Unique Tactics for a Successful Whitetail Firearm Season
Setting Yourself Apart from the Orange Army
Ditch the Old Routine: Simple, Effective Ways to Step Up Your Hunting Game
One of the most anticipated times for whitetail hunters is approaching. Over the course of the next few weeks, firearm seasons will be opening all across the country. The anticipation is high and the deer should be biologically driven to play their part. In short, it’s time to put down the bow and join one of the largest armies in the world, the “Orange Army.”
Firearm season is a special time for whitetail hunters. For many, the next couple weeks will make up the entirety of “deer season.” While many of you reading this like to participate in all manners of whitetail hunting like myself, we do however realize that the average whitetail hunter is predominantly a firearm hunter. Multiple reports put the estimated number of firearm hunters in the United States between 10 and 11 million. The NDA also reports that over 65% of whitetails were harvested with a firearm in 2020 and this trend remains steady.
What does this tell us? It tells us that the Orange Army is responsible for more whitetail harvests than any other subgroup(I’m not using that as a derogatory term, it’s just the easiest way to describe the large group of hunters that are responsible for the most harvests and most pressure). The one downfall of the Orange Army is that their tactics are often predictable. If you are wanting to set yourself apart and find increased success you will have to go against the grain.
Habits of the Orange Army
- Many hunters in this sect tend to stick to the same stand or two year after year. There is nothing wrong with this at all if it makes you enjoy the hunt more, but it leaves little room for scouting and fresh intel.
- A lot of firearm hunters are known to be out of the woods early and back in there stands late. I guess a deer camp breakfast at 8:30 am is too hard to resist. It is for me sometimes too. This time of year, the more time spent in the woods only increases your odds.
- Firearm hunting makes many hunters think about the most open, expansive hunting setups possible. Perching high and looking far is the goal. This can be a great tactic to shoot deer, but it doesn’t take much environmental influence to keep the deer in the cover out of sight.
Tactics to Set Yourself Apart
- Instead of sitting in the same old box blind year after year, maybe approach firearm hunting like I do bow hunting. Constantly scout, find fresh sign, and don’t be afraid to bounce around. Staying up to date in the woods could be your ticket to catching those mobile, mature bucks.
- As hard as it can be for me, sometimes I like to skip the deer camp breakfast or at least eat it cold later. Staying in the woods an extra few hours can unlock so much. Those shooter bucks often like to take a late morning or early afternoon stroll looking for does. The question is will you be out there when he is?
- It doesn’t take much environmental influence to push deer out of sight. Acorn crops, weather fluctuations, and hunting pressure will make bucks lay low in the cover. Dive in there after them. Hunt them where they are, not where you want them to be.
Remember, the term “Orange Army” is not derogatory. If you ask me, they have some of the most fun in the woods. Tradition, fellowship, and enjoyment are at the top of their lists. Hunting hard and finding a shooter buck might take away from some of those aspects of the hunt. I’m not saying that hunting long and hard isn’t fun, but it’s not worth the extra sacrifice to some. But if it is to you and you are willing to set yourself apart from the Orange Army, you might be in for your most successful deer season yet.
Will Bowen, Okayest Hunter Contributor
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