Pre-Plan Increases Odds of Bringing Whitetail Home

Posted by David R. Knightly, Jr., Registered Maine Guide

The firearms season for whitetail deer is fast approaching and with it will come thousands of hopeful sportsmen and women like yourself with dreams of encountering and taking one of those large-bodied, heavy-racked bucks famous in Maine. Unfortunately, the odds are against most as hunter success rates in the Northeast states average around 17 percent to 22 percent annually. The reasons for the lack of success are numerous and ever-changing and we have no control over many factors. Weather extremes and hunting pressure are but two factors which will all but shut down deer movement. Factors that we can control, but often make mistakes with include limited hunting time, poorly selected hunting locations and lack of knowledge of daily deer behavior and deer movement throughout the rutting phases. So what can you, the hopeful hunter do to maximize your chances and stack the odds in your favor?

Having a well-prepared plan or ?pre-plan? just might be your ticket to success. What is a pre-plan? Simply put, it?s being prepared. I?m not talking about being in the woods scouting, which comes later. I?m talking about putting together a plan for success based on research and solid information gathered prior to arriving in camp — in the comfort of your own home. Although a vast knowledge of your anticipated hunting area is very helpful, you can put this plan together for geographical areas you?ve never set foot on before. It will give you a place to start.

Building a pre-plan should start with selecting your hunting location. This means finding whitetail habitat. Whitetail deer typically have a core area of 250 to 1,000 acres and they have three basic requirements of the area: water, food and security cover. Water is abundant in the Northeast fields and forests and is easy to locate with the use of topographic maps. Food sources change year to year, depending on the seasons, and past and present weather conditions. As you know, yearly mast production varies, cuttings begin to mature, crops are harvested and frost kills. Contacting your Maine guides, deer biologists and lumber companies can provide a wealth of information and point you towards the seasons? preferred foods sources. Security covers can be anything that offers deer the ability to bed down and feel safe and comfortable. In the north woods you will be looking for ridge tops offering thick conifer stands, mature cuttings, and those nearly impenetrable cedar swamps. All of these locations can be found with the aid of a good 1:24,000/1:25,000 scale topographic map and aerial photographs of the same area.

After finding an area containing food, water and cover, hunters should look at the timing of the hunt. What will the deer be doing when you are in the woods? During the fall the rut or breeding period dictates what deer will be doing. The rut is comprised of several phases and chances are if you?re in the Northeast woods during November you?ll be hunting during or overlapping one or more of the following phases: seeking, chasing, breeding, trolling and recovery. Knowledge of how deer move during these phases is paramount. The ability to understand what the deer are doing by reading the sign they are leaving and adjusting your hunting to this sign is crucial. Otherwise just knowing that deer live in a particular area means very little to you. Again, utilize the many resources available to you. By contacting Maine guides, outfitters and deer biologists, you will have a good idea of what the deer will be doing when you?re in camp.

The research and pre-planning outlined above will give you a solid plan for success. Now, with your plan in hand, you have several options to confirm your research. You can provide your guide or outfitter with your findings and more than likely he or she will be familiar with the area you have chosen and can provide valuable insight. Obviously, nothing beats getting into the woods and confirming your findings on your own. But in the event that you find yourself in camp on the eve of the hunt without having confirmed your findings, just be willing to adapt your hunting strategies to the sign you are finding. Remember, your plan has already increased your chances. You have located whitetail habitat, you know the season?s preferred food sources, and you have an idea of the rut phase and whitetail behavior during it. Now let the pieces fall into place. Good luck and get out there and hunt.!!

Dave Knightly is a registered Maine Guide who owns and operates Northeast Whitetail Consulting. Dave can be contacted for assistance in any of the above-mentioned areas.

Tags: Deer, Whitetail

Posted on Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Filed under Guide Articles.