How outfitters help hunters tag Trophy Bucks After the Rut

My coyote howl shattered the stillness of a cold December evening. Every deer in sight took off, 40 or more whitetail flags flared. That was just the reaction I wanted.

- Judd Cooney

I slowly eased open the door on the rear of the blind overlooking the food plot and made my escape.

I had barely covered the few yards needed to reach a deep gully behind the blind when a real live coyote howl came drifting off a timbered slope above the food plot, adding unexpected authenticity to the ruse I had worked to sneak away from the blind undetected.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I thought about how other hunters might react to the idea of intentionally spooking a herd of completely unaware whitetail deer that included seven bucks, two of which were 10-pointers that might score 160 or better.

No doubt outfitters look at things differently than the typical hunter. A couple of long-standing clients with late-season hunts booked to start in two days had made the decision leave those deer unaware of my presence a no-brainer.

I slipped out of the draw that had hidden my initial retreat then hiked the final 200 yards through thick cedars to the far side of a ridge where my truck was parked.

Most whitetail hunters arrange their schedules so they can be out on the opening day of deer season whether they hunt with a gun or a bow. No doubt it is easier to ambush whitetails before they realize they are being hunted. A deer's early season learning curve may even allow a hunter to get away with a mistake or two.

An equal if not greater number of hunters think the only time to really get serious about whitetail hunting is right before or during the rut when bucks are out and about trying to find and breed hot-wired does. Supposedly, that primal urge overrides the buck's survival instincts and the general smarts that keep mature bucks safe the rest of the season.