A Guide to the Different Types of Hunting

A Guide to the Different Types of Hunting and How to Scout Each One

Not every hunter pursues the same species, hunts the same terrain, or runs the same scouting setup.

 

This guide covers the main types of hunting in North America: what each one involves, how the hunting differs across species, and how your trail camera strategy should shift depending on what you're chasing.

 

Whether you're expanding into a new type of hunting or looking to sharpen your scouting approach, the goal is the same: more intel before season opens.

 

What Are the Main Types of Hunting?

 

Type	Target Species	Typical Season
Whitetail Deer	Whitetail	Sept – Feb (varies by state/method)
Turkey	Wild turkey	Spring (April–May); some fall seasons
Waterfowl	Ducks, geese	Oct – Jan (migratory; varies)
Predator	Coyote, fox	Year-round, varies by state and species
Bear	Black bear	Limited seasons; varies by state

 

Whitetail Deer Hunting

 

What It Involves

Whitetail deer is the most widely pursued[KM1]  type of hunting in the U.S. Deer are present across most of the country year-round, seasons are long relative to other types, and the methods are accessible at a range of budgets and experience levels.

 

• The most common approach is a fixed position: a tree stand, ground blind, or elevated box blind placed along a travel route, near a food source, or over water.
• Spot-and-stalk works in more open terrain but is less common in the heavily wooded regions where whitetail are most abundant.
• Deer movement patterns change as the season progresses, from summer feeding patterns through the pre-rut, rut, and into late season. Understanding those shifts is what makes year-round scouting worth the effort rather than just the weeks before opener.

 

The work that makes a whitetail season productive happens long before you climb into a stand. It starts with scouting.

 

Scouting Strategy

Scouting is how you turn a piece of property into a hunting strategy. Start by looking for where deer are bedding, feeding, and moving between the two.

 

Early season, hang cameras in known travel corridors, along field edges, over salt licks. Those are the spots where deer will be in summer. But don't leave them there all season. As deer start shifting from their summer to their fall pattern, move cameras to bedding areas, scrapes, and community rubs, then shift them again going into the actual hunt.

 

That doesn't mean you're constantly going in there moving cameras and putting ground scent all over the place. But don't be afraid to pull a camera and shift it 150 yards if it needs to be.

 

Signs to look for on the ground:

• Rubs: Bark scraped from a small tree by a buck's antlers. A line of rubs often marks a deer trail and travel route.
• Scrapes: Cleared patches of dirt under an overhanging branch. Bucks return to active scrapes repeatedly during the pre-rut and rut, which is the annual breeding season. Rut timing varies by region across the U.S., so check what's typical for your area.
• Trails: Worn paths through cover indicate consistent movement.
• Food sources: Acorns, ag fields, food plots, soft mast. Know what's drawing deer to your property and when it peaks.

 

Trail Camera Strategy

Every time you walk into a core area you risk leaving scent that pushes deer off their patterns. The Moultrie Edge 3 Pro is what we use for this, with no-glow flash, a fast trigger, and Moultrie AI that identifies bucks and pulls photos to your phone without you setting foot in the area.

 

If you're putting cameras out in June and don't want to return until season, the Moultrie Edge Solar runs on an integrated solar panel and stays in place through the summer without a battery change.

 

Where you hang cameras should shift with the season:

 

Phase	Where to Focus Cameras	What You're Looking For
Summer	Water sources, food plot entry points	Consistent feeding and watering patterns
Early Fall	Corridors between bedding and food	Deer transitioning from summer range
Pre-Rut / Rut	Active scrapes, corridors near doe bedding areas	Peak buck movement and sign activity
Late Season	Food sources, sheltered terrain and wind-protected cover	Deer concentrated around food and thermal cover

 

In northern regions, deer in late season will seek dense conifers and wind-protected terrain to conserve energy. Camera placement near food sources adjacent to this type of cover tends to be most productive.

 

Feeder Strategy

A feeder gives you a fixed location where deer show up consistently, which makes patterning individual deer significantly easier than monitoring open terrain. Pair one with a cellular camera and you can build a picture of which deer are on the property and when they're coming in without repeated walk-ins that put pressure on the area.

The Moultrie 250LB Deer Feeder Connected runs on cellular, so you can control feed times and check in from the app without making a trip out to the property. It holds 250 pounds of feed, runs up to 10 feed times per day, comes with a solar panel, and mounts without tools.

On properties where a permanent feeder isn't practical, Moultrie deer attractants[KM2]  accomplish the same goal of pulling deer into a consistent location without the infrastructure.

Feeder and baiting regulations vary by state and may be prohibited on public land. Check your local regulations before setting one up.

Turkey Hunting

What It Involves

Turkey hunting is a different pursuit than deer. Instead of waiting in a fixed position, you're on your feet, calling and moving, trying to work a bird into range. The hunt is built around calling.

 

Gobblers are vocal and will respond to calls across significant distances, but getting one to commit and close the gap to shotgun or bow range is where the skill comes in.

 

Fall seasons are available in many states, typically hunted by locating and scattering flocks then calling birds back, but spring is where most hunters focus.

 

Scouting Strategy

Find where birds are roosting and where they go after flydown. Gobblers typically fly down, move to open areas such as field edges, logging roads, and open ridges to strut and display in the morning. A camera over a dusting area, strut zone, or field edge will show you how many birds are using an area and when.

 

Hang cameras four to six weeks before season to identify active strut zones and roosting areas before you set foot in the woods to hunt. Check your state's regulations for season dates, bag limits, and licensing requirements before you go.

 

Trail Camera Strategy

The Moultrie Edge series AI detection can be configured by species. Set it to send photos of turkeys only and you cut false triggers while extending battery life between visits. If you also want to know about deer or hogs moving through, you can add those, but cater it to what you're after.

 

Waterfowl Hunting

 

What It Involves

Duck and goose hunting runs on migration. Unlike deer or turkey, which live on or near your property year-round, waterfowl move through in waves depending on weather and time of year.

 

Temperature drops[KM3] , snow cover, and large-scale weather patterns are the primary drivers pushing birds along their routes.

 

You're not scouting a resident animal on a fixed piece of ground. You're figuring out where birds are stopping to rest and feed as they travel through, then putting yourself in that spot with decoys and a call to bring them in close enough for a shot. Where you hunt, when you hunt, and how well your spread looks from above all determine whether birds commit or keep flying.

 

What you need to get started:

·       Waders, shotgun, decoys, a call, and concealment: the starting point, not extras

·       Access to good water: a flooded field, stock pond, or river bend where birds are actively stopping is worth more than the best setup in the wrong location

·       Current regulations: season dates are set annually by state agencies within a federal framework tied to migration. The specifics vary by zone, flyway, and species. Check your state's regulations before you go.

 

Scouting Strategy

A cellular trail camera near a stock pond, flooded timber edge, or feeding field tells you whether birds are using a location before you commit to a setup. You can monitor a water source without repeated walk-ins that alert birds to human activity in the area.

 

Before you go, confirm:

• State hunting license requirements for waterfowl in your zone
• Federal Duck Stamp: [KM4] required by federal law for all waterfowl hunters 16 and older hunting migratory birds
• State waterfowl license or stamp, required in most states in addition to a general hunting license
• Species-specific bag limits and shooting hours, which are strictly enforced

 

Trail Camera Strategy

Water locations need consistent monitoring across weeks. The Moultrie Edge Solar is well suited here: it runs without battery changes, keeps you out of the area during the monitoring period, and stays active as long as the location needs coverage.

 

Predator Hunting

 

What It Involves

Predator hunting has a lower barrier to entry than most other types covered here. The primary target is coyotes, though fox and bobcat are pursued in some regions. The setup is straightforward: you find an area with known predator activity, get into position, run a call to imitate prey or another predator, and wait for an animal to commit. Many hunters move to a new location after 20 to 30 minutes if nothing responds, though this varies by hunter and conditions.

 

• Seasons and licensing requirements vary by state and species. Check your state's regulations for what applies to the species you're pursuing before you go.
• The gear list is shorter than deer or waterfowl hunting: a rifle or shotgun appropriate for the species, an electronic or mouth call, and camo that breaks up your outline.
• Wind discipline is critical. Coyotes trust their nose more than any other sense and will almost always circle downwind before committing to a call (Chamberlain et, al., 2021)[KM5] . Setting up with the wind in your favor is not optional. A coyote that gets your scent before it gets into range is gone, and it will not come back to that setup.

 

Scouting Strategy

Resident coyotes cover an average of five to six kilometers per day while active, meaning a well-placed camera on a travel corridor will see consistent traffic. Transient coyotes, which move through without established territories, can cover significantly more ground daily (Chamberlain et, al., 2021)[KM6] .

 

Hang cameras where habitat transitions create natural funnels:

• Field edges and timber lines where open ground meets cover
• Creek crossings and drainage ditches running through agricultural land
• Fence crossings and low points where coyotes move between properties consistently
• Ridge lines and draws that channel movement through broken terrain

 

Overhunting a single location will push coyotes off their patterns. Rotate setups and give areas time to rest between hunts.

 

Regulations for predator hunting vary by state and may include rules on baiting, legal hunting hours, and species-specific requirements. Check your state's regulations before you go.

 

Trail Camera Strategy

Coyotes are largely nocturnal and become more so in areas with hunting pressure. The Moultrie Edge series keeps coyotes from detecting the camera at night, which matters when you're trying to pattern an animal that adjusts its behavior quickly in response to disturbance.

 

Bear Hunting

What It Involves

Black bear hunting[KM7]  is the most involved type covered here from a licensing standpoint. Tags are allocated by zone, seasons are shorter than deer or turkey, and many states use application or draw processes that require planning months before the season opens.

 

If you're planning a bear hunt, research the licensing process for your state first. The three primary methods are hunting over bait, hunting from a stand over natural food sources, and hunting with hounds, though which of those is legal varies significantly by state.

 

In late summer through fall, black bears[KM8]  enter a period called hyperphagia, significantly increasing their food consumption in preparation for the colder months. During this period bears can forage for up to 20 hours a day, which concentrates their movement around food sources and makes their patterns more predictable than at any other time of year. This is when most bear seasons run, and for good reason.

 

Scouting Strategy

During hyperphagia[KM9] , black bears consume hard and soft mast species including acorns, hickory nuts, berries, and agricultural crops such as soybeans and standing corn. Find those food sources on your property or hunting area, then put cameras on the routes bears are using to reach them.

 

Signs to look for:

• Mast crop areas: Oak flats, beech ridges, and hickory stands are high-priority locations during early fall.
• Agricultural edges: Field edges adjacent to standing corn or soybeans where bears are feeding.
• Travel routes: Worn paths, tracks, and hair on fence crossings leading to and from food sources.

 

Check your state's regulations for draw deadlines, season dates, and legal hunting methods well in advance.

 

Trail Camera Strategy

Two things make cellular cameras especially valuable for bear. First, bears are known to investigate unfamiliar objects in their territory.

 

A camera mounted high with no-glow flash is less likely to be detected. Second, if you're hunting over bait where legal, a cellular camera lets you know when a bear is hitting the site without walking in and adding human scent to the area before your hunt.

 

Pair a Moultrie no-glow cellular camera with Moultrie bear attractants on your bait site. You get notified when a bear hits and stay out until it counts.

 

Trail Camera Strategy by Hunting Type

 

Hunting Type	Camera Placement	When to Hang	What to Look For	Flash Type
Whitetail Deer	Travel corridors, scrapes, food sources, water	Summer through season; shift with deer patterns	Buck activity, rub lines, scrape freshness, feeding times	No-glow
Turkey	Field edges, strut zones, dusting areas	4 to 6 weeks before season	Roosting activity, strutting zones, flock size	Standard or no-glow
Waterfowl	Stock ponds, flooded timber edges, feeding fields	Early season; monitor through migration window	Bird species present, frequency of use, consistency of visits	Standard
Predator	Gut piles, travel corridors, habitat edges	Year-round; hang before calling setups	Coyote routes, activity times, nocturnal movement	No-glow
Bear	Food sources, travel routes into feeding areas	3 to 4 weeks before season	Bear presence, frequency, time on site	No-glow, mounted high