6 Incredible Pro Secrets for Patterning Big Bucks This Fall

Snap! Crunch, crunch, crunch. You’ve been hunting patiently for weeks, and now your ears perk up at the sound of hooves on dry twigs and fallen leaves. The morning sun is cresting the horizon, sending beams of light through the towering trees as the deer approaches from a grove of acorn-producing oaks. It’s heading toward the bedding area where you’re securely set up downwind from a massive scrape. You stay frozen in position, breathing as slowly as possible. Then you see it: a heavy-beamed, tall-tined buck within feet of your shooting lane. There’s no time to count points, but it’s clear he’s big as you commit to the shot. Moments later, the buck is down and all your detective work has paid off.

You need to be equal parts animal biologist and private eye to pattern big white-tailed bucks, not to mention outwit their incredible sensory system and uncanny wild ways. But by investing the time to study the complexity of these elusive antlered creatures, you can soon learn how to identify prime trophy buck hot spots—the key to hunting success. Here’s what you need to know to become an effective backwoods gumshoe.