When all of your good buck pictures are at night you have a problem, and its usually pressure.  Mature bucks are a different animal and they have a lower tolerance for human presence.  If they know you are in the woods, they move to the night shift. Make a plan that lets you hunt like a ghost.

If you are not getting daylight pictures of your target bucks, they may know you are hunting them.  They will still show up after dark, because they feel safe. We need bucks to feel safe in our woods for daylight activity, and that means we need a solid property plan.

If you are not seeing the caliber of buck you desire on camera, its either your neighborhood, or you may need some help with your property plan.  Access, stand locations, bedding and food should all tie together as a cohesive plan. Make sure your plan is solid.

Your stands should set, shooting lanes cut, and the bulk of your food plots planted, mowed and ready for fall.  As the bucks begin to turn hard horned their patterns change.  Don't be in the woods ruining all the work you did too get Mr Big on the X. [caption id="attachment_2913" align="alignleft" width="900"] Steve Bartylla on Patterning a Deer[/caption]

By mid to late August we have a pretty good idea which bucks we have to hunt.  There are parcels where decent bucks come later or they come and go off and on - but for most of us we know which bucks we will have a chance at come season. If your August cameras don't have the type of deer you set out to manage for- give us a…