Fall Hunting: 5 Must-Have Tips for Success This Season

We have plenty of tips that can help hunters hunt better this fall. While we can't promise these five are the most valuable things you'll ever hear in your life, we can tell you that the following tips apply to the fall season and can definitely improve your likelihood of tagging out.

So, keep reading for five extremely valuable expert tips for the fall hunting season from the experts at HuntWise. Then, head out and bring home more meat for your freezer.

1. Scout Early and Often to Improve Your Time Management

Sometimes, it can come down to the last days of the season for your opportunity to tag out. Whether you've simply had a busy fall and couldn't get out for the opening day (or more than once), or you haven't had any luck while you've been out in the field, every hunter wants to be more efficient when out on a hunt.

Wasting time walking the woods eats away valuable time that you could spend in a prime spot — either in a blind or tree stand — where you know a big buck is likely to cross your path early in the day.

However, if you're not scouting during the pre-season (like now), this could be exactly how your hunting season plays out: a lot of walking in the wrong spots and no deer to bring home before the season ends.

Start Digitally

If you're not scouting early, often, and digitally, you're wasting time in the field. Your time management is less than ideal since you're starting from scratch every time you step out of your truck and hit the woods or what you hope is a deer trail into a hunting area.

E-scouting helps you get familiar with hunting areas before it's time to head out for the day or afternoon you have scheduled to hunt. Especially if you have limited time this fall, e-scouting becomes a critical strategy to maximize your time in the field.

With HuntWise, you have the best scouting and mapping tool in your hand, allowing you to scout from home or on your lunch break from anywhere. You can mark potential bedding and feeding areas and identify pinch points and possible spots for your stand using the LiDAR mapping layer, giving you the ability to strategize the start of your day in the field before the season begins.

WindCast helps you learn about wind directions based on the insights you learn through the mapping features. With this information, you know how to enter the hunting area you plan to hunt and where to place your stand so you can get in early and wait for the deer to come to you.

2. Be Prepared for Weather Changes

Especially if time constraints will limit your hunting days this fall, you have to be ready for any type of weather the day brings.

If you only have a specific weekend available for a hunt this season, you're stuck with whatever the weather delivers. However, that doesn't mean you should give up and cancel your hunt or head home at the first sign of some rain.

Using HuntCast in the HuntWise hunting app, your fall hunting adventures can continue as planned — with some adjustments. If you see rain in the forecast (up to 15 days ahead as an Elite user), plan your day to come and go from your stand around the rain, or prepare for a long day in the blind while the rain comes and goes.

Or, if the forecast shows dropping or increasing temperatures, make sure you've packed layers in your gear pack to add more clothing or remove layers to stay warm and control your sweat and scent.

Understand Animals and Weather

You'll also want to understand how animals behave based on the weather. Feeding and bedding patterns can change when wind, rain, or snow enter the forecast. So, if the hourly forecast in HuntWise shows rain coming in the morning, make sure you're in your stand around the midday feeding time to catch deer coming out of their bedding areas and heading to their feeding spots.

A successful hunter adapts to the conditions of the day. There's no need to head home or cancel a hunt when you can anticipate the weather and prepare accordingly.

3. Put Your Stand In a Prime Location

And that location may not be where you think . . . or where you put it last season.

While many aspects of a hunting area you've hunted before could stay the same from year to year, the wind direction may not be the same during the days you plan to hunt. Deer, turkey, or any of the animals you're hunting this fall could also have adjusted their travel corridors or habits since your last hunt.

So, it's crucial to study your planned hunt area (whether it's public land or a private spot), look into the HuntCast and WindCast insights for the days you plan to hunt and use that information to help you place your stand in the ideal location for your fall hunt.

Whether you're carrying in your tree saddle or stand the day you hunt or have land for a permanent stand, consider the variables (animal behavior and wind) every season and adjust accordingly. Even a "permanent" stand may need to move to the other side of the tree this year.

You don't want to be stuck on a stand on the wrong side of a tree that puts your scent directly into the path of the deer in your area, scaring them away and leaving you without a buck at the end of the day.

What's a Good Spot for Your Stand?

When choosing a stand location, wind direction is important to consider, but it's not the only factor.

You'll also want to be near food and water sources and bedding areas. Howver, avoid putting your stand in a feeding area or bedding area. Position yourself in a location to overlook where deer or turkeys travel between these areas for your best shot.

Make sure there's also plenty of cover to keep you hidden while looking over the area from above.

4. Know Your Budget and Gear

This could be Tip #1, but we'll bury it down here since no one really likes to talk about money when a fall hunt is on the line.

However, it's important to consider your budget when gearing up for the season.

Depending on where or what you are hunting, you'll need to set aside money for your hunting license, permits, and any fees associated with hunting big game, draws, etc. If you're traveling west for elk, bear, sheep, or another big hunt, you'll also need to plan your travel expenses, anything you plan to pay a guide, and additional gear beyond what you'd need for an at-home deer hunt.

Nothing is worse than arriving for a hunt or having to cancel one because you underestimated the gear needs and available funds for hunt preparation.

The fall hunting season can bring a range of temperatures, weather conditions, and gear needs, so make a list, check it twice, and be prepared for anything.

Take Advantage of Gear Discounts

As a HuntWise app subscriber, the good news is that you get much more than our mapping, marking, and forecasting features. You also get discounts on top-rated gear recommended and used by our hunters and experts.

Hunters can save hundreds on gear ranging from scopes, clothing, sights, tree stands and accessories, broadheads, flashlights, and more.

If you're a basic subscription user but planning a big hunt or you're ready to upgrade some of your gear, you might consider upgrading to Pro or Elite to gain access to bigger discounts on great gear items. You'll also have access to more features within the app as a Pro or Elite user.  

Maximize your gear and hunting budget with HuntWise discounts!

5. Hunt the Rut

Often, the best hunt is a rut hunt.

Whether your available hunting days are immediately before the rut (pre-rut), during the rut, or post-rut, understanding the timing of the rut can help you plan your day in the field around rutting behavior — and how it compares to deer behavior during other parts of the season — for a better chance at tagging out before the late season.

If you're able to get out several times throughout the rut, that's even better!

Use the RutCast feature in the HuntWise app for the best real-time information about rutting in your area or the area you plan to hunt if it's not a local spot. You can also talk to other hunters in the area and ask about how and when they hunt the rut for their most successful hunts.

If you're using deer calls, make sure they're the right calls at the right time for the rut.

Take These Fall Hunting Tips and HuntWise Into the Field for Success

It's not too late to put these tips into action as you look forward to your fall hunting season!

That means now is the time to download HuntWise and start exploring the app if you've never used it before, as it's a theme that ties the tips we shared with you today for success this fall.

Whether you're hunting turkey, deer, elk, dove, waterfowl, or other game this season, HuntWise is the ultimate hunting tool for pre-season prep and scouting, then in-the-field real-time guidance to maximize your time and success while you're out there.

We know any time you can get out in the field is a good time, but we want every hunt to end with a harvest you can bring home and be proud of. Download HuntWise today and explore the features we mentioned today — free — for your first week.

Then apply the hunting tips we highlighted today and enjoy your fall hunts!