whitetail advice wanted

[7mag]

I drew a pretty good late season whitetail tag this year( nov 1st to nov 30th... pre rut through post rut) and im looking for a little advice. I havnt hunted whitetails seriously but i have got a pretty nice one during regular season. I have always hunted high country muleys and i know i am in for a huge change. I have the general areas i want to hunt picked out and living 8 miles from the area boundry scouting is no problem. The info i am looking for is;
1. What is your favoite scent? My friends recomend tinks # 69
2. Do you like real horns or fake horns for rattling? Ive never done rattling before so if you like fake horns would you please let me know what brand?
3. Calls. Buck grunt buck roar doe bleat doe in heat... way too many to mention. Between cabelas and bass pro and local stores a fortune can be spent to find out i have bought junk and passed on the best. I dont mind buying calls but i would like the best right off the bat.
Thank you for any advice available and im not looking for any secrets just trying to get pointed in the right direction

 

[Alabama]

1. Avoid whatever brand the large retailers in your area are selling. I think the deer learn to associate a certain scent with humans after they smell it over and over with no real does smelling like that particular scent. I've never had any luck with Tink's 69 but my friends have. I don't know if Harmon's estrous doe is available in your area but it works well for me.

2. I use real antlers, medium sized with the brow tines cut off so you don't smash your fingers. Tie them together with a short length of paracord. They just sound more realistic to me.

3. I've been hunting whitetails a long time and I've never heard a buck roar. Buy an adjustable type call: with adjustable bands or a slide, avoid the kind that you press on different areas to make different sounds. I like one that you can do doe bleats to mature buck grunts. Stick with the basics when calling. Doe bleats and buck grunts: those are the sounds I hear when hunting the rut.

 

[genesis27:3]

Of course I do hunt on the opposite side of the country than where you will be hunting, but I have killed a few whitetail in over 30 years.
Personally, I do not use any scent.
I rarely use antlers to rattle. But real antlers when I do.
The only call I use is a grunt tube. Very sparingly, and with short quick grunts.
Are you planning on using a tree stand? I know most western state hunters don't, but it works.

Good luck!

 

[tdcour]

I second what Alabama said. From what I've seen, white tails can be pretty similar to elk. You can still use some of your elk tactics on them. I actually never use sent and rarely call and rattle, but I will if the timing is just right. Most of my whitetails have come from food sources or travel corridors. Just like elk hunting, don't make the same sounds everyone else is using and hunt where they are.

My rattling horns are from an 8 point/ 4x4 I shot a few years ago. Sawed the guards off like Alabama said. That will only take one smashed finger. Like Alabama said I have a call (don't remember the name or brand) that I roll the band on the reed to get fawn, doe, and buck sounds.

 

[Matthoek21]

I agree with everyone else.
I have used several scents. Harmon's is a good one. I've also used Tinks 69. I use it on a drag rag to the stand. I have had deer come in on that scent trail. It hasn't happened a lot but I have had it happened. It has never hurt to do it. I also use the "bomb" but more as a cover scent. I spray it on the ground around my stand and on the tree I am in. Never do I use it the way they show on T.V. and just set it off.
As for horns, I would definitely use real ones. Me personally I have never used them enough where I can honestly say I just called that deer in by rattling. Think it works better in some areas and just so so in others.
Now for calls...you definitely need a good grunt call. I have used cheap ones and expensive ones. To me some were gimmicks...ie.the buck roar. I think the "Roar" is too deep and doesn't sound enough like a deer. Get a call that makes a good buck grunt and young buck grunt sound. Don't be afraid to use it either. The time of year you will be hunting should be perfect. I use it some all season but get fairly aggressive during late October through november. I have literally seen bucks out in the CRP field over 200 yards away and grunt at them and have them turn and run right to me. I used to think that stuff didn't work until it started happening literally every season. Don't be afraid to try it. And remember you have to blow it fairly hard if you see one trailing 200yards out. There mind is on a hot doe and it will surprise you how loud you have to blow it so they hear it. Normally I use soft grunts that are quick notes like a buck does when trailing a hot doe. You have to use it several different ways for different situations.
I know I rambled but hopefully this helps and we see some nice pics in November. Good Luck!

 

[cntryep3614]

The only scent that works for me is a stinky tarsal gland cut from a fresh kill at the local deer processor! Drag it in, hang it off a buck decoy and wait for them to catch a whiff. I have witnessed big bucks freeze up on commercial estrus many times then chase a hot doe right across the line later. They can always tell. Now i have had some luck with the buck roar grunt call - 3 grunts in succession short to middle range in duration. Just remember with whitetail. Their nose for human odor and non-tolerance for that odor is second too none. Keep the wind in your face and try not to bump them move slow deliberate and quiet

 

[Hoytfanatic]

Decoy if it's an option(safety) I stay away from doe decoys as much as possible. It seems that the does in the area are very suspicious of a girl they don't know and usually will march right up to it and blow. However a buck won't necessarily scare them off but they will veer a little ways to avoid it. I have actually saw a doe being chased turn and run right past the buck decoy wiping off the buck that was chasing her. Word to the wise, don't talk to the bucks unless you think he is a shooter. Otherwise he will probably march right in and destroy the decoy.

