Mountain Hunting Tips

Flatlanders accustomed to focusing on crops, food plots and draws often are lost when plopped into a mountain setting. Knight & Hale pro staffer and outdoor photographer Glenn Wheeler has spent many of his hunting seasons in northwest Arkansas' Ozark Mountains, and he provides these tips to more success during the early bowhunting season.

"I focus many of my early morning and late evening hunts near any green field or hay field I can find that shows deer activity," he said, "especially those rich in red clover or Korean Lespedeza. These spots are key before the acurns (local pronunciation) start dropping."

Wheeler says that water near the green field makes a big difference and helps him determine where to set a stand. If he can set up where he can get a shot at the water and the edge of the field he's confident that an opportunity will present itself. Mountain deer, like deer in most areas, often drink prior to feeding in the evening.

"Other food sources include forest floor browse such as Virginia creeper, young elm trees, sumac, prickly lettuce, wild grapes and even fungi and miscellaneous berries. Most of these are typically considered "edge" species, often growing where two or more types of habitat converge."
Wheeler scouts for these natural food sources along old logging roads, areas that have been logged and old, neglected farm fields. Again, water in the area makes the spot even more attractive. "Of course, vegetable gardens and ornamental plants in folks' yards are another favorite food for our deer, but with the exception of a couple of forward thinking cities in Arkansas that have real deer population problems, those deer are usually off limits," he said.

Often when Wheeler locates a good natural food source that shows deer activity, he'll locate the trail heading from the thick woods and actually set up in the thick stuff, as long as he has several good shooting lanes. "Deer often will pause just inside the woodline to check the more open area before making an appearance," he said.

If the acorns are falling, however, all bets are off. Deer will still feed on other sources, but their main focus is on slurping up as many acorns as possible in the shortest amount of time. In the mountains Wheeler hunts, this can spread deer out and make hunting frustrating.

"Focus on white oak acorns. Deer will abandon just about everything for white oak acorns, which is a larger acorn. I look for a flat or bench full of white oaks. I normally set up just inside the flat if there is ample cover and on the downwind side. Those deer will get in there and browse around like it's a garage sale."