BANKS BLOG

July and August will be your prime months to observe deer herd behavior on your trail cameras before the deer hunting season opens in Minnesota on Sept.19. Trail cameras give you the ability to check out the deer herd’s habits before hunting season opens so that you can go into opening day with a game plan. Check out our tips, below, for where to place your trail cameras for the rest of the summer.

As bucks age and mature, they start to develop antlers that grow and shed on a cycle every year. During late summer, there’s a time frame where the deer have grown their antlers, but they’re not yet fully developed. They have a coating of fur known as “velvet” that covers the bone of the antlers underneath. Having the velvet on their antlers causes bucks to behave differently as they accommodate the growth during their overall cycle. Our tips, below, will help you understand these velvet-cycle routines and territories.

The work you do now during the summer off season can have a big impact on the fall hunting season. Clear your shooting lanes, give the deer herd shade and keep your deer feeders stocked to set yourself up for a success fall season. Check out our tips below and browse our arsenal of Banks Outdoors products to learn how your summer habitat projects can pay off in the fall.

Deer patterns shift depending on the time of year. During rut season, they’re seeking out mates and covering a lot of ground during all hours of the day. During the winter, they move around in light snow but bed down during thick snowfall. In the summer, they find areas of shade under heavy tree or bush coverage to get relief from the blazing sun. Learn more about how you can keep the deer herd comfortable and how the heat affects their behavior.

The summer heat can dry out more than just lakes and rivers. Food sources are also affected by summer droughts. Our Feedbank Gravity Feeders give deer easy access to the food and nutrients they need to continue building their antlers and stay healthy during the brutal summer temperatures, even when their natural food sources might be drying out. Check out our tips, below, to learn more about how our feeders can keep the herd fed and thriving during the summer months.

Summer heat waves affect us all, even the deer herd. As the temperatures rise, deer will begin to seek out areas of heavy shade and plentiful water sources to stay cool and hydrated. If your property offers both benefits, you’ll see the deer herd gravitate to your land all season, setting you up for an active and successful fall hunting season. Check out our tips below on how to identify these deer patterns.

School’s out for the summer, the temperatures are rising and we’re all soaking up the summer sun. As we start grilling out and enjoying everything that comes with outdoor summer fun, we also need to make sure we stay hydrated, and that includes deer. Keep your water systems filled to help provide the deer herd with a reliable source of hydration all summer long.

As spring comes to a close and the summer heat start to creep in, the deer herd’s food preferences shift with the season. The end of fawn season and the recovery period after a harsh winter means the herd will be looking to build their nutrient reserves back up. Make sure your food plots and feeders are stocked with the appropriate foods as we enter the next phase of the deer cycle.

Spring is the start of deer fawn season, so it is the time to focus on predator management on your property. You want to control the coyote and bobcat population before they can get to the fawns. We’ve got some strategies for how to control those unwanted predator animals before they affect the deer herd.

Spring is the season of deer fawn births. It’s important to keep the hunting pressure reduced and your food and water systems stocked with nutrients during this phase of the reproductive process to ensure optimal herd survival and herd health. Learn more about what you can do during these spring months, below.

As a hunter, your goal is to fill your tags every season. It’s as simple as that. You want to fill your tags because it puts meat in the freezer and helps contribute to conservation by keeping the ecosystem in balance. The fact that it’s an exhilarating and skilled hobby is the icing on top of the cake. So, because every hunter should want to make the most out of their hunting season, you should start prepping in the spring so that you can slowly build attraction to your property, month by month. You don’t just decide to run a 20-mile marathon tomorrow if you’ve never ran a day in your life. You start with one mile and add more until you’re ready. So, if you want to be marathon-ready by the fall, start prepping now.

Spring is prime turkey hunting season. It’s a great way to keep your hunting muscles engaged while you wait for the next deer season and it’s another opportunity to put wild game on the table and in your freezer. You can use our Feedbank Feeders to attract both turkey and deer to your property to take advantage of hunting turkey season and keep the deer engaged in your property during the off season. Check out the tips, below, for how you can use our feeders to kill two birds with one stone.