 

[Fink]

3. I've been hunting whitetails a long time and I've never heard a buck roar.

I hear bucks roar on occasion. I think it's one of those calls that's impossible to replicate though. It's a pretty intense noise.

I don't use scents, and rarely do any calling. I will rattle, in the first week of November, I don't rattle in many bucks, but I have rattled in a few good ones over the years, that came running in, bristled up looking to fight. When I rattle, I use big antlers, off of about a 140" deer.

Ultimately, you don't need any of the above to kill a buck. You're much better off putting yourself in between feed and bedding areas or really good travel corridors. When the rut is on, I prefer to hunt areas where bucks tend to cruise through, rather than hunting in between bed and feed. Spots like that tend to be productive for the entire day, instead of just the hour or two at first/last light.

 

[johnsd16]

Good advice from all. I have tried all kinds of scents over the past 15+ years and have had mixed responses to all. I have gone from trying to do elaborate scent drags and circling the stand to just hanging some quality estrous scent right at my tree/blind or none at all. All that other monkey business just prolongs your time on the ground and spreads more human scent/noise. I usually buy one small bottle of something like Wildlife Research select golden estrus, Code Blue standing doe, or Tank's estrus. I agree with the Tink's 69 business, it must work some but so many people use it, I avoid it. I have used it and noticed no results good or bad.

You have a great block of time to hunt and if you spend a lot of time in the field you will see it all. Chasing, breeding, cruising, noting, all of it. Stick with it and try to minimize their knowledge of your presence. If you have a lot of bucks in your area and a good buck/doe ratio, rattling can work. If the herd is sparse or lots of does per buck, rattling will likely be less effective. With that said, if you are going to try, stick with it. One day you may get zero response, and the next you might have 3-4 bucks running over each other to get there.

For antlers, I have a medium size 4x4 set that I use and think they sound fine, but if you are using antlers worth rattling with they are bulky and annoying to pack. I have handled the black rack synthetics and think they sound great, and have seen guys have amazing success with rattle bags as well.

For calls, as hokey as they are, I've had the most dramatic responses from the Primos can call. I've had bucks come running right to the base of the tree. For a grunt call, there are a lot of gimmicks out there now with snort wheeze, roars, etc, but I still like a plain old grunt tube with an adjustable band. After selling them retail and using lots for years I have stuck with my Rod Benson grunt call. Nothing fancy and probably cheap (haven't looked at any in a long time). It makes the most realistic grunt I have been able to get out of any grunt tube, but I'm sure there are calls that have come along in the 10+ years I've had mine that are as good or better. I agree with what's been said about just making simple grunts at the right time, which is all you need.

With all that said. Overall, I think with the time period you will be hunting, you will be well served to scout and find funnels and pinch points that bucks will be cruising and don't worry about calls/scents/rattling. If you can locate feeding and bedding areas for the does in the area, and locate some decent bucks and where they travel; find a way to get in their travel path without them knowing you are hunting them, and just watch the show. When I got very serious about minimizing human activity at my hunting locations and being religious about playing the wind, is when I started seeing mature deer. They are there, but if they know you are, you will never see them (except during the peak chase). If you can find three, four or five different travel corridors/funnels (for different winds), and hunt those tactfully, you will do far better than setting up in a good looking area and pulling all the tricks out of the bag.

Whitetails are creatures of habit, and outside the rut you can almost set your watch to them. For the time of your hunt, get on the does, pattern them, don't let you know you're there, and wait. Also, if you can, sit all day. I have seen some of the biggest bucks and my friends have killed many of their biggest between 11am and 2pm. Does are in beds, bucks are cruising from one area to the next, and other hunters are walking back in moving deer around or are back at camp. During the chase and post rut there is no dead time. I've hunted days where I could only be out from 9am to 2pm. I've seen nothing, and I've seen 5 bucks.

Have fun, use the skills you have and keep us posted!

 

[d.kerri]

After glancing through the first few comments, it sounds like I might be offering nothing new, but as a MN resident, I primarily hunt whitetails.

I have given up on scents- be where the deer are going to travel and you won't need them. They just put deer on edge, from my experience. Calls: antlers (real, if possible) and a grunt tube. The grunt tube has worked when the deer is in sight but well out of bow range. I haven't had success with blind calling. Start quiet, and build the volume and differentiate your tones until the buck acknowledges that he heard your call. Last smoke pole season my hunting partner turned a 140" 9pt on a DIME with an aggressive grunt sequence. He came to 7 yds, but wouldn't hop the fence that divided the private and public (which we were on) land, so no deer for us. This was during the 2nd rut.

I've turned my approach from "loud and aggressive" to "as invisible as possible"- if you're down to the last few days and need to make something happen, throw the whole bag at them. But I'm under the impression that letting Lady Luck mate with strategic stand placement can up your odds better than scents (and too much calling.)

Best of luck to you this season!

