Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. Im a 60yr young woman who just started hunting 3 seasons ago. Shot my first buck on my own 45 acre property with a rifle. I started hunting using a crossbow last year. I did not get a deer last year despite my effort...however..not wasted as I learned alot about deer behavior. I dont hunt from an elevated stand...im no good with heights..im also trying to improve my property for whitetails..again..thank you for sharing you expertise..
I use to do the hour before light and learned the hard way. Now I enter after I can see a good 100 150yds. I hunt acorns and them deer will already be there before first light and I found going in later and creeping in slowly to make sure they are not there already and it has changed the game for me.
I went into a bedding area one time at 2 am just to see what would happen. I figured deer would be feeding elsewhere, but to my amazement i could hear deer blowing from every direction. And they wouldn't let up, they would blow and blow until I left
Thank you for the thoughtful video. I prefer morning hunts, so I tend to look for morning stands that I can access without spooking deer. Often, that means forgoing the early season and just hunting the last two weeks in October and first two weeks in November. For me, it is long enough to scratch the hunting itch and fill my tag. Thanks again for the great content.
"Access where the deer are not". You said it all right there with that statement. Of course every parcel of land is different, public land you have to be careful not to trespass. Sometimes this requires you to take a much more indirect route to where you wish to set up. Good video!
In those big Ag areas I would say 9/10 times that grey light (Right on time) period is the way to go! Been doing this the last few years and have had tons of success getting in undetected.
I must be very lucky this year...Im on a friends farm and Ive been going to one particular stand that sits in the wide open, Ive gone in very early well before day break, 10am'ish and late afternoon and always see deer. When I walked in early (well before daylight) a small heard of Doe were feeding in knee deep grass, stopped and looked at me from about 15 yards away and in about 45 seconds they went about their business. About an hour later 2 bucks walked right by the stand but still too dark to shoot then mid afternoon I took a Doe to get meat in the freezer. My secrete is being as still as possible, even scratching my face I move my arm very slow.
The buck i'm after this year is at the food mostly at 5:30am but sometimes midnight and even 3am. There is almost never a time that a deer isn't hanging around the food source. I have great access that doesn't mess with the bedding. I want to hunt mornings but you just never know if the buck is going to be there or other deer. I've been killing my bucks either on opening day or couple days after so i'm doing something right. What sucks about early season is it can be nearly 100 degrees outside and the deer are still in velvet. Also deer ticks
I like to have a trail cam help me scout, and patern the deer, then I adjust. Last year with the right weather and wind I went in at 7am. Thinking the buck would come around 9am, he was in at 8:30 am...lol so 🤷he wasn't my target buck, but it was 3rd sit and he was a really nice one, so 👍 😉
I normally get in some of my stands 45 minutes early. Before daylight because I hunt public land because some people go to there stands 10 to 15 minutes before daylight and have big head lights on there head. Hoping they push the deer to me. I have had success getting in early.
I'm 51 years old, and have hunted or been around hunting my whole life. I watch people invest in, and spend so much time on strategies and gimics for deer hunting. I tried blinds and stands early on with varying success. But I have the best luck just walking into the woods and hanging out. I almost always find some. At most I may do a walk around, in advance of deer season, looking for game trails and signs of deer. I get a general idea of the space I am hunting in...and that seems to be enough. I live in rural east Texas, and deer are generally plentiful here. I find that deer are generally used to some human smells, because they are curious animals, and they often go into areas where people are. I've seen them hanging out behind the Sonic, in the nearest little town. Further out here in the woods, where we are...the deer are obviously less trusting. I hunt on my cousins 125 acres about 90 min north of me. I just take-off into the woods, start walking until I see a deer, and shoot it. I use a Marlin 30-30, because it's a good brush gun. But I've never put any rocket surgery or brain science into it...at all. And I have pretty good luck.
Hey bud I’m having trouble!!! When i enter the woods at 4:30 2 hrs before daylight I’m pushing the deer out of my sight it seems camera is showing them every morning except when Im there I’m covering my scent boots spraying dead down wind everywhere i sit there and nothing same in the evenings soon as I leave they show on camera this is getting frustrating!!!
