Finch

I hunt food sources early season. I'm talking as soon as season comes in up to around Halloween. Then I start to focus on (buck) sign which a lot of times is near the food sources. If not, thats fine. I still like to hunt where the bucks have been. At least I know that they were once there and the chances of them coming back are pretty good. Some of the places I hunt I go days without seeing a deer. Hunting near rubs ans scrapes increases my odds b/c sometimes that is all I can rely on. Also, I'm very vocal and I believe that is my biggest advantage over everything else. I've been fairly successful using the above.

GMMAT

There's a natural trade-off, though, MM. If you have the buck you're after in a situation like I describe.....the chances of you seeing him are greater if you don't have to look in so many places.

salukipv1

all that stuff makes sense only problem is when that mature guy isn't ont he piece of land you lease......or your property is just too small, i read all these "classic" strategies and set ups, and really they just don't hold much for my property at the moment. Which I think is only another reason I need to find a new place. I think that proves while the rut is an awesome time, to get that big boy out of his typical corridor, yea maybe not traveling miles and miles like a young buck, but outside his small area, ie then you see him.....and have a shot...

Schultzy

Good post once again T! No knock on you Jeff one bit but you, I and everyone else would be surprised of what we all have for bucks around (size wise). These big guys are tough animals to hunt, lets give them some credit.

Germ

I just made an offer on 75 acres lease in the NO 2 county in Ohio

Location, Location, Location

peakrut

Good Luck Germ

_Dan

The chances of him knowing you're in that small area is a lot greater as well.

GMMAT

I appreciate Tony's faith in me.....but I HATE posts that tell what "might" be in someone's woods. They're unproveable.....period. If I said you hada B&C in your woods....you just weren't hunting him right....or you'd have him......well....you get the picture.

Nobody around here has shot a P&Y in their woods. I've never seen one......even on game cam.....and neither has the guys on a couple of adjacent properties. So while I think it's great that someone 1,500 miles away has that type of faith in me (Sincerely, I do)......I have to be realistic.

So....what do I do to stack the odds of seeing one of these guys.......PRODUCING one of these guys....so I KNOW they're there????

I need to kill does.

It's a catch-22 guys. I've choasen "A" path. I'm gonna walk it.

GMMAT

ABSOLUTELY, Dan......I didn't say it was "easy". I have to hunt the same smart way everyone else does. I don't have the option of switching it up as often as most.....if I want to hunt.

So.....catch-22, again.

_Dan

I realised you knew that....I was just making a general statement. Also, another general statement, is Tony is right......the more does you kill in there and the more you hunt it, the more he patterns you.

But, like you said, its a catch-22.....you need to kill the does off....so don't get hung up on worrying about hunting the most mature deer in your woods at the same time. Its one or the other, not both.....and you've chosen your path.

Mind you, its the same one I would have chosen.