4 Time-tested Tactics for Tagging Out on a Trophy Whitetail

Whether you rank them by their sheer numbers and wide distribution or by their popularity among hunters, white-tailed deer are undoubtedly Canada’s greatest big-game animal. Despite how relatively common they are in some regions, however, it’s not an easy prospect to attach your tag to a fine mature buck—they’re just that crafty.

The playbook for hunting bucks is rife with detail, but at the 30,000-foot level, there are four primary strategies that successful hunters across the country typically put to use—hunting from stands, still-hunting, tracking and, that old standby, the deer drive. Of course, there are pros and cons to each, and the decision to select one tactic over another depends on the hunting scenario at hand. Here’s what you need to know to make the right choice.