Whitetails 365: Hunting Nocturnal Bucks in Iowa

Whitetails 365: Hunting Nocturnal Bucks in Iowa

By Aaron McKinney

So, you’ve set your sights on bagging that elusive buck. You’ve put in your time scouting with trail cameras and glassing him in green soybean fields. Once October 1 hits, he disappears. When you do get pictures of him, it’s only at night. Now we begin the quest of hunting a nocturnal buck in Iowa. It’s no easy task, but with the right approach and some patience, you can increase your chances of success. Let’s dive into some valuable tips and strategies to help you on your quest.

1. Find His Core Area
The first step in patterning a nocturnal buck is finding and studying his core area. Remember, just because you’ve got pictures of a buck in a specific area doesn’t necessarily mean it’s his core territory. Begin by scouting the hunting area well in advance of the hunting season. If you have found sheds from the previous season, this may be a clue as to where he is spending a good portion of his time. Next, set up trail cameras strategically in areas with deer sign, or areas you’ve seen him. Trail cameras can provide valuable information about mature bucks and their movement patterns. When you do hone in on your target buck, look for thick cover and bedding areas where deer may spend much of their daytime hours. Bucks often choose secluded, secure locations for bedding, such as dense brush, tall grass, or hillside thickets. Identify preferred food sources in the area, such as corn, soybean, alfalfa fields, food plots, and mast-producing trees that begin to drop acorns in late September. Bucks will often establish core areas close to reliable food sources to minimize movement. Study the landscape and terrain to understand how deer might use it. Bucks often choose locations with a combination of cover, food, and water sources in close proximity.

Waiting Them Out
You’ve probably heard that some hunters like to wade right into bedding areas in search of bucks. A lot of hunters do have success using this tactic. If you hunt public land, there are a lot of variables you cannot control. You can’t control who hunts where, or when someone wants to walk around by your treestand. When this is the case, you should seize the opportunity and carefully set up near bedding. This may be your only opportunity at that buck.

However, if you do hunt sizeable private property with limited hunting pressure, you might consider a different approach. If you have the time and are up for a bit of a waiting game, consider being more patient. I, generally prefer waiting them out rather than aggressively pushing into the bedding area. Waiting out the bucks can be a winning strategy. On managed land, if you bump a mature buck, that may be your only chance to get close to him. I would rather hunt the fringes of thick, brushy bedding areas than risk spooking a trophy whitetail onto the neighbor’s property. Mature deer will not tolerate much human intrusion. If they feel threatened, they will move on to a more secure place, which will probably be outside of your hunting area. If you’re hunting some nice private ground, I like to back off a little and see if he’ll get more active in the daylight.

Hunt Trails Leading Out of Bedding Areas
When hunting on nice private ground, it’s best to play it smart. Back off a little from the bedding areas and observe. Staging areas with heavy cover adjacent to food plots are hotspots for bigger bucks. They’ll feel secure close to their bedding spots while having easy access to food. You can sometimes catch them on a heavily used path heading to or from food during the first part of October. Using trail cameras can help you figure out where a buck is coming from and the direction he is headed. Ridges, saddles, and funnels are natural features that can concentrate deer movement.

If a cold front moves in during October, there is a good chance this will get him on his feet a little earlier. If you’ve been getting pictures of a buck in a certain area, you might try hunting the area between where you think he is bedding and food sources. The cold front may be all it takes to get him on his feet and moving. Instead of pressuring the core area directly, focus on hunting the fringes or transitional areas around the core. Bucks might feel safer and more secure in their core area, but they might still venture to the outskirts during low-light conditions.

Hang and Hunt
The hang and hunt technique involves quickly setting up a stand in an area where you’ve seen a deer, and then hunting immediately after. This approach is most effective when the wind is consistent and remains in your favor. By acting swiftly and silently, you might catch a buck off guard as they move in response to the changing weather or feeding patterns.

Hang your stand and hunt right away if the wind stays stable. Deer often quarter into the wind, and this approach can help you catch them off guard. It is imperative to only do this if the wind is right. The wrong wind can alert him to the hunting pressure, and you may never see him again.

In the end, your approach should be based on your comfort level and confidence in your hunting equipment. Whether you prefer a climber stand or a lightweight hang-on and sticks, the key is to be adaptable and use the right tactics for the given situation. Happy hunting, and good luck on your quest for that elusive nocturnal buck!

Overhunting Will Cause More Harm Than Good
Overhunting a stand can have several negative consequences. Frequent hunting pressure in a particular area can make deer more wary and skittish. Over time, deer can learn to avoid the area altogether or become more nocturnal in their activities, making them harder to hunt effectively. Have you ever had deer start to “skirt” your stand about 60 yards away? They likely know you have been hunting heavily in the area, and are avoiding your stand. As deer become more aware of hunting pressure in a stand, their avoidance tactics can make them more challenging to hunt. You might see them, and often times, you may never know they are there. Instead of crashing in to your favorite spot, spend time observing deer behavior from a distance, using binoculars or spotting scopes. Patiently watch how deer move through the landscape, paying attention to preferred travel routes and feeding patterns.

Always Respect the Wind
Hunting the wrong wind is often detrimental to a hunt in several ways and can increase hunting pressure on deer. The wind direction and speed are crucial factors that affect a hunter’s scent dispersal. Deer have an acute sense of smell and can detect human odors from considerable distances. If a hunter positions themselves with the wind blowing towards deer or potential travel routes, the scent of the hunter will be carried towards the animals, alerting them to the hunter’s presence. This increases the likelihood of deer avoiding the area or becoming more nocturnal to avoid potential threats. When deer repeatedly encounter human scent in specific areas due to hunting with the wrong wind, they become “educated” to the danger and may start to avoid those locations altogether. Over time, deer will begin to associate human presence with danger, leading them to avoid these areas during daylight hours. This creates a situation where bucks wait until dark to enter your area. Never underestimate the importance of hunting with the right wind direction. Even if it’s just marginally off, avoid going in. Bucks have an incredible sense of smell, and if they get a whiff of you, they’ll be long gone. Wind trumps scent control, so always prioritize hunting with the correct wind direction.

Summary
Over my several years of pursuing trophy whitetail, there have been some lessons I have learned that can be implemented to hunt your target buck. Remember that deer behavior can change throughout the season, so continuous scouting and observation are crucial. To minimize these negative effects and reduce hunting pressure on deer, hunters should prioritize hunting with the right wind direction, and practice meticulous scent control. Additionally, use scent-reducing sprays, clothing, and practices to minimize human odors. I like to have multiple hunting spots to choose from based on varying wind conditions. The key to targeting a nocturnal buck lies in figuring out his core areas or bedding spots. If you can pinpoint these locations, you’re one step closer to a successful hunt. Don’t shy away from mid-day hunting, especially during the first week of bow season and the post-rut period. Bucks might be more active during these times, presenting unexpected opportunities.