How to Find Deer With Limited Time

The simpler question is, if you’re that hunter, how can you find deer and find them fast with limited time?

To find a high-odds spot, combine as many attractive features as possible: terrain, cover, food, and, if the time is right, does. These elements are the pieces you need to start your search.

Using onX can reveal high-odds terrain features like saddles, long, tapering ridges, and secondary ridges (especially ones with a “turkey foot” shape). Of course, some of these places see plenty of pressure because of their popularity, but that doesn’t mean deer stop using them.

Pair those features with an in-timber food source, an adjacent ag field, or changes in vegetative cover, and you’ve got the makings of an area that can be great. Using the “leaf-off” toggle on onX makes various stages of cover visible. For out-of-staters, or the weekend warrior, watch for close-by doe families that are likely using these spots as they will be the bread and butter of your hunt.

Why should you have a deer hunting goal? A clear direction before your hunt is vital to a satisfying experience. If you set a goal to shoot a booner, there’s a better chance that you’ll go home with an unfilled tag. A 110-inch buck could satisfy many hunters who hunt for little time. Without an expectation, you might pass bucks because they don’t meet the expectations of other hunters.

The important thing for a hunt on a limited time is to understand that more satisfaction comes from the experience of hunting than the kill alone. The kill is the icing on the cake, and even the best whitetail hunters won’t tell you a story is worthless because your kill wasn’t big enough.

For the weekend warrior with no time to scout, or the out-of-state hunter with four days of vacation, mobility is crucial.

Plan a route. For the weekend warrior looking to up the ante, pick a piece of ground that you can keep walking until you find something that piques your interest. An area not overrun by hunting pressure. Searching for human sign can be as important as finding good deer sign. As a second option, pick a driving route that takes you past as much ground as possible.

Keep your eyes peeled for deer, vehicles in parking areas, and proximity to population centers. Rural doesn’t always mean better! The theory that hunting near a city means you’re hunting pressured ground could be true. However, you might end up in a rural area where every house has an archery target in the front yard. Population doesn’t always equal pressure.

Now and then, when you see something that catches your eye, get out of the truck. Glass a little during morning or evening hours, have a look at the outer edge, and see if the sign up front gives you evidence to dig a little deeper.

A deer hunter can research online until they turn blue. The good news is that plenty of state agencies do a fair job of pointing hunters in the right direction. Interactive maps are available for most states. These can help you find public ground, and some states even have layers that will show you the success rates or zones of high deer populations. The data can help you determine specific tags you’ll need to purchase and will also confirm your e-scouting of high-odds locations.

Beyond this, it’s also helpful to have friends in the areas you’re visiting. Ask them where they’ve seen deer often, or if they have heard of places that have been productive for other hunters. For the word-of-mouth information, I’d stick to this strategy. Be careful with advice on forums and social media. Not all of it will be accurate.

There isn’t a substitute for reading sign and understanding the woods. Match the sign you’ve found to the intel you have from your resources and map scouting. Ask questions like whether there should be more tracks and trails. Is this enough sign density to build a good hunt?

Being able to identify browse-type plants and whether deer are eating them is a valuable skill. Check the browse for signs of active feeding. Fresh browse with nipped green tips is a good sign. If the tallest plant tapers shorter to the dirt, you’ve found an active feeding site. Confirm you’re looking at deer sign by identifying scat and tracks. A bigger track area is a better bet that you’re hunting a buck close by.

The written end doesn’t happen after your last hunt of the season. Successful deer hunters working on limited time will tell you that a journal and history will keep you in the game. Using the same format and lingo in your journal will allow you to skim notes and recall the info.

Finally, don’t be afraid to return to the same ground at home or in the same state. The more years you return, the more patterns you’ll recognize, the more quickly you’ll succeed.

Feature image via Thomas Clements.