1. A small clearing in the woods 70 to 100 yards off an alfalfa, soybean, clover or corn field. Some mature bucks hang up in these areas in late afternoon before moving out to a field after dark.
2. A bottleneck of thick cover on a deer trail that leads into a field. A big buck will usually walk the thickest route in, and you can get a close-up image of him.
3. Back in the woods where two or more drainages with thick cover come together. Oak trees that drop acorns nearby make this a surefire bet for buck images. Especially good for those nocturnal giants that don’t get to a field until dark.
4. “Our thousands of cam photos show mature bucks regularly use thin fingers of timber with a good mix of hardwoods and evergreens–the conifers provide the deer with increased security cover,” says whitetail biologist Mick Hellickson.
5. Once you spot a big buck in a field, sneak in and set a camera on the nearest creek crossing, swamp pond, etc. you can find. As late summer deepens, mature bucks spend a lot of time hanging out near water in low, thick areas