Gathering Summer Intel for Fall Bowhunting

Gathering Summer Intel for Fall Bowhunting

By Noel Gandy

Is there really an off season? For the diehard bowhunter the answer is likely a resounding “no”! Do things look different during the Spring and Summer months for avid deer hunting enthusiasts? You better believe it. That does not mean, though, that there is not work to be done and information to be gathered to make you a more successful hunter.

Summer Growth
Typically, deer start pouring on the inches in regard to antler size once Independence Day rolls around. Over the course of the next two months, it is not uncommon to see some bucks add ¼ inch or more a day in regard to antler size. The growth period is usually April-August but these guys really begin to “show out” in mid-July.

If it’s something you’re in to, feed supplements may be used in Iowa during the summer months. Nutritionally, deer have plenty to eat and keep them going most likely with natural forage. In my opinion, late winter and early spring are the best times to truly supplement our whitetail herds for health. Although, if just collecting inventory and checking herd health is a desire then placing a camera near a supplemental feed source is likely the most “slam dunk” method of catching a critter on camera.

Trail Camera Reconnaissance Revisited
Hunters dig out arsenals of cameras to gather info. What’s to be gained? Well, understanding what bucks are alive and on your property. Summer intelligence is invaluable. Where are good spots for trail cameras during this time of year? Shady field edges are great spots. Known travel corridors empty out into fields most likely. Find a spot in the shade where the trails empty into fields and set your cameras there. Water is also wonderful. Whether you have a natural water source or you have created an artificial source you can get great information there.

Now, let’s get technical. Running trail cameras, driving back roads and checking crop fields for bachelor groups late in the evenings are always tried and true ways to gather info on what deer are living where. Pairing trail cameras with scouting is going to up my odds of getting these big bruiser bucks in range when bow season rolls around. Bachelor groups break up and disperse, and riding back roads means I usually see deer where I don’t have permission to hunt, and trail cameras from summertime use are not as effective once foliage changes. The most effective change I’ve made in my personal hunting strategy is looking at the past to observe trends for the future during the summer months while hunting isn’t happening. This is not an earth-shattering piece of information. However, as simple as things may seem, it’s useful! There are apps that perform this function for deer hunters. There is software that can calculate things down to the minute. I personally prefer using the ol’ pencil and paper method myself. Call me old school.

First, I collect trail camera photos from the beginning of one season until the end. This only works if you keep up with your photos. If you’ve been prone to deleting an SD card after every pull then I recommend you begin saving them for at least a year at a time. The longer, though, the better.

Patterning Specific Bucks
Next, I will go through and identify the different bucks that used my property by marking them on a sheet of paper. My family enjoys giving names to identifiable bucks so that’s how we separate this information: by name. Let’s say we have 10 different bucks that used the property during the year so I’ll make ten different columns. (Note: I only chart bucks that I can identify. Often times, two-year-old and sometimes three-year-old bucks are difficult to identify from year to year. However, if you can identify those deer then I encourage you to chart them to look back at over the years).

After putting the bucks in a column, the real work begins. On a buck-by-buck basis I will chart different dates and the time that a particular buck appeared between one hour before daylight until one hour after sunset. Bonus points if you are able to chart the temperature and other weather elements. The reason I don’t chart every instance is because I’m only interested in when these deer were active in or near legal shooting hours. I have found that certain bucks have become EXTREMELY predictable with daylight movement from year to year almost to the day. You cannot always count on the exact date for an appearance but it is not unlikely to get daylight movement with a 48-hour window from the date you charted the previous year.

Finally, after seeing the patterns for specific bucks, I will roll back through my list and identify the top dates for daylight activity among ALL of the bucks on the farm. Usually, I’ll find that there were three to five days in particular that had the most bucks on their feet during daylight. If a couple of these dates fall within the same week, then I will begin planning some hunting time accordingly. This is also a great strategy for when I have guests come to hunt my farm. They want the best opportunity at a buck so we can usually calculate the best week based on year’s past information.

Side Note: In 2019 I witnessed a mature buck tend a doe on a particular hill, near a particular bedding area, on a particular date. I put this encounter into the ol’ memory bank. The next year I began getting trail camera photos of the same mature buck, on the same particular hill, near the same particular bedding area, near the same particular date. I quickly realized that there was something to be said about being near that particular doe bedding area around that date. You see, according to people much smarter than me, does will come into estrus on nearly the same dates each year. I surmised that this was likely the same doe and she felt comfortable in that particular part of the farm. Funny enough, I killed a buck on that same hill, near that same bedding area on nearly the exact date in 2021 that was cruising for a doe. No doubt he remembered where he found a hot doe the year before.

I tell that story to suggest that year to year data can be EXTREMELY useful. Not only is it useful for bucks but also for the doe population. Use these summer months to chart some things that you likely wouldn’t otherwise make time for as hunting season grows closer. Make a plan and execute the plan.

I promise, it works!

Maintain Equipment
I believe that hunting season creeps up on many of us and we find ourselves unprepared. Now is a perfect time to take advantage of extended daylight hours, hone in our skills and prepare our equipment.

Naturally, shooting your bow regularly should be a standard. Being proficient with your equipment means higher odds of success, but honestly, we owe it to the animal whose life we’re attempting to take to do so swiftly and accurately. Local archery shops are not always as busy during the heat of summer as they are during the early Fall so now is a great time to have your tackle checked out. If you’ve been thinking of swapping out equipment then sooner is better than later! Become an expert with that equipment.

I also encourage stand maintenance during this time of the year. Check cables, straps, and steps of stands that you have yet to deploy. Oil, resurface, or repair anything that needs attention. If you’re planning to be elevated then extra care needs to be taken to be sure that your stands and steps are in great working order. No deer is worth not coming home.

Tried and true methods of summer scouting should not be abandoned during these months. Taking time to observe deer from a distance by far is the most reliable way of knowing what’s on your farm. There are other things, however, that can be done to supplement your success. I encourage you to take time and familiarize yourself with yearly patterns and maintain your equipment. Deer season will be here before you know it!