September has been a very hot, but very exciting start to our deer season. We had the chance to ask Tony Walker, from “The American Way”, about his early season strategies.

Taylor:  How do you scout for early season deer?

Tony: Early season scouting for us consists of glassing from distance with our Vortex spotting scope and relying heavily on our Bushnell trail cameras! This intel is extremely important for our early season hunts.

Taylor: Do you find certain patterns to hunt specific bucks?

Tony: Yes, we look for a specific pattern of bucks moving from bedding areas to early season food sources.

Taylor: What food sources are you hunting early season?

Tony: Early in the season here in Indiana the primary food sources seem to be our Heartland Wildlife Institute food plots, as well as soybeans and acorns .

Taylor: What is your process for choosing early season stands to hunt?

Tony: The process is simple to choose stands. We identify what food source deer are using in the daylight and set up accordingly. Its tough sometimes to find mature bucks moving in the daylight early in the season though!

Taylor:  What kind of spots do you usually hunt this time of year? (Funnels, Ridges, Corners, etc.)

Tony: Generally if we are going to hunt early we try to focus on a food plot, acorn grove, or soybean field where we have visual confirmation that the buck are using. We rely on trail cams pics or glassing to know there are bucks using it in the daylight.

Taylor:    What do you do to conceal your scent this time of year?

Tony: Scent control is IMPORTANT in early season! Usually its warm and you will work up a sweat moving to your stand. We focus on keeping our ScentBlocker clothing clean by washing with our Atsko scent free laundry detergent, spraying ourselves down with our No Odor and always storing our hunting clothes in an airtight container. And most importantly, hunting stands with the right wind. No matter how much you try to get rid of your scent, if you are hunting the wrong wind, they will bust you.