I wash my clothes once or twice a season and I use scent killer spray on my clothes b4 heading out. I use cover scents and wind detection everytime I go out hunting. A few of my favorites are fresh earth, pine, coon urine (works well as a drag scent), deer scat (I usually step in it and get it all over my boots, but my buddy told me he rubs it on his hands and face 🤢). My hunting pack got doe urine spilled in it one year and they seemed to hone in on it and bust me. It's hard to fool a deers nose but cover scents seem to help. But as mentioned, you have to enter when the deer aren't there. Good info Jeff!
I agree with everything except at 8:30...don't rush...take a deep breath! no need to create panic and anxiety when you are about to put your life in danger. Be safe #1. Kill deer #2
Great video. I have a stand that is impossible to get into in the mornings due to the route and amount of hiking I’d have to do to get in but man is it awesome to see them emerge from the thicket for evening feeding. I’ve been sending videos to the guys we hunt with in hopes they’ll watch your content and learn some things. Would not only benefit my hunts but theirs as well. Thanks again Jeff and team!
love your videos. Im hunting property with a nice creek the deer will likely cross to enter it. Should i still bother with installing a watering hole within 100 yds of the creek?
Great video bud ... I need to get you down to my land here in ohio we do food plots and so on .. if you seen my property idk how to enter it unseen or smelled the only way is to come in by the river on a Jon boat
hi ,great job explaining your knowledge ,i have 4 acres backed up against 200 or so acres [public land] and its getting harder to get deer to come my way ,the land closer to mine has water , forage and bedding ,and i'm not trudging around back there,cameras i have aren't showing anyone else is either ...l'm at a loss for what to do as a 63 year old bow hunter.i can only drag em home so far
You more or less said the same thing I was thinking first min lol. We normally just go when it's just light enough to see a few hundred yards. Seems our land has bigger issue with sound but then we are on the property enough year round that our scent is nothing new to them.
Hi Isaac! I've planted in June with great success...using soft seed/high germination seed and getting lucky with rain. The beauty is that you can fully control weeds with Simazine, gly and 2-D and then a final Gly spraying.
I have an issue of deer being around my little 4 acre plot all the time. Makes it hard to really pick a good time to access a stand anywhere especially being right next to the road. Any thoughts?
I shot biggest buck I've ever had an opportunity (21" wide 16ptr 171") on Nov 13th 2019 at 12:17pm. Was the coldest day during hunting season was -8° and figured I'd try a mid-day hunt.
When you set up on the back side of bedding, how far behind do you place a stand? I've always been worried to get too close (30ish yards) bc I'm concerned about bucks getting downwind of me scent checking the bedding before going in.
Hi Matt...there is not set distance. Instead, etc the distance a buck isnt going to be downwind of you be your guide. Back up to a cliff, open habitat, a pond, neighbors access, etc.
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Jeff, I am going to plant half my plot in buckwheat for the ultimate no till method with WHS blend and half sprayed 3 times for my barasica side.
I’m putting my first plots in this year. (1.5 acres) . I’m pretty sure it’s WAY too small for the amount of cover we have. Can I risk straight brassica to maximize tons? Or is it best to mix in a sweetener?
Can you discuss how to identify bedding areas? I’ve been hunting since the 80’s and I’ve never really seen a pattern of where they bed? I’m in NH woods where there’s no real funnel areas where I hunt.
This is a question for anybody reading this. We have 6 acres up north on a lake with a powerline that went through where they took out all the trees. There are two different deer trails that go through that section. How do people feel about hunting on their own small acreage land? Do you prefer venturing out somewhere else versus hunting only a block from your cabin? I’ll be bow hunting and actually hunting for the first time. Thx
Depends on whether you can get permission to track your harvest if it makes it off your property? If that's not a problem then happy hunting and good luck.
If you are accessing in the morning away from food and you are getting in the backside of bedding but have to cross an open hayfield is it better to go in the pitch dark?
Hey Jeff, For me (hunting a small 20 acre parcel, high pressure SW PA) i have very defined morning and evening stands (because of watching your videos). Since the area is small I'd rather not touch my morning stands until the pre rut (had amazing hunts last year doing this). Maybe I could take a chance on a morning stand on a cooler early october morning, but it seems too risky. Thoughts?
