hunting whitetail deer in south Mississippi. need your help?

Question

i'm hunting by a food plot about the size of a football. there are two logging roads that connect to the plot, that is the only way to get the plot. there are lots and lots of fresh track in and all around the plot. there is a small creek about 250 yds away with running water. i position myself at the back of the plot so that i can cover and can see down both roads. or i move to the other side of the plot which ever position is down wind of where the deer come in and out. i still hunt from daylight to about 10 am then start stalking. i'm seeing all these signs but have yet to see a deer. how would you hunt this area. any advise i could try

Answer 1

Greetings Mississippi deer hunter! Hunting deer in the deep South is very different than hunting them in the north where i reside due to your milder winters, longer growing seasons, and the highly nocturnal nature of the deer down yonder. Since the winters are not as harsh the deer do not need to conserve their energy by feeding in the warmest part of the day as they do up north. Therefore, since they're more nocturnal than dyurnal they will hold up in the thickets sleeping and then wait until dark to visit your plot after you have headed to the house. My recommendation, get off the plot and move deeper into the woods along a trail leading to the plot. This way, as they're taking their time waiting for darknest to come, they are brousing along very slowly towards your plot. Although it will get darker sooner on you in the woods, your chances of ambusing a deer as it makes its way to the plot are far better.

Answer 2

I've hunted in GA since i was knee high. The best way i have found to kill the elusive whitetail on a plot is to get off of it. I am new to this site and dont know what date (time of season) You asked the Question but if it is during a rut then you might try a scent under where you hunt(im assuming you use a tree stand). You might even go as far as a scent and a decoy. Pick the sex of the decoy based on your scent. Not as many people use decoys anymore for deer hunting. But Ive found them to be quite helpful in killing deer. Now if your going for the BIG BOY then a food plot is not the place to be(unless its in a rut...thell go anywhere for a doe). These guys eat at night and you need to find a thick area somewhere near food and water. Just a couple of ideas for you. All of them have worked for me in the past.

Answer 3

Zig is right, you need to get away from the food plot. I would never hunt the same area more than twice in a row either. Deer will learn your behavior and adapt theirs. You need to give them credit for just how smart they are. I would suggest putting out a good trail cam on your plot so you can view just when the deer are coming through. Scout and find out where they are headed to bed down in the morning and set up an ambush site near that area, just remember you'll need to be there long before the deer gets there. That will take care of your problem I believe.

NOTE: If you can find some well used crossings on one of the logging roads try setting up a pop-up blind to watch it. During the rut you might be surprised what crosses in front of you.

Happy Hunting, good luck, and Merry Christmas!

Answer 4

I am not disagreeing with the other gentlemen, they probably have more hunting expertise than I have.

However, I will make one suggestion. Since you are not seeing any early morning activity, why not hunt another area in the morning, take a bit of a siesta during the middle of the day, and set up on your food plot from mid-afternoon until you can't see to shoot.

The reason I make this suggestion is that it seems to me that the deer are feeding nocturnally, and with the bright moon we have at this time, a late afternoon hunt might be rewarding.

Doc

Answer 5

Set up in different locations surrounding the food plot inside the woods.* See where they are crossing the creek, and set up there also.*