3 Things You Should be Doing For Deer Season Now | Spring Deer Prep Tips

By: Beau Martonik

This time of year isn’t when many hunters are thinking about deer. It’s May - turkeys are gobbling, honey-do-lists are a priority, and family camping trips will go full swing. I don’t know many people who have “extra” time on their hands, and prioritizing is necessary. Deer are always on my mind, and I’m always trying to do something to increase my odds during the fall. Unfortunately, I feel as if many people feel like they don’t have enough time to scout or check trail cameras, so they do nothing. I don’t believe that you should look at things that way because there are so many small, daily tasks that you can perform in under 30 minutes that can move the needle in the right direction to make you more successful in the fall.

E-Scouting

If you’ve read any of my articles, watched any of my videos before, or listened to the East Meets West Hunt podcast, you know that I am a big proponent of e-scouting. You can e-scout from wherever you are on your phone or computer to break down your hunting areas and build a plan for the fall. You don’t need to spend a ton of time on this either. Ten minutes of e-scouting a day will add up throughout the month and put you in a very confident position. Instead of scrolling through Facebook or Instagram on your phone while you’re in the bathroom - open up the Spartan Forge app and scour through maps.

Shoot Your Bow

The number of people that would come into the archery shop I worked at to buy a new bow, get a new string, or just start shooting a month before deer season blew my mind. Don’t be this person. Shoot your bow now - even if it’s three arrows per day. You will build the muscle memory needed to be consistent in the moment of truth. Focus on your shooting form, shot process, and how your bow performs. This is an excellent time to start practicing with your broadheads to ensure that your bow is tuned. You don’t want to screw your broadheads on right before the season and find out they aren’t hitting in the same place as your field points. But, again, this is something you can do every day to move the needle forward with a limited amount of time spent. 

Get in Shape

You’re probably wondering what getting in shape has to do with whitetail deer hunting? Let’s start by saying you don’t need to be in shape to kill a deer. With that said, your physical fitness will help you outside of the apparent health benefits. I work out every morning for anywhere from 15-60 minutes per day. This has taught me discipline and consistency. When it’s day 5 of your six-day out-of-state rut hunt, and you’re tired, worn down, disappointed, this is where the discipline comes in. I’ve seen too many people create excuses in their minds why they came back early or quit, but the best hunters I know - go until the bell rings. Having to hike into your location once isn’t that hard, even if it’s a long walk in steep terrain, but doing it repeatedly will wear on you if you aren’t prepared. I could go on for days about why fitness is essential, but the most critical part is being consistent. If you can get yourself to do something active for 30 minutes a day, you will be much better than you were before.

I just talked about three things that you can do every day to get ready for deer season now with a combined time of less than an hour per day. If you analyze your time, I promise that you’re wasting more time than you think.