Top-5 Pre-Game Whitetail Deer Hunting Tips

By Kyle Wieter

Whitetails, especially ultra-mature whitetails, do not allow for even the slightest miscalculation from hunters making hasty decisions. Deer season is a marathon not a sprint, so taking any unnecessary chances when whitetail scouting or hunting almost always results in a failed attempt and could quite possibly ruin the opportunity of a lifetime.

Implementing the following pre-season scouting and set up tactics is a must to avoid the hard lessons whitetails serve up regularly:

1. MONITOR THE MOVEMENT

As serious whitetail hunters, our goal is to find, figure out and harvest a mature buck, making smart scouting for a potential target animal 95% of the process. This process begins during the late summer months as bachelor groups can be incredibly visible while they feed in the wide open during the evenings.

To begin monitoring a particular buck in your area without giving him any indication he’s being watched, start with these tried-and-true steps:

Start scouting from a distance by utilizing good optics to monitor deer movement
Check green fields such as soybeans, alfalfa, and clover, as they are lush with nutrients and are high in protein
Make it a priority to glass small, secluded pockets where bachelor groups can feed with some privacy. Also, check outside corners of fields as they meet inside corners of timber (the classic “L” shape) and low-lying areas along creek bottoms, as the temperatures cool faster in the evenings
Use aerial mapping to help understand why the deer are where they are before moving in for a closer look
Scout midday while the wind blows away from where the deer enter and exit the field, as that is the direction of their bedding
Check the field edges for concentrated deer sign leading to entry and exit trails the whitetails have created
Check for potential stand locations according to the hunt-able winds
Have trail cameras ready to hang

A man wearing a Verde camouflage hat and shirt, setting up a trail camera in a heavily wooded area.

2. TRAIL CAMERA RECON

Using trail camera technology, patterning a mature buck without the worry of too much human intrusion is easier than ever. However, once a hunter has scouted an area and is ready to hang trail cameras, a decision needs to be made as to which type of cameras (cellular vs non-cellular) will work best for the opportunity presenting itself.

Cellular cameras work incredibly well to monitor deer deep within a hunting area, as they allow for much less human intrusion by automatically sending images to the app on a hunter’s cell phone, allowing for 24/7 instant scouting recon at your fingertips.

Non-cellular trail cameras have their place in areas easily accessible by the hunter. However, they’re more time consuming and require much more human intrusion, as the only way to know what and when an animal has walked past the camera is to physically take the SD card out of the camera and check it on a computer.

Whichever type of trail camera a hunter chooses during the pre-season, the below tips will help keep the whitetails from becoming suspicious of a human presence, while allowing for the best images:

Hang cameras on the predominant downwind side of the deer herds natural movement
To gather as much intel as possible and avoid “missing” deer, point the camera down the deer trail at about 45-degree angle vs 90 degrees to the trail
Whether doing a maintenance check, battery change or an SD card change out, only approach a trail camera while the winds are in the favor of the hunter
Check cameras during the off hours of high deer movement

Detailed photo showing the dense leaves of a planted food plot meant for whitetail deer hunting

3. FOOD PLOTTING

Planting food plots is a huge part of the whitetail deer pre-season preparation and is the most effective way to attract, grow and keep deer on your property. While most hunters stress about what to plant, it’s much less complicated than presumed.

Whitetail deer are slaves to their stomach and thrive during the early part of the season on plants high in protein, such as clover and alfalfa, while during the later months, deer prefer highly palatable annual cool season forage, like brassicas or soybeans, which are high in protein and carbohydrates. Simply do a bit of online research for the food sources that thrive in your region of the country, and then plant according to how and when you plan to hunt those areas.

Man wearing KUIU T-Shirt retreiving arrow from 3D target

4. PRACTICE FOR PERFECTION

There’s an old saying - “Don’t practice until you get it right, practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Hunters that apply this methodology have extreme confidence under pressure, knowing their maximum capabilities during the moment of truth.

Practicing for perfection starts with a well-tuned bow and arrow combination. If you don’t work on your own archery gear, a trip to the local pro shop may be in order. Once a hunter’s setup is fine-tuned, they can apply the following practice methods to build the confidence necessary for success in the field:

Start with a target that has a bullseye to sight in your bow
Be conscious and utilize the exact same anchor points during every shot
Move on to a whitetail 3D target with no bullseye to help “pin” the animal in the kill zone, according to the different angles and distances an actual animal may be standing
If tree stand hunting is in your future, practice from an elevated platform
Practice at distances further than your effective kill range; in turn, making kill range shots will seem much easier
Continue practicing throughout deer season to stay sharp

As hunters, we owe it to the animals we love to chase to make clean, ethical kill shots. Pre-season practice is an absolute necessity. A lot of these tips can be modified to fit firearm hunters, as well.

5. PRE-SEASON GEAR CHECK

Timing is impeccable - it never fails to happen while in the field when you suddenly realize you’re missing an essential piece of equipment, or worst-case scenario, you have equipment failure, essentially ending your hunt and leaving you wishing for better performing gear.

A pre-season gear check may seem unnecessary; however, small issues can become big issues if forgotten about from one season to the next. Thoroughly go through all your gear, making sure everything from optics and range finders to weapons and apparel are working flawlessly. While doing so, make a punch list of gear needing attention. This simple process may save you from a terrible experience in the field.

After going through your current hunting equipment and creating a list of items needed, begin researching trusted companies within that category, knowing they have new innovations and products annually.