The gun barrel bucks and bellows, echoing its mighty thunder throughout the valley. The smell of freshly burnt gunpowder wafts around you — that sweet smell of success on a cold, frosty morning. You deployed a great tactic, and the result is a heavy-antlered whitetail.
For most deer hunters in America, gun season is the best time of year. It’s their own personal favorite time to be alive. But they also hope for a great outcome, including a filled buck tag. As such, read on for killer gun season strategies for deer hunting. Plus, check out four great deer rifles to carry this year.
Gun season is a glorious time of year.
1. Follow the Multi-Day Rut Rule
Hunters have a habit of jumping from one treestand location to the next. That’s a mistake. Instead, wind directions permitting, hunt the same treestand location (or general area) for multiple days in a row. This increases the odds of intercepting a buck as they make their rounds, break away from estrus does in search of another, etc. Sit the same spot for three days, preferably longer.
2. Hunt a Huge Field
It’s gun season, so maximize your range and sit over a big field. Maybe it’s an ag field, large food plot, CRP field, fallow field, etc. Regardless, take advantage of the range your rifle gives you. That’ll increase your odds of filling a tag. (Just remember to never take shots beyond your comfortable, ethical, practiced maximum distance.
3. Hold Tight to Cover
In contrast, some gun hunters might choose to hold tighter to cover. Maybe they’re hunting an older buck that doesn’t move far during daylight or participate as much in the rut. Perhaps there’s a patch of cover that breeding pairs of bucks and does commonly shack up in. It might be the mother of all rut funnels, and you have to hunt it regardless of the weapon in hand. The point? Sometimes you shouldn’t big fields, especially when you have a killer close-range setup.
Gun Sling Support Tips
Consider hunting in spots you've previously overlooked.
4. Hunt Where You Haven’t Yet
Have you hunted a lot during bow season already and applied moderate to heavy hunting pressure to your hunting grounds? Starting to see fewer deer as a result? Consider hunting spots you’ve overlooked or ignored. Deer just might be pushed into un-hunted areas.
5. Sit a Rut Funnel
The rut is a perfect time to hunt along travel routes. That said, focus on rut-centric funnels. Examples include pinch-points between doe bedding areas, bedding and a currently used food source, etc. Intercept as they’re looking for that first doe, or between receptive females.
6. Cover the Downwind Sides of Doe Bedding
Doe family groups tend to bed in the same general areas. Bucks know where these locations are at. During the rut, they travel the downwind sides of these areas to scent-check for does. They’ll also cut across common trails and travel routes leading in and out of doe bedding to scent-check as well.
Trigger Finger Placement
Hunt along bed-to-feed routes and other trails.
7. Observe Those Bed-to-Feed Patterns
Deer eat every day, even during the rut. While bucks are in search of does, the latter are still exhibiting daily bed-to-feed patterns. As such, they’ll follow the same travel routes between these destinations. Set up downwind of the food source, or routes leading to it, and shoot a hungry buck or one that’s following a doe.
8. Stick Close to Buck Bedding Cover
As previously noted, some bucks don’t participate as heavily during the rut. Sometimes, these older deer run the rounds at night, and head back to bed before daylight. If hunting one specific target deer that acts like this, consider hunting closer to their known buck bedding cover.
9. Watch Some Weird Spots
Bucks tending estrus does don’t want competition from other deer. Generally, mature whitetails find estrus does and then push them away from the bulk of the deer herd. Oftentimes, this lands them in oddball locations that other deer rarely use. Examples include small woodlots, brush piles, sinkholes, fencerows, etc.
Gun Recoil Management Tips
Cover common escape routes deer use to evade other hunters.
10. Cover Known Escape Routes
Deer receive maximum hunting pressure during gun season. Do you hunt public land? Maybe shared private property? Perhaps a lot of neighboring hunters? As a result, consider covering known escape routes and intercept deer as they escape the chaos.
