a case of being plain tuckered out. Instead of resting and recuperating just anywhere, however, big bucks almost always return to their core areas. And once at home, they’ll again start traveling along their rub-lines.

As I said at the beginning, big buck travel on rub-lines during the rut does occur. Granted, waiting in ambush along rub lines at this time of year is by no means anywhere near as productive as during the late pre-rut. But it’s certainly productive enough to warrant giving it a shot every now and then–especially if all your other tried and true rut strategies are falling short.

Remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!

Most deer hunters know that there are any number of strategies that can prove effective during gun season. But in my book, “Proven Whitetail Tactics”, I wrote about one that I’ve found to be especially deadly.

This strategy, which I call sneaking & peeking, involves moving stealthily through a targeted area. I prefer to call it a hyped up version of still-hunting. But even though the sneak and peek method entails covering quite a bit of ground in a relatively short period of time, you can’t allow your movements to become random and careless.

When sneaking, it’s imperative you learn how to use both topographical and natural features to hide your movements. And when peeking, you’ve to to quickly figure out exactly which vantage points will allow you the best visibility. Anyone who is even slightly familiar with the way their hunting lands lay can quickly figure out an effective sneak and peek approach.

It’s a given that sneaking and peeking can be extremely effective in hilly or mountainous terrain. It’s simply a matter of staying hidden behind the hills or mountains while moving, and then making your way to the top at strategic spots and peeking over to look for deer.

Areas that are made up of mixed crop and forest-land also are excellent places to employ the sneak and peek tactic. And it doesn’t really matter whether the country is comprised of large tracts of timber that butt up to crop-land or a series of smaller woodlots that are nearly surrounded by open fields. Your plan of attack remains the same.

Basically, what you want to do is sneak along just inside the edge of the woods. Every so often, and from locations that allow you to remain somewhat hidden, slip to the very edge of the woodline and peek out into the open ground and check for signs of deer activity.

I’ve also used the sneak and peek strategy in areas where the habitat consisted of relatively small woodlots. In many of these small woodlot situations, fencelines linked one piece of cover to the next. Interestingly, these fencelines often were enveloped by extremely thick brush.

I’ve found that I’m able to retain a covert line of travel simply by following these brushy fencelines from one woodlot to the next. Also, anytime I notice a slight opening in the fenceline, I’ll stop and take a quick peek into the field on the other side.

Now I’m sure some would argue that placing a stand near an open field is equally as effective as sneaking and peeking. I firmly disagree. Remember, if you’ve got a stand set up in a position to watch a certain field or fields, you’re committed to watching that particular area only. This means you’re actually watching a very small portion of the total amount of open land in the area. Sneaking and peeking affords you the opportunity to check for the presence of deer in a much larger part of that same area.

The main reason I find the sneak and peek method so alluring is the fact that it allows me time off from my normal hunting mode. Like a lot of whitetail hunters, I spend literally hundreds of hours each fall sitting motionless on rather small and restrictive portable treestands. So a change in hunting styles is very welcome indeed. The sneak and peek method has proven to be just what the doctor ordered! Not only does it offer me a respite from sitting in a tree stand, I’m convinced that employing the method can put me in strong contention for a chance at a good buck–anytime and anywhere!

To attain and then stay at a high level of success, trophy whitetail hunters must be adept at reading and understanding current situations. Then, to successfully deal with those situations, they must be experts at coming up with tactics that will prove effective. Certainly, sneaking and peeking is one such tactic.

Remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!

In Chapter Seven of my book, “Rub Line Secrets”, I wrote that finding active rub lines isn’t a guarantee that you’re going to kill monster bucks. As I’ve become fond of saying, there are far more unproductive than productive stand site possibilities along any rub line.

The way I see it, the major stumbling block for hunters, no matter their depth of knowledge, is that when attempting to pick killer stand sites, they believe that all rub lines are created equal. What they fail to keep in mind is that when scouting and hunting a buck’s various rub lines, the productivity of one rub line will never be the same as another’s.

Finding productive rub line stands involves more than just locating the most active rub lines. You must locate a specific productive site along the rub line. Believe it or not, this might mean guessing, almost to the yard, where some daylight activity will occur. Making this task even more difficult is the fact that each big buck has a unique temperament.

In order to pinpoint killer stand sites along rub lines, you must first locate the end of rub lines that lay near bedding areas. As I’ve so often stressed in my books, the absolute best time to do this is during the post season period. At this time of year you can explore rub lines from one end to the other without fear that it will have a negative effect.

In fact, once you locate the bedding area “ends” of rub lines, you really should walk into the buck’s bedroom. By walking around in the bedding areas, you can learn how a buck prefers to enter and leave his daytime hideouts. This information is invaluable when trying to locate killer stand sites along rub lines.

Some of my most productive stand sites stayed productive for many years. That’s due in great part to the fact that I fought the temptation to hunt those spots unless all conditions were absolutely perfect. Trust me, it takes a lot of restraint to stay away from a certain stand site when you know for certain that a big buck is routinely walking by the spot. But remember, you’re most likely going to get only one chance at that deer. Don’t blow it by being careless.

Killer stand sites aren’t an urban legend. They certainly do exist. Finding them takes a lot of hard work. And ensuring they stay productive takes a lot of personal discipline. But I’m confident you can do it. Remember, hunt hard, but always hunt safe!