Ohio Valley Outdoors Magazine

Pressure cooker bucks

By Brian Miller

After an evening hunt on public land Tim and I met back at the truck. This place was crawling with hunters; over a dozen trucks lined the parking lot. Over and over again I heard the same story, “nothing on the west side, not even a doe.” Upon each unsuccessful story we just smiled and listened. Moments down the road Tim opened up and said, “That was the best hunt of the year, I had a great looking buck just out of range.”

So what was it that made his hunt standout among the crowd? When the pressure is on whitetails have the uncanny ability to disappear. Where do they go and why are they incredibly hard to find. Some of the best property we hunt is shared with many other hunters. But consistently we’re successful because we dive into the smallest overlooked hideouts.

Small Thickets
Some of the best hunting is small overlooked thickets. Deer love to hang out in secure thickets that have little or no human activity. Search out those spots that are too small, too far away or just too obvious. Last year, driving along a major highway in Ohio, I saw a huge rack 20 yards off the road. As we slowed down, a huge deer materialized in a tiny patch of swale grass surrounded by a picked bean field. He slowly stood up and meandered across the road.
This deer was likely one of the oldest bucks I’ve ever seen. He could barely move his joints as he slowly trotted across the road. And this happened at high noon. This grass was only 40 yards from cleanly mowed yard. On both sides of the road were large woodlots. Again who would hunt in a spot like this? And he knew it, which is why he was so close yet so far from our reach.

As a buck grows older he does not move as much as when he was a young teenager. This helps them to stay hidden in their thickets until the cover of darkness. Setting up within their tangled bedroom is the best change of seeing him during daylight.

Corn Fields
A large cornfield is like a field of dreams. Standing corn provides food, cover and does everything a buck needs. When the pressure heightens in the woods big bucks bed in corn and don’t need to move into the woodlots until dark.

If you hunt near a large cornfield you’ve probably noticed more deer in the woods after the corn is picked. This is a great time to ambush a buck just after his core habitat was cut down. One of my largest bucks fell as a result of this ploy.
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At first glance a standing cornfield looks too massive to tackle. Just like the woods, deer prefer to travel in specific areas. Look over the topography for saddles, lone trees and other terrain features. Ground binds work out great in these situations.

CPR Fields
Large CPR fields are similar to corn fields. Deer seek refuge among the grass when the pressure increases in the woods. This is one of my favorite places to hunt before small game opens in early season. My brother has experienced success among the grass for many years. Once gun season starts the local deer herd heads for a 300 acre grass field.
With a wide open field you would expect to see deer for miles. But many of the fields I hunt hide deer better then most woods. Tall grass filled with small saplings is just what they need, bedding and browse.

Too Close
Sometime you can just seem too close to the road, parking lot or houses for a big buck. But remember deer can’t read. They don’t read “no trespassing”, “public hunting” or “deer crossing” signs. However they do smell human intrusion and feel hunting pressure. Last year, I traveled 400 miles to hunt Southeastern Ohio. Upon arriving I had over 80 acres of deep woods to hunt. Yet I spent the majority of my time close enough to the road to see the color of cars passing by.

I’ve had many other similar experiences on both public and private land. Often the most overlooked location is right next to the parking lot. For years I walked a mile back onto a public portion to hunt the thickest stuff I could find. But after passing the same big rubs for the third year in a row I decided to investigate further. I now hunt within sight of my car.

Final Thoughts
Hunting pressure has the biggest impact on whitetails. Know where other hunters are putting on the pressure and begin to unlock the small hideouts within the buck’s core area. So next time they disappear, head for their hideouts. Often they are closer then you can imagine, look to the thickets, corn, grass or unpressured honey holes. Find the hideouts and turn your season into a success.

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Brian Miller is an experienced whitetail deer hunter from the state of Michigan. Growing up in Ohio, Miller picked up bow hunting at 10 years old and quickly became addicted.
Additionally his articles have appeared in Buck Fax, the magazine for Commemorative Bucks of Michigan and Woods-N-Water.