11. Hunt the Midday Shift
Most gun hunters hunt the morning and afternoon shifts, but take a break at midday. They need those cholesterol-rich bacon, biscuits, and gravy. But if you can swear off good breakfast food for a week, and stay in the tree, you just might get the last laugh when you finally return to the local breakfast and lunch diner hangout.
12. Still-Hunt Along Entry and Exit Routes
Gun hunters often trudge to and from the stand with full steam ahead. That’s a mistake. You’re carrying a weapon that shoots fast and far. So, when it’s daylight (after the morning hunt and before the afternoon sit) still-hunt along your chosen entry and exit routes. Move slow and look for deer. You’ll spook fewer whitetails and just might fill your tag.
Practice Shooting Like You Hunt
Still-hunt through cover to intercept deer on the move.
13. Still-Hunt Through Quality Cover
Like still-hunting as the primary tactic? Gun season is the perfect time to still-hunt along entry and exit routes. With gun in hand, slowly slip along the downwind sides of cover. Keep an eye in the timber, and in adjacent open fields, and intercept deer while they’re on the move. When things are slow, or during the lock-down phase, this can be an excellent play.
14. Track a Buck in the Snow
There’s nothing better than a good snow during gun season. This allows hunters to track bucks and intercept them via the sign they leave behind in the snow. This tactic requires stealthiness, dedication, and patience, but it’s a great option to consider, especially in big-woods settings.
15. Conduct a Deer Drive
Finally, consider deer drives during gun seasons. This age-old tactic is beloved, especially in select states in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. With a safe, well-designed plan, hunters can capitalize on deliberate pushes through cover, effectively filling tags and enjoying unique hunts.
Of course, gun hunters can’t head afield without … a gun. If you’re in the market for a new buck killer, consider the following four options from Savage Arms. Long-range blasters, close-range killer, deer drive guns, perfect treestand rifles — we have you covered with top picks from the gun store.
Editor’s Note: This content is sponsored by Savage Arms.
Ways to Improve Rifle Shooting Skills (From Home)
The Savage 110 UltraLite Elite is great for long-range shots.
The Bean-Field Blaster: Savage 110 UltraLite Elite
Those planning to hunt a large ag field, such as soybean fields, should consider something with a bit of range to it. (The same is true for cut cornfields, patches of CRP, and other open areas.) A long-range, flat-shooting, heavy-hitting caliber with a solid ballistic coefficient and terminal performance at distance is an important selection.
The Savage 110 UltraLite Elite checks these boxes and more. This platform, paired with a high-octane caliber, such as Federal’s 7mm Backcountry, is a solid option. It’s an excellent pick for hunting whitetails. Plus, it’s also a great lightweight companion for western hunting.
This model comes loaded with features, such as the PROOF Carbon Fiber Wrapped Stainless Steel Barrel, threaded muzzle (5/8×24), Omniport muzzle brake, adjustable length-of-pull (12.5-13.5 inches), adjustable comb height, four ¼-inch LOP spacers, and more. Furthermore, it incorporates a drilled and tapped lightweight stainless steel receiver (with blackout Cerakote finish), integrated ARCA rail, diamond fluted bolt (also coated with blackout Cerakote), threaded bolt handle (5/16×24), carbon fiber bolt knob, and one-piece 20MOA picatinny scope rail. It also comes with an MDT HNT26 chassis with carbon fiber forend, pistol grip, and buttstock. Enjoy a gun metal grey Cerakote finish on the magnesium center section. The buttstock even comes foam-filled. It incorporates the AccuTrigger, which is adjustable, and trigger pull ranges 1.5-4 pounds. Overall length is 39.1 inches. It weighs 6 pounds.
You’d be well served to pair this rifle with a high-magnification Leupold scope. Ensure it has a big objective lens, a long-range reticle or other bullet drop compensation system like a CDS dial, and other characteristics of shooting deer at 300-plus yards. As for pricing, there are dozens of options. On the lower end, the VX-Freedom 3-9×40 350 Legend Duplex is $299.99, and on the higher end, the VX-6HD Gen 4 4-24×52 CDS-SZL2 Side Focus ILLUM TMOA is $2,699.99. Many options are in between.
