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Michigan's Liberty Hunt allows youth hunters to be introduced to the wonderful world of deer hunting. Dale Skinner of Akron shot his first buck while being mentored by the writer in 2018.

The writer used his late father's Ithaca Model 66 12-gauge "Super Single" shotgun and a Federal Truball slug to tag this large Thumb doe in mid-September 2008 during Michigan's first early antlerless season. He truly appreciates the early "doe" season for the opportunity to put fresh venison in the freezer..

This summer has found me out and about with annual dedicated efforts. Ever since my wife Ginny and I became the fourth generation to own our family farm, we’ve put a lot of dedicated effort into creating our own little wildlife paradise, thanks to various conservation programs our farm is enrolled in (which allow it to be affordable).

Our main focus is providing proper habitat for wild pheasants, which has worked to the benefit of all wildlife, including deer, turkeys, songbirds, and even butterflies and other insects. The majority of the farm entails a mixture of warm-season prairie grasses and wildflowers, which have steadily growing evergreen windbreaks all around the outer perimeters.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that the very adaptable local whitetail deer absolutely love prairie grass fields and are readily attracted to them. (It has proven a preferred and ideal “nursery” habitat for does and their fawns.)  

Actually, folks, if you want to attract deer to your property, plant warm-season prairie grasses. Although they take three or four years to properly establish, that is a whole lot quicker than planting trees. Figuring out how to effectively hunt deer each fall in this mainly grassy (entailing dense grass which is often chest-high  to over head-high) environment has been a steady learning experience which I truly enjoy.

Typically, I’ve found that being up above the ground and getting a bird’s-eye view is the best way to go for tree-stand placement, and I’m fortunate in that many of my windbreak trees have finally gotten large enough to have stands placed in them. I also have some mature hardwood trees here and there along our ditch (which runs through the center of our farm) and longstanding fencerows.

However, I had one special location which required something different for obtaining some elevation, and I purchased a two-person tripod stand. I remember it required two healthy young men just to lift it, still boxed up, into my pickup bed.

I left it in my truck until my son Jake could help me unload and assemble it right at the hunting site amongst some young spruces bordering the prairie grass. This was definitely a two-person job, from following a chart and assembling all the countless pieces, to actually raising it upright into position.

According to the directions, the putting-it-all-together time would only take about 90 minutes, but that optimistic timeline must have been for a crew of people who knew which part and exactly which bolt (of which there were many sizes) went where. I’m guessing it took Jake and me at least four hours to put it together and then stand it upright, but it was well worth the effort because it has proven to be an ideal setup for that location.

 This all points to the fact that preseason readiness often requires a little extra handwork and teamwork, not only for convenience, but certainly for safety as well. Personally, I’m not into free-hanging tree-stands, and I much prefer ladder-stands because they are still connected to the ground, which is also supporting most of the weight.

Originally, I used one-person ladder-stands for my three sons and myself, but with grandchildren (and other kids, of course) coming into the picture who must (and should) be accompanied by an adult, I’ve been going to the two-person variety whenever possible. And, if hunting alone,  a robust fellow such as myself certainly doesn’t mind the extra space at all!

Putting up the typical ladder-stand, in my opinion, requires at least two people, and I prefer three for additional safety. I’m sure there are some muscular and independent types who feel they can do matters singlehandedly, but I’ve had enough thrills already in my life challenging gravity at times, and I’ve discovered that I don’t bounce too well anymore. Although some ladder-stands can be put up singlehandedly (and I have one), I never try do such all by my lonesome. A case of common sense, learned from experience

Where allowed on private property, as in my case, I often leave my ladder-stands in place all year if they are in a good hunting site (especially near dependable travel corridors and notable pinch-points), as it saves some work, and I’ve found that quality metal stands tend to be quite weather-durable.

However, due to annual tree growth (and weather/storms), I check the ladder-stands well before opening day to see if they need resetting and new nylon ratchet strap. (I buy plenty of ratchet straps and have them on hand for this purpose.) Besides annual tree growth, there is also dry rot caused by continual exposure to weather and the sun’s rays, which can definitely affect the integrity of tough nylon. Due to annual tree growth, I don’t adjust matters until the end of August.

When it comes to chains, which are more weather-durable than nylon, I’ve seen annual tree growth actually weaken and even separate heavy-duty steel links. I also have a wooden platform which I lag-bolted between two large cottonwood trees near my pond, and it was quite sturdy. I had high hopes of even completing it into a tree-house/blind, but that all got dashed in just a couple “growing seasons."

Cottonwoods being cottonwoods, they can perform some significant growing, and while the lag-bolts held firm, the (treated lumber) boards they were holding didn’t, causing the boards to start splitting. So it is definitely a real good idea to double check any “permanent” wooden hunting stands bolted or nailed into trees, no matter how well built.

Hunting blinds that I do put up and take down each year are my portable and dependable (made in the Thumb) Lucky’s Ground Blinds, and I like to do this in certain spots well ahead of time to let deer readily adjust to them. Then there is my wooden deer “shack” blind topped on six-foot stilts, which I quickly discovered raccoons love to use as a playroom (and “litter-box”) all summer if they can gain access through a window.

Making the shack “coon-proof” is an ongoing process. Wasps and hornets also like moving in, and a preseason effort is always making sure I don’t have any “stinging” surprises waiting for me when the sun comes up on an opening morning! This also includes some serious scouting to understand which deer are hanging around in my hunting area, and I’ve been doing this whenever possible all summer.

Bucks are usually in bachelor groups throughout the summer and well into September. Sometimes, there is a solitary buck out there, and these do perk up my attention because they usually have been around awhile and are a bit more moody and less social than the rest. Yep, folks, I have been watching one.

The scouting process gives me an idea of where the deer overall are feeding regularly, and this is important for when I try to pattern certain bucks (and why blinds/stands are located where they are). For me, at least, the buck-patterning process (per food sources and bedding areas) can work during the early archery season right up until when the peak of the rut starts easing in. Then, things can turn topsy-turvy when bucks go on the move, and some even seek different pastures in pursuit of does. This is when knowing doe-patterns really helps, because where there are does, bucks aren’t far away.

I’ve actually taken some nice bucks during the peak rut that I was never aware were in the vicinity before, and I’m sure some were possibly transients from a ways away. In farm country, such as here in the Thumb, the annual fall harvest of crops and the action of plowing can cause a quick change in deer patterns as well.

Trail-cameras certainly aid in the scouting process, and I fully appreciate what they can do and have plenty of friends who use them. However, I’m none too high-tech with certain matters and I have yet to give trail-cameras a whirl. I still rely on the old-school tactics of “reading deer sign” (tracks, droppings, well-worn trails, scrapes and rubs) and glassing from afar with binoculars on a regular basis. So far, this has always worked plenty fine for me.

With summer finally winding down, and the various deer seasons (I dearly love all of them and the unique atmosphere which each offers) soon to be here, I am ready and waiting!

Email freelance outdoors writer Tom Lounsbury at tlounsburyoutdoors@gmail.com