Early Season Success - Matt Tags Early!

Missouri’s early archery season opened with extreme heat, drought, and limited available food, but those challenging conditions created a unique opportunity for Matt to harvest a mature buck on the second evening of the season. In this episode, Adam and Matt break down the history of the buck, how drought and agricultural practices shifted available food sources, and why a harvested corn field, neighboring alfalfa, and even a drought-stressed brassica plot became important pieces of the deer’s movement. They also discuss finding pinch points between cover and destination food, understanding how deer adjust within their core area when conditions change, and why trail cameras can only tell part of the story. The bigger takeaway is that changing environmental conditions can dramatically reshape deer movement, and hunters who understand how food, cover, agriculture, and weather interact can recognize opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.