Sika, While I’m in no way an expert at hunting the caliber buck you describe, I do hunt similar areas here on the Eastern Shore. The bucks get big in these locales do to the inherent difficulty in hunting them. Food, cover, and the ladies all within easy reach!!! You’ve been offered some great advice above. Advice I would seriously consider!

However, some points I would offer are these: 1) I wouldn’t cut trails for the purpose of “guiding” a big buck to a specific location. The trail will certainly be used by deer (and more than likely your fellow members!!) Actually, it’s a guarantee most of the deer will follow your created path of least resistance…but, not the big one! As you know, they aren’t the greatest followers except during the rut. Cutting trails for the deer’s use is a great way to kill does and yearling or even 2.5 year old bucks. Not the bruisers! I think they shy away from the rest of the herd for safety’s sake! 2) I wouldn’t cut obvious trails to a stand for the same reasons. Eventually, the deer will use it, determine you are hunting in the area, and avoid it during daylight hours. Or, perhaps worse, your buddies will find your stand and reap the rewards of your efforts. 3) Where you see the buck in the summer may not be where he will remain for the season. He may ONLY be there in the summer. One good thing is he will probably return there in the late winter (e.g. January). The fact you found his shed sort-of verifies this theory. As such, these are the times I would focus on getting him. First week of the season and all of January! You can assume his core area is small do to seasonal variations. You can guess where he’s bedded. You know where he feeds. Set up in between. BE VERY CAREFUL!!! If not possible, due to the pines height, focus on the edge! Early on, their guard is down!! They’ll show early and often. The best scenario (and I know more people prefer soybean fields) is if the fields are planted in corn. His tracks will show better and you’ll have a better chance at staging a critical set-up. A tripod in the corn can be phenomenal!!! They DO NOT look-up!!! Contrary to popular opinion, I hunt the standing cornfield edges in the morning as well! My findings are the bucks travel long enough distances to allow your entrance to a pre-set stand. They get to me about the time the sun’s rays hit the field edges! Go in early enough not to spook them. NORE: I assume they are about 100 yards away any given morning!! Play the wind and pay attention. Cornfields are noisy and they seem to sneak up on you in a heartbeat!!! One other thing, if the sun will be in their eyes, they'll be a little earlier!!

Late season is tough but the bucks are the most predictable they will be all season long. Same place, same time every day. Unfortunately, the time is usually after dark. Go before a front or after a snow, and you may get a chance!! 4) During the late pre-rut and rut (say October 25th to Thanksgiving), I would simply hunt the does. Concentrate now on locating where the ladies bed and establish downwind set-ups. More than likely, and even if his core area is some distance away, he will run a circular pattern and will occasionally cruise through the bedding areas checking for receptive does. 5) Some friends and I do real well rattling during the pre-rut. Actually, we start about October 15th. Make yourself a few set ups now (clear very inconspicuously), and sneak in during the season and beat them horn’s together!!! Start lightly in the earlier parts of this time period and get more aggressive as the days pass! 6) Contrary to Biologist’s beliefs, bucks do go through a chase phase. It occurs locally the first two weeks of November. I walk field edges, find FRESH running tracks (the bigger the better), and back trail to where they came from cover. Set up in the afternoon on these trails, and the buck that made them will often follow his girl friend right to you. If you have the capability to ID this bucks tracks, you have a good chance at knowing when and where he is traveling!!!

Good luck!!! Gotta love them clear cuts!!!