Does This Really Happen?

[BarnesX.308]

I was watching a hunting show today where they were hunting over a field. In broad day light the field was full of deer, including bucks over 170". This was in hunting season. The hunters were in a little house and were watching them and talking the whole time. They finally decided to shoot a booner. The two hunters got up and switched spots so the hunter doing the shooting could get a better shot. In my experience, deer stop feeding in open fields during the daylight around early October and the 170+ inch bucks are never out in the open during the daylight (let alone in rifle season). Another guy from the hunting party was in the little house the day before and video taped this buck. The other hunters watched it that night, then went to the little house and it showed up like clock-work. They then shot it at long range from the little house on the edge of the field using the window sill as a bench rest.

When I hunt, I'm in the woods. I make sure I'm scent free, I hunt the wind and I make sure not to make a peep and stay very still. Then I may see a buck sneaking through the trees. Two totally different kinds of hunts. I was wondering if they had a fridge and a TV in that little house.

[wholelottagobble]

I am like you I hunt hard all year in hopes of seeing maybe 1-2 nice bucks. My average evening is 4 or 5 does maybe one buck. I had the privelige of helping move a Texas hunting guide into him and his wife's bed and breakfast they were opening not too far away. There was alot of furniture and even more deerheads. Me and the guys that helped are all local hunters and we were just in awe the entire time. He showed us videos from his leases down there. No fences, just feeders and deer. The deer down there pattern with when the feeders go off. Once in the evening and once in the morning. The deer came in like clockwork. I am not exaggerarting I promise- 10-30 bucks at one time could be seen on the screen on the video no matter where the location. I mean honestly you could see 15 bucks 140" or better at one time. I was amazed. I mean there is nothing and I mean nothing that this guy could see in the woods that would impress him after doing this for years. I am conviced that if you live in an area with a large poplulation ( Alabama, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, etc), and you have a low buck to doe ratio- 3 to 1 or better, Events like you and me have seen are common. Liw hunting pressure is another factor. Just my opinion.

[Stump_MN_Hunter]

I'd either say there was A LOT of edited video tape or they were hunting some high fenced "ranch". Free ranging animals of course.

Texas maybe? LOL Just kidding Texas guys. Just had to throw out a shot. he, he

[cardeer]

Hollywood,Maybe a persevre and them deer are addicted to the special food plots. Maybe even a fence ,who knows. All I know it dont work that way for me.It certainly was not public land.

[Trustee]

Sounds like big business buying then posting a huge chunk of land. I know what you mean...if hunting was that easy I wouldn't be doing it. Last year I hunted 8 strait days in N. WI. That was the first year that I didn't see a buck. I'd hunt like that over what these big whigs do!

[BarnesX.308]

Just saw it again. I noticed another thing. They only look in one direction. I scan the woods in a 360 degree sweep. I do have one area that I watch the most, but I look all over. The shooting house they were in only had a window on one side - the side overlooking the field. I also watched a guy pass up a 160-170" buck because it wasn't at least 6.5 years old. It seems like the thrill is gone for these guys. Seeing any deer gets my heart pumping. These guys are saying, that's a good 12-point but I think I'll pass because he's not 6.5 years old yet.

[G2 Shooter]

Gobble got it right. Most of those shows are done in areas were the deer are "programmed" to do things like come out to feed at certain times and in certain areas. The buck to doe ratio is 2-1 or better so you will see more bucks fighting over a single doe. I look at it like cheating. Granted, those guys get monster bucks which are nice on the wall but what story do they have to tell about how they got it? Those videos are a bunch of Hollywood. They have to show you the big bucks or else you wouldn't buy them. Who wants to see a video of a guy setting up at 5am to sit and watch a single doe go by him at 60 yards?

I wish they would make a video of a hunt for doe. Here in Maryland, the buck to doe ratio is like 1-4 or worse. It's hard as heck to see a big buck because he can run around at night and get all the booty he wants. We need hunters to take more doe to even things out but they all want the big bucks like they see in the videos. IMHO I think the videos hurt the sport. I watch them and wish I would see a monster buck but I know it probably won't happen in my area of high doe population and public land. I still enjoy hunting and being outside even if I don't see a big one.

On a side note, I think more states should adopt a minimum rack size for bucks. I see too many button bucks and spikes at the check in station. I would rather see large doe being checked in than a 70lb spike. Let 'em grow guys!

[Charley]

These guys are saying, that's a good 12-point but I think I'll pass because he's not 6.5 years old yet.

It's called "management".

"It seems like the thrill is gone for these guys."

I get excited everytime I have whitetails in front of me. Granted, I don't see the multiple 140s as posted above, but if I see less than 10 deer per morning and evening hunt, it is a little slow. Might see two 120s in that time period. Every hunter on my lease gets excited, too, BTW, or we wouldn't PAY to hunt there!

"I'd either say there was A LOT of edited video tape or they were hunting some high fenced "ranch"."
Could be, there are high fence operations in Texas. Don't quite see how 10,000 plus acres could be called a "ranch". though. I'm lucky enough to lease on a ranch of 17,000 acres, more or less. The group I hunt with has about 5500 of it. My pasture is roughly 800 acres, and there are NO high fences on the entire ranch.

"Liw hunting pressure is another factor."

We are allowed to hunt Thursdays thru Sundays only. It is a working ranch, and other things are going on the rest of the time. The practice also allows the deer heard time to settle down, and not get spooky. They don't switch to seondary trails, and don't become nocturnal because there is a shooter behind every bush, like they do in some parts of the country.

[NY Bowhunter]

Sounds like a ranch or high fence operation of some kind. They probably could've walked down to them and pet them and then climbed back in their stand (house) and shot them.

[ir655]

ORIGINAL: NY Bowhunter

Sounds like a ranch or high fence operation of some kind. They probably could've walked down to them and pet them and then climbed back in their stand (house) and shot them.

LMAO! Good one, what has happened to the good old way of hunting?