Lessons Learned the Hard Way While Chasing Whitetails

The bone-chilling December breeze cut through every layer of clothing I had on as the sun rose on opening day of the Illinois second gun season. Shivering nearly uncontrollably, I sat motionless, suspended 30 feet above the wooded floor, watching and listening for the slightest indication of life. But for the clamoring of a flock of turkeys roosted behind me, the woods were seemingly void of life. Minutes slowly drug into hours as my mind began to wander and the mental games set in. By 11 a.m. I had not seen hair nor hide of a deer, and my extremities were completely numb. Had a shooter buck stepped out and presented a fleeting opportunity, I doubt I would have even been able to pull the trigger as the motor-skills of my fingers lagged as if in slow motion.

I sheepishly accepted defeat, slipped out of my stand and headed back to the house to lick my wounds, eat some warm food and re-evaluate my approach to this hunt. Whitetail are hands down the most pursued and sought-after animal in our great country, yet I struggled to see the “fun” on my first morning in the whitetail woods. Looking back, I was simply ill-prepared and had an extremely skewed idea of what it took to successfully hunt a mature, Midwest whitetail. I also quickly realized that despite my extensive experience hunting the West and other parts of the world, that hunting whitetails was a foreign endeavor. After spending a few brutal days in the whitetail woods, I gained a whole new level of respect for dedicated whitetail hunters.

When the opportunity arose to hunt late-season whitetails in the heart of the famed “Golden Triangle” region of west-central Illinois with Performance Outdoors, I couldn’t pass it up. With nothing to go off of other than my preconceived notions of whitetail hunting, I loaded up my gear and headed east.

Tips, tactics and gear for what it takes to head west and hunt the rugged landscape of the Rocky Mountains is extensively covered. Yet rarely is it mentioned what it takes for a passionate Western big-game hunter to head east and hunt the elusive mature bucks that call the hardwoods home. Reflecting back on my Illinois whitetail hunt, I have five critical takeaways that contributed to the ultimate success of the hunt. These lessons can serve as 101 whitetail education for rookies like myself as well as provide insight from an outsider’s perspective for seasoned veterans.

BE A STUDENT

It was blatantly obvious after my first morning in the whitetail woods that I was a long way from home and well out of my hunting comfort zone. Fortunately, I was surrounded by several passionate whitetail hunters in camp that were more than willing to share their knowledge with me. Every now and again, I was able to draw a parallel between Western hunting and the tactics these successful hunters employed, but more often than not, their words of advice were tailored specifically to hunting whitetails.

Hunting is a continual education that humbles me at every turn. That is why so many are drawn to the challenge of hunting and killing a mature deer, I’d say. Be humble enough to seek the wisdom of those far more experienced than we are and be smart enough to employ different tactics when our tried-and-true methods of success continually fall short.

ADEQUATE LAYERING SYSTEM

The damp, bitter-cold temps of the Midwest hit differently than the cold I was used to in the West. That first morning in the stand was a rude and unpleasant awakening to how important an adequate layering system was during the late season. If you’re cold, you simply will not be able to stay out as long. Out West, when I get cold, I can go for a hike or do some jumping jacks to warm up, even in subzero temperatures. When hunting out of a treestand, you do not have that same luxury. Utilizing a proper layering system is of the utmost importance to your comfort and ultimately your success.

I am convinced it is nearly impossible to stay warm while sitting still, but the subsequent hunts following my first miserable morning in the stand were far more comfortable. Both foot and hand warmers were my best friends and down layers underneath my Vail Chaos Fleece jacket and bibs were the winning ticket for making the remainder of my hunt bearable. Little did I know that I would take this hunt down to the final minutes of the last day before an opportunity at a mature buck presented itself.

LEARN TO COPE WITH BOREDOM

Battling boredom is a skillset that many struggle with in the fast-paced world we live in, myself included. Luckily, it was too cold for me to even pull my phone out to pass the time mindlessly scrolling or playing a game, but I guarantee you that opportunities on big bucks are missed every year by hunters distracting themselves from boredom. One of the other hunters in camp suggested putting an earpiece in to listen to music or a podcast. To that, one of the other hunters pointed out that we often hear deer approaching before we see them. Point taken.