 

[Hilltop]

I believe hunting western whitetails during the rut is similar to hunting mule deer during the rut. I like to find vantage points and glass. Low impact is the key. Don't let them know you are there until you pull the trigger. If you were archery hunting I believe the scents and calling would become more important. I do recommend having a grunt call and a rattle bag. I typically use these to make a buck stop for a shot or make him stand up from his bed. Good luck and congrats on the great tag.

 

[7mag]

Thank you for all the advice! I do not plan on using a treestand since the areas i will mostly be targeting are creek bottoms bordered by either hay corn or bean fields with bluffs anywhere from 150 to 250 yards from the creek. I figured i would set up in the bluffs and wait for them to come to me. The only whitetail i have got i was on a center pivot overlooking a half alfalfa half corn field without any scents or calls and he showed up. I quickly learned to never shoot a 300 weatherby with a muzzle brake next to a chemical tote! It feels like somebody stabs you in the ear with a screwdriver.

 

[packmule]

1. Scents depend on the time of year. You have a narrow window for doe scents, but buck scents (say buck bomb or your own urine) can be used on mock scrapes along the edge of fields to see if the older bucks in the area will get ticked off about it. Worst case scenario is you now have active scrapes or deer decide to not use them after a while. Next buck through is going to try to cover your scent offering up with their own like the next dog visiting the fire hydrant.

2. Real horns if possibly, and a one with decent mass to get some carry out of them. Low buck density there's a good chance the noise will push them to cover.

3. "The can and grunt call" used together can a few bucks' attentions. I've had it work, I've also watched it blow deer out of the country after they came in and didn't see anything.

A lot of how deer will react to artificial additions to their environments (rattling, scents, sounds) depends on the dynamics of that particular herd. If the ratio is bad, not a whole lot will work with any certainty because the older bucks you hope to find aren't having to compete for does and they really aren't having to go look for them. They all have to eat though so covering a lot of fields next to bottom land like you're talking about doing tends to be the best option.

 

[johnsd16]

With your conditions I'd say focus on finding travel areas and get to where you want to hunt without them knowing. Scrap all the calls, and scents with this approach. During the rut though I wouldn't write off sitting in a tree or blind in those creek bottoms and catch bucks cruising. I haven't seen the exact terrain but I could imagine sitting in those bluffs mid day and seeing nothing and come to the conclusion nothing is moving; when down in that bottom it's a rodeo. One of my spots here in mn is a 6 acre woods in the middle of a full section. 2/3 of it is thick willow and alder jungle, there's a grassy swamp and an acre or two of open woods. The rest of the section is crops. You could sit and glass that section all day from all angles and maybe never see a deer, but I've sat in a strategically placed tree in those woods and seen 6 different bucks in just 3.5 hours chasing does around in the woods like a racetrack. If there's does bedded in that cover or in cover connected by that cover you can hunt you will see bucks in there between 11am and 2pm that you will not see following the heard out to feed in the evening or trying to keep them out in the field in the morning.

 

[7mag]

Gave it a try yesterday afternoon and this morning. The babysitter is sick so my 2 year old daughter went along. Saw 10 does total. 6 of them were being pushed around by a nice muley. A pretty good storm rolled in right before we headed home for lunch and nap time. Going to try again this afternoon.

 

[tim]

it is funny, I can kill big elk, but not big bucks. I have a lot of whitetail around me. What I have found is, if you can see a lot of country, and I mean a lot. I have better success. Deer seems to be more of a sedate hunt. lots of sitting, like 24 hours of sitting before anything worth it comes along. Wether that is 24, one hour sits or 2 12 hour sits. IT feels like the whitetail gods need you to be patient. Also, the bucks come and go anytime during the rut. not just first and last light.

to me, elk hunting is so much easier.

 

[Mr Drysdale]

Johnsd16 said about everything I was going to contribute. It's amazing considering the difference in our geography.I too use the Primos Original Can. I have been using it for years. Early season here in Mississippi it seems to calm the deer and they are not hesitant to visit the food source ( acorn flats mostly) I am bow hunting. During the rut I have had bucks come running to it. I usually turn my can three times, wait about 10 seconds and grunt three or four short grunts. I have rattled some over the years with limited success. I don't use scents. During the time of year you will be hunting you need to be where the does are and hunt all day. I do predominantly hunt from a tree but some blind hunting with surprising success.

 

[Retterath]

I have had my best luck and seen and killed my biggest whitetail around nov 18. Stay out all day the deer will continue to move through out the day. Find areas where there are does cause that's where the Bucks will be. If you see a buck in one spot one day they might not be even close the next day. They will put on a lot of miles to find a hot doe if needed. Good luck.

 

[7mag]

Got this buck yesterday afternoon. Had about 1.5 hrs before dark so we went for a ride. My wife spotted him walking through a hay field so i took off after him. When he busted me i dropped to my knee and while looking at his horns in my scope my crosshairs were dead solid on his neck. I squeezed the trigger and dumped him in his tracks at 250 yards. Thanks for all the advice. Ill definately put in for whitetails again next year

 

[mnhoundman]

Congratulations, dam are you having an awesome season or what!!!