John's Journal...

How to Hunt Bad Stands to Take Great Buck Deer

Day 5: How to Use Maps to Aid You in Finding Deer

Editor’s Note: "To take the biggest buck on any piece of property, always hunt the worst stands," Dr. Keith Causey, a former wildlife researcher at Auburn University, told me. "I let everyone in my hunting club pick the stands where they want to hunt, and I go to the places left. Since no one hunts these areas, the older-age-class bucks can hold there to dodge hunting pressure. If you take the worst stand on your hunting club or public land, then that stand will be the best stand to see an older-age-class buck, 90% of the time."

Click for Larger ViewClick for Larger ViewMaps also can help you in learning other sections of land where bucks will hold. Here are some top map manufacturers.

USGS – The U.S. Geologic Survey has topographical and aerial maps of the entire United States. These maps can be purchased from the USGS web site ( HYPERLINK "http://www.usgs.gov" www.usgs.gov), or you can use their Map Locator to download free topographical maps of specific areas or order these maps through the USGS map store. You also can download the free TerraGo toolbar, which allows the user to maximize their capabilities with GeoPDF files. With TerraGo, you can measure distances between objects in the map, add your own comments to specific places on the map, view the files in conjunction with Google Maps or integrate them with your GPS to track your position on the map, all for free. Through the USGS map store, you can purchase topographical or aerial state, county, U.S., world, historical, satellite images, national parks and national atlas maps, as well as USDA Forest Service – National Forest and Grassland Maps. Or you can go to www.mytopo.com where you can get your maps custom printed.

To learn more about hunting deer, get John E. Phillips’ new eBooks “How to Hunt Deer like a Pro,” “PhD Whitetails” and “Deer and Fixings.” Go to www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, type in the names of the books and download them to your Kindle, and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, SmartPhone or computer.


Check back each day this week for more about "How to Hunt Bad Stands to Take Great Buck Deer"

Day 1: How to Hunt – Remember Deer Hunters Don’t Like to Get Wet
Day 2: How to Hunt Deer by Being Invisible
Day 3: How to Hunt Buck Deer near Telephone Poles and Other Places
Day 4: How to Hunt Deer in Pine Plantations and Thick Cover
Day 5: How to Use Maps to Aid You in Finding Deer

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Entry 688, Day 5