Whitetail Deer Areas…
If you come across an old, abandoned homesite in the middle of the forest, such areas are magnets for deer, particularly if such overgrown homesites are not easy to find.
Normally lots of brush and weeds will have grown up around such a site, offering plenty of cover. The young saplings provide browse and overgrown fields harbor forbs and other food.
Often you’ll find a fruit tree producing enough apples to keep deer within the area (particularly old bucks) coming back for more!
Stand Preparation
Pre-season scouting involves lots of hiking in the woods.
One item you should carry with you while scouting for best deer stand sites is a pair of compact shears. Shears allow you to quickly cut any branches or saplings that could be in the way once you have selected a deer stand.
Its also a good idea to remove any dead brush or brittle branches from the path to your deer stand. You want to minimize any noise you make as you walk to your stand (usually before the sun comes up, in almost total darkness).
Deer And Storms
Most game animals are more active before a storm approaches their territory. This applies to whitetail deer as well.
However, did you know that most animals like deer are highly active up to 16 hours before such a storm arrives? A few hours before the storm most deer are bedded down in thick cover and will stay put until the storm is over.
This means you need to hunt almost a full day before such a storm arrives to find deer at their most active – so check the weather reports for the area you intend to hunt.
