Overlooked WHITETAIL FOODS

Carbohydrate-rich agricultural crops are obvious go-to foods when looking to connect with trophy bucks. This means different things in different regions, from Midwest soybeans and corn, to prairie-state alfalfa and winter wheat, to Northwest garbanzo beans or northern field peas. Yet white-tailed deer subsist on many natural foods, often without the benefit of farmed crops, or by only visiting open agricultural fields under the cover of darkness. Targeting overlooked natural foods can give you the jump on deer reluctant to expose themselves during legal shooting hours, or in areas without farmland. Identifying readily available and highly nutritious and palatable feed in your hunting area allows you to tag bucks others are not privy to.

1. WILD & FERAL MAST

Feral apple or pear trees are obvious hotspots for ambushing deer, during the right season. Without abundant feral fruit trees, I would be at a loss to find early-season success in my highly challenging Northwest big