If you can cover a couple of escape funnels and see beyond a second thicket and into a third one, great. Chances are other hunters will push deer out of thickets near roads and parking areas. You might get a crack at a buck sneaking into deep cover. If you don t tag out early one morning, hang tough for the rest of the day. One of my favorite times to hunt is from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Most other hunters have headed for home or camp, so there s little pressure in the woods.
Whitetails seem to sense that, and they often rise from their beds to stretch and browse.
If the rut is on, things can really get interesting. A mature buck might get up and prowl. He ll likely skirt areas that received gun-hunting pressure earlier that morning, but he might feel safe sniffing for does around secluded saddles, funnels and thickets. That s where you re set up, so you might get a shot. Around 2 p.m. you ll hear the trucks and ATVs roaring again.