Best tactics for W/T

[turkey buster]

What is the most productive way to hunt white tail in wash? I am thinking about buying a rattle bag but not sure when the best time of year is to rattle, pre rut,post rut, or during  what about lures does the deer pee work or is it just a good cover, these are things I am trying to learn any suggestions on what work for you would be great
thanks
chuck

[zackmioli]

ive never used any kind of rattle or call/lure stuff. spot and stalk, set up on travel lanes, or beat the brush.

[fishermanjoe]

find the food and sit has always worked for me, or just still hunt a logging road.

[carpsniperg2]

i would put money on ambush hunting from what i know of them they are very patternable unless pressured

[NWBREW]

i would put money on ambush hunting from what i know of them they are very patternable unless pressured

 That works for me but I also do many other things to put more odds in my favor.I have been hunting strictly whitetails for the last 12 years. I hunt the rut and I can honestly say I am addicted to whitetails in the rut and have been fortunately enough to take some very nice whitetail bucks. Here are some of the things I do to help put things in my favor (if there is such a thing).

Scents:  Yes, during the rut I use doe in heat in a spray bottle, spray it in the air...it Carry's farther.

Scouting: Mandatory, The most useful scouting I do is the first 3 days I hunt (I go hunting for 7-9 days straight). Look for rubs but I hunt scrap lines....not 1 or 2 but a good scrap line with 6 or 7. Many old logging roads will have these it you hike in far enough.

does: if you find an area with a few does there will be bucks around.

Hunt all day: most of the deer I see are in between 11:00am and 2:00pm. And don't leave your stand early...wait till last light is gone.

Watch the wind: A's always

Grunt calls: always carry one. you might not be able to call them in but you might be able to stop them from leaving to fast

Don't be afraid of being to high on the mountain: we have killed some very nice bucks way up high...they are not just concentrated in the bottoms.

You will know when you find a hot spot. I have gone many miles not seeing any deer sign just to come to an area LOADED with scraps and rubs...tracks all over you would think the deer were having a frickin convention there.

Good luck...hope it helps some...it does for me.


below is a buck I killed out of a climbing tree stand....25 yard shot with a rifle. He was following a scrape line.   butcher wieght was 163 lbs. (no head, hide, guts or legs)

[turkey buster]

thanks guy's all good info, brew that is a dandy buck congrats , the area I will be hunting has everything for every tactic you guy's just said so I should be able to use them all if needed
thanks again chuck

[jackelope]

Spot and Stalk whitetails will put a guy in his place in the wrong type of country. What time of year will you be hunting?

[turkey buster]

Spot and Stalk whitetails will put a guy in his place in the wrong type of country. What time of year will you be hunting?

october modern firearm

[Three_Oh_Eight]

I hunt agricultural fields in SE Washington and I'm seeing more and more whitetail as opposed to mule deer.  From what I've noticed, the does seem to go down into the creek bottoms and ravines while the bucks are perfectly content bedding down in the open where they can see.  They are some of the spookiest deer I've ever seen.  I'm pretty sure I've spooked deer from their beds at over 500 yards.  I'll set up and glass from another ridge and watch the deer going up and down the canyon walls.  There are fairly pronounced trails through the short grass.  If I see one I like, I'll glass for a spot near his trail and put myself there the next day.  Shots are typically fairly long.  I haven't had a chance to hunt NE whitetails yet, but its on my list.  It seems like later in the season has been the best for me seeing more deer.

[400out]

Spot and stalk when you see the white flag hurry back to your truck and race him to the next county! 

[Earshot]

You have got to hunt the rut....I have yet to see a shooter whitetail buck during the Oct. season but I take a buck most every year during the rut. All three methods have worked for me. Stand hunt on a trail or food source, still hunting and only once did I rattle in a nice buck that busted me and got away, but that was cool.

[NWBREW]

If you don't fill your tag in Oct. and you want to shoot a whitetail then you gotta try the rut. I haven't hunted the regular season in years and I ALWAYS fill my tag with a nice buck (except last year I shot a small 3x4 whitetail but it was his own fault). 

[chuck270]

Turkey buster,
I haven't tried any of these tactics in WA due to the fact that I am always in Idaho during the rut but I have seen them all work with good consistant results.  Rattling stop being effective once the rut goes full swing.

Our hunting camp takes several every year with calls and scents and/or a combination of both.  I was one of the biggest none believers when we started but now...  I have taken 60+% of my W/T deer this way and helped others get theres.  These have all been from the ground either turkey hunting style (back against a tree) or prone with a committed shooting lane.

You need to know they are there (scrapes) and be able to sit near motionless for hours (that's the hardest part!).

Tink's, doe-in-estrus
Primos doe bleat estrus can?
Knght & Hale grunt

The big guys aren't as easily fooled by this stuff you can sometimes get them to come take a look but you will only have a second or two, if that, to close the deal. 

[GEARHEAD]

Sit and watch. find a good place to sit and enjoy the scenery. if ya see something you want, shoot it, or stalk up on it, but do so after watching it abit to predict where its heading, and any does with him or around him. on approach be very aware of does between you and the buck. move with bino's. if ya see a doe between you and the buck circle around her/them down wind and continue on. use the terrain, pretend they got guns too. the biggest challenge isnt stalking on the buck, thats easy, the problem will be the does you fail to see on approach. be ready with shooting stix. good luck.