rybohunter

Specifically how big the bucks are in your area?
Yea I know some people target Specific deer, but for the many that don't... Do you still have an idea of how many nice ones are running around or do you just kind of set out there in hopes that one comes by(or even exisits)?

Added: How much do your standards change by what you may or may not see over the summer or on trail cams?

For me in the places I hunt, I admit I don't often know what size of bucks that I am dealing with for the coming year. Typically I see a few nice ones, but I just don't have the time to glass/spot a ton and I don't set out trail cams, but I do know that the size of bucks that I want to shoot is out there, but I just may not have seen them first hand. Does that make sense?

Arrowmaster

Yes it makes sense. I try to scout and do drive bys of the property I hunt. I see some deer. As for seeing big bucks, well they are hard to come by in this area.

BuckHunter92

where i hunt.. we just watch them over the season and all the guys get back to the landowners home and we talk about the bucks that weve seen and see if we have seen the same deer so we can tell what all is actually running around out there.

GR8atta2d

Yes what you say makes sense. But I like to know through scouting, trail cams, drive throughs, local reports from land owners etc. What is out there. If you know you have say 5 100" 8 Points and your goals are a 125" then you are just hoping one wanders through. (which can easily happen during the pre-rut and rut). But you may not wish to wait on happen-stance and change areas.

Or suppose those 5 100" 8 points are good deer in your area..do you want to shoot that 80" 6 point? It all depends on your own personal goals.

BuckHunter92

we look at the deer one season and set are standards for the upcoming season. based on what was there the year before. then we do wat i talked about in my last post

GMMAT

Only reason I like to know is.....

If I see a particular deer on trail cam....I'm MUCH more apt to recognize him more quickly (i.e. identify him as a shooter or not) in a hunting situation. It would help take the guesswork out of it, for me. I saw bucks on trail cam I never saw while hunting, last year, and vice-versa.

I am targeting one specific buck this year.....but if I get him....it'll honestly be happenstance. I'm not gonna scout him.....or try to pattern him. I'm going after his girlfriends, this year.

It's cool when you recognize a buck from an earlier encounter...or from trail cam/scouting experiences. That's really the only reson mine is out (inventory). I hope to see a biggun that I've never seen before!

j_beste

In my area there are a few big guys, but you wont see them out in a field during daylight very often. I alsodo land surveying work, soI am outside often. I rarely if ever see trophy bucks, but comegun season (rut)the locals always shoot a few. Maybe they are less cautious down south, but here you dont see mature deer out in theopen. Last year we got 3 nice(125"-140") bucks out of our 4 hunters, and 2 of them we had never seen before (we also use trail cams). Point is, just because you dont see any bigguns when your out glassin fields doesnt mean there theyre not around.

my7pointmonster

It sorta sucky to say, but where i hunt its a miracle to even have anything walk past you. Im trying to hunt new ground this year but theirs no gaurentees, all i can say is i sit and wait and hope to even see a doe let alone a buck.... Eastern pennsylvania deer hunting SUCKS. atleast everywhere ive tried hunting.
Ryan.

Rick James

Depends on my motive of hunting. I have spots I hunt just because of the time spent with certain people on that spot. For those spots, I don't really care if there are deer on the property..........it's about time spent in the woods with friends/family.

Now other spots I have it means everything to me to know what deer are on the property. Size doesn't mean as much to me though as age class does. I can guarantee the first full week in November (I take this week off every year) I will be sitting on property that I know holds 3.5 year old deer or better.

Copper31

For me I really don't depend on my trail cams to much. I hunt the first two weeks of the season with really the intent of nothing more then observing as many stand locations that I can get in. If a good shot on a decent buck should present itself then I would take it otherwise I am really just looking for a good doe to take. Just putting in the time and seeing what bucks are out before the rut and even post rut which has been good for me. I have scouted deer prior to the season only to never see them again. An I have also seen bucks during the season that I never saw on camera or preseason scouting.

I guess to answer the question, no I don't target one deer. I always wait and see what comes by. Well I know that I may have some decent deer around, I don't get to hung up on it. My goals may change from week to week.