4 expert steps to hunt big whitetail bucks in their daylight hideouts

As darkness slowly lifted, the landscape remained shrouded in heavy mist. A foggy dawn can be ideal for hunting small, secluded openings in otherwise densely forested areas. In fact, my trail cams had revealed at least three different bucks pausing to feed in one such pocket before they vanished into the timber. Fog dampens both scent and sound, however, so I had to be on my toes. Visibility was a mere 30 metres, and I wouldn’t be able to detect an approaching animal by sound due to the sodden terrain.

As I hunkered down in my ground blind, I scanned the shifting mist. Suddenly, a ghostly creature materialized, slowly becoming clearer until I recognized the sizeable body of a deer, complete with a giant rack. It was one of the three trail cam bucks, walking silently past me at 15 metres. That remarkable and successful encounter took place in a staging area I discovered many years ago, a small forest clearing that continues to produce memories to this day.

Seasoned hunters consider staging areas to be some of their favourite whitetail haunts, where deer feel secure enough to stop and snack on tasty browse after they’ve abandoned their more open overnight feeding grounds. Deer will also visit these small openings in the terrain later in the afternoon, snacking until the sun drops and they feel it’s safe to venture back into more open terrain. These secret pit stops can be challenging to hunt, but the elevated odds of success are worth the effort. Here’s what you need to know.