Walk a mile in deer shoes

By Chris Ginn - December 1, 2011 | Reader Format

Chris Ginn

To kill big bucks during the rut, hunt the does where they are during the day, not where they are at night.

Not just a deer hunter, Washington Parish resident Karl Casanova travels up north every year to get in a little turkey hunting. One thing he has noticed in places that he said “really had deer,” were the game trails he’s heard discussed in deer hunting magazines and on deer hunting shows.

"When they say game trails, they have game trails like we have cow paths," said Casanova. "We don’t have those kinds of game trails here, but if you’re really observant, you can find deer trails.

"They don’t look like our cow paths, though, so you’ve got to really look hard."

Every now and then, Casanova walks the trails that lead into his food plots to get an idea of where the deer are coming from. As he walks, he eventually gets to a point where trails might fork as he walks away from his plot. He especially likes trails that fork multiple times.

"What I’m looking for is an area that gives the chance to catch deer coming from multiple directions," he continued. "If a big buck is going to hang up before entering a plot late in the evening, these are the kinds of areas where he’s going to wait it out until he feels safe.

"And the best thing about these multiple forks is that deer will move in them during the day even if they aren’t going to a plot."

By taking the time to walk these trails during hunting season, Casanova admits he runs the risk of bumping deer. However, he considers bumping a few deer worth it in the long run.

"If I have a plot that’s been in the same place for a long time, which a lot of us do, and you go out and walk a trail, you may bump deer," he said. "But you learn where they’re coming from.

"You may not be able to go back in there without bumping deer for the entire season, but at least you’ve got a new spot to look at as you’re preparing for the next."