Whitetail Outsider: A Spanish Bowhunter's Take on Midwest Bucks

The temperatures are still really high, and the deer movement has been slow. I’ve spent the last couple weeks hanging from a saddle for over 10 hours a day, and I’m proud of myself.

As someone who has always been a spot-and-stalk hunter, I never thought I’d manage to sit for 12 days in a row. But after training in the spring during our deer season in Spain, I felt confident — and, surprisingly, I’ve actually enjoyed being up here. Stalking keeps your mind constantly busy, always planning the next move, but up in a tree, there’s nothing to do but stay still, open your senses and let the experience sink in. I’ve had time to reflect on a lot, and I’d like to share some thoughts.

Whitetail hunting was something I’d never felt drawn to. I’ve read and watched thousands of articles and videos, but as someone who grew up hunting the mountains in Spain, I’m more accustomed to Western-style hunts. The sit-and-wait approach typically used for whitetails just never really appealed to me. That being said, when you see millions of hunters addicted to this deer species, there has to be something special about it — and I wanted to see it for myself.

To this end, I arranged two hunts: one on a friend’s property in Missouri and another with an outfitter specializing in bowhunting whitetails in Ohio. Both experiences had a common thread — a camp full of friends eager to teach me about the species and the motivations behind the hunt. Harvesting a deer was less important than learning how to hunt them; I was committed to understanding the techniques to see if I could implement them back home or with other species around the globe.

Here are some things I learned that are completely different from how we do things in Europe. To be clear, I am not sure which approach is better — or even if there is better or worse — it is just different. I know each state varies, and management practices may differ from property to property, but these are my observations.

Land and Tags

Probably the biggest difference lies in the tag system. In America, tags are granted to individuals, not tied to particular hunting properties or the properties’ capacity to support deer. On the first hunt in Missouri, we were on about 150 acres. Although this area could probably only support one mature buck every other season, you can legally hunt as many deer as hunters have access to the land, making it very easy to over hunt the place.

Conversely, if I owned 15,000 acres in Spain, I’d still only be allowed to take one buck per season, even though that land could sustain much more. In Spain, tags are given to the land, not the hunter. In Spain, the minimum area required for hunting big game is 2,500 acres. There, a biologist conducts a 10-year plan, assessing animal density and land capacity, outlining a sustainable harvest plan to improve both herd quality and land health. These plans are based on leases rented by towns and farmers. With that plan in place, a certain number of tags will be given each year, and the lease holders will distribute them to hunters at their discretion.

In the United States, it seems like a challenging model to manage herds, since it’s difficult to control or measure the pressure on deer populations across different areas.

Trophy Management

Trophy management was a hot topic during the trip, as it’s a completely different approach here versus Spain. To clarify, while I, like most, appreciate a big set of antlers, I think the scoring system for deer is flawed — not only in America, but globally. Why? The highest-scoring bucks are those in their prime, which encourages hunters to take the best-looking, strongest bucks, typically just before the breeding season. By contrast, in goat or sheep hunting, the trophy value increases with age. So, hunters target the oldest animals, well past their prime.

In many states, deer tags are for a specific sex, with no differentiation by age. Most hunters only get one buck tag per season. So, it’s understandable that everyone aims to harvest the biggest buck they can find, not just for the rack but for the challenge and the opportunity to extend the season as much as possible. This system puts intense pressure on bucks ages 3 to 5 years old, rather than distributing the pressure proportionally across all age groups.

In Europe, we believe that improving genetics and herd quality requires keeping the best bucks around for breeding, while selectively removing younger bucks with poor genetics before they reach breeding age or consume excessive land resources. If a hunter has the opportunity to harvest a small spike, a 2-year-old buck with missing tines or a buck with thin, crooked antlers, they should have the option to take that deer out of the gene pool. In countries such as Germany, hunters must focus on animals over 10 years old for “trophy class” tags, way past their prime and most cases going down. On the other hand, they can selectively shoot younger bucks at their own discretion, always ensuring that the strongest and healthiest animals reach their full potential. If a hunter takes a younger animal with trophy quality, when they check it in, they will face fines and lose tag privileges in following years.

On my hunt, I had young bucks in range that would have been more sensible to harvest than the buck I ultimately took. I recognize I was constrained by the system. If I would have gotten a second tag, I would have taken them without discussion.

Doe Hunting

Most deer hunters agree maintaining a balanced buck-to-doe ratio is essential, and that often requires harvesting a significant number of does. I’ve noticed that many hunters target larger does for their meat, regardless of whether they have fawns. Although fawns can survive without their mothers during hunting season, they’re less likely to thrive than they would be with a parent to guide them through the winter. During these colder months, fawns learn critical survival skills that make them stronger, more resilient adults. Our objective when targeting does is to reduce overall population density to maintain sufficient food quality. A young doe consumes as much as an older one but hasn’t yet proven to be a good breeder or survivor. So, if given a choice, we’d rather take a fawn or yearling doe over a mature doe — unless that doe is without a fawn.

Hunting Methods

The concept of a bow-only season is fantastic, both for the opportunities it provides and for promoting the skill among all hunters. Learning to hunt at close range with a bow is something I hope will gain popularity in Europe, where bowhunting is still illegal in many countries, and we do not have a single advantage over other weapons in the areas where bows can be used. I have to say I’m fascinated by the technical side of whitetail hunting. The time and effort spent on setting up cameras, placing stands, improving land, planting food plots, making mock scrapes, establishing mineral sites, monitoring weather and managing human scent and employing attractant scents — it’s impressive. For an outsider, it may seem like an excessive number of gadgets, especially for someone used to stalking deer simply by walking out and checking the wind, but I admire the devotion and precision behind every action.

The level of dedication among whitetail hunters is astounding. Hanging all their clothes outside, treating their gear with ozone to kill bacteria, spraying themselves down before each sit — these are practices you rarely find outside of whitetail camps. I was also surprised to learn that urine wasn’t considered an issue here, while for us in Europe, that’s often seen as the worst thing you can leave in the woods. It’s fascinating to see how different our cultures can be when pursuing animals that share similar behavior.

There may be countless little differences in how we hunt, but at the end of the day, it’s refreshing to share a lifestyle that transcends cultures and countries. I admire how openly proud American hunters are, even processing animals by the driveway, where passersby will congratulate them. In European countries where hunters often face criticism, this level of acceptance is something I genuinely envy.

I want to offer special thanks to everyone who welcomed me into deer camp last fall and helped me understand the beauty of whitetail hunting. All those hours hanging in a tree with no movement were instantly worth it when a buck finally came through the forest, responded to my grunt and walked right beneath me, just 15 yards away. After these two weeks, I think I finally get it. I’ll definitely be back!

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