Since the first Native American spotted a whitetail deer moving cautiously through the woods, hunters have been analyzing the movements of whitetails and trying to anticipate their movements.
Whereas mule deer hunters often move to the deer, successful whitetail deer hunters usually do the opposite — if they can figure out where a buck will be, and when.
Wired to Hunt’s Mark Kenyon covers a new computer software program that allows hunters to anticipate and better understand deer behavior based on a host of environmental factors. Check out this impressive invention.
Last week, as many of you have already heard, I interviewed veteran deer hunter and outdoor writer Steve Bartylla on The Wired To Hunt Podcast about the idea of patterning deer. It was an absolute info packed interview, but one of the most profound things that Steve hammered home was this. Always ask why. When you have a sighting of a buck moving out of that swamp. Why? When you see that deer cross the creek on the South side of the property. Why? When you get a trail camera picture on a food plot at the center of your property. Why?
Too often we take a look at a piece of whitetail data, that being a sighting, sign or a photo, and then get excited about it, but dismiss it again without having actually asked the important question of why. Every sighting or photo is important data, a piece of the whitetail puzzle, that if we look at it carefully and analyze it, can lead to better success in the woods.
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