TEACH ME ABOUT WHITETAILS

[blacktailchaser]

WELL in a few weeks i will be moving back to MONTANA.and being from OREGON i havent hunted whitetails.i was wondering if we could start out with scouting and how you guys go about scouting for them and what you look for..any info would be great..thanks john

[archer66]

First two things to look for are FOOD and BED.

I'd do some field watching with binocs and get an idea of what they are eating and while you are at it watch where they come from as they enter the fields in the evenings or where they go when the leave the fields in the morning.  Once you get an idea get out and start walking the properties.  You'll be looking for ambush sites at this point.  After that its really just a matter of BEING THERE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

You'll need to remember their food sources will change as the season progresses....you might need some local help with that...what crops or natural forages do they use and when do they use them....etc.  

Then of course is the rut....well...hunt the does and the bucks will be there.  Pretty simple stuff and probably not that much different from what you are used to.

[SaMbO2]

The most important thing we and yourself need to know is what are YOU after just a deer? doe's? small bucks? mature bucks? or a real trophy whitetail?

God Bless.

[blacktailchaser]

i am just happy with does right now...i figure i will learn about buck while hunting does.

[S. Brant Osborn]

Archer66 has it right.  If you can find a funnel area between those 2 areas then you realy have something.

Good luck.  Whitetails are a fickle misstress.  The first time you let a big ol doe catch your wind, and she starts blowing you'll nearly jump out of your stand!  It's really good stuff!  Have fun!

[snakebite]

I always keep a close eye on the does and their movement, because when the rut starts to kick in thats where the Bucks will show up.

[Bill Carlsen]

For me food sources are key, I read and hear a lot about alfalfa fields in Montana. If there are any around where you are that is where I would start.

[Lost Creek Bows]

I agree my thoughts are simple, three basic rules with whitetail deer:food, water, and habitat.

[NBK]

Good advice by all.  My own situation leaves me with limited time, so in order to make the most of it I've found that a hard funnel works best for me.  Most can be found without ever setting foot on the ground through the use of topos and Google Earth.  Find the BEST funnel in the area you're hunting, determine which wind direction will allow you to hunt it and then determine your access to and from it again based upon that wind, even if it means going the long way around.  Ideally if you have the time, you'll find several sites and most likely they'll require a different wind direction so you're covered for options depending on the day.  Hunting with a poor wind is just time spent sitting in a tree, you're not even hunting, you're just sitting.  And did I mention the wind?  Good luck.  P.s.  If you ever get serious about big bucks read the Wensel's books.

[JimB]

First,find a place to hunt.That may sound simple but sometimes it's not.In this country,whitetails live in the low lands primarily.This means prairie and river bottoms and ranch land.This mostly means private land which often isn't easy to get on.Most ranches have a regular group of family and friends that hunt though a few do let others hunt does.It is often easier to get to hunt antelope as they aren't held in as high regard as whitetails.Other ranches have learned the value of whitetails and lease hunting rights.

Most of the National Forest land is forested and better for elk and mule deer.Some of the Eastern and North Eastern parts of the state had a serious deer and antelope winterkill this past winter.

I don't mean to discourage but just know that you just can't step out and hunt whitetails anywhere you like.The number one food source is irrigated alfalfa and you know where that is found.The best opportunity probably,for hunters that don't have connections,is the Block Management program where ranchers get paid to let hunters in.

You usually have to walk in and out.Each place has it's own rules for what you can or can't shoot and when.It is a lot like hunting on public land and you have to work around other hunters.You can get maps from the FWP offices and work from there.Good luck.

[buckeye_hunter]

Wear wool either camo or plaid. It diffuses light instead of simply reflecting it.

Make sure you have great back cover in a tree or on the ground. You will get busted every time if the deer can silhouette you.

[blacktailchaser]

wow,there is some great info here..i think i might have to print this out..thanks john

[jonsimoneau]

Get all the books that Gene and Barry Wensel have written.  They spent a large portion of their lives chasing whitetails in Montana.  Really good info in these books.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

"Teach me about whitetails".....30 years from now you'll be asking the same question. I guess that's what makes them so awesome to hunt. Welcome to your new addiction!....Ryan

[Shawn Leonard]

Quick lesson, hunt the rut and don't hunt the bucks, hunt the mature does. The bucks will be where they are. Shawn

[Bill Carlsen]

Shawn: Those big does will be where the food is and eating it.

[broketooth]

good luck on the does.im serious. getting a mature doe is harder than a good buck. ive been hunting a doe , i call big fat mama. ive been hunting her for three yrs. ive drawn on her twice and she seems to know it and bugs out quick. you can hear her blow for a 100 yrds i just hang my head and laugh at myself quietly. lol who am i kiddin. lol

We hunted a monster Iowa doe for years to no avail. There really needs to be some kind of trophy point rating system for old whitetail does, I.Q. points perhaps.

[buckeye_hunter]

I was never so excited as the year I was able to take a doe that continually busted me on my farm. It wasn't with a bow unfortunately, but I was still elated and humbled. She was a tough old gal! Does can be tough to kill....

[blacktailchaser]

i have heard this before about hunting does and i really cant wait to do some scouting and hopfully get some video for learning..i thinking of doing some video taping during the rut just to see what they do...the info is great...john