Whitetail tips?

[Outbound]

Any tips on how to find whitetails? I'm starting my e-scouting to narrow down spots to check out in person, mainly using sat images and waypointing spots of interest. I'm not 100% sure what I need to be looking for though since this will be my first real season hunting for big game. What kind of terrain should I be looking for? Clear cuts, seismic lines, ridges, valleys, rivers? Any particular type of vegetation or geographical features which hold more deer than others?

I'm planning to hunt between Grande Prairie and Grande Cache, and I'm more interested in hiking than road hunting.

[58thecat]

get maps,if attempting private land get permission,get back into the land you wish to hunt and look for old sign from last year, rubs on tree's etc, check travel corridors as in low lying areas under cover, natural funnels, water sources, feed sources etc, set up game cams and check every two weeks ish unless you got those cams that can send you pics to your phone....go to the outfitting/hunting stores in and around the area you wish to hunt, spark up a conversation gather intel......know what time of hunting season you are in and prep for it properly cuz sept hunting is different than nov hunting...early oct maybe check for fresh rubs indicating buck...might have to move cams...oh and be very familiar with you equipment you wish to use hunting as in practice...lots.

know the land,know the game...good luck eh!

[Kurt505]

If you’re more interested in hiking you’re on the right track. If you want to hunt whitetail, and you want to be successful rather than just spending time in the woods, you’re going to have to think like a deer and a hunter and not a hiker.

Whitetail deer have been making their way from the prairies north and west. This is important to know because it lets you know where the higher concentrations of deer will be. Agriculture land is where they thrive so if you want your best odds of having success, stick near the agriculture land. Find food sources such as alfalfa fields then look for cover. Once you find an area that has a good food source and good cover for the deer, look for tracks, find out how they’re getting from the bush to the field. Water isn’t going to be an issue because Alberta has been getting saturated the past 3 years, there is water everywhere.

Once you’ve located some deer, start knocking on doors, find a farmer who is willing to let you set up on their land. Look for a good ambush vantage point that is down wind from their travel route. Where I hunt the wind is predominantly coming from the northwest, as I assume will be the case where you’re planning on going. Set up 100-200 yards away from where you think they are going to come out, make sure you have an access route that will not get you spotted or winded, get in place an hour before legal shooting light, leave that spot after it’s dark, especially if there are deer in the field.

After you shoot your deer, make jerky and take it on your hike.

[kujoseto]

But Kurt, what do you know about shooting whitetails? Hahaha!

Pretty much take what Kurt505 has to say. Then search the forum for the pics of bucks he and those he had taken hunting have shot

[kurthunter]

Find some good pockets of bush and cut lines. You don't have to get that far off the hwy before you get into good country. Most people drive right passed great hunting grounds and don't even notice.

[Outbound]

Thanks for the info so far! It's good to know that whitetail like agricultural land. There's not much of that where I want to hunt, so I might end up altering some plans. I don't have much interest in hunting fields and private land due to past experiences, but if that's where the deer are I may have to.

[Kurt505]

Hunt the fringe areas, 2 or 3 miles off the farmland on public land, it might be the happy medium you’re looking for.

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Hunt the fringe areas, 2 or 3 miles off the farmland on public land, it might be the happy medium you’re looking for.

I'll starting look for those types of spots for sure.

[teberle]

Originally Posted by Outbound

I'll starting look for those types of spots for sure.

Are you looking for decent bucks, or just any old whitetail? I think a lot of the advice you're getting assumes the former.

[Kurt505]

Originally Posted by teberle

Are you looking for decent bucks, or just any old whitetail? I think a lot of the advice you're getting assumes the former.

My advice was just in general. Finding big bucks gets a lot more complicating.

[Rvsask]

Food is # 1 in the animal world.
Find it near cover but remember all food is not equal. Alfalfa fields are sooooooo good.
Within the cover itself look for terrain changes and or where different types of habitat meet (edges), they're generally game travel corridors.

