If you're waiting until opening day to think about deer season, you're already behind.

The most successful deer hunters know that great seasons are built months before the first arrow flies or rifle cracks. Summer is when you lay the groundwork by improving habitat, attracting deer consistently, and learning their patterns before hunting pressure changes everything. Whether you manage hundreds of acres or hunt a small family property, here's how to start preparing for deer season now.

1. Plant Food Plots That Keep Deer Coming Back

A quality food plot does more than provide groceries, it creates a destination. Well-planned food plots encourage deer to spend more time on your property and can help establish predictable travel patterns throughout the fall. When choosing what to plant, think about your goals.

Early Season Food Plots

Fast-growing annuals provide attractive forage during the first weeks of deer season.

Popular choices include:

• Cowpeas
• Soybeans
• Buckwheat
• Clover

Fall & Late Season Food Plots

These crops provide nutrition after temperatures begin to drop.

Consider planting:

• Brassicas
• Turnips
• Winter peas
• Cereal rye
• Winter wheat

Pro Tip: Before planting, conduct a soil test to determine your property's pH and nutrient levels. Applying the proper lime and fertilizer can make the difference between a struggling plot and one that keeps deer coming back all season long.

Springhill Pick: Stock up on food plot seed, fertilizer, spreaders, and land management tools to get your property ready before hunting season.

2. Establish Mineral Sites Before Antler Growth Finishes

Summer is one of the best times to establish mineral sites. As bucks continue growing antlers and does nurse fawns, their nutritional demands are at their highest. Mineral supplements provide calcium, phosphorus, and other nutrients that support overall herd health and antler development.

Choose locations:

• Near bedding areas
• Along travel corridors
• Close enough for trail camera monitoring
• Away from heavy human activity

Dig a shallow hole, loosen the soil, pour in your mineral, and let rain help activate the site.

Important: Always check your state's regulations regarding mineral sites. Some states prohibit hunting over active mineral sites or require them to be removed before the season. Here in North Carolina, commercially available mineral supplements marketed specifically for deer are generally legal on private land, but they are not allowed on game lands or in designated CWD Surveillance and Management Areas, where additional restrictions apply.

Even if you can't hunt over them, mineral sites are still an excellent tool for taking inventory of the deer on your property throughout the summer. 

Springhill Pick: Grab premium deer minerals and attractants before the preseason rush.

3. Hang Trail Cameras to Learn Deer Patterns

Trail cameras are one of the most valuable scouting tools available.

Right now, bucks are still living in relatively predictable summer patterns. By placing cameras early, you'll begin building a history of:

• Which bucks are using your property
• When they're moving
• Travel directions
• Bachelor group behavior
• Velvet antler development

The goal isn't simply collecting pictures, it's collecting information.

Best Camera Locations

• Food plots
• Mineral sites
• Water sources
• Field edges
• Funnels and pinch points
• Creek crossings

Try not to check your cameras more than necessary. Every trip into the woods leaves scent and creates disturbance that mature bucks notice. Cellular trail cameras are an excellent option for monitoring activity while minimizing pressure.

Springhill Pick: Pick up trail cameras, SD cards, batteries, mounting accessories, and cellular camera options before deer season arrives.

4. Scout Smarter Without Educating Deer

Scouting is one of the biggest keys to a successful deer season, but too much scouting can actually hurt your chances. Summer is the perfect time to learn your property before bucks transition into their fall patterns. Focus on gathering information while leaving as little impact as possible.

Look for:

• Well-used trails
• Bedding cover
• Funnels and pinch points
• Water sources
• White oak flats and other fall food sources
• Rubs and old scrapes from previous seasons
• Natural travel corridors

Digital mapping apps make it easy to mark stand locations, camera sites, access routes, and important deer signs so you have a plan long before opening day. Remember, every trip through the woods leaves a scent. Once you've gathered the information you need, back out and let the property rest until it's time to hunt.

