Texas: Whitetail Pro Series Strategies

Andy Mitchell: With four setups, the excavation contractor from Rockwall, Texas, is concentrating on bedding areas. He has two treestand sets and two ground blind ambush points. “Mainly I’m trying to hunt bedding areas and find the does. Because it’s pre-rut, if you find the does you’ll find the bucks,” he said.

Instead of taking a stand-placement strategy that emphasizes either early morning or evening sites, Mitchell has chosen his spots according to competition days. “I actually have my sites broken up into early in the competition stands and then later in the competition stands,” he said. “The early ones are just trying to get points on the board to make the cut—and then Sunday I’ll go all out.”

Mitchell noted that on the final day of scouting, he filmed a nice 120-class buck that was hanging with nine does and that on the first day of scouting he saw a nice buck that pushed 130 to 135 inches.

Larry Large: The Texas bass-fishing and deer-hunting guide saw plenty of bucks during the scouting period and has formed a game plan upon those observations. “I keep hearing a lot of emphasis on what the deer are eating or not eating,” said Large. “They’re not interested in eating right now, they’re interested in does!”

Without ever having stepped foot on The Big Woods on the Trinity, Large, who has been guiding in the Lone Star State and Colorado for more than 25 years, is concentrating on the one thing that bucks are focused on: does.

“This time of year they’re going into the rut—find the does and you’ll find the bucks,” he said, echoing Mitchell’s sentiment. “I searched out the places with the highest concentration of does and set up there.”

Trying to capitalize on the one-to-one buck-doe ratio, Large is using scent and calls to his advantage when setting up on the edges of bedding areas he found in the darkest, thickest timber possible. “When I get out of the truck and walk 50 yards I put a drag line down and drag it all the way to my stand. I’ve watched these bucks and they’ve got their heads down and they’re looking for scent,” he said. “I know the competition in this thing is going to be tough, so I’m using all the scent I can: both a drag line and scent control.”

In addition to scent, Large is getting aggressive with calling. “Boy you rattle and grunt, and I mean really grunt at them, and those spikes come running to check it out,” he said. “About three minutes later the bigger boys show up!”

Jason Verbeck: The Washington state competitor has found a secluded field that has thick cover on two sides. His plan is to go in and set off a Tink’s Hotbomb Heated Deer Lure and let it run for about 45 minutes before attempting to rattle up a bruiser by imitating smaller, sparring bucks.

“I’m telling everyone that I saw two bucks in there, but really I saw nine bucks the first night and six bucks the second night,” said the Evergreen State big-game guide. “My plan is to sit until 10 a.m. trying for a buck and then take a doe if not.”

Verbeck has three spots with blinds or stands set up, but also has areas that he plans to use sans artificial concealment. “I might be doing some interesting freelancing. There are a couple of spots that I can get down in the brush and hide, and then I might be able to rattle them in from there.”