I’m just being honest when I say I’ve been very successful the past few years to have taken some monster bucks in my home state of Indiana.
Buckmasters fans have been sending some very unusual tips to Tip of the Week, and I’d like to share some of my own methods for putting nice bucks on my wall.
Pop-up Blind Backdoor Ambush
Mature bucks usually have a backdoor escape route from feeding areas. A portable pop-up blind is the ticket for ambushing these streetwise bucks.
First, I must know the escape route and quickly set up my blind, then place sweaty clothes or other smelly items in the feeding area that will spook the deer just enough to send them my way once they start grazing.
To place your blind correctly, knowing the backdoor location is the key. That usually comes over time from the experience of watching deer spook on your property. Keep this tactic in mind if you have determined a definite escape route and routinely see spooked deer use it when leaving your area.
Use Sloppy Hunters
I call them Walmart hunters, which is another name for sloppy hunters. You know the type; they smoke, make noise, call horribly, smell bad and go to the store the night before the hunt to purchase their gear.
But you can use those guys to your advantage. Position yourself on the opposite side of a known bedding area from where the hunters will arrive (usually late) and wait it out.
The key here, again, comes with knowing your property. You must know where the deer bed in order to set up accordingly. And you must anticipate where your neighbor or guest will be situated in relation to that bedding area.
The Walmart hunter will either drive deer to you on their way in, or their way out. They usually can’t sit still for more than a couple hours, so be early, be patient, and you’ll be surprised how many mature bucks will move your way once the sloppiness begins.
The Prairie Dog Trick
Do you have one of those big fields where you continually see deer in the wide open, but they are too far away for a shot?
You can’t put a stand or a blind out there, so what do you do? I dig myself a nice hole in the field to hide in.
Think strategically before you start digging. It needs to be downwind and within range of where the deer have been seen regularly.
You need to have the ability to sit still and move slowly, so make sure the hole is deep enough to get comfortable and hide movement. Once you are in, there’s no standing up.
Have your shooting sticks or rest positioned toward the area the deer will come from, and be ready. Ease out of your hole and shoot when the time comes.
If you are hunting on a farm, make sure to get permission to dig first, and don’t forget to do a good job filling in the hole after the season.
You might consider putting orange flagging around the hole during the season. It will alert an ATV driver without spooking deer.
These methods might seem a little unorthodox, but if it helps you fool bucks, nothing is too unusual.
These tricks have helped me take many big bucks, and I hope they will help you take your buck of a lifetime, too.
If you have a unique or special tip you’d like to share with Buckmasters fans, please email it to huntingtips@buckmasters.com and, if chosen, we will send you a cap signed by Jackie Bushman, along with a knife!
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