Trying to pattern and harvest a mature buck sometimes seems like one of the toughest things to do in the world. They can be so illusive, so particular, and downright paranoid. The good thing about them is they seem to be creatures of habit, especially during the early season. They don’t try many new things and certainly don’t wander down the road (out of their home range) just to see what’s around the corner. With that being said, this is a great time of year to grab a pair of Nikon binoculars and head to the field and spot some bucks in velvet.

A nice buck standing outside the Hot Zone fence eating Eagle Seed soybeans.

Recently I’ve been spending some evenings perched in a Redneck Blind watching over the Eagle Seed beans. Not only am I watching to see the number of deer that are using the beans, but more importantly I’m watching the location of these deer, where they prefer to feed, which areas they avoid, and finally where they enter the field. I monitor where they enter the field the most because this usually doesn’t change a great amount. They may enter the field from a different side on occasion but as a whole they usually approach from the same direction. Do you wonder why they do this? It’s simple, they feel safe this way. The wind currents may be in their favor, they might be able to see the entire field before entering, or maybe it’s the path of least resistance. Whatever the reasons, deer can be patterned by the way they approach a field.

This week I took two of our summer interns and headed to a plot we call Raleigh’s field. We have a 15 foot Redneck blind positioned on the eastern end of the field and we knew some bucks were using the area because of our Reconyx camera. We ended up seeing nine bucks and three does. A couple of the bucks were really nice! It was a great night, but what made the night even better was watching all nine bucks enter the field on the same trail. After watching all of this unfold I can guarantee you that over the next couple months we will be hanging a Muddy stand near that trail hoping to tag a nice buck come September!

It’s a great time of year to get out and scout some bean fields and locate some velvet bucks! Get out there and nail down that opening day location!

Daydreaming of whitetails,

Adam