It's less than two weeks before opening day. You've put in the time shooting your bow, geared up with the latest bells and whistles from your local outfitter, and you've probably even been to the woods a handful of times. But have you put in the kind of scouting that will make this October your best start to bow season ever?
Let's look at a few ways you can make these next two weeks of September the most productive days you've ever spent in the woods.
Know your Food Sources: The key to harvesting a buck during early bow season is food. No surprise there. You must determine the number one food source. Just because you've seen deer in your food plot or at your corn feeder doesn't mean it's their first menu choice. The fact is, there is a salad bar of options available to whitetails this time of year, and it can be tough to predict eating patterns because of it. Start by scouting every type of fare on your hunting property. Besides obvious crop fields, the deer in your area could be regularly snacking on berries such as large group of blackberry bushes, mulberry or persimmon trees, or maybe even wild honeysuckle.
Later in the season, these resources will rescind and become yesterday's news as acorns begin to fall, so don't forget to keep an eye to the sky for acorn-filled oaks while scouting this time of year.
Scout Recently Logged Areas: Don't forget to scout any new logging areas on or around your property, especially those a couple of years old that have started regrowth. Deer love the new foliage. And, in many cases, these areas of brush piles, new vegetation, networks of accessible logging roads and areas of dense timber cover will naturally attract whitetails for bedding and cover. It creates a whitetail sanctuary, if you will. Obviously, if the area has just been cut, it's not going to be the best spot. But as soon as new foliage begins to sprout, deer will make the are their new home base.. Many in the logging industry have told me nothing brings in whitetails like a recently logged area.
Travel Routes: If you've hunted the same area for a while, you've probably learned that deer often use the same travel routes year after year. Just like humans, whitetails travel the path of least resistance to/from bedding and feeding areas. Except during the rut, their travel patterns can be very predictable. Find a hot path, and you've just drasitically increased your chances of taking a big buck. A little known fact is that mature does and bucks will use a parallel route to the hot route. This secondary route can be within eyesight, or it can be 150 or so yards away. Keep that in mind when you are entering and exiting your stand. If you don't, you could ruin your chances at a good buck by either spooking a deer on this alternative route, or spreading your scent along it.
Another aspect of deer movement is the creation of funnels. Of course, there are natural funnels of topography and vegetation that force deer to move through a certain area. But you can dictate that movement yourself. Carve a path of least resistance by clearing brush, widening a path, creating a fence opening, etc., and you can bet the bucks on your property will take advantage. Think of it as rolling out the red carpet for ol' Mossy Horns.
Map It: Last, but certainly not least, don't neglect mapping out your property. Whether it's a hand-drawn rendering or a mash-up of Google Earth and topography maps, you'll be surprised by what you'll learn seeing a visual of your land. Even if you have in your head the normal routes traveled by deer, sometimes seeing the map and terrain will help you connect the dots and discover new angles and potential tree stand locations. And, of course, don't forget to map the land around your property. Knowing what the terrain is like on the other side of your fence is just as important. Maybe bucks are bedding in your area and crossing the fence to your neighbor's food source, or vice versa. The key is to find out what lies where you can't see. Here are a few mapping resources for Arkansas hunters:
http://www.geostor.arkansas.gov/G6/viewer/http://www.google.com/earth/index.htmlhttp://www.earthpoint.us/Townships.aspxFor more info on mapping your hunt, check out this post in the forum: Tips for Mapping your Hunt