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by teberle

Are you looking for decent bucks, or just any old whitetail? I think a lot of the advice you're getting assumes the former.

Honestly, I'll be happy just to have a chace at a buck this season. Size isn't really important at this point. Being as it's my first real season hunting, if I can spend the season learning where and how to hunt for deer and I get a chance to shoot something, I'll be happy.

I've located a spot I'm going to check out soon. It has fields on the north side of a road, and public land on the south side. The public land has water sources, good cover and a couple seismic lines or cut lines that are tucked back a bit. It looks like the kind of place that most road hunters would drive by without even knowing it's there.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by Outbound

Honestly, I'll be happy just to have a chace at a buck this season. Size isn't really important at this point. Being as it's my first real season hunting, if I can spend the season learning where and how to hunt for deer and I get a chance to shoot something, I'll be happy.

I've located a spot I'm going to check out soon. It has fields on the north side of a road, and public land on the south side. The public land has water sources, good cover and a couple seismic lines or cut lines that are tucked back a bit. It looks like the kind of place that most road hunters would drive by without even knowing it's there.

It might be a gem Of a spot or... come hug it season it could be overrun with people thinking the same thing you are. I’d do my best to find a spot on private land. Offering a day of labor isn’t a bad idea, people need help fencing etc. Remember you can’t exchange anything for hunting permission as it’s not legal, but you can help a new friend with his chores.

[303 Hunter]

If you can find a pea field. I have found that they prefer them if available.

[Grizzly Adams]

White tailed Rats, as my friend calls them, the most common big game species in Alberta ? Can't find them, you must be blind.

Grizz

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by calgarychef

It might be a gem Of a spot or... come hug it season it could be overrun with people thinking the same thing you are. I’d do my best to find a spot on private land. Offering a day of labor isn’t a bad idea, people need help fencing etc. Remember you can’t exchange anything for hunting permission as it’s not legal, but you can help a new friend with his chores.

Fair points. It's not too far from town, so I guarantee I'm not the only guy who has thought about it. I guess I'm basing my hopes on the fact that I haven't met more than a few people around here who hunt more than 50 feet from their truck. SOP seems to be road hunting and glassing fields, not bushwhacking.

I'll probably spend some time checking the area out during the archery season too. Doubt I'd take a shot with my bow, but you never know.

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

White tailed Rats, as my friend calls them, the most common big game species in Alberta ? Can't find them, you must be blind.

Grizz

Ha! Perhaps. I do need to buy binos. Maybe that's my problem, they're staying too far away from me.

[kujoseto]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

White tailed Rats, as my friend calls them, the most common big game species in Alberta ? Can't find them, you must be blind.

Grizz

Haha, I’ve heard mule deer in Saskatchewan referred to as coyotes.
Could never figure out why the coyote hunting stories always involved them getting into the grain bins in the yard and why that was such a problem. Isn’t it good to get rid of mice? Not these Saskatchewan coyotes lol

[Barry D]

My simple advice from 40 years of hunting. An amateur hunter will be more successful in areas great deer habitat, than an expert hunter in bad deer habitat.
Spend more time looking for the best habitat and you'll end up spending much less time hunting if you shoot the first deer you see, or spend just as much time, but see a lot of deer until the right one comes along, that's fun and rewarding.
Once you find the best habitat for deer, than it will take some years to find the right spot for each scenario, Wind direction, pre-rut, post-rut, etc.

[buckman]

A young buck is fairly easy to kill,find the does and wait for him to show up.

Big bucks are older and smarter,but the rut makes them a little less cautious.

If its a big one you want November is your month. Hunt all day, pass on the small ones(this can be difficult for a new hunter) and don't give up.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by buckman

A young buck is fairly easy to kill,find the does and wait for him to show up.

Big bucks are older and smarter,but the rut makes them a little less cautious.

