Crunching leaves beneath cautious hooves, crisp mornings, venison, and antlers. These are the things that dreams are made of – ones that fill the thought bubble of many deer hunters as they contemplate the first hunt of a new season. This magical time of year yields the anticipation only a sportsman can understand.
There are the deer hunters who carefully plan an annual weekend or two to hit deer camp. While there are exceptions, this group often is on a mission for backstraps or sitting around the firepit enjoying a few libations late into the night. It’s part of this rich North American tradition.
Then there are the hardcore whitetailers that tirelessly strategize around big mature whitetail bucks. This class of bucks are wily creatures, often requiring more planning and strategizing. This means that catching up with one requires more than a ton of trail cam images and a few well-thought-out sits. For this crew, deer season truly takes center stage. It’s a mission.
Opportunity Knocks
Hunters in this class not only seek the challenge, but they truly value putting boots on their whitetail grounds. They know that, alone, trail cameras are insufficient for effective scouting.
From the early season through the rut, there are increased chances of putting your eyes on a mature buck or two. While the former entails a chance to see bucks in bachelor groups, the latter means possibly seeing a big buck full of testosterone – one that you may have never seen before.
These are great times to hunt, as well as scout.
In-Person Intel-Gathering
Ask any diehard deer hunter and they will tell you that solid, if not exceptional, optics are a must. Heck, they’re likely second only to their hunting weapon. They’ll also tell you the important role that scouting plays in any chance at success at this special breed of whitetail buck.
Drawing distant objects closer is paramount to success when pursuing whitetails. It’s not set aside for western hunters needing the ability to pull off long-distance stalks. For decades, deer hunters have depended on optics for scouting. And rightly so. For the true whitetail nut, a great pair of binoculars is as important as warm and comfortable hunting boots.
One thing’s for sure; there’s nothing better than observing deer in the field.
Scouting in-person scouting allows you to witness deer doing deer things. Unlike trail camera footage, being in the moment can tell you a lot about deer directional patterns. While this is interesting and fun, it also opens up a whole new set of information that can ultimately help in locating and ambushing a special buck.
Adding Digiscoping to Your Scouting Toolkit
Digiscoping is a game changer, to say the least. If you’re careful in dealing with wind direction, scent control, and entry and exit routes, you can do some bona fide scouting simply by utilizing your optics and smartphone camera.
Digiscoping prospective whitetails provides a means of magnifying distant deer, recording them in image or video format, sharing with others, and best of all, making decisions based on the deer behavior you witness.
Talk about stacking the odds in your favor.
Benefits of digiscoping include getting intel on actual deer travel patterns and aging bucks on the hoof. This not only helps with aging potential bucks, but can lead to more effective stand placement. Of course, it also entails actually being out in the deer woods, something any serious deer hunter appreciates.
A Deer Season Two-fer
I’d be remiss without mentioning one obvious benefit of digiscoping during deer season; you can digiscope scout while you hunt. You’re already taking your optics and smartphone in the field. Phone Skope’s adapter kit is small and lightweight. Pack it… and learn.
Make the Connection
Paired with your binoculars or spotting scope, Phone Skope kits include a custom-fitting case for your brand and model of smartphone, as well as an adapter to connect it to your optic of choice (brand and model). The result is a sturdy, lightweight, and affordable tool. No expensive and bulky camera equipment is required.
All you have to do is visit Phone Skope’s Builder page to order an adapter kit that will snugly connect your optics to your smartphone. The only thing left to do is hit the field!
If you’re not already doing it, this season is a great time to add digiscoping to your whitetail hunting arsenal. Remember, Whitetail season means digiscoping season. Especially if you’re a serious hunter in search of an exceptional buck.