John’s Note: Nationally-known deer seminar speaker and avid deer hunter, Ronnie Groom of Panama City, Florida, has faced this problem of how to get a buck within range often in the areas he hunts. He uses these tactics, which work well for bowhunters or gun hunters, to funnel deer into their stand sites.

According to Ronnie Groom, “Something else to remember when you’re hunting a high-deer population region is to hunt the trails not utilized as much – rather than the trails with a lot of sign on them – if you prefer to take a buck. I’ve observed that bucks generally come into a feeding area on lesser-used trails, rather than the same trails that a bunch of does utilize. Therefore if a buck is my target, I’ll be hunting over the secondary trails rather than the primary trails. And don’t forget that the wind will cancel out some trails. If there are trails leading into a feeding spot from five different directions, the wind may rule out three of the trails, because your human scent will be carried down them. If that’s the case, then you only have one trail you need to turn deer off.”

Groom utilized this tactic a few years ago when he discovered an old fence line that ran through the woods. “There were two places – one a hole in the fence and the other a gap – where the deer were crossing the fence line,” Groom recalls. “Since I wanted to make sure I had a deer to shoot at, I piled brush in the hole and set-up my stand near the gap. The deer walked to where the hole was in the fence, turned and came right down to the gap where I took aim.”

In another instance, Groom chose a spot to hunt that had two trails coming out a swamp and crossing a road. He parked his vehicle on the road in front of one trail and set his stand up near the second trail. According to Groom, “Within a couple of hours, the deer came along the trail where I was set-up. I bagged that buck. When I locate two or three deer trails crossing a road, I always park my vehicle where the deer on one trail can see my truck, which generally forces them over to the trail I’m hunting.”

To get John E. Phillips’ Kindle eBooks and print books on hunting deer, “How to Hunt and Take Big Buck Deer on Small Properties,” “How to Hunt Deer Up Close: With Bows, Rifles, Muzzleloaders and Crossbows,” “PhD Whitetails: How to Hunt and Take the Smartest Deer on Any Property,” “How to Take Monster Bucks,” “How to Hunt Deer Like a Pro,” and “Bowhunting Deer: Mossy Oak Pros Know Bucks and Bows,” or to prepare venison, “Deer & Fixings,” click here.

For information on making jerky from your deer to provide a protein-rich snack, you can download a free book from https://johninthewild.com/free-books.

Next: To Take Deer, Narrow the Funnel You’re Hunting