terrain, weather patterns, and wind.
The best tool for monitoring scrapes
is obviously the trail camera, which
hasbecomeagame-changerformany
bowhuntersinthewhitetailworld.But
makenomistake,it takesa disciplined
hunterto usethemeffectively.Likeany
tool,youcandefeatthepurposeby not
recognizing the strengths and weak-
nesses of trail cameras. Checking a
cameratoooften,or usingit inaway
that requires intrusion into a buck ’s
corearea,can beagame-enderfor a
bowhunter.Amaturebuckwilltolerate
intrusiontoa certaindegree,butonce
hedetectsa patternof habitualhuman
scentinhiscorearea,youhavejustfor-
feitedyourabilitytohunthiminhis
unpressuredenvironment.
I’vefoundtrailcamerastobemost
usefulforrecordingspecificbucks,their
tr avelintelandannualbehaviortrends,and then using this information against
him. It has been my experience that ma-
ture bucks have individual personality
traits, and if you can recognize them,
there will be opportunities to capitalize
on those traits at some point.
Another focus of my offseason study
are rublines and how they’re oriented in
relation to doe and buck bedding areas.
Some areas I hunt will be covered with
rubs consistently every year, as long as
there are no major alterations to the
landscape. Some will change because of
a mast crop or grain rotation on a partic-
ular farm. Being able to recognize these
situations will help you zero-in on a par-
ticular buck and his core area.
The most critical ingredient to this
process is undoubtedly the wind and
how a buck will use it to stay alive. This is
the one defense that I truly believe can-
not be defeated in the whitetail woods. I
spend hours recording wind movement
in every area I hunt, and in my day-to-
day life. There are two types of wind that
I use in my profession: one being “sur-
face winds,” and the other being “winds
aloft.” The first is obstructed, and the
other is not. A whitetail lives his whole
life by using his nose in relation to sur-
face winds and thermals. A hawk or buz-Trail cameras, when used with discipline, are the best tools for monitoring scrapes and rublines.