Most hunters treat June as a dead month. The season is months away, the mosquitoes are brutal, and the lake is calling. But if you actually want to punch a tag on a mature buck this fall, your season starts right now.
June is the proving ground. It’s when you lay the foundation for November. Whether you’re managing your own back forty or prepping for a public land hang-and-hunt, here are five off-season chores you need to check off your list this month.
1. Get Your Summer Food Plots in the Dirt
Stop procrastinating. If you’re planting warm-season plots like soybeans, cowpeas, or a clover blend, the window is closing. These protein-rich forage sources are critical for bucks packing on velvet and does nursing fawns. Get your soil tests done, spray for weeds, and put seed in the ground before the next summer rain. A lush summer plot does more than just feed deer—it anchors them to your property before the fall transition.
2. Hang Your Trail Cameras (and Leave Them Alone)
Bucks are starting to show real velvet growth right now, which means it’s time to take inventory. Move your cameras to summer hot spots: field edges, shaded water holes, and established mineral sites. If your camera shoots video, use it—video clips tell you a lot more about a buck’s attitude and herd dynamics than a still photo. Once your cams are up, resist the urge to check them every weekend. Keep human pressure to an absolute minimum.
3. Establish Mineral Licks (Where Legal)
Growing bone takes a massive toll on a buck’s body. During the summer, deer actively seek out calcium, phosphorus, and trace minerals. If it’s legal in your state, refresh your existing stumps or dig out a new lick near a shaded water source. It’s one of the cheapest and most effective ways to support herd health and get those velvet bucks posing for your cameras.
4. Reprogram Your Bow Setup
Don’t be the guy scrambling to tune a bow in late August. Pull your rig out of the case now. Inspect your strings, cables, and limbs. If you need new strings, local pro shop wait times are a lot shorter in June than they are in September.
More importantly, start shooting daily. You don’t need to fling 50 arrows a night—shoot a half-dozen perfect arrows. Build that muscle memory now so your mechanics are automatic when a shooter steps into your lane.
5. E-Scout and Stay Out
Summer foliage is thick, and wandering around the timber right now is a great way to blow deer off your property. Stay out of their living room. Instead, fire up your mapping apps and e-scout. Look for terrain funnels, pinch points, and early-season bedding cover. Pick your stand locations from the couch, then slip in surgically for a quick afternoon of trimming shooting lanes before backing out for the rest of the summer.
Watch How the Pros Prep Their Dirt
Reading about land management is one thing, but seeing exactly how it’s done on real dirt is how you dial in your own strategy.
If you want a masterclass in summer property prep, head over to CarbonTV.com. In the recent Season 2 Episode 12: Home Farm Finale of Midwest Mindset, land specialist Mike Tepe heads to his home farm to get his own food plots in the dirt, breaking down exactly what habitat strategies work (and which ones fail) on his property.
While you’re there, dive into full seasons of Midwest Whitetail for elite-level scouting and stand placement strategies.
And if you need a reminder of exactly what all this June sweating is for, fire up Season 10, of Chasing November. There is no better way to get your blood pumping for opening day than watching the pros execute their hard-earned game plans when the rut finally breaks loose.
CarbonTV has the premium, free hunting content you need to perfect your strategy while you wait for fall.
