Thanks Steve.

I'm undecided between going in during the rut or just leaving it alone completely til Late December. On one hand, I don't want him to get gunned down so I want to get in there during rut (which is before the gun season) and hope I catch him slipping. On the other hand, if he doesn't show, I will have left all kinds of info for him to pattern me. If I leave the area untouched til late, he will put his guard down a bit more. That's where I'm leaning.

I have a feeling that since he's thebig dog, he will have an abundant supply of does during the rut thus wont be moving so much. This could be why I didn't see him all year til late.

What do you think?

I would be hunting him at his weakest point, during the rut. If that don't work, back out for a while and try again in December some time. These B@C bucks are big for a reason, no one see's them! Allot of them die of old age I think. Have you been in there at all this winter looking around for his sheds? The trail sign and bedding area's should be very noticeable too for you in the snow and give you a real good idea for possible stand locations this upcoming fall on hunting him. Its got to be exciting knowing you have a buck of this caliber in your woods you hunt. Its been years since I seen a B@C buck on my land. Seen some 150's a few years back and possibly had a 150" on camera this last fall, he was border line 150". I'll send you a pic via PM of the buck I got on camera this last fall. Tell me what you think he'd score.

LOL , not at you but at myself. I feel a little duh-a-fied that I didn't think of that. Man, I was thinking one or the other, rut or late, and didn't realize I could have my cake and eat it too. Bucks are on drugs during the rut! Hello?! -to self

I do chance him patterning me if I go in during rut but the risk is lessened considering he's got his mind on "other things". Then if that doesn't work, I could let the gunners drive him into his hideout not to come out again til late late season when I'll be waiting to ambush yet again.

Thank goodness for online forums and especially experienced hunters like you and the other guys here.

Ha, you're tellin' me man. Since I saw this guy in January, all I've doing is replaying the encounter over and over in my head. It was a simply incredible experience that left me trembling for much longer than the 2 min that it took the whole thing to go down.

Thinking about it now, it was my trembling that got me busted. The wind was perfectly in my favor, there was a foot of snow on the ground, I was dressed in all white, and top it off I was hidden in some thickets. It was the (ridiculous and verging on violent) shaking that did me in.

I do chance him patterning me if I go in during rut but the risk is lessened considering he's got his mind on "other things". Then if that doesn't work, I could let the gunners drive him into his hideout not to come out again til late late season when I'll be waiting to ambush yet again.


How much time do you spend in your stands before the rut? Are you over hunting your prime location to get a shot?

Before the rut last year all I did was pick a tree and hunted once unsuccessfully. This is a blessing of a hunting spot I got so I try my hardest to give it the lightest intrusion. I mostlyhunt extremely high pressure public land.

Then he hasn't pegged you yet. So I would start with finding his sheds if you haven't already.That is the besttool to start to pattern him. Plus you will know just how big he really is (then add 10-20" for next year).If you alreadyknow where his scrape is or where the community scrape is in the area then you have increased your odds greatly! Get your stands up early and stay out of theretill you have patterned him or untill you can't take it any longer.
So do you have the earn-a-buck other theretoo?

Yep, earn-a-buck at this particular spot too. Luckily I already earned one for next year. And I'm not sure if I can add 10-20" for next year as I have a feeling (not based on anything, just a feeling, perhapsa fear) that this was his peak year. I mean this thing was the biggest bodied deer I've ever seen alive in the woods or dead in someone's truck. You're in WI too so you know how big, big really is for our parts. This deer was 300+ on the hoof and in no way would I hype or give misleading guesses. I'm a pretty good judge. Put it this way, it looked like a small horse with a 2 foot wide by 1 foot high rack. That's my best description. Anyway, thanks for your input.

Well best of luck in your quest this year! Keep me posted if you will? I allways like to hear about when someone out smarts a B&C. Always makes for a good story.We haveour Antler Expo this weekend in Arcadia. This is where majority of the Western Wisconsin Bucks get scored for the books. So I am curious to see which ones fell this year that I didn't hear about and how big they where.