Last I heard deer don't have a alarm clock or a work schedule so just about anytime you can get a deer. As all hunters know there are days you see nothing but then there times you sit down look up and there the deer stands
We’re hunting 5 acres and seeing deer every day. Hard to get to the stand without spooking them though. Wish I could find a way around that but on 5 acres it’s a little hard to be undetected. There’s one doe that always smells us and spooks. I wanted to leave her til next year but I think she has to go.
Did you ever find a great location to hunt, lots of sign from multiple years but the surrounding area made it almost impossible to get in, and then the prevalent winds made it even worse...lol I am trying to work on this problem now. 😅 those deer sure know great places to hide...
We're living the same dream brother Most of my spots have a (damb if ya do..damb if you don't) situation. So at some point, if your doing to go, you weight all your options and go for it or always wonder if you should've. Most of my biggest bucks I got between 11oclock and 4 0clock midday..in wide open spots you'd be surprised to see a deer at all but they know where people don't go often and sometimes it's a place that you or I wouldn't really consider a favorable spot.
There are no special times. I have shot deer at every hour never been anything the same. 7am 9 am 11am 2pm 6pm I have seen them out to 100 yards in all hours. It's called luck.
It's all a out getting in the stand at sunup and staying up until sundown. I have even keft to go to my barn to get things and have still shot deer. There's no science.
I like to get in my tree stand at least two days before I plan on hunting.
🤣
Fully enclosed, got those solar panels on the roof nintendo switch and youtube, mini fridge in the corner. They will never know you're there.
I'm always in my stand
Man that's to early need to push it back to a week bro lol
Before your wife wakes up!
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. Im a 60yr young woman who just started hunting 3 seasons ago. Shot my first buck on my own 45 acre property with a rifle. I started hunting using a crossbow last year. I did not get a deer last year despite my effort...however..not wasted as I learned alot about deer behavior. I dont hunt from an elevated stand...im no good with heights..im also trying to improve my property for whitetails..again..thank you for sharing you expertise..
I use to do the hour before light and learned the hard way. Now I enter after I can see a good 100 150yds. I hunt acorns and them deer will already be there before first light and I found going in later and creeping in slowly to make sure they are not there already and it has changed the game for me.
Elephants 😂just on time! Great you/we can laugh and be silly 👍
I went into a bedding area one time at 2 am just to see what would happen. I figured deer would be feeding elsewhere, but to my amazement i could hear deer blowing from every direction. And they wouldn't let up, they would blow and blow until I left
Thank you for the thoughtful video. I prefer morning hunts, so I tend to look for morning stands that I can access without spooking deer. Often, that means forgoing the early season and just hunting the last two weeks in October and first two weeks in November. For me, it is long enough to scratch the hunting itch and fill my tag. Thanks again for the great content.
Hey Jeff taking the cap off your marker kind of sounds like that squeaky door hinge. That deer make. I'm sure you heard it before.
Ha 😊 I think Dylan edited that iut...maybe not Gunner? Gunner?
"Access where the deer are not". You said it all right there with that statement.
Of course every parcel of land is different, public land you have to be careful not to trespass.
Sometimes this requires you to take a much more indirect route to where you wish to set up.
Good video!
In those big Ag areas I would say 9/10 times that grey light (Right on time) period is the way to go! Been doing this the last few years and have had tons of success getting in undetected.
Didn't see anything this morning but at 2:30 pm got an eight point.
Nice Paul... CONGRATS!!
I must be very lucky this year...Im on a friends farm and Ive been going to one particular stand that sits in the wide open, Ive gone in very early well before day break, 10am'ish and late afternoon and always see deer. When I walked in early (well before daylight) a small heard of Doe were feeding in knee deep grass, stopped and looked at me from about 15 yards away and in about 45 seconds they went about their business. About an hour later 2 bucks walked right by the stand but still too dark to shoot then mid afternoon I took a Doe to get meat in the freezer. My secrete is being as still as possible, even scratching my face I move my arm very slow.
I had morning stands I had to go in after daylight cause deer would always be milling around between my access .
