EARLY SEASON BUCKS in the SOUTHEAST!

This week we are joined by Mark Haslam of South Carolina to talk all about targeting bucks in the early season! We start by discussing SC's early velvet season, then cover how Mark adjusts with the deer to stay on the bucks all season. Subjects include:
1:32 - How Mark preps his property for early season
3:32 - Mark's background hunting pines in the Southeast
8:01 - South Carolina's deer season
14:37 - Hunting mornings in early season
22:51 - How Mark's property lays out
24:52 - Hunting temperature swings
27:35 - Do deer REALLY mind the heat?
32:42 - Early season fronts
36:18 - Narrowing down bedding then finding an ambush point
39:36 - Edge vs interior bedding
43:54 - Which bedding area are bucks using at a given time?
46:16 - Using tracks to narrow down bucks
52:11 - Focusing on high spots in the season
1:00:43 - Transitioning out of early season
1:07:30 - Using scents
1:09:43 - Hunting pine areas vs swamps, how do they hunt differently?
1:11:44 - Is there a particular time of the rut where its easier to kill your target buck?
1:14:19 - GPS deer studies on buck home ranges in the south
1:20:51 - targeting specific deer on late food sources
1:25:25 - Hunting "less pressured areas" & the spot in the spot
1:28:30 - Is late season more consistent for buck movement?
1:40:47 - MORE deer or BETTER deer?
1:43:52 - How to follow along with Mark and contact him

[@jonathancoley8112]

In Game Zone 2, the last week of October-first week of November is the magical time for mature bucks to be killed. I’ve hunted SC for over 30 years and kept a log and 75-90% of all the mature bucks I’ve harvested have come during this time period. Grunting, rattling and doe in estrous also work well here during this time. I’ve also killed a good many mature bucks after 11:00 during our rut.

[@thesouthernoutdoorsmen]

That’s great information! We appreciate you watching!

[@SebastianLewisDove]

Smoaks and Early Branch is where I chase white tail. 🦌

[@jimmybradley6654]

Spot on talking about SC rut timing

[@brodyholloway7161]

I just got on a property in west-central part of the state. How different would the rut be?

[@brodyholloway7161]

I didn’t ask that very clearly. I’m trying to figure out if that central part of the state would have an October rut like these guys are talking about in the Lowcountry, or would it be a little bit later in that part of the state?

[@jasonharris5276]

@CarolinaKnocked agreed the ad frequency is ridiculous. Good luck listening as you lay in bed. Love the show but cant stand all the ads every 3 minutes

[@brett7794]

Do a coastline North Carolina one no one has done it yet and it's tuff af here

[@joshuabennett7334]

Hunt hard before every deer in the coastal planes is spooked to the max by dogs run to exhaustion all rifle season even if you get private land access within 5 miles of public land or a hunt club bet on dogs running your whole property

[@BC_I_LETU]

Looking forward to this! Moved to Ga from Ohio last year. Totally different kinda hunting down here on public land. In Ohio you can back track from a crop field, find staging & bedding easy enough. Here in mid-east Ga, there’s no crops near public land, so it’s much different. Seems to be no main destination, food source. Was still able to get a descent buck and like 6 doe with a bow, last year but having a hard time finding a good mature 150+” buck down here on public.

[@shaneshonda]

You may never find a 150 in that area.120 is about it

[@CarolinaNocked]

Yep. Big bucks on public land in the south VERY hard to. Midwest deer much bigger. Better Ag & lots more of it

[@L33T_killa]

SC public is less pressured than SC private😂

[@Simpleman667]

If your looking to hunt SC, I can put you on some public that 1)Sunday hunting 2)ability to get deep (remote) by e-bike)QDMA property (antler restriction). Studs are there and pressure is not. Hit me up if your interested, not gonna “shout it from the rooftops on here”. Love and appreciate what you guys do.

[@thesouthernoutdoorsmen]

We appreciate you’re help! SC is definitely on our short list for next year!

[@bengentry6357]

Been hunting in NC the last 3 years its completely diffrent than what im used to in TN. Ive noticed for early season if you can find grapes the deer are usually pounding them early on. But its been a struggle lol.

[@cray-z7404]

Born & Raised in Wake County NC & killed biggest deer as youth 1993 DIXIE DEER CLASSIC 🦌 & I was 13 ...scored 146 5/8 & I still hold youth record ! 10 pointer 22 1/2 inside spread ! I made front page of news & observer so it was a proud moment for me and my family of course several were jealous ... I was young and it was my first deer ever & I shot with a pump browning shotgun my mom won in raffle ! I had broken arm in cast so had switch hands to pump the shell out to shoot again and I killed it because my cousins were trying use me to push deer to them and it backfired on them 😆 ... Anywho I've killed alot of 140 160 class bucks on family farm land here in Buffalo Creek where I was born & raised & I want to start hunting public land at falls lake, Butner gamelands . I have had good hunting here in wake co. And killed all my biggest bucks within a mile of my house !!!

[@brett7794]

What grapes?

[@cray-z7404]

@@brett7794 wild grapes 🍇

[@johnnyrotten9757]

I hunt NC as well & you're 100% on the grapes. I've got a spot I hunt only in the early season simply because of the amount of wild grape vines that are wrapped up into a bunch of low hanging red oak limbs in this one area. If you can find them close to bedding, it can be almost a guarantee that you'll see deer.

[@Donald-Putin]

@the ginger gunslanger - please tell me you have seen the Oliver Anthony videos. That dude is your doppelganger, or is he actually you?? Great show here baws, another banger.

[@WoodsandWater72]

Dang bo, we live right next to each other. I'm right across the river from ya

[@frankieoutside1523]

Nice podcast. Who was the biologist that wrote the mentioned book on whitetail biology and habits, Geist? I think I owned this book years ago. I learned so much from him, especially scraping behavior.

[@thesouthernoutdoorsmen]

Correct! He was referencing Dr. Valerius Geist

[@CarolinaNocked]

Y’all need to check you Ad settings. I bugged out at 47 minutes. Great content but the ads were driving me nuts. I got 2 ads about every 4-5 minutes.

[@reddawng43x91]

When’s the rut in South Carolina? Here in south louisiana it’s in January , bow opens oct 1 and bucks only until oct 15 and runs till feb 15

[@southernhood5145]

is it as hot up your way as down here

[@reddawng43x91]

I watched a buck breed a doe in mid March a few years ago here in louisiana

[@bch5513]

Don't doubt it. I see bucks with antlers still in turkey season in APRIL in south MS..

[@jamiephillips1801]

I've hunted both game zone 2 and 3. There's a good week and a half to two weeks difference in peak rutting.

[@reddawng43x91]

118 heat index here lol

[@SquirtleOnYa]

Feed me knowledge🥣