Written By: Kendra DeBerry, Fall Obsession Pro Staff

In my state of Georgia, I’ve noticed a trend over the past couple of decades in the whitetail deer. During late season when bucks are looking for the last does in estrus, they’ll cruise by what I call the Whitetail Nursery. Meaning, a place females reside while raising their offspring from the previous year. It is not complicated and pretty simple to find these areas. 

On your land, lease, or public land areas, you’ll notice consistent areas where you always see does with their young. Now, I’m not talking about just a doe in general, I’m referring to the ones rearing their young. Places like this typically have a sunny area, that may or may not be an actual field, but a large opening, surrounded by mature hardwoods or a timber mixture. Generally, it will have sloping hills or ridges around it. Like a little oasis you might say. It won't be too far from bedding areas that does tend to frequent and will usually have low growing browse and brush filling in around the meadow or field area. This provides those little fawns a place to run, jump and play, while also giving them a place to lay and hide in the brush. They love the hardwood mixture surrounding them because it has easy access to acorns that drop from the trees.

Without a doubt, old bucks will start cruising these areas in search of a mate. The first sign you will notice will be rubs in the hardwoods and scrapes showing up around field perimeters. They do most of the activity after dark, mainly because Nursery areas are usually in close proximity to humans. Next to farm houses, workshops, horse and cattle barns, subdivisions that are near wooded areas, etc…

No need to worry, they won’t stay nocturnal for long. All those young ones have been maturing during the months. At 6 months of age, they normally begin to go through their very first estrus cycles, which in turn happens during the months of December, January and February in my area. Just a little north of me, it occurs just a few weeks later.

This is a lesson I learned years ago when I had to constantly try to figure out how to get past them and their young in an area near my friend's Transmission shop on his farm. Just down the slope to the left side of his shop were two meadows surrounded by hardwoods and pines with thick underbrush skirting the field edge. Does and young ones were there constantly and were completely used to the sounds of air tools and so forth, but not the humans dressed as camouflage walking sticks, strutting through their home base. I decided to place a stand on the little ridge that surrounded their haven one year and had to go that direction to get to the other side to hunt the mountain. It was very tricky getting to it, but I managed not to booger them too badly. My focus wasn’t on the does in the area, but rather on the calling gentlemen that often came during the rut.

For 10 straight days I sat in the stand, morning and evening. Everyday I saw several different bucks each day. Most were 2 year olds cruising for love. I was persistent! I knew eventually the big boys would come calling. On the tenth morning, there he was, circling the perimeter. He wasn’t just trying to wind check, he was actually eyeballing for does in the area looking for that receptive mate. Problem was, no date was in the area at the time. I grunted to try and pull him in closer for a shot. No response! He continued to walk away from me. I immediately adjusted my call to an estrus bleat on the Buck Roar call and sounded it. He was hooked,so I tightened the drag on my call. Come on big boy! He stood about 60 yards from me, looking for the singer of the tune that I had just played. I set the crosshairs on him and let the lead fly! I had my first Whitetail Nursery buck! I love it when a plan comes together. I’ve never forgotten that day. I’ve used this technique a few times over the years with a lot of success. Just remember when you see that group of does and their young ones, make notes, check the surroundings and see if you’ve entered the Nursery.

Good luck in your hunting and stay passionate and obsessed!