Terry Rohm, of Tink’s marketing/product development, breaks down everything you need to know when you’re on the hunt.

During this time of year bucks are still traveling in bachelor groups. In the southern zone of Georgia, hunters can bait deer, but you can’t bait deer in the northern zone. Therefore, hunters rely on attractives to get deer closer. As the rut draws closer, bucks start competing for breeding rights for the does which is why urine is a good attractive. The scent sometimes leads to bucks fighting, which attracts more deer. Some deer will avoid fights others are aggressive and like to fight. Hunters have to think of deer as people. One of the challenge of being a hunter is to beat the deer’s nose for the whitetail hunter. If the deer smells your odor it will likely try and avoid you. There are cover scents to help mask your scent as well as different kinds of buck urine to attract deer. Hunters should look for deer scrapes or buck rubs, as sign post markings. They are visual signs to deer, used for communication. At the end of October/beginning of November is the peak rut, which is when most doe are in heat or estrus. It’s a small two week window that gives hunters a greater chance to catch deer, especially with the use of attractives.

What’s the best time to go? 

Deer feed real late on a full moon, and they don’t travel as much because the moon affects them certain ways. Early in the morning and late in the evenings is the best time to hunt. If you’re in a hunting club, some hunters hunt midday because deer may have patterned hunters, so they know when you’re going to be there, and a midday switch up isn’t something the deer expect. Most hunters prefer early in the morning when hunters need to know where the deer are coming from and going to. More times than not, they’re coming from a food source and going back to their bedding area. Look to intercept them at their bedding areas which are usually cutovers, real thick areas and/or creek bottoms (because they’re shaded and cooler).

For evening hunts you need to try to figure out where the bedding area is, and what the bucks are feeding on. Acorns are a limited food source and deer know that. This is the season for acorns, and deer know they have to get it while the getting is good. If there are a lot of acorns deer don’t have to travel much because they know the acorns are there. So what happens is, the bucks will go get them and go back and lay down which can be really frustrating to a hunter. Hunters then have to adjust and go to the food sources to find their game. The hardest thing about hunting is figuring the deer out. If the deer are coming from the south and the wind is blowing from the south (referred to as “blowing it out”), you might as well call it a day. In order to hunt whitetails, the wind must be right. If the deer smell you they know not to get too close, which is why if you’re up against the wind, they’ll smell you from a long way off.

Be safe

Be as safe as you can. Use lifelines attached to your tree stand, which will allow you to stay attached the whole way up and the whole way down, using a special knot. Safety harnesses are a must. Also, be aware of what you’re shooting at. Identify your game before you shoot it.

Don’t forget

Take food with you 
Enjoy yourself 
Respect the animal after its taken. Don’t leave it hanging out the back of your truck for the world to see. That doesn’t make hunters look good.