© Copyright John Trout, Jr.

Let’s face it.  If you are an avid whitetail deer hunter with hopes of bringing home a trophy buck this season, it probably won’t happen.  Statistically speaking, the odds of taking a wall-hanger are clearly stacked against you.

Yet, each season, hunters throughout the country beat the odds.  There are some who are just plain lucky, but many others score on trophies by becoming students of the whitetail game.  To take them, ordinary hunting techniques aren’t enough.  You’ve got to go the extra yard.

1. Locate Several Ambush Sites

The number of ambush sites should not be limited.  I have always found that the more I have, the better my chances of success.  Today’s easy-hanging, lightweight portable stands, and climbers now make it possible for you to change locations at a moment’s notice and hunt where the wind is always favorable.

2. Pass the Smaller Bucks

Hunting for a trophy buck requires dedication.  Of course, this is not accomplished easily.   Confidence is perhaps the key to bringing home a wall hanger.  If a buck shows, ask if this is the buck you want to settle for, before you shoot.

3. Hunt Only Where the Wind is Favorable

The biggest mistake deer hunters make is hunting where the wind is unfavorable.  You could luck out, or you can hunt where the wind is sure to be favorable.

I would suggest making notes about each ambush location.  By recording wind directions that are favorable and unfavorable for each site, you can choose which is best to hunt on a given day.

4. Stay Clean and Reduce Human Scent

It is impossible to be scentless, but you can take precautions that will help.  Bathing frequently and wearing clean camouflage clothing will reduce odors that could spoil your hunt.

Whenever you walk to and from your stand, avoid deer trails and debris that may pick up your scent.  Finally, wear rubber boots, since they will not allow odors to escape as will leather boots.

5. Avoid Getting Close to Scrapes

Most of us find it tempting to look at scrapes – closely.  However, walking up to a scrape can promptly spoil a hunting opportunity.

You may find it easier to avoid scrapes by remembering that several bucks may visit any scrape.  It really doesn’t matter what buck may have been there last.  If you know a large buck is in the area, he, too, could tend the scrape.  And if you must see the scrape, do so from a distance and consider using binoculars.

6. Pay Attention to Rub Lines

I seldom pay attention to rubs scattered throughout a given area.  However, several rubs along a trail may indicate that a buck is traveling the route frequently.

I would also suggest you inspect the rubbed trees.  Both large and small bucks rub trees of all sizes.  However, if the tree has deep gouges, you can assume that this is the work of a trophy whitetail.

7. Always Carry a Grunt Tube

Bucks are the most vulnerable to grunt calls when they are rutting.  However, many hunters claim grunt tubes also work well in the pre-rut and post-rut periods.  For this reason, I would suggest you always carry this nifty device along.

I would not use the grunt tube repeatedly when you are not seeing deer.  Save the call as a last moment technique when your hunting time is about expire, or when a buck passes by out of range.

8. Get Away from the Crowds

Mature bucks have a mysterious way of moving out of an area once disturbed, and seek areas where they do not encounter people.

You should consider getting away from the crowds as soon as others begin making a habit of passing through the area.  When hunting heavily-forested areas, get further from the roads and fields whenever the hunting pressure intensifies.  In farmland areas, look for terrain where few hunters venture, such as high-grass fields, standing corn, swamps and thickets.

9. Scout Continuously

I often forfeit hunting time so that I can scout for meaningful deer sign.  When things are not going well from my ambush location, I feel that it is wiser to spend my time walking in search of rubs, scrapes and trails.  However, I would suggest you do it during the midday hours when deer are least active.

Changes in food sources, bedding areas and hunting pressure are the primary reasons why whitetails change their habits.  Scouting continuously will allow you to keep up with the deer.

10. Hunt Smart and Hunt Hard

Smart hunting is easier said than done.  Smart hunting means that you should not take unnecessary chances.  Always plan your approach and departure routes to and from your stand in a direction where you will not alarm deer.  Also, keep noise at a minimum.

Hunting hard is absolutely necessary.  It seems we always hear about the guy down the street who bagged a monster buck the first time he hunted.  But you can bet you are not that lucky.  If you hope to harvest a super buck, count on hunting often.

John Trout, Jr.