EP 535 | The Back Door to Big Bucks: River Access & Public Land with Lucas Cayko

What if the best way to get to a big public-land buck… is by boat? In this episode, I sit down with Lucas to break down his unique approach to hunting river systems and the mature bucks that live in them. Lucas uses boats 90% of the time, staging them at different points along the river so he can quietly slip in the “back door,” avoid other hunters, and take advantage of river thermals and natural barriers to control his scent. We get deep into how he scouts these properties, from finding oxbows, pinch-downs, mud flats and cattail funnels to identifying the big tracks, fallen timber and nasty cover that can give away where mature bucks are bedding. Lucas also explains why he looks for public properties with limited access points and thick cover that most hunters simply don't want to fight through. Then we get into the actual hunting strategy—hunting the edge of a buck's safe zone instead of the bed itself, using the river to manipulate wind and thermals, and sometimes simply “dipping your toes in the water” to learn how deer are using an area before making an aggressive move. And it's not all about chasing big bucks. Lucas talks about introducing his 11-year-old son to bowhunting, learning from his traditional ground-hunting father, and why he's planning to stay closer to home this fall to support his daughter's senior-year sports. If you're interested in river-bottom whitetails, public land, boat access, mature bucks and finding overlooked places other hunters aren't willing to go, this is an episode you don't want to miss. . . . Promo Codes: Raised Scents : https://www.raisedhunting.com/?ref=THEFALLPOD10 Latitude Outdoors: thefall Faceoff Ebikes: TFP Asio Gear: FALL20 Kuhle Archery: FALL25 . . . Partner Websites: Jays Sporting Goods - https://www.jayssportinggoods.com/ Latitude Outdoors - https://www.latitudeoutdoors.com/ Garmin Bow Sights - https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/outdoor-recreation/sportsman-and-tactical-devices/ Prime Archery - https://www.g5prime.com/ Asio Gear - https://asiogear.com?utm_source=pro&utm_medium=fall Faceoff Hunting Ebikes - https://www.faceoffebikes.com/ Michigan Buckpole - https://mibuckpole.com/ Vitalize Seed Company - https://vitalizeseed.com/ Kuhle Archery - https://kuhlearchery.com/ Everland Outdoors - https://everlandoutdoors.com/ Moonguide - https://moonguide.com/ Moultrie - https://www.moultrie.com/ Raised Scents - https://www.raisedhunting.com/?ref=THEFALLPOD10 Don’t forget to check out the Fall Podcast Youtube channel for new content. Subscribe to the channel as well. Thank you. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWSCcGJeHHxejFXBZAO83QA For updates from The Fall Podcast: The Fall Podcast on Instagram - The Fall Podcast The Fall Podcast on Facebook - The Fall Podcast Facebook The Fall Podcast Youtube Channel - The Fall Podcast Youtube Channel Subscribe and Rate us on Itunes: SUBSCRIBE to The Fall Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices