Wilderness bucks leave clues to their existence in the areas they frequent, though it takes some sleuthing to ferret them out. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)
September 12, 2024
By Matthew Every
From a young age, Hal Blood always wanted to figure out the “why” behind what he was seeing in the deer woods. That attitude turned him into a master woodsman, a buck-tracking icon and the author of several books on the subject.
Last season, I had a chance to hunt with Blood on both fresh snow and bare ground. Each condition presented a unique set of challenges, but over bare ground, I got to see firsthand how Blood breaks up the woods and uses the “why” behind deer behavior to zero in on big bucks.
When most hunters would park themselves in a treestand, Blood is out there walking around, looking for sign and trying to put himself in a buck’s bedroom. Here are a few of the tips I picked up in the Maine big woods for still-hunting on bare ground that you can carry into the field this season.
THE 90/10 RULE In the big woods, Blood says that a buck will have a home range of about 10 square miles, and will spend 90 percent of its time in only 10 percent of that territory. Depending on the time of year, a buck could be spending the majority of its time in a number of places. On bare ground, it’s your job to find those places and spend 90 percent of your time there, too.
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Blood uses deer sign to figure out where bucks want to be at any given time of year, then he concentrates his efforts on those areas. It may take several seasons to build up this information, but once you have a patch of woods figured out, you’ll up your odds significantly.
Use what you know about buck activity and the time of year to find where bucks are going to be. Then, cover ground in search of sign. If you don’t see any sign where you are, get out of there—and fast. When you find an area with heavy, fresh sign, slow down and scan the woods for anything that looks like a deer.
Hal Blood is synonymous with big Maine bucks. Even when there is no snow on the ground, he is capable of walking down deer. (Photo courtesy of Hal Blood) DEER LEAD YOU TO OTHER DEER Tracks aren’t as relevant on bare ground as they are on snow, but you still want to follow them. Blood has sucessfully tracked a couple of bucks on soft leaf litter, and it is possible if the deer isn’t far off, but you shouldn’t expect to shoot the deer you’re tracking over bare ground.
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Instead, use the tracks to point yourself in the general direction of other deer. Deer are constantly meeting up in the woods and covering ground to get to areas that other whitetails like to frequent. Reference your map to see if the tracks you’re following are headed to a point of interest you’ve scouted previously, and take note of fresh new sign whenever you see it.
ANALYZE RUBS AND SCRAPES You’re mostly looking for buck activity when hunting on bare ground, and that often comes in the form of rubs and scrapes. According to Blood, the different sizes of rubs and scrapes have different meanings. For scrapes, a buck might make a small pawing when he’s feeling antsy. Bucks will also lay down common scrapes where the does are bedding for the year. There are also larger, deeper scrapes, known as community or annual scrapes, that deer make in the same places every year. In terms of rubs, there are thrashings on brush, which a buck makes when he’s feeling amped up; common rubs, which bucks make on different trees every year; and signpost rubs.
Signpost rubs are made on specific trees—mostly brown ash in Maine—and will be made on the same trees year after year. Signpost rub trees are dished out with exposed wood on one side, while fresh rubs are made on the remaining bark. Blood likes to focus on areas with active signpost rubs because he knows that bucks visit them every season.
Once Blood finds where signpost rubs are in the area he’s hunting, he marks them on onX and plans a still-hunting route. If he’s in an area he knows to have signpost rubs, he slows down in the hopes of catching sight of a buck.
Habitat is all-important to Blood’s bare-ground buck-seeking mission. Preferred food sources are good places to begin. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock) LEARN THE TERRAIN Blood looks at topographic features like mountains and ridges as a way to gain a shot opportunity on a buck. Elevation provides a vantage point and increases your odds of seeing a bedded deer before he sees you. Bucks in the mountains also tend to bed in the high country, and they don’t expect danger to come from above them, so you’ll increase your chances of getting a shot if you hunt high.
In the low country, where the vegetation is thick, Blood tends to follow well-worn deer trails. They provide quiet walking and lead him to places deer like to frequent. When you’re in thick woods, Blood says that you’re best off moving slowly and stopping often to listen for activity. A buck could be walking down the same trail you’re on.
THINK 10 STEPS AHEAD OF YOURSELF One of the things I had a tough time with while hunting with Blood was picking the right route to walk. Blood says this comes with practice, but at first, you’ll find yourself walking through blowdowns and thickets, and that can be counterproductive.
The denser the understory, the more deer-spooking noise you’ll make. To get to big bucks, choose open woods and move slowly. (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock) Blood constantly looks for the easiest route through the woods that still gives him enough cover. He likes to move along habitat edges whenever possible. For example, he won’t walk down the middle of open hardwoods or a big clearing. Instead, he’ll use edge cover. He also plans where he’s going to walk several steps ahead. That way, he can keep his head on a swivel to spot a deer.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE When Blood and I hunted over bare ground, we struck out in the morning with the idea of not returning home until dark. The more time you’re in the woods, the more opportunity you have to get a shot at a buck.
We packed a small lunch, and whenever we stopped for a snack or a sandwich, we made sure we were in a good spot. Usually, those spots were in open hardwoods overlooking buck sign Blood had identified in the past. We also chose places to sit that broke up our outline a bit, and we kept our rifles handy.
When you’re hunting over bare ground, take note of any evidence of deer activity. In other words, you’re hunting, but you’re also scouting. Any information you glean from the woods can be used for future hunts. Before you know it, you’ll have a collection of pins and places to hunt. And one day, that might all lead you to the biggest buck of your life.
Lean and Mean Lightweight gear to take on early-season bucks. It’s early fall in the East, which means it’s probably safe to keep your insulated boots and wool jacket in storage for a couple of months. Covering ground with lighter weight gear is critical when high temps and humidity are still in play.
BOOTS (Photo courtesy of Crispi USA) Crispi Valdres Plus : These 8-inch boots weigh just 1 1/2 pounds apiece. A greased, water-repellent nubuck upper and Gore-Tex lining help them shed water. They’re super-comfortable right out of the box yet provide excellent support for long stalks. ($300; crispius.com)
(Photo courtesy of Irish Setter Boots) Irish Setter VaprTrek : Waterproof, breathable and featuring an upper made of a durable, abrasion-resistant material, this lightweight boot from Irish Setter is a great early-season option. A built-in bacteria-killing technology helps eliminate odor. ($209.99; irishsetterboots.com)
(Photo courtesy of Under Armour) Under Armour HOVR Dawn Waterproof 2.0: With technology borrowed from the brand’s running shoes, UA’s aggressively-soled and cushy HOVR boot is designed for logging the miles. The 6-inch option weighs only 17 ounces per boot. ($190; underarmour.com)
APPAREL (Photo courtesy of Gamehide) Gamehide Elimitick : Just when you thought it was safe to venture into a tick-free outdoors, the fall wave hits with a vengeance—and it’s just as bad as it was during spring turkey season. Introduced several years ago, this line of clothing, including pants, bibs, shirts, jackets and socks, simply shuts down ticks. (prices vary; gamehide.com)
(Photo courtesy of Blocker Outdoors) Blocker Outdoors Shield Drencher Jacket : Rain will be in the forecast this month, so you can either get soaked to the bone and head back to camp or reach for Blocker’s waterproof, windproof Shield Drencher jacket. It weighs next to nothing and will take up very little room in your pack. ($89.99-$99.99; blockeroutdoors.com)
This article was featured in the September 2024 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe .
