By Dustin Trummer
They say the early bird gets the worm. In this strategy, we’re going to flip that idea on its head. I say the last man in will be the first to tag out.
You’ve heard the stories: a buddy of a buddy overslept on opening day of gun season, slipped in just as everyone else was heading out, and somehow dropped the biggest buck in camp. That’s the vibe we’re chasing here—but with a little more intention. The trick is learning how to sneak into the right spot, at the right time, without blowing the whole woods up.
It all starts with a thermal hub—a fancy way of saying a spot where multiple drainages or ravines converge into a larger drainage. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1 Thermal Hub, red dotted lines = bottoms of the drainages
These hubs shine in the evenings when thermals switch and start pulling downhill. From a single point, a buck can scent-check multiple trails at once, which is exactly why mature deer love them. The downside? They’re also some of the trickiest spots you’ll ever hunt. Swirling winds and shifting thermals make scent control nearly impossible if you just plop down midday. Hunting them requires outside-the-box thinking—which is where slipping in late comes into play.
Now, before you fire up OnX and drop pins on every thermal hub in sight, pump the brakes. A hub with a dozen fingers is meaningless if there’s nothing in the bottom that deer actually want. In the early season, bucks are simple. They want three things: food, cover, and water. That’s it. If your hub doesn’t connect them to one of those, keep scrolling.
The best hubs lead into destination food sources. (See Figure 2.)
Figure 2 Rectangles = Destination Food, Circles = Thermal Hubs
In this example, the hub funnels deer toward two different groceries: a big ag field on one end and a tucked-away food plot in the timber. That’s an ideal setup. Bucks can bed high on the ridges and fingers, using their eyes and ears to stay safe. When it’s time to stretch their legs and grab a bite, they drop into the hub and drift toward the fields under the cover of dropping thermals.
And here’s where I’ll stress: be creative. Not every thermal hub will be textbook perfect. Some might have a hidden spring instead of a bean field. Some might connect to an oak flat that lights up in October. The point is, think outside the box and find the ones most hunters overlook.
Once you’ve found the right hub, the big question becomes: how do you get in without blowing the whole thing up—and when’s the exact time to strike?
Access will make or break your hunt. Honestly, I’d rather hunt a less promising spot with bulletproof access than a prime location that’s impossible to reach cleanly. The best stand in the world won’t help if you blow every deer out of the woods before you even climb in.
That’s why I love thermal hubs—especially ones with a creek running through the bottom. Creeks are natural highways for hunters too. They mask your noise, help contain scent, and give you low, shaded cover to slip in unseen.
In this example, I’d slide in along the tree line below the ag field, then drop down into the creek bed. From there, I’d work my way quietly toward the hub, staying low and letting the water and terrain hide my approach. When I reach my cutoff, I’d peel away from the creek, using whatever cover I can to make the final approach to my setup.
The final piece of this puzzle is knowing when to strike. Get in too early and the rising thermals will betray you. Push in too late and you’ll bump deer that are already on their feet. The trick is mastering that short window when the thermals flip.
Thermals begin to reverse as the last sunlight slips off the ridgetops and shade creeps down the slopes. That’s your cue. I like to stage nearby about an hour to an hour and a half before sunset, watching the hillsides. The moment I feel the air cooling and the thermals starting to fall, I make my move. Taking your time, being patient, and slipping in with discipline can be the difference between another empty sit and punching a tag.
Once you’re in, how you hunt the spot is just as critical. Because you’re tight to deer and arriving late, noise discipline is everything. On public ground, where pre-set stands aren’t always an option, I recommend setting up a natural ground ambush. Tuck into cover, or even stand if the vegetation allows—it’s a short sit, so mobility matters more than comfort. On private ground, a pre-set ground blind or quiet ladder stand can work, but blinds have the edge. They allow a quieter entry and exit, which is crucial when you’re hunting within earshot of deer.
At the end of the day, this strategy breaks the mold. You’re not waiting them out—you’re timing them out. And when you pull it off, you’ll swear the woods tilted in your favor.
