Managing Big Bucks in the East

By: Jeremy Flinn

 

Growing big deer is not easy. Though it might be a bit more feasible in some areas of the country, it still can be a challenge. But if we remove ourselves from the fertile soils of the Midwest, the low hunter density of the Great Plains and the massive ranches of the Southwest, you’re left with the tough conditions of the whitetail’s Eastern range. From the palmettos of Florida’s panhandle to the Appalachian Mountains of the United States and Canada, growing and harvesting big bucks is not something you often hear about — at least not as often as you might in the farm fields of Iowa, Ohio or senderos of Texas. Thus, many hunters flock from the East to those destinations in search of big bucks. 

However, with proper planning, quality execution and a lot of patience, you can grow big bucks across the East and put a nice one on the wall. 

Components of Growing Big Bucks 

Without understanding what creates a big buck, it will be almost impossible to manage your property in the East, let alone anywhere, for big bucks. Three basic components are required to create a big buck: Age, Nutrition and Genetics.

Before we debate management factors, let’s agree that “big buck” is not a universal measurement. For some, that’s a 170-inch buck. For others, it’s a 10-pointer. In the coastal plain of South Carolina, that might be any 125-inch Pope & Young deer. In West Virginia, it might be any 2-year-old or older buck. For the purposes of this article, we’ll consider a big buck a deer that’s atypically large for the area. That doesn’t mean a state record. Rather, if you’re used to seeing 100-inch bucks, a 140-plus inch buck is a big buck.

Let’s first address the elephant in the room: Genetics. Yes, some deer have better genetics than others. We won’t get into enclosures and deer breeding, as it would double the length of the article. But if we think about free-range deer, on average, most adult bucks will be 8- pointers. Right out of the gate, that will throttle the score of most bucks. I’m not saying there aren’t 150- to 170-inch 8-pointers (there are). Rather, a 12-pointer has a much better chance of scoring high than an 8-pointer. The bottom line is that two bucks are rarely the same, and in a free-range situation, you’ll have a tough time altering genetics through standard harvests. However, in areas with antler-point restrictions, there might be a genetic shift in antler size, but not necessarily always for the good. Rather, higher-quality young bucks are vulnerable to harvest, and inferior bucks can move up in age class. This isn’t the article for that debate, but it warrants your attention.

No buck can get big without age. That requires several potential management actions. First, deer won’t get older if you shoot them. Passing on bucks is a concept deer hunters of 50 years ago would have called insanity. Today, hunters likely pass hundreds of thousands of bucks as a group annually. Sure, some of those get shot, but that’s the risk you must take to get deer into older age classes and consequently allow for larger racks. If hunting pressure around you is heavy, you can manage your property to be a safe haven. By planting quality annual and perennial food plots, such as Imperial Winter-Greens and Fusion, respectively, as well as managing the native habitat for browse and excellent cover, you can attract and protect more bucks than if you simply hunt the property.

Let’s discuss one of the most influential factors for managing for big bucks: Nutrition. Folks in the East are at a disadvantage in terms of soil quality. We likely aren’t hunting the rich, dark fertile soil of the Midwest and Great Plains, but that doesn’t mean we can’t provide high-quality nutrition. It’s critical to understand the needs of deer. For example, high protein in spring and summer will help build muscle and antlers.

So, having Imperial Whitetail Clover available for spring and Imperial Fusion for summer can ensure a great source of protein. As deer come out of fall and enter winter, Winter-Greens or Beets & Greens can provide great sources of protein and energy when other food sources are scarce. In addition to food plots, maintaining high-quality native habitat can provide a year-round source of nutrition for deer. If your property relies solely on food plots to feed deer, those plots may be mowed down. It’s about finding that fine balance. 

Location Is Everything 

The first thing many of you will say is you only have “one place to hunt,” but that’s far from the truth. Maybe you only have one piece of private ground to hunt, but that doesn’t mean you can’t knock on doors, lease property or hunt dreaded public land. Whether you are in the Adirondack Mountains of New York or the coastal plain of Georgia, you can get on a big buck.

Of course, the place you start might not be where you succeed in finding or growing a big buck, but that’s why having options is critical. Most hunters will stick to the basics of a good property. First, they need access. That’s a given. Most will look for a great source of food and cover. But that’s about as far as eight out of 10 hunters will go — and there is so much more.

Think about the successful properties of the Midwest and Great Plains. Ask, “Why are there big bucks?” You aren’t going to change the entire soil structure, but you can manipulate certain spots for food plots by using lime to change pH, and fertilizers to add nutrients back into the soil. But what factors can you control at a landscape level? Hunting pressure is one of the main killers of your chances at big bucks. Big-buck strongholds in Kansas and Iowa have very low hunter densities. Less hunting pressure allows bucks to feel more comfortable moving during hunting hours, and it lets deer get older, thereby generating bigger bucks.

These types of areas exist even in the heaviest hunted areas of Pennsylvania and New York and Quebec and Ontario. Though other hunters might be on the property you’re hunting, you can always escape the crowds by walking farther and deeper. This is one of the greatest tactics for folks with access to big tracts of state, provincial, federal or timber company lands. In many cases, access roads are closed to motorized vehicles when the season opens, reducing disturbances, and you might find a secluded Imperial Whitetail Clover or Whitetail Oats Plus food plot buried deep on a public tract. These are more common than you think, as many conservation groups work to improve the hunting quality of public lands. Covering these large tracts can be difficult, but you can cut some corners with today’s technology. 

Locating Big Bucks in The East 

Just because you manage land or gain access to a well-managed property doesn’t mean it will be easy to find big bucks. However, today’s deer hunters have more tools at their fingertips than before. From trail cameras that deliver pictures to your phone to aerial imagery of any hunting parcel in the United States or Canada, the ability to do more homework without leaving home is a huge advantage. That doesn’t mean scouting the browsing pressure of your Alfa-Rack Plus or scrape activity isn’t extremely critical. However, you can maximize your time afield by honing in on areas of interest.

Google Earth is one of the most underutilized tools for hunters. Though there are many great mapping tools available, a simple down-load to their computer or tablet (and phone in some cases) gives any hunter high-resolution aerial imagery of properties they’re scouting — for free or for very little money. By studying these digital maps, hunters can identify wildlife openings, food plots, crop plantings, clearcuts and even different timber-stand types. Although the detail will still be in the final legwork, these tools can save a lot of wasted time looking for what doesn’t exist. 

Trail cameras are by far the No. 1 scouting assistant for hunters. Whether you have one camera over a clover plot in summer or a network of cellular trail cameras covering multiple properties providing real-time information, you’re gaining valuable insight that you would have otherwise not known.

Just having cameras out and getting pictures is great, but the amount of useful information — from scrape activity to pressure or activity on a food plot — can let you optimize your hunting sites to increase the likelihood of getting on a large buck. This is extremely important in the East, where large open fields are not nearly as common as they are in the Midwest. Trying to pattern bucks in Eastern woodlands is not as easy to do without trail cameras. Just because you aren’t in a typical big buck area does not mean you can’t manage, find and harvest one. It’s not going to be easy, but that’s the best part — the journey. Knowing that you had an active role in creating a big buck in the East, regardless of his outcome, is something to take pride in.