Whitetail deer Pre-Planning.

Now is the time of the year to be out in the woods scouting for whitetail deer. Although the deer will not be in exactly the same pattern and using the same game trails necessarily that they do during the hunting season, you can determine if there are deer in the general area. You can also find trails, food sources, deer rubs, water sources, and other items that will help you pattern your trophy buck for the coming deer hunting season.

Deer are very susceptive to pressure, even indirect pressure from unusual movement of people and vehicles. People who travel outdoors regularly in an area, such as oil well pumpers, utility workers, and farmers, regularly see deer in the same general area year round. However, the deer become accustomed to seeing these outdoor travelers and this becomes part of their regular routine also, so they don't necessarily alter their travel routes.

However, when hunters begin scouting their hunting areas, they usually do so at different times of the day and in different ways than the pumpers and farmers. This alerts the deer that something is unusual and they will alter their travel times and routes.

Deer will also change their routine travel routes and times because of the rut, expecially bucks. They will move during different times of the day and along different routes than they will during other times of the year.

Other activity such as building deer stands and planting food plots and crops and cleaning up around the camp area also alert deer that something unusual is happening and this will also alter their movement times and travel areas.

Different types of food also make deer move to different areas as the food becomes available. Deer really like to eat acorns when the acorns are available. If there is a bumper crop of acorns, the deer will not have to move as far or as much as they do in the years when the acorns are scarce.

Deer will also frequent food plots planted with oats, rye, peas and other food plots. The best type of food plot is one that combines all of the different types of food that deer like. By planting all of the different kinds, you are offering a buffet to the deer, so that they will become accustomed to finding whatever type of food is ready at any time.

You should plant these food plots as early as possible, in order for the deer to have time to find them before hunting season arrives. You should also keep food plots and forage plots growing year round so that deer will remain in the same general area. By planting early, deer will have time to find and use the food plots on a regular basis. This also allows the deer to settle down after running a tractor or other vehicles in the area. Food plots will produce plants large enough for game to forage approximately 30 days after emergence.

Fertilization: Soil test recommended. Apply a general purpose fertilizer at the recommended rate.

Probably the most important part is to move your deer stands into the area and get set up well before hunting season starts. This will allow the deer to become accustomed as much as possible to the stand. Even then, the deer will alter their routes to avoid the stand as much as possible. This is the indirect pressure that makes deer alter their travel routes to avoid danger. They come to learn that deer stands usually mean danger and will skirt the area, keeping brush between the stands and them.

You should also got to your hunting area that you have decided to hunt, and spend some time checking the area for fresh sign such as tracks and tree rubs. Tracks can tell you a lot about the size and number of deer in an area.

Many, many articles have been written about whether or not you can tell whether or not a deer is a buck by the size and impression of deer tracks. My theory is that it really doesn't matter whether the tracks are made by a buck or a doe. The bucks will come to the doe whenever she is ready to mate, and therefore, if you are at the right place at the right time, you will be able to look at the deer's head and tell if it is a buck or a doe.

Scouting the area for tracks can also tell you whether or not you are hunting in an area without any deer at all. If you are not seeing tracks and other sign of deer, like droppings, tree rubs, etc., you need to keep looking until you do.

When you are scouting, you should dress and move as if you were hunting. You wouldn't think of going hunting during the season without your camoflage and deer scent. You should't scout this way either. You want to move as quietly and with as little noise and scent as possible. It is also a good time to try different deer lure scents and cover up scents also. My theory on deer lure scents is to have several different kinds of scents available. If deer have been shot at right after smelling a lure scent, their memory of the danger will in most probability alert them the next time they get that scent.

I believe in carrying and using different lure scents just the same as I believe in changing fishing lures when bass fishing.

The whitetail deer is very easily spooked and is highly alert at all times. The deer's nose is probably his best warning system of danger. If you can use deer scent to offset this strong point of the deer, you can help better your chances of getting the Boone and Crockett or Pope and Young Trophy you have been trying to get.

This is also a good time to try a new deer call or grunt call. If you happen to find a deer while scouting, you might get a good chance to see how the deer react to the sound of the call.

This is also an excellent ttime to hunt with your camera to get some of those pictures you always wish you had. These are just some of the benefits of early scouting, besides being a good day outdoors.

Wayne Hartt