There’s a good chance that you’ll wait for days, weeks, or maybe even years for a crack at a truly mature, stomper whitetail buck. That’s because unless you hunt a massive tract of prime private property, any buck that’s five or older will be a rarity.
So it’s understandable that when you do finally encounter one of these deer that, well, you might get a little excited. That adrenaline rush is part of what makes deer hunting so fun, but it’s also part of what makes big mature bucks so hard to kill.
So for the latest episode of The Outdoor Life Podcast I interviewed videographer Jared Mills who has self-filmed a handful of successful encounters with absolutely giant whitetail bucks — and seems to always stay as cool as the other side of the pillow.
Of course, part of staying calm under pressure is innate; it’s more of a personality trait than a tactic. By having a plan of attack and following Mills’ tips, however, you can hopefully be a little more effective in the moment of truth.
Focus on Your Job
Mills says that in some ways, needing to film video is an antidote to buck fever.
“You have a job to do, so when that buck starts coming in and you first see him, my attention isn’t 100 percent on the deer,” Mills says. “I have a lot of other things going on in the tree that probably help me stay calm.”
In order to film his hunt, Mills has to operate a camera arm and then grab his bow and make a good shot with the deer in frame. These tasks give Mills things to focus on rather than focusing on how giant the buck’s rack is, which is sure to increase anxiety.
Even if you’re not filming, focusing on your order of operations will help you stay calm. Get into position for a shot, range the deer’s incoming path, and have a plan for when you’re going to draw your bow.
Read Next: John Dudley on How to Beat Buck Fever
Know Your Ranges
A classic tip is to range key deer trails and shooting-lane openings once you’ve settled into your stand but well before a buck ever comes in. Identify all the spots you’re likely to get a shot, range those spots, and then commit them to memory. While you’re waiting for a buck, test yourself to make sure you remember each distance. That way if a buck comes in quickly, you’re not fumbling with a rangefinder while you should be shooting. Mills makes this job easier by keeping his shots inside 40 yards, especially on twitchy deer.
Read Next: The Best Rangefinders, Tested and Reviewed
Don’t Be Afraid to Stop the Buck
Because Mills is always self filming, he has to get the buck to stop before he can shoot. With a buck that’s moving past his stand, in range, he’ll make a soft low bleat noise to stop the buck. He then switches from operating his camera to drawing his bow while the deer is stopped. The key is you don’t want to make so loud of a noise that it will put the buck on alert.
“The best situation is if the deer stops, but doesn’t look right at you,” Mills says. “I’d say 90 percent of the time it’s better to stop the deer. Especially if you’re at full draw and he’s in a lane and you’re ready to shoot. Unless the deer is super close, have a I seen a deer bolt right away when I’ve tried to stop him.”
Mills has employed one clever trick over the years for getting deer to stop without alerting them: scent balls. He takes small wooden beads with a hole in the middle and stuffs cotton into them. He then drips a little bit of deer scent onto the cotton. When he’s hunting, he shoots the beads onto deer trails with a sling shot. The idea is that the scent will get the buck to stop for a moment, but not get spooked.
“It’s worked a couple of times,” Mills says.
Pay Attention to the Buck’s Body Language
Don’t focus on the deer’s rack, but do pay attention to his body language. Bucks that seem alert and nervous — look for twitchy ears and a constantly bobbing head — are more likely to detect you movement and are also more likely to duck arrows. Bucks that come charging in and are focused on other deer (like does or young bucks around your stand) will likely be oblivious to your movements.
You can get away with more on these rut crazed bucks, but Mills still recommends holding low for heart shots. It’s impossible to tell for certain which deer will duck and which won’t, so holding for the heart gives you room for error. Don’t hold below the heart, because there’s a chance that big rutting buck won’t duck at all.
Know That Sometimes You’re Going to Blow It
Even though Mills looks calm and collected on camera, he’s blown his fair share of opportunities on big bucks. No matter how many podcasts you listen to and instructional YouTube videos you watch, you’re going to mess up too.
Mills says the key is to just chalk it up to experience. Because the only way you’re going to get good at killing big deer is by having lots of encounters with them.
“When we talk about these failures where I messed up on big deer, I believe that’s made me the bowhunter that I am today” Mills says. “ It’s not the fact that I consume a lot of content. It’s that I try to intensely learn every single time I’m out.”