The buck i'm after this year is at the food mostly at 5:30am but sometimes midnight and even 3am. There is almost never a time that a deer isn't hanging around the food source. I have great access that doesn't mess with the bedding. I want to hunt mornings but you just never know if the buck is going to be there or other deer. I've been killing my bucks either on opening day or couple days after so i'm doing something right. What sucks about early season is it can be nearly 100 degrees outside and the deer are still in velvet. Also deer ticks
I like to have a trail cam help me scout, and patern the deer, then I adjust. Last year with the right weather and wind I went in at 7am. Thinking the buck would come around 9am, he was in at 8:30 am...lol so 🤷he wasn't my target buck, but it was 3rd sit and he was a really nice one, so 👍 😉
I normally get in some of my stands 45 minutes early. Before daylight because I hunt public land because some people go to there stands 10 to 15 minutes before daylight and have big head lights on there head. Hoping they push the deer to me. I have had success getting in early.
I'm 51 years old, and have hunted or been around hunting my whole life. I watch people invest in, and spend so much time on strategies and gimics for deer hunting.
I tried blinds and stands early on with varying success. But I have the best luck just walking into the woods and hanging out. I almost always find some.
At most I may do a walk around, in advance of deer season, looking for game trails and signs of deer. I get a general idea of the space I am hunting in...and that seems to be enough.
I live in rural east Texas, and deer are generally plentiful here. I find that deer are generally used to some human smells, because they are curious animals, and they often go into areas where people are. I've seen them hanging out behind the Sonic, in the nearest little town. Further out here in the woods, where we are...the deer are obviously less trusting.
I hunt on my cousins 125 acres about 90 min north of me. I just take-off into the woods, start walking until I see a deer, and shoot it. I use a Marlin 30-30, because it's a good brush gun. But I've never put any rocket surgery or brain science into it...at all. And I have pretty good luck.
Not that easy with a bow …
Majority of the deer i see are from 830am to 1030 am. Then 4pm to dusk
Best time to enter tree stand:
Morning - after I've eaten breakfast
Evening - after I get off work
Hey bud I’m having trouble!!! When i enter the woods at 4:30 2 hrs before daylight I’m pushing the deer out of my sight it seems camera is showing them every morning except when Im there I’m covering my scent boots spraying dead down wind everywhere i sit there and nothing same in the evenings soon as I leave they show on camera this is getting frustrating!!!
I like to parachute into my tree house at midnight
Don’t hit the trees,you won’t like it
I am going to try the parachute method from now on. Lol.
And sky hook out 😉
I read the same article,about sleeping in woods ,some blinds are big enough to sleep in.could wook.
I wash my clothes once or twice a season and I use scent killer spray on my clothes b4 heading out. I use cover scents and wind detection everytime I go out hunting. A few of my favorites are fresh earth, pine, coon urine (works well as a drag scent), deer scat (I usually step in it and get it all over my boots, but my buddy told me he rubs it on his hands and face 🤢). My hunting pack got doe urine spilled in it one year and they seemed to hone in on it and bust me. It's hard to fool a deers nose but cover scents seem to help. But as mentioned, you have to enter when the deer aren't there. Good info Jeff!
Excellent information Jeff. Thank you and God-bless always.
I agree with everything except at 8:30...don't rush...take a deep breath! no need to create panic and anxiety when you are about to put your life in danger. Be safe #1. Kill deer #2
Great video. I have a stand that is impossible to get into in the mornings due to the route and amount of hiking I’d have to do to get in but man is it awesome to see them emerge from the thicket for evening feeding.
I’ve been sending videos to the guys we hunt with in hopes they’ll watch your content and learn some things. Would not only benefit my hunts but theirs as well. Thanks again Jeff and team!
I don't want to be stepped on by an early morning elephant cruising around!😂
love your videos. Im hunting property with a nice creek the deer will likely cross to enter it. Should i still bother with installing a watering hole within 100 yds of the creek?
