Our deer hunting experts answer your questions about off-season hunting.

Offseason Deer Hunting Tips

There are many things a hunter can do to get ready for opening day in the off-season. Habitat improvement, trail cam surveys, feeding programs are just some of the work you can do now to be a more successful deer hunter in the fall. These plans take time and, sometimes, money. If there were one single thing you could do to improve deer hunting on your property, what would it be?

We asked some deer hunting experts and here is what they had to say:

Q: What’s the single most important thing a deer hunter can do during the off-season to increase their odds once the deer hunting season starts?

Pete Alfano, Land specialist at Whitetail Properties

A: Never stop scouting! My absolute favorite time to scout is right after season all the way into shed hunting season. I still stay away from bedding areas until all the antlers have dropped because if you scout too close to their bedding area and where they feel safe, you’ll actually defeat the purpose and push some deer out of their normal patterns. Scout smart and keep those Reconyx cameras out until the last antler hits the ground. Once antler growth has started back I’ll start running Reconyx cameras over mineral and fields edges being careful not to get to close to where they’re still bedding. A big buck will only put up with being intruded on a few times. As the season approaches you’ll have a very good understanding of what deer are on your farm and how they’re using it. To be consistently successful you need to treat hunting as a hobby 12 months a year. Shooting an arrow or pulling the trigger only takes a second.

Cory Smith, Owner of CS Outdoors

A: If you are looking for increasing the odds to harvest a trophy, I would say habitat management. If you are looking to grow bigger deer, I would say keeping the deer herd as healthy as possible with plenty of food sources and mineral supplements.

Dan Perez, Host of Whitetail Properties TV

A: If the deer hunter owns or leases the property with permission from the owner to modify, the single most important thing a hunter can do is improve the habitat.  This may mean putting in food plots, creating cover or planting mast-producing trees.  In most parts of the country, a buck’s core area may range from 1 to 3 miles. A hunter’s goal, regardless of the size of his property, should be to make the land he hunts the core of the buck’s core range.  And while this area may not completely contain the buck’s travel, it will insure that the bucks spend the greatest amount of time on the land you hunt. Here is a series of P’s for you:  Properly Planned Preseason Preparation Provides Predictable Success.

Kevin Paulson, Founder of huntinglife.com

A: Provide the best minerals and food supplements you can afford for each location that you hunt, and provide that quality nutrition throughout the season if possible. If you cannot afford supplements and minerals, or do not have permission to use them, then scouting and shed hunting will provide you the most intelligence about that particular location and give you some knowledge about how best to set up for the season.

Photo Credit: Steve Jurveston

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