sioux falls south dakota buckThe main thing to remember for the next two weeks is that many if not most bucks will cover two or three times the terrain they traveled back in September and early October, circling and contacting as many doe units as they can, hoping to get lucky with as many does as they can. As the bucks come and go, they might not stay on your hunting property every day, but they’ll drift through from time to time, though you cannot predict when.

Right now, as bucks begin to lengthen their daily movements and roam more in daylight hours, expand your hunt area, too, if you can. Spread out, scout and hang some more tree stands in likely ambush spots with fresh sign back in the woods, on ridges and in creek bottoms. Then sit in those stands every day that you can through the middle of November. You’ll see deer on the move, including quite possibly some bucks you’ve never seen before or taken pictures of.

Hunt as many hours as you can hack it in a tree stand on each sit. You never know what time of day a shooter will show. It couldn’t hurt to lay a doe scent trail into your post each morning or afternoon; a buck moving on a long, linear travel pattern might cut it and come to investigate.

Grunt and/or rattle periodically in hopes of contacting one of those vagabond bucks and reeling him your way. Good luck and send me pictures.