The Impulse Driven Hunter by Savage is excellent for deer drives.
The Deer Driver: Savage Impulse Driven Hunter
Many hunters still conduct deer drives. Just like the big-field shooters, these hunters will also fare better with a weapon that’s specialized for their hunts ahead. Oftentimes, these rifles should exhibit several key characteristics, such as a fast action, compact (shorter) overall length, low-magnification scope with a wider field of view, and more.
Savage’s Impulse Driven Hunter is a great pick. It comes loaded with features, including the AccuTrigger, AccuStock, AccuFit, and more. This straight-pull, bolt-action rifle is ambidextrous and comes with a multi-positional bolt handle, aluminum receiver with integral one-piece 20 MOA rail, gray synthetic stock, standard threaded barrel (1/2-28), and 18- or 20-inch carbon steel sporter barrel. Get it in .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30-06 Springfield, or .300 Win Mag.
As previously mentioned, consider a low-magnification scope with a wide field of view. Consider something with the Leupold FireDot reticle, and there are numerous options available. If you’re hunting heavy cover, a bullet that’s designed to expand well at shorter distances and higher impact velocities is a great choice – such as Federal’s Power-Shok.
The Savage 212/220 Slug Gun is the ideal shotgun for deer hunting.
The Brush Buster: Savage 212/220 Slug Gun
A lot of deer hunters hunt in heavy cover. While the concept of a “brush gun” is largely a myth, it doesn’t hurt to have something with a heavy load and some punch behind it. That’s even truer when hunting in thicker cover without a need to make long-distance shots. Thus, consider a deer gun that pairs well with tight corridors.
The Savage 212/220 Slug Gun fits that role perfectly. It too sports the AccuTrigger, AccuStock, AccuFit, etc. This fully rifled, bolt-action slug gun comes designed for 2 3/4-inch and 3-inch shells. It incorporates a synthetic stock, 22-inch button-rifled barrel, one-piece rail for mounting a scope, thread-in barrel head-spacing, and detachable box magazine. It comes in 20- or 12-gauge.
Those who go with the 212/220 Slug Gun might pair it with a red dot scope. If that isn’t of interest, go with a close-range rifle scope. Some options are even tailor-made for slug guns. You’ll love the ballistic efficiency and extreme weight retention of the polymer-tipped Freight Train all-copper bullet from Federal.
The 110 PPR by Savage is the premier deer rifle.
The Treestand Trophy Taker: Savage 110 PPR
The vast majority of modern deer hunters are treestand sitters. They’ll shoot 50-300 yards from a stationary position. In this scenario, it’s important to focus on a platform that’s balanced and nimble.
The Savage Model 110 PPR is perfect for that job description. It features a lightweight Grayboe Phoenix 2 stock with earth-tone camo paint and black webbing. It has a 20-inch Proof Research carbon fiber wrapped stainless steel barrel, M-LOK bottom rail on the for-end, and an adjustable comb height and length-of-pull. It also features a lightweight stainless steel receiver (with Magpul OD green Cerakote coating), fluted bolt body (with blackout Cerakote coating), upgraded bolt head with dual ejectors (and enhanced extractor), threaded bolt handle (5/16×24), user-adjustable AccuTrigger, 20 MOA one-piece scope rail, Omniport muzzlebrake (5/8×24), and more. Plus, it even sports a one-piece, low-profile AICS-style magazine frame and trigger guard. It even has a flush QD cup adaptors for slings. Get it in .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 WSM, 6.5 PRC, .28 Nosler, .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, .300 Win Mag, 7mm PRC, or 7mm Backcountry.
This gun works well with a low- to medium-magnification scope. Leupold has an array of options that pair nicely here. Look no farther than a cartridge loaded with Terminal Ascent – Federal’s proven do-all bullet.
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No matter your plans for gun season, don’t embark on this beautiful time of year without HuntStand Ultimate on your side. It’s loaded with features for the whitetail gun hunter. Check out its many benefits, and level up your deer hunting game today.
