Scott....you never want to admit that you can't hunt what isn't there. I hunt what's available to me. period. I'm trying to change that, right now.

Good luck.

Jeff

differentiation is the key

I was the first person to hunt are area with a bow in the 80's and early 90's, it's 180 degrees different now. Not just you, what is happing around you also.

The more area is hunted the more it changes, case in point my most successful spot I do not even hunt anymore. Deer stop coming through there, I hunted it a lot in my early years and I was not very stealthy Now I have not hunted it in 6 years, in 2 more years I bet its pretty good again

great posts--much food for thought

My first two seasons bowhunting I found a couple of great funnels for deer. One was an inside corner and the other was a saddle, almost all deer in the area had to use them, the setups were great. I hunted them hard(to me at that means at least twice a week), but was very careful about entry/exit, scent minimization, and wind (thank god for a good teacher). The first year I saw many deer and many big bucks throughout the rut, but never shot one there due to inexperiance. The second year the stand were still good, but noticably less deer movement, particularly does in the early season. Many does in the early season I took a nice buck at the inside corner. I hunted the stands each 10-15 times over the course of two months, each year

The third year the deer were almost nonexistent within bow range. Heavy trails sprang up that clearly took a longer and steeper route around my stands. I move my stands but other spots were not nearly as constricting

I learned the hard way about hunting certain stands beforeI should have. On the other hand, what I really learned was you DO need to play the odds. What do you want? shoot a couple does early, then hunt for a buck? go after a buck the whole time? Each choice is personal, and that will inthe end decide where one should hunt. I wanted a buck, but by huntingcertain stands too early in the year I was actually decreasing my odds of getting one. If I had wanted a doe then a buck, I probably should have hunted field edges, less impact. Many more bucks traveled the funnels in the rut, I would have been better off to wait, hunt observation points early.

I recall you shooting a buck you aged at 3.5 last year... I also recall pics of at least 2 bucks you aged at 3.5+ this summer via cam pics..... How are they not there? For the acreage you have to hunt that is a good pouplation of mature animals.... Multiply it out and figure out how many mature bucks you have peracre

you're failing to realize WHY I hunt the way I do. I'm NOT targeting bucks. I'm utilizing the best strategy I can (given my circumstances) to put a buck in front of me.

Would you agree that the term "targeting bucks" would = being where they are MOST likely to be in a given area on a consistant basis...given the circumstances your woods allow?

That's what I'm doing.

EVERY.....I mean EVERY buck I saw, last year....was in the vicinity of a doe. What would YOU do?

Your log you are referring to was taken last year when you were not targeting does

Sure they're there, Scott! "There" is relative in my woods, though. I hunt a man-made break line....and the photos I have are of these bucks frequenting a mineral lick. They're off the minerals, now.....so where are they? I suppose they'r eon their normal feeding pattern....which just so happens doesn't coincide with property I'm able to hunt. I have NO ACCESS to their feeding ground, YET. When they get on the acorns....."MY" thought is....they'll deplete the available acorns they have in their sanctuary.....THEN they'll move progresively outwards. At this point....they'll HAVE to utilize the funnels I hunt to get to these area (and I have some GREAT oak flats and ridges). Right now....they're going East and south of me to eat. I CAN NOT hunt them on this pattern. I'm seeing fringe deer that are coming to drink and browse (Although they have a water source in their sanctuary, too).

My thought process is......if I hunt the does.....they will EVENTUALLY (the ones we're talking about....AND some travelers) be on the does.

We're talking like I have a choice.

Nope....I wasn't targeting does....but I've always contended that I do NOT hunt sign. I hunt where the does are. ONLY difference is....last year I wasn't killing does as a rule. This year, I am.

Also...my log tells me I didn't see more than 2 bucks until after Sept. 30th. My log also tells me I saw several bucks later in the year.....when they were on the does. In Sept last year....I had EIGHTY deer sightings.....and TWO bucks. Oct. saw 16 deer in 7 sits.....with 3 of them being bucks. Nov. (now they're on the does) saw 160 deer in 19 sits.....with 28 buck sightings. Dec. saw 70 deer sightings with 8 of them being bucks.

If history hold true......I'm not doing anything wrong.....waiting.

I can't be upset I'm not seeing them, YET.

GMMAT, as far as deer knowing the difference between hunters/hikers and so forth, look at this way maybe. They don't really know the DIFFERENCE, they just know something is different. Here's my thinking......Set up a pop up blind and let the deer "get used to it." At first, they will be nervous about it, head bob, stomp their foot, all that stuff. They may even run from it, but over the course of time they will grow accostomed to it and not pay it any attention at all.

Now, go MOVE that blind 50 yards and watch what happens. I can all but guarantee the entire process will start all over again. Why? It's the same blind, looks the same and all that, but it's different because it moved. That's what they notice.

OK, Mobo....I can see that....but I'm not getting your point.

They know something's different....be it hiker, biker, canoer or hunter. I agree with that. I'm likely not following your post.