Whether you hunt north, south, east or west, the white-tailed deer has a chink in its armor that every hunter can exploit come mid-November. Bill Marchel/Star Tribune

Another Opening Day has come and gone for Maine resident deer hunters. You waited 11 long months, the anticipation growing with each passing day. You did your due diligence, studying satellite photos on your computer and smart phone, scouting out the local woodlots and setting trail cameras to scout remotely in your absence. You chose a specific location that you thought would provide the best odds, knowing there are never any guarantees.

Perhaps there was a sighting or two of something slipping through the thick understory, Maybe you had a clear shot at a deer that didn’t meet your personal goal – a yearling doe you might not pass up later in the season, or a young buck you hope will survive and grow a larger set of antlers next year. Regardless, your day ended without a filled tag. There’s still plenty of time left. Depending on when, where, how and how often you hunt, the task of tagging out could get tougher, or the best may be yet to come.

Southern Maine hunters probably have the toughest row to hoe. Sure, there are more deer on the land but once the woods fill with hunters and the guns go off those deer change their behavior rapidly. Research has shown, and my decades of running trail cameras have borne out that as hunting pressure increases, deer move less during daylight, and more in dense cover. Every negative interaction they have with humans, every close call and every whiff of human scent only reinforces this. Focusing your time on those first and last hours of the day becomes more important, and you may have to shift from that open oak ridge down into the alder swales or dense maple swamps, places the other hunters are less likely to go.

Hunting pressure can be used to your advantage, especially if you know the lay of the land and how the deer react to it, and especially on weekends and holidays. Let the pressure work for you, not against you. Get in the woods earlier, go farther away from roads and trails and pay attention to peak hunter movement periods.

Most hunters enter the woods before daylight – often just before – so if you get in early and let things settle down you already have an edge. Some wait until daylight, and could move deer your way. Eventually, everyone is settled in, but after an hour or so of sitting in the cold, some hunters get restless and move around, providing a second opportunity. By mid-morning, boredom and hunger set in and it’s time to head for the truck and then the local greasy spoon diner, creating more opportunity for the patient, sedentary hunter. Somewhat the same applies to afternoon hunting. If you get in earlier, or stay all day, you might catch some early movement from deer bumped by other hunters headed to their evening stands.

For those hunting in less populated areas it’s a double-edge sword. There are far fewer deer, but those deer have likely had fewer negative interactions with humans and so might be more inclined to move around during daylight. Sitting is effective but a stealthy still hunt might be a more lucrative proposition. Once the snow falls, which is more likely in northern areas, you can pick up a track and try to catch up with what’s on the other end.

Whether you hunt north, south, east or west, the white-tailed deer has a chink in its armor that every hunter can exploit come mid-November. As the rut intensifies, bucks begin moving more during daylight hours. Bucks become less predictable but more active so they could show up almost anywhere or any time. Most of the movement will still occur around dawn and dusk, when does are most active, but late morning and even the middle of the day you may catch a buck on its feet and looking for love.

Hope springs eternal in the fall. You may have missed out on that first, and often best chance to bag a buck but there’s still plenty of time left. Redouble your efforts. Don’t be afraid to go the extra mile to access places other hunters don’t go, but deer do. Be patient and vigilant. Opportunities are often sparse and fleeting but they may still occur until the sun sets on the final day of deer season.

Bob Humphrey is a freelance writer and Registered Maine Guide who lives in Pownal. He can be reached at: bhunt@maine.rr.com

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