Guy M
Well-Known Member
Here's how my friends and I do it here in central Washington. Pretty open country, broken by deep draws with heavy vegetation down in the bottom.
Get out and walk, with binos, spotting scopes and rangefinders well before the season. The truck or the ATV or the horse help too, but I like getting out and walking. I slow down and see more. May even take a "walking varminter" with me on some trips.
Take a good map & make use of it before, during and after the scouting trip.
Look for deer. Deer tracks. Rubs. Beds. Feeding areas.
Get back to the area at least a couple of times, to see what's happening as the season approaches. Home in on that area where bucks have been seen. Put yourself there, or where you can observe that area, well before dawn on opening day. A good number of my bucks have been taken on opening morning, before the presence of active hunters in the area affects deer behavior. Here, once hunting pressure has started, the big guys go hide in the thickest nastiest stuff down in the bottom of the draws and they simply wait there - almost impossible to hunt, until the conclusion of deer season - or they simply go nocturnal. Opening morning is when we strive for maximum success, before the game gets much harder.
Sit and wait. Silently. Cold? Yes. Too bad. Glass. Glass more. It's amazing how many bucks seem to simply appear out of nowhere - in an area that's just been glassed. Fortunately deer have white behinds, or I might never spot 'em!
Once spotted - it's then decision time. Take him from the present location or move to create a more favorable shooting situation. This could be to simply close the distance, or possibly to avoid shooting across a road, or across a deep canyon with a nasty wind that could affect the flight of the bullet.
Seems that more often than not, I'm all set up out there with spotting scope, binos, laser rangefinder and a nice long range rifle when I find myself presented with a shot opportunity at much more normal range... Some buck will come up from a creek bed, or some sort of depression, or walk out of the thick brush... I have to admit, that I'll take 'em up close if that's the shot presented...
Regards, Guy
Get out and walk, with binos, spotting scopes and rangefinders well before the season. The truck or the ATV or the horse help too, but I like getting out and walking. I slow down and see more. May even take a "walking varminter" with me on some trips.
Take a good map & make use of it before, during and after the scouting trip.
Look for deer. Deer tracks. Rubs. Beds. Feeding areas.
Get back to the area at least a couple of times, to see what's happening as the season approaches. Home in on that area where bucks have been seen. Put yourself there, or where you can observe that area, well before dawn on opening day. A good number of my bucks have been taken on opening morning, before the presence of active hunters in the area affects deer behavior. Here, once hunting pressure has started, the big guys go hide in the thickest nastiest stuff down in the bottom of the draws and they simply wait there - almost impossible to hunt, until the conclusion of deer season - or they simply go nocturnal. Opening morning is when we strive for maximum success, before the game gets much harder.
Sit and wait. Silently. Cold? Yes. Too bad. Glass. Glass more. It's amazing how many bucks seem to simply appear out of nowhere - in an area that's just been glassed. Fortunately deer have white behinds, or I might never spot 'em!
Once spotted - it's then decision time. Take him from the present location or move to create a more favorable shooting situation. This could be to simply close the distance, or possibly to avoid shooting across a road, or across a deep canyon with a nasty wind that could affect the flight of the bullet.
Seems that more often than not, I'm all set up out there with spotting scope, binos, laser rangefinder and a nice long range rifle when I find myself presented with a shot opportunity at much more normal range... Some buck will come up from a creek bed, or some sort of depression, or walk out of the thick brush... I have to admit, that I'll take 'em up close if that's the shot presented...
Regards, Guy