If its a big one you want November is your month. Hunt all day, pass on the small ones(this can be difficult for a new hunter) and don't give up.

Good advise..

I’d add, sitting on field edges is a great way to see small bucks, sitting inside the bush on that same field edge might get you the buck that doesn’t come out until after dark.

[pikergolf]

Big bucks didn't get big by exhibiting typical whitetail behavior. That can mean a lot of different things depending on the circumstance, but it is very true.

[Red Bullets]

All good tips.

My tips of the day are:

Google pictures of deer droppings. Learn the difference in looks of deer droppings. Small round pellets or pellets compressed into a loaf. When out scouting take note of where you are seeing just what kind of droppings. If you are seeing loaves more so than pellets you are near a bedding area. Big loaves may indicate a big animal which may be the buck you want. Lots of areas you will encounter loads of pellet droppings but no bigger loaves. Ok to hunt near there during rut when bucks are chasing does. Before or after rut it is about finding a bucks prime home area of bed, water, and food. And droppings can be a useful tool in developing a productive hunt.

Get on the land you want to hunt and start learning the lay of the land and locate any major game trails. Dominant bucks don't always use the same trails as the does. Bigger bucks will use obscure trails through tighter brush. Bucks will have beds on ridges with a view and on bottomland the big bucks will often bed in small spruce tree clusters. Deer bed in uphill beds during the day when the air convections currents are rising out a valley and they may bed low in late day when air currents are moving down. South facing bush edges or slopes are bedding areas when deer want sun in colder weather.

During rut observe the land for signs of rutting deer... ground scrapes and tree rubs. Bucks will make a few ground rubs sort of in a line over many meters. Major ground scrapes will always have an overhead branch where every deer visiting the scrape will rub the glands on their faces and check out scents left by other deer. During rut the buck will make his bed downwind of these major scrapes so he can smell any doe that might check to his scrape.

And most of all if you are trying a spot and stalk, move slow. So slow you will have to speed up to stop. During the stalk stop lots because a steady footstep noise might mask sounds a hunter wants to hear and can also put animals at ease. Take as much as a couple hours to go 100 yards in prime areas.

[stevenjohnston2]

thanks for the info

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Red Bullets

All good tips.

My tips of the day are:

Google pictures of deer droppings. Learn the difference in looks of deer droppings. Small round pellets or pellets compressed into a loaf. When out scouting take note of where you are seeing just what kind of droppings. If you are seeing loaves more so than pellets you are near a bedding area. Big loaves may indicate a big animal which may be the buck you want. Lots of areas you will encounter loads of pellet droppings but no bigger loaves. Ok to hunt near there during rut when bucks are chasing does. Before or after rut it is about finding a bucks prime home area of bed, water, and food. And droppings can be a useful tool in developing a productive hunt.

Get on the land you want to hunt and start learning the lay of the land and locate any major game trails. Dominant bucks don't always use the same trails as the does. Bigger bucks will use obscure trails through tighter brush. Bucks will have beds on ridges with a view and on bottomland the big bucks will often bed in small spruce tree clusters. Deer bed in uphill beds during the day when the air convections currents are rising out a valley and they may bed low in late day when air currents are moving down. South facing bush edges or slopes are bedding areas when deer want sun in colder weather.

During rut observe the land for signs of rutting deer... ground scrapes and tree rubs. Bucks will make a few ground rubs sort of in a line over many meters. Major ground scrapes will always have an overhead branch where every deer visiting the scrape will rub the glands on their faces and check out scents left by other deer. During rut the buck will make his bed downwind of these major scrapes so he can smell any doe that might check to his scrape.

And most of all if you are trying a spot and stalk, move slow. So slow you will have to speed up to stop. During the stalk stop lots because a steady footstep noise might mask sounds a hunter wants to hear and can also put animals at ease. Take as much as a couple hours to go 100 yards in prime areas.

Great stuff, thanks!!