5. Need More Hunting Ground? Start Asking for Permission

If you're looking for a new place to hunt, don't wait until the week before opening day.

Summer is one of the best times to knock on doors and ask for permission to hunt private land. Landowners are often less busy with hunting requests this time of year, giving you a better chance to build a relationship.

When asking for permission:

• Dress neatly and be respectful.
• Introduce yourself.
• Explain how you plan to hunt.
• Offer to help with chores or property maintenance.
• Leave your contact information.
• Respect their answer, even if it's no.

Many hunters gain access simply because they asked early while everyone else waited until the last minute. Even if you already have a hunting property, having a backup location can save your season if crops change, hunting pressure increases, or deer patterns shift.

6. Minimize Pressure on Your Hunting Property

One of the biggest mistakes hunters make is over-scouting. Every unnecessary trip through the woods educates mature bucks before the season even begins.

Instead:

• Check cameras sparingly.
• Wear rubber boots.
• Stay out of bedding areas.
• Hunt the wind, even during scouting trips.
• Plan efficient routes in and out.

The less deer know you're there now, the better your odds when opening day arrives.

7. Start Building Your Hit List

By midsummer, many mature bucks become recognizable on camera.

As trail camera photos accumulate, begin organizing:

• Buck identification
• Estimated age
• Antler growth
• Preferred food sources
• Travel routes
• Daylight movement

Keeping notes throughout the summer often reveals patterns that aren't obvious from individual photos. When deer season opens, you'll already know which bucks you're targeting and where they're most likely to appear.

8. Prepare Your Deer Stands Before the Rush

One of the easiest ways to avoid headaches on opening day is to get your stands hung and ready now. Whether you're hanging new stands or returning to the same locations as last season, summer gives you plenty of time to prepare without feeling rushed.

Take time to:

• Inspect ladder stands, hang-on stands, and climbing stands for rust, worn straps, or damaged cables.
• Replace old ratchet straps and hardware if needed.
• Trim shooting lanes carefully without over-clearing the area.
• Clear quiet access trails to and from your stand.
• Hang lifelines and always use a full-body safety harness.
• Double-check prevailing wind directions to ensure your stand is set up for the conditions you'll actually hunt.

If you're hunting public land, use your summer scouting trips to identify potential stand locations before hunting pressure increases. A little work now means less disturbance later and a much smoother opening morning when it's time to climb into the stand instead of scrambling to hang one.

Springhill Pick: We carry ladder stands, hang-on stands, climbing sticks, safety harnesses, lifelines, and other hunting accessories to help you hunt safely and comfortably all season long.

9. Don't Forget Your Gear

Summer is also the perfect time to inspect your hunting equipment before the preseason rush.

Take time to:

• Replace trail camera batteries.
• Clear or replace SD cards.
• Check tree straps and safety harnesses.
• Service your ATV or UTV.
• Tune your bow.
• Sight in your rifle.
• Clean optics.
• Organize scent-control gear.
• Replace worn-out boots or clothing.

Replacing worn equipment now prevents last-minute headaches later.

The Work Starts Long Before Opening Day

Successful deer seasons don't happen by accident. Every bag of seed planted, every mineral site refreshed, every trail camera checked, every scouting trip, and every conversation with a landowner helps set you up for success this fall. The hunters who consistently fill tags aren't usually the luckiest, they're the ones who put in the work months before the season opens.

Start preparing now, stay patient throughout the summer, and you'll be ready when opening day finally arrives.

Get Ready for Deer Season at Springhill Outfitters

Whether you're planting your first food plot, hanging trail cameras, scouting a new property, or fine-tuning your strategy for a mature buck, Springhill Outfitters has everything you need to prepare for a successful deer season.From food plot seed and minerals to trail cameras, feeders, optics, scent control, apparel, and hunting accessories, we've got the gear to help you make the most of every hunt.

Stop by Springhill Outfitters or shop online today and get ahead before deer season gets here.