Great video bud ... I need to get you down to my land here in ohio we do food plots and so on .. if you seen my property idk how to enter it unseen or smelled the only way is to come in by the river on a Jon boat
hi ,great job explaining your knowledge ,i have 4 acres backed up against 200 or so acres [public land] and its getting harder to get deer to come my way ,the land closer to mine has water , forage and bedding ,and i'm not trudging around back there,cameras i have aren't showing anyone else is either ...l'm at a loss for what to do as a 63 year old bow hunter.i can only drag em home so far
You more or less said the same thing I was thinking first min lol. We normally just go when it's just light enough to see a few hundred yards. Seems our land has bigger issue with sound but then we are on the property enough year round that our scent is nothing new to them.
100% of the time I enter my stand when it's time to go hunting.
Great video Jeff! Access can be so tough sometimes! Hopefully we get great weather for Camp Kicking Bear June 11th!!!
Thanks Jeff! I was wondering if I can plant switchgrass in June? Or just, how late can I plant it?
Hi Isaac! I've planted in June with great success...using soft seed/high germination seed and getting lucky with rain. The beauty is that you can fully control weeds with Simazine, gly and 2-D and then a final Gly spraying.
I have an issue of deer being around my little 4 acre plot all the time. Makes it hard to really pick a good time to access a stand anywhere especially being right next to the road. Any thoughts?
Make sure you have better screening so deer can't see you.
Just in time or JIT is the big inventory management paradigm that was so successful. “Was”
I shot biggest buck I've ever had an opportunity (21" wide 16ptr 171") on Nov 13th 2019 at 12:17pm. Was the coldest day during hunting season was -8° and figured
I'd try a mid-day hunt.
When you set up on the back side of bedding, how far behind do you place a stand? I've always been worried to get too close (30ish yards) bc I'm concerned about bucks getting downwind of me scent checking the bedding before going in.
Hi Matt...there is not set distance. Instead, etc the distance a buck isnt going to be downwind of you be your guide. Back up to a cliff, open habitat, a pond, neighbors access, etc.
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thanks for the response!
Jeff, what setting do you use for northwoods HD screening for the 2750 earthway spreader?
Hi John! I've used all of the switch lately...haven't needed any for a few years. BUT. I do this year so I will let you know soon 😊
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Jeff, I am going to plant half my plot in buckwheat for the ultimate no till method with WHS blend and half sprayed 3 times for my barasica side.
Do you recomend sprays that dull deer sense of smell?
I’m putting my first plots in this year. (1.5 acres) . I’m pretty sure it’s WAY too small for the amount of cover we have. Can I risk straight brassica to maximize tons? Or is it best to mix in a sweetener?
Can you discuss how to identify bedding areas? I’ve been hunting since the 80’s and I’ve never really seen a pattern of where they bed? I’m in NH woods where there’s no real funnel areas where I hunt.
Jeff, can I spray quincloric and atrazine on my switch grass to control weeds this summer? If so, what is the amount per acre?
👍🏼Great info... Ty 🦌🏹
This is a question for anybody reading this. We have 6 acres up north on a lake with a powerline that went through where they took out all the trees. There are two different deer trails that go through that section. How do people feel about hunting on their own small acreage land? Do you prefer venturing out somewhere else versus hunting only a block from your cabin? I’ll be bow hunting and actually hunting for the first time. Thx
Depends on whether you can get permission to track your harvest if it makes it off your property? If that's not a problem then happy hunting and good luck.
If you are accessing in the morning away from food and you are getting in the backside of bedding but have to cross an open hayfield is it better to go in the pitch dark?
Do you fertilize/lime before you plant the buckwheat or before you plant your plot seed? Referring to your No till process
The best time to lime is any time.
You all are nuts lol have fun be careful. Great videos
Do you think it’s better to hunt a large field 150 yards diameter or dirt roads that go in between thickets?
Very helpful video, Jeff! Appreciate it!
Am I an oddball here using trail cameras to determine my hunting times? Entrance time for my acreage varies greatly throughout the season.
Jeff when bucks spook on you sometimes... do they snort ?? or they don't snort to alert other deer ??
A lot of great information.. thanks for sharing this brother!
Thanks a lotbi hope that it helps!
I’ve been trying to find your switchgrass video from Saturday. For the life of me I can’t find it on you tube. What was the title of that video?
Hey Jeff, what do you think of Evercalm?
