RE: How many do you see?
 

OK...then:

1) Check your food sources. Have they changed?
2) How about coyotes?
3) Anyone else spooking up the bucks when YOUR not there?
4) Don't hunt the piss out of the SAME stand! ROTATE. Have several to choose from. AVOID overhunting the SAME stand. Deer will pattern YOU!
5) Watch the scent. I know guys hat will not hunt a stand IF the wind ins't blowing in the right direction to remain undetected. Now, I generally don't take things THAT far - BUT, I am VERY conscious about body odor, scent, Tinks 69.

TIP: Buy a bottle of Tink's 69. TINK'S. I have stories I could post all night about TINK'S. Point being:

I have a special 'scent rag.' 100% cotton. All washed in Hunter Specialities non scented soap. I have a 8x10 ZipLoc bag. At the beginning of the seaon when the rut is getting close I NEVER, EVER, EVER hunt w/o my 'stinky rag.' Upon enetrring my stand area, I place maybe 1/4 oz of TINK'S on my rag and hang it on like a 24" or 36" high tree branch or bush. I then enter my stand. When done hunting for the day the rag gets picked up, put back into my ZipLoc bag and goes IN the day pack. I repeat this process all season. I DO NOT wash the rag out the entire season.

Ifyou wanna DRAW bucks into YOUR range you gotta MAKE THEM BELIEVE a hot doe in heat IS there! And boy does it WORK! I've killed 4's, 6's, 8's and what would have been a 12-pointer (had 2 tines snapped off - but was a nice 200# 10-pointer using THAT stinky trick opening morning.

TRY THAT and see how many bucks you start seeing!

Somedays buck lure doesn't do squat for me - but the times it HAS worked it has worked SO WELL it's unbelievable! They come right in with their nose up in the air sniffing and doing the lip curl.

I'm not ****ting ya either!

RE: How many do you see?
 

TIP #2: Use DOE URINE as a good natural 'cover scent' in your area around the stand prior to the Rut. Once the Rut gets going switch to DOE IN HEAT scent and watch the fun start!

BUT, NEVER, EVER, NEVER put any scent on YOU or on the GROUND! You DO NOT want that scent ATTRACTING ANYTHING when YOU are NOT there to BENEFIT from it.

BE SMART!

RE: How many do you see?
 

If you're seeing 100 does to every buck then there's your answer. You need to take out A LOT of does. Yourbuck to doe ratiois WAY out of balance. Get you buddies to help you.

RE: How many do you see?
 

I'd make a suggestion of a game cam. Find some well used trail to a food source that you know does utilize and set up a cam 10 yards or so off it. During the rut you should be able to see if there are any bucks moving about. Based on this info, you might be able to better evaluate your stand selection and perhaps even determine a pattern. It's a little of an investment, but the result might help with your confidence and also can be enjoyable.

I see 20 does every time out, but also have a set of young bucks about 10 that I've also seen. Every spot has it's upside and downside when it come to mature bucks. Mine is that you have to remain positive and cautious entering and leaving. Mature bucks are smart, that's why they get mature. In the next month they'll start making small mistakes. Hopefully you can find THE spot on your property and get a set up to put you in the right place at the right time.

Good luck.

Kelly

RE: How many do you see?
 

Monie hit the nail on the head! You may not be doing anything wrong.:)

RE: How many do you see?
 

I think so too, and really, I am not sure if you and your buddies can do anything about something that out of wack. You need everyone for miles around to help.

RE: How many do you see?
 

I agree! Get a cam and get a handle on just what you have and don't have on your hunting lands. Then you'll be in a better position to know whats there when your NOT, etc.

RE: How many do you see?
 

My family and I used to have a similar situation a while back. It would be nothing to see forty deer during one day of hunting. We'd take two bucks a year but we'd see a couple hundred does and fawns in between every buck sighting. Well the neighbor was having a huge problem trying to harvest alfalfa so he contacted the DNR. The DNR counted over three hundred deer in three fields that were within a mile of each other. The farmer was issued block permits and ran ads in the newspaper to get people to take deer off his farm. Needless to say it got the population back in check and we're taking more does to keep it that way. Last year I passed up over a dozen different bucks and maybe hunted a dozen days. I'd talk to your local officials and see if there's a way they can help get the ratio back in order.

RE: How many do you see?
 

Guys, this is a great discussion....

1. Yes, the food sources change, but I do a fairly good job of adapting to that. Not perfect mind you, but pretty good.
2. Coyotes are a possibility, but wouldn't they be taking out does as well?
3. It is ENTIRELY possible that someone else is spooking them while I'm not there. I try to think out of the box and do what the "normal" hunter doesn't do....but I'm not always right.
4. I pay close attention to the wind, and feel like I do a good job of controlling my scent. I use Dead Down Wind....I spray myself and EVERY layer of clothing I put on.....after I shower and wash my clothes. I also use the breath spray....

I've used doe in heat quite alot in the past with ZERO success....but I'll be trying it again this year.

You know......you just may be right....maybe there just aren't many bucks around....Hell, I don't know....but I'm gonna keep pluggin....One of these times I'm gonna be there.....and he's in BIG trouble.

RE: How many do you see?
 

For the last three seasons, in my Ill. spot, I averaged seeing 8-10 different mature bucks per season. I see about the same number of 2 1/2s and 1 1/2s as well. In some of my other spots I see about 3 mature bucks,6 2 1/2s and 10 1 1/2s. In my above mentioned spot, I saw a 150" 10 tonight. I've spent an awful lot of time trying to pick up spots where there are more mature bucks. You can't hunt them if they don't live there.