Closing in on the big ones!
 

ok there are 2 boonie bucks runnin together here. by process of elimination, talking to other hunters in the area, seeing them myself, and topo/aerial maps i've got their pattern figured out. now the hard part. i only have 1 day to hunt them a week. so basically what im asking is from experience what time of day do you guys notice the more mature bucks moving? most people think they are strictly nocturnal but i dont think so. gut feeling tells me they might move in the middle of the day when no one is in the woods. please fill me in on your knowledge of this. there are 2 locations i feel they are going right through but now im trying to figure out what time of day to be sitting there. thanks in advance for any help.

ps - these bucks are not in rut yet, they're still patternable

RE: Closing in on the big ones!
 

Those bucks should be getting antsy right now. You should be finding scrape lines, rubs etc to and from the food sources. Go when you can. Just play the wind and hunt hard. They probably aren't moving that much at first and last light if the whole county is after them. You may very well have some luck right now during the middle of the day. The moon is full and they're feeding heavy at night. They still will get up to stretch and nibble during the day some, but they aren't moving far from where they bed. I'd be close to bedding areas I think with this moon. Those two bucks won't be together much longer either.

RE: Closing in on the big ones!
 

yeah thats the thing, they do most of the moving at night. there are about 4 people in the same small area who have seen them. i know where each of them hunt and they are not very good hunters. they have no clue where the 2 major bedding areas are, they just walk in and climb trees. by figuring out the hunters routines i now know where these deer are NOT. leaving only few places they could be seeing this is farmland. i spotted them saturday night at 10:45pm, plus i know where they're at at 1am. i got their loop figured out. how far do you think a mature buck will wonder in the middle of the day?

RE: Closing in on the big ones!
 

The earlier you can get them, the better. Once the chase phase of the rut hits, its a crap shoot.

This time of year, usually anytime is a good time really. Its tough to say hunt the morning or evening. I for one usually hunt all day out of a stand. I don't like to stink up the woods walking in and out any more than I have to. Plus, chance pushing deer while moving in and out of your stand. You don't want to give them anymore clues than they will get that you were in there.

If there are already hunters onto these bucks, its gets even tougher. But your chances of seeing them during daylight hours will increase during the chase phase of the rut. Best bet, hunt the does. Sooner or later, they'll show up with them. Look for the bedding area's the does use. Getting in tight to these area's is tough and will require an all day sit because you'll be in such close proximity to bedded deer, but its worth it. You'll see deer all day being chased by bucks.

RE: Closing in on the big ones!
 

Only measured in yards. Certainly no more than 75 or 100 but probably not that much.

RE: Closing in on the big ones!
 

Hunt all day! you will tehn be able to figure out what time they are moving.