shed33

I had the perfect wind last night so I slipped down 200 yards onto a saddle where I took the photos of ole Stretch last week. Tucked myself in between a cedar tree and 5 little whitefir sapplings and waited it out for the evening on the ground....with a 16-27 yard shot lane that the he walked on the other day. Nothing showed...No worries it's a waiting game for me guys, hunting these bucks individually. Its just pretty much me and him on that mountain, hes got feed in all directionsin that specific area. It may happen tomorrow it may take a month to see him again, its not like hes travelingto a cornfield or a bait pile..he like so many other old bucks in these mountains learn to rotate around and mix it up with the hvy predation they face.. lions,wolves, yotes, bears..etc..its no wonder they dont stick to aspecific pattern...I wouldnt either if I had the chance of being hunted24/7.. I did hear a deer move or something smaller about 50-75 yards down over the ridge, definately wasnt and elk.

I am dieing to get a southern wind so I can go hunt the 4x5 and give Stretch a break for a day or two. If I wanted to see deer from my stands everyday I would hunt the bottoms.. but for me, I'd rather go 10 days without seeing one and finally see the buck I am after than sit inand around otherdeer where he doesnt live..

John, good luck! I am very glad to hear your gonna be in the woods..I'm sure you'll put the hurt on a dandy...
Rob, keep after them bud, that first one is gonna be special.
Jeff, I have no doubts you'll put an arrow in one when the buck you want comes by..matter of time for you...

Captain, no worries..this team hunts way to hard to not fill some tags..

Will...early season in these woods, the does and young bucks are feeding on apples and ag in the bottoms..the old bucks I am hunting anyway opt out from those lush feeds and stay high during daylight hours... I believe they are content with the native feed in the mountains and surviving versus taking a chance down low around the fields and getting shot..

I look at 3-4 bucks every evening out my front door..in the oats.. 25 elk..3 nice bulls now and 6 spikers.. funny how the only critter on the mountains staying up on the mountains are the big bucks... they have it figured out..

tlutterba

I will be in the woods tom morning BRIGHT AND EARLY as a long anticpated season beings !!


Tyler

LebeauHunter

Troy,

Am I right to say that the biggest truism with hunting mature whitetails is to "figure them out before they figure you out."

I know it sounds very simplisic, but before last year I really didn't put much effort into trying to
figure them out, but I know the big ones figured me out by my results.

Most guys who consistently take big bucks seem to know where the deer are generally going to
be and take pains to hunt them without the deer knowing it (moving around, not wearing
out a stand, not hunting if wind isn't right, moving very stealthily to stand, etc.)

GMMAT

If the hard rain blows outta here......I've got a PERFECT SW wind that'll let me snuggle up to where the big boys live. I went in to this point only once, last year.

Wih the moisture in the air, now (rain).....I'm going to chance it and go there.

No guarantees. I'll report back, tonight or tomorrow.

flstnhd

Good luck John and Tyler !

I didn't see anything this morning. There is a house being built about a 1/4 mile from where I was hunting. They haven't been there in a week but showed up this morning. This usually doesn't bother the deer too much but they had a big noisy crane and lots of loud guys putting up the rafters. Must have spooked the a little. Won't be out til Sunday evening but I'm gonna try to set up where the wife saw the bucks the other night. There's a very old broken down wooden tree stand near there. Guess these guys have been around that spot for awhile

LebeauHunter

Rob,

That sucks. I no one guys honey hole got screwed up b/c they put a gas well about 200 yards away.

I like finding old treestand locations. That is sometimes a good sign and can point you towards a
good set up.

shed33

Will, yes forsure... when it comes to hunting an old buck...one that has been hunted hard for several years,hunting pressure and predation pressuresare the top two variables that dictatewhat stimuli he associates as dangerous. Over time these dangerous encounters shape him into a survival machine when it comes to daylight movements.

With that being said in the forestland/mountains that I hunt whitetails in, (I can't speak for other locals) mature bucks simply behave like a different species of deer than the does and younger bucks I watch on a daily basis.The old bucks herechoose survival over luxury, ie steeper thicker ground, native feed over the lush farm fields below. For two decades I have watchedthis type of behavior play out consistentlyand almost always when I find a buck that I can tell is at least 4.5 he will orhas found a secluded thick draw or twoon a steep mountainside to make home.That mountain alwaysleads down to everything he needs come breeding time...but he stays alone to bed up high using the thermals that feed up to him all day to protect what approaches from below. He often feeds alone. I rarely see a buck over 4.5 in a bachelor group here. I can think of a couple thatI know were that old that had a single partner..once they got into hard horn, I never saw them with their summer partner.

So hunting these guys with a bow is exactly what you said.. once they know your onto them..or onto one of their many travel routes or food sources...they make a move to feed in another direction, theychange their travel path.......which is easy in this big country, the habitat is loaded with feed. Heavy logging, burning and the regrowth in the form of new plantations are perfect for big bucks to live out their lives in. Timber here and vegetation here grows extremely fast and the elk, moose, deer, bears and turkeys really benefit from it.

