ROB SCOTT, GUIDE FOR BIG DEER

Setting Up On Deer

EDITOR'S NOTE: Avid deer hunter and experienced guide, Rob Scott of Alma, Georgia, has been working with Buckhorn Outfitters in Greene County, Illinois, for three years. This week Scott shares some of his secrets for finding and taking big bucks and tells us a few of his hunters' best deer-hunting success stories.

QUESTION: How do you set up for bow hunting?
ANSWER: We'll set up in a funnel area, depending on what time of the year we hunt. During the last week of October, I'll set up on scrape lines. If a hunter can sit still for three days on a scrape line, a mature deer eventually will come in and check his scrapes because it's during the pre-rut. Once deeper into the rut season, I'll try to get to the does and their bedding areas for my hunters to set up where we often can catch the deer coming in and out during the day. I'll also hunt the food sources where the bucks will be chasing the does.

QUESTION: Where do you set up to take a buck with a shotgun?
ANSWER: We try to set up on a food source because that's where the deer are coming and going. We'll set up a hunter on the edge of the field where he can see 200 to 250 yards and can coax the deer closer.

QUESTION: How do you coax a deer?
ANSWER: We use deer calls like rattling and grunting, and sometimes we use decoys. Last year, we had a lot of luck with decoys -- especially during the pre-rut. We also use a little bit of scent.

QUESTION: How many deer will you see on a scrape line?
ANSWER: We'll see about 20 deer -- 6 of them will be bucks ranging from 80 inches to 170 inches.

QUESTION: How many deer will you see near a bedding area?
ANSWER: We'll see about 25 deer because they're coming out and feeding. For more information about Buckhorn Outfitters, contact Rob Scott at (912) 632-8233 or visit www.buckhornoutfitters.com.

TOMORROW: GUIDELINES FOR TAKING DEER