Have you had any issues with having a Tactacam 6 ft up in a tree? I'm about to put some out this weekend
Hey Jeff, For me (hunting a small 20 acre parcel, high pressure SW PA) i have very defined morning and evening stands (because of watching your videos). Since the area is small I'd rather not touch my morning stands until the pre rut (had amazing hunts last year doing this). Maybe I could take a chance on a morning stand on a cooler early october morning, but it seems too risky. Thoughts?
try pouring corn and syrup on the ground in front of your stand.
If you get a 20° Oct morning, go for it.
@@calebmcnelly2885 if you want to shoot a doe or baby, go for it!😆
@@calebmcnelly2885 Jeff talks about how Corn is not good to use.
@@338lapuaLRS he also says he don’t care if you do it either
Would I be able to send you a photo of my land for some advice on em trance and departure?
Last I heard deer don't have a alarm clock or a work schedule so just about anytime you can get a deer. As all hunters know there are days you see nothing but then there times you sit down look up and there the deer stands
Bill Winke did it. Shot a monster. Spent the season and many overnight hunts to get him. Now that’s dedication.
Great info!
We’re hunting 5 acres and seeing deer every day. Hard to get to the stand without spooking them though. Wish I could find a way around that but on 5 acres it’s a little hard to be undetected. There’s one doe that always smells us and spooks. I wanted to leave her til next year but I think she has to go.
What rack is that for holding your bow on your bike?
Ho2w close to your stand do you ride your Ebike?
Hour before daylight. And back in before 2 before evening hunt.
Who all remembers watching TK and Mike
How do i get ahold of you to look at a 30ac property in michigan
I’ve had three trail camera videos where a deer sniffed my camera and then ran off. I think they noticed the light and sniffed to investigate
Did you ever find a great location to hunt, lots of sign from multiple years but the surrounding area made it almost impossible to get in, and then the prevalent winds made it even worse...lol I am trying to work on this problem now. 😅 those deer sure know great places to hide...
We're living the same dream brother
Most of my spots have a (damb if ya do..damb if you don't) situation.
So at some point, if your doing to go, you weight all your options and go for it or always wonder if you should've. Most of my biggest bucks I got between 11oclock and 4 0clock midday..in wide open spots you'd be surprised to see a deer at all but they know where people don't go often and sometimes it's a place that you or I wouldn't really consider a favorable spot.
I'm having the same problem
Best time to enter a tree stand is when you aren’t drunk.
Yup. I'ma hire you I need help on the land I hunt I've never hunted a place this hard to hunt I'ma see what you can do with it lmao
Scent rolling like our ancestors would also be effective.
Maybe? A lot more hunting pressure nowadays...buck envy...hunter's per square mile, etc
Merch!
Just on tine* 🤠
😁 watch out for the elephants
The best time is anytime I am not working. Thank God I don't hunt for a living. It's an escape for me and I cannot afford to pay a camera man.
U don't need to be there two hours before!!! Freezing your butt off. Go in right before first light
Just depends on the stand...some early, som JOR and some after daylight. Depends on where the deer are at what time.
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 most of the time I don't see deer till 8-9 am
I really thought he meant someone was hunting in Africa when he said elephants
I like to enter the woods when there’s a freight train going past.
I prefer to get in my stand at least 5 minutes before they come by
First!!
For sure Kurt 😁👍
@Number 1 Fan Its the third lunar cycle, in the seventh solar phase! We’re lucky Jeff got out of bed at all! My chart said 9:33, plus coffee = first!
I was waiting too, then had to go yo work ! 👍🏼🦌
@Number 1 Fan All I’m saying is keep your eyes open for a new feature on your Huntwise app-
I like to tic-tok for 15 mins before I start climbing
I hoot like an owl to get him out of the field
I wished that worked around here! Too many owls...
Just watch out for the treacherous elephants.
Before the other hunters show up... hopefully they'll go somewhere else.
There are no special times. I have shot deer at every hour never been anything the same. 7am 9 am 11am 2pm 6pm I have seen them out to 100 yards in all hours. It's called luck.
It's all a out getting in the stand at sunup and staying up until sundown. I have even keft to go to my barn to get things and have still shot deer. There's no science.