in whitetail psychology. Watch & Learn a Deer J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7 Jacob Dingel While on stand for the archery opener in Wildlife Management Unit 5D, I spotted a group of bucks casually feeding through a woodlot at around 7 a.m. About 80 yards away, they were well out of range as they fed into the understory and out of sight. I blew a few notes on my grunt call and even bleated a few times, to no avail. While calling is more effective in the rut, it's worked for me on young bucks early in the season. What happened next was most revealing. About 7:30, I heard a "thwack" immediately followed by the sounds of deer scrambling through the brush, and one crashing to the ground. A hunter on the adjoining property had downed one of the bucks. In a few seconds, two of the others trotted into sight and started milling around, looking back in the direction from where 5 9