I know there is a really big buck (several guys have seen him and estimated his score from the 160's-180's) I saw him and I personally thought he was around 160 and that was 2 years ago.

Anyways, we have 350 acres and we know he spends most of his time on our land, but we don't really know where he beds at. He has also been spotted all over the farm so were not to sure about his core area that he really hangs out in.

I was looking around one of my stands (he has been spotted twice within 100 yards of this spot) and I found many tracks coming out of a bedding area up to a cut bean field. Alot of these tracks were HUGE compared to the others around it. I set my camera up for a few days and more tracks were there, but I am waiting to get time to get the pictures developed still.

Should I hunt this stand hard over the next few days, with the go big or go home attitude? I know I will see other deer, but the big bucks usually seem to shy away from my shooting lanes here. OR should I hunt some other stands and other properties where I know I get shots at bucks, but they may not be as big?

Just curious, starting Saturday I have 7 days of bowhunting before shotgun season comes in.

I would hunt lots of different stands on the perimeter of his core area. I'd stay out of his bedroom. I wouldn't go anywhere near his bedding areas. The last thing you want to do isbump him off your property. Hunt the rut hard. He'll be around - you just gotta be there when he shows up.

I live/hunt about 20 miles north of Champaign. The bucks have really started chasing within the past three days. Considering the limited information that you have regarding this buck's bedding/core area(s), I would set up in the stand where you saw the large tracks (if wind is favorable) and hope to catch him cruising does. I've been hunting every day and I can tell you without a doubt that it is really starting to heat up in Central Illinois! Good luck buddy and let us know when you stick him!

What some people don't think about is.......that deer doesn't know whether you're checking stands, setting out cameras....or hunting. ALL he knows is.....(as evidenced by the amount of scent left in the area)...you've been trotting around on HIS turf, again....and again...). GregH said something VERY smart the other day that I haven't forgotten. He said he uses a rangefinder (in lieu of stepping off distances to landmarks/trees around his stands) because he doesn't want to leave ANY MORE human scent on the ground than is absolutely neccessary. the deer don't know you're only stepping off distances....and not hunting!

One of my teammates told me a while back......that he's never heard of a stand/location being UNDERhunted.....and that the best time to take an animal from a particular stand is the first day you hunt it. It's worked that way for me, this year. The day I missed the 10 pointer was the first evening in that stand. Ditto my harvests.

MY advice is to decide on a stand.......pick a day when the wind is right.....and otherwise STAY THE HEXX AWAY FROM THE AREA!

Jeff

Well my decision just got a little more difficult. Me and my dad have both spotted a real nice 140 class 10 point about 4 times in the last month and have pretty much narrowed down the best stand that we could see him. Thing is this is a different property. I think my dad is going to try and hunt the 10 point and I'm gonna go big and try to get the big boy.

I will be in a stand Saturday morning where he has been spotted a few times nearby. Saturday night there are a few bean fields with thickets against them that deer bed in that I might set up on and see what comes out there checking does.