For those of you who attended Field Day you may remember the remarkable shed that Terry brought along that day.  Andrew McKean, of Outdoor Life, has seen the shed and is currently hunting the property that it was found on.  I spoke with him about the Three If’s you should consider when finding a shed and wished him hunting success on his quest for the Giant in the Mist.

Right now I’m seeing more rut sign during mid-October than most years.  Last week I observed a mature buck chasing a doe.  I also watched a fellow hunter rattle in three bucks, and another hunter on the same property rattled in a fourth.  It’s time to use those aggressive calling and rattling techniques throughout most of the whitetails’ range!

I doubt many does are currently receptive.  However, the bucks are ready to dance in many portions of the whitetails’ range.  I suspect that calling is much more effective than most hunters realize.  Mature bucks probably respond to calls a higher percentage of the time than hunters realize, but they detect the hunter’s scent before the hunter sees the buck.

If you’re serious about pursuing mature bucks I encourage you to:

1. Control your scent as much as possible with good hygiene and clean clothes.
2. Select stand locations that can be accessed without your scent alerting deer that are currently in the area or will be traveling through the area to approach near the hunter’s stand.
3. Remain vigilant on the stand.

To consistently harvest mature bucks, hunters need access to property where mature bucks are present.  In addition, hunters need to realize that mature bucks are in survival mode most of the time.  That’s why they are so fun to pursue.  It’s the challenge of the hunt, not the kill that keeps me motivated.  Harvesting mature bucks consistently certainly provides a significant challenge.  I’ll be taking that challenge again this weekend.  I’m sure I’ll learn something new.  Mature bucks are excellent teachers if the student pays attention.

Growing Deer (and learning) together,

Grant