I know that on private lands where hunting pressuresare limited in agricultural areas around here....the whitetail hunting is phenominal and big bucks stay put there where the pressures are low...but I am hunting federal forest land (right behind my place) and some private that the guy lets anyone hunt...so the old bucks simply will not stay put in the low country, they move up high in elevationto where they feel less pressure.

I have to be very careful not to let a buck know I am hunting him.... Stretch in point..I have known this buckfor 2.5 years now, I have a set of his sheds, camera pix and video of him growing up. I have watched him change his selection of places he will move in the daylight versus where he would just a couple years ago. Hes definatley much more attentive on his feet as I noticed while watching him a few days back. I could easily blow it on him if I force the issue, but I dont plan too...I plan on being very patient and pick my spots with him.

I am actually glad I didnt get the shot off on him last year that I so badly wanted too...hes really a big dude this year (for a buck in my area)... hes smarter and gonna be tougher to kill this year but hopefully I have learned from last season as well and will make better decisions...for me this is what makes whitetail hunting so intriguing....but I say it all the time...singling out bucks isnot for everyone or can it be done very well if you dont have access to the right acreage......many a day goes by sometimes in this big woods country where you dont see the buck your after if your targeting a specific one..then again every now and then I kill one on the first day I hunt him..

So far I have huntedole Stretch'sspot 5-6 times and the 4x5's area 2 times..

I havent even had a chance to get over and hunt the "firewood" buck I talked about earlier this year. my buddy called me last night and asked..did you get him yet? I wanted to laugh....that firewood buck will be like finding a needle in the haystack..I will start hunting him too, but later.....I just really felt like my best odds were on the 4x5 or Stretch... before Hiawatha comes for elk on Tuesday... I really feel I am going to get an opportunity on both of those bucks or at least one this season if I play it smart, because I am hunting their core areas.

It does sound simplisic, I agree, but once a guy factors in all the variables that he has no control over...it can take time.. I've if anything become very patient in these endeavors because I wanted it so bad at times in the past I forced something, rolled the dice and payed for it.

The few men that I talk too and really look up to for consistently killing the "pressured" mature bucks around the country on grounds that most of us are hunting... always play the wind first..no matter how clean they are or what they wear..and they do, like you say go to painstaking measures to make sure they are not leaving much evidence of their being in the woods... I'm learning..

sorry this isso long.. I cant hunt this afternoon..so I figured I could get some chatting in...

shed33

Rob, better luck this weekend ! Been there with you bud....like the Harley last week for my boys and I...

Tyler...right on bro! Good luck this weekend..You and Big John both hunting just upped the Chaos odds even more to get on on theboard..shoot what makes ya happy guys! Be safe...

Captain I got my 880 lb hoists in early yesterday..from Cabelas..I hope this is a good sign to come.. I am installing them this weekend to the shop.. no more come-alongs.. LOL..

Jeff, have a great weekend hunting, I hope you get yourwind and honey hole pays off.. Heck your probably out hunting right now.. or close.. with the time difference here.. EDIT.. sorry bud about the latest with the doe.. I do think shes alive.. keep after it bud, I know you will..you'll get this thing turned around..

Hunt and Lady... hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

Will, whats on your schedule and what are you looking for come opening day... just curious whats to come for you and your game planning..

Arrowmaster... where you be...updates bud..updates LOL

LebeauHunter

Troy,

Thanks for the answer. I'm not there, but I've got goals. Patience is my next lesson, my current
one is being more aggressive -- moving stand locations, scouting, going with my gut, etc.

My hunting doesn't start till October 1 (every year), which is of course on a Monday this year. [:@]
I can get out early from work sometimes for my local spot, but my better spot is 2.5 hour drive
and will mostly be weekends. But, when I'm out there I plan on hunting just about all day b/c
my opportunities are limited. My dad got a decent 6 early two years ago, so I'm hoping for
something similar.

I did scout out one incredible spot in the big woods, where a canal and ditch come together
and the canopy is open (allowing lots of vegetation). THey had mowed everything down to 2
feet (even the stuff they don't normally favor). The negative is that they are supposed
to start timber operations around (but not in) that area soon. Luckily we've been having
a lot of rain and it may be pushed back to next spring.

Allright, gotta get back to some boring paperwork.

shed33

Will, Well best of luck come October. I like aggresive hunting as long as I stick to my top rules. Wind and enterance/exit options. I dont even mind if I bump a big buck once..I just try to not do it over and over.

Scouting in my kind of country is paramount. big country, low deer density..

I will move a stand or make a ground blind immediately upon seeing a deer move in on an area. Especially on a doe family during the rut.

I have always tried to listen to that little voice.inside when I do it usually works out ...in time..

Good luck this season Will..