Overcoming boredom is 100% a mental game that gets easier with time. The longer I sat in the stand, the more determined I became, investing myself deeper and deeper into the hunt. As one day quickly rolled into four, I found myself enjoying my time alone more and more. There are few places where your mind is freer and clearer than on a mountain or in a blind.

PATIENCE KILLS BIG BUCKS

“Patience kills big bucks,” has always been a motto I’ve lived by in pursuit of mule deer. That same principle applies to whitetails but on a whole other level. Patience when hunting mule deer requires the ability to sit on a bedded buck or glass the same basin for several hours waiting for an opportunity to present itself. The difference being that you are not tied to a tree and can move about as needed to make something happen. With whitetails, if I were to get out of my stand and tromp around the woods in an attempt to make something happen, chances are I would blow out my target buck and never see him again.

The patience of a dedicated whitetail hunter is unmatched, sitting in one spot for countless hours, waiting for a mature buck to slip out of the deep hardwoods and show himself during daylight hours. The saying “the early bird gets the worm” rarely applies in the whitetail woods. Instead, it’s, “he who has the patience to sit the longest” that will punch their tags year after year.

It goes without saying that dedicated whitetail hunters sit with purpose. Rarely are they sitting in a stand without an intended buck in mind and some sort of reconnaissance information to support their reason for sitting there. That purpose undoubtedly increases one’s ability to exhibit extreme amounts of patience.

ADAPT

On the second evening, Ron, the manager for Performance Outdoors, picked me up with a grin on his face. He said, “I know where you are sitting tomorrow night.” He continued to tell me of a mature nine-point that he watched that night and was confident the buck would do the same thing the following day. Ron spent the next morning hanging a makeshift treestand for me to hunt that evening. Sure enough, the impressive buck from the night before stepped into the field with an hour or more of shooting light left. Unfortunately, he was on the opposite side of the field and the Bushnell Broadhead rangefinder confirmed that he never came closer than 315 yards, 200 yards further than I felt comfortable shooting my Traditions NitroFire.

Armed with more intel, Ron once again checked the wind and we adapted to the buck’s routine, placing another set on the opposite side of the field where the buck had come out. After four days of hunting and nearly 40 hours of sitting in a stand, the hunt came down to the final evening of the season. Riding my QuietKat E-Bike to the stand that evening, I couldn’t ignore the palpable sense of anticipation for the sit.

As the sun slowly crept towards the horizon, the first deer finally made its way into the field less than 100 yards in front of me. It was followed by another and another until there were nearly a dozen deer in the field, but still no sign of the buck. As light faded, I verified what time shooting light ended and watched as the minutes of legal light rapidly faded away.

Finally, with nine minutes of legal light left, the broad shoulders, thick neck and blocky head of a mature buck appeared on the edge of the hedgerow. Between the diminishing light and the trembling in my hands, I couldn’t make out the details of his antlers, but there was no denying that this was a mature buck. He looked into the field at the other deer for several minutes, calculating his next move. With three minutes of legal light left, he finally broke cover and stepped out. From my stand, I had two windows to shoot through. After he walked right through the first one, I knew I was going to have to stop him in the next one. I gave a quick grunt, the buck stopped in his tracks and snapped his head my direction. He was quartering away, but I felt comfortable with the shot and the NitroFire barked. When the smoke cleared, I was confident I had hit the buck, but doubt seeped in as he dashed for cover.

Decision Time

After finding very little blood, the decision was made to play it safe and back out. A restless night and little sleep followed. The next morning, we returned to find the buck not 100 yards from where he had entered the woods. I was elated to put my hands on my first Midwest whitetail. Had I not notched my tag, the hunt would have still been a resounding success. My eyes were pried wide open to the allure of pursuing these mature bucks, and the tactical game of chess that it requires to consistently put yourself in front of them. I’d be lying if I said I still don’t prefer chasing mulies across the vast landscape of the West, but the fire has been lit and I can promise this won’t be my last time in the whitetail woods.

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