“funnels”

Again and again, GPS-collar movement studies of whitetails find that mature bucks are individuals. There are types, sure. Just as some middle-aged men are homebodies and others like to be out and about, there are categories we can put bucks in—but that really doesn’t help you decipher the specific pattern of an individual deer.

During the rut, the bucks themselves may not always know where they will be next, so how can you expect to know? Luck will always play a role in your success, but when you play the odds and focus on those things that are predictable, luck will find you a whole lot sooner.

Predator hunting in winter is about being charged by hungry coyotes that are under the impression you’re a critter wailing in pain.

Being ready for the rut starts with knowing where to place your treestand—and why.

Your typical “Mountain” buck is different than most of the deer you see on television or read about in magazines. The variables surrounding what they eat and where they sleep are countless. As a result, getting close to one can be tough. Getting close enough to consistently kill a mature one can seem nearly impossible. But it isn’t.

This is the deer hunter’s calculation. You ask yourself if there are low-impact entry and exit routes that will take you to and from a stand. Can you get a true wind in/near the buck’s likely bedding area? If you’re bowhunting, will you have to cut shooting lanes? Can you afford to risk making this buck even more nocturnal in October?

In typical whitetail country much of the debate over where to hang a stand revolves around wind direction. However, once a likely stand location is chosen predominate wind direction will most likely be the only thing left to ponder. Not so if you happen to be hunting the rugged mountains of the east.

As deer patterns change from summer to fall, here is how to relocate the bucks you have watched all summer.

Field Editor Frank Miniter offers a few tips for scouting that big buck during the summer months.