imes, opening day will wise older whitetail up enough that you will never see them again during the season. If people have been scouting prior to opening day, you won’t see them at all. If you try to drive the deer alone, they will sneak out long before you reach them and again you’ll think there are few deer, but often that is not the case. They have just learned their lesson. They rely on their ears and noses more than there eyes and will be gone before your close.

The Prim

There have been volumes written on hunting the elusive whitetail in the woods of the eastern United States. The largest concentration of whitetail inhabit the woods, farmlands and swamps of eastern and mid-America, but what about those of us that live out west? We still have whitetail, although not as many, but we definitely still enjoy hunting them. So the question becomes, how do you hunt whitetail in the wide open prairies and hills of the west?

First, unless you are talking about Coues deer, which I’m not, the majority of the whitetail’s instincts and rituals are the same. You will still find the highest concentration of whitetail near agriculture, as long as there is sufficient cover for them to remain out of site during the daylight hours. Find a corn or alfalfa field with some trees or brush nearby and you’re likely to find whitetails.

Second, and typical of whitetail, once the sun comes up, you will seldom find them standing or feeding out in the open. If undisturbed, you will occasionally find them feeding out in fields as the sun rises, but if they know they have some open ground to cover to make it to their sanctuaries, they will often start early.

One big advantage I have found is that many areas in the west where whitetails like to hide, their escape routes are limited. One of the best methods of finding big whitetails is to find a river bottom with good tree growth and cover near agricultural fields. Many times the growth will be limited to several hundred yards on either side of the water and this is where the deer will be found. Get a few friends together, set several people in canyons and downwind on the river bottom and push the bottom from the upwind side. Any deer that are in the near vicinity will head down river or try to sneak out through a canyon running to the river bottom.

You will be amazed at the quantity of deer you can see driving them out in this fashion. Often times, opening day will wise older whitetail up enough that you will never see them again during the season. If people have been scouting prior to opening day, you won’t see them at all. If you try to drive the deer alone, they will sneak out long before you reach them and again you’ll think there are few deer, but often that is not the case. They have just learned their lesson. They rely on their ears and noses more than there eyes and will be gone before your close.

The Primo

g about Coues deer, which I’m not, the majority of the whitetail’s instincts and rituals are the same. You will still find the highest concentration of whitetail near agriculture, as long as there is sufficient cover for them to remain out of site during the daylight hours. Find a corn or alfalfa field with some trees or brush nearby and you’re likely to find whitetails.

Second, and typical of whitetail, once the sun comes up, you will seldom find them standing or feeding out in the open. If undisturbed, you will occasionally find them feeding out in fields as the sun rises, but if they know they have some open ground to cover to make it to their sanctuaries, they will often start early.

One big advantage I have found is that many areas in the west where whitetails like to hide, their escape routes are limited. One of the best methods of finding big whitetails is to find a river bottom with good tree growth and cover near agricultural fields. Many times the growth will be limited to several hundred yards on either side of the water and this is where the deer will be found. Get a few friends together, set several people in canyons and downwind on the river bottom and push the bottom from the upwind side. Any deer that are in the near vicinity will head down river or try to sneak out through a canyon running to the river bottom.

You will be amazed at the quantity of deer you can see driving them out in this fashion. Often times, opening day will wise older whitetail up enough that you will never see them again during the season. If people have been scouting prior to opening day, you won’t see them at all. If you try to drive the deer alone, they will sneak out long before you reach them and again you’ll think there are few deer, but often that is not the case. They have just learned their lesson. They rely on their ears and noses more than there eyes and will be gone before your close.

The Prim

n the open. If undisturbed, you will occasionally find them feeding out in fields as the sun rises, but if they know they have some open ground to cover to make it to their sanctuaries, they will often start early.

One big advantage I have found is that many areas in the west where whitetails like to hide, their escape routes are limited. One of the best methods of finding big whitetails is to find a river bottom with good tree growth and cover near agricultural fields. Many times the growth will be limited to several hundred yards on either side of the water and this is where the deer will be found. Get a few friends together, set several people in canyons and downwind on the river bottom and push the bottom from the upwind side. Any deer that are in the near vicinity will head down river or try to sneak out through a canyon running to the river bottom.

You will be amazed at the quantity of deer you can see driving them out in this fashion. Often times, opening day will wise older whitetail up enough that you will never see them again during the season. If people have been scouting prior to opening day, you won’t see them at all. If you try to drive the deer alone, they will sneak out long before you reach them and again you’ll think there are few deer, but often that is not the case. They have just learned their lesson. They rely on their ears and noses more than there eyes and will be gone before your close.

The Prim

mes the growth will be limited to several hundred yards on either side of the water and this is where the deer will be found. Get a few friends together, set several people in canyons and downwind on the river bottom and push the bottom from the upwind side. Any deer that are in the near vicinity will head down river or try to sneak out through a canyon running to the river bottom.

You will be amazed at the quantity of deer you can see driving them out in this fashion. Often times, opening day will wise older whitetail up enough that you will never see them again during the season. If people have been scouting prior to opening day, you won’t see them at all. If you try to drive the deer alone, they will sneak out long before you reach them and again you’ll think there are few deer, but often that is not the case. They have just learned their lesson. They rely on their ears and noses more than there eyes and will be gone before your close.

The Prim

imes, opening day will wise older whitetail up enough that you will never see them again during the season. If people have been scouting prior to opening day, you won’t see them at all. If you try to drive the deer alone, they will sneak out long before you reach them and again you’ll think there are few deer, but often that is not the case. They have just learned their lesson. They rely on their ears and noses more than there eyes and will be gone before your close.

The Primos team has several deer hunting videos using this tactic up near the Milk River in Montana. Their outfitter has learned how to find the big whitetail bucks out west. Now, so can you.