One that got away
07-25-2008 | 12:18 PM
#21
Thread Starter
Site Buck Guru
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,922
Likes: 0
From: Racine, Wisconsin
RE: One that got away
ORIGINAL: BobCo19-65
Greg, is that your son in the picture. Very, very nice deer BTW. What did he go?
Greg, is that your son in the picture. Very, very nice deer BTW. What did he go?
07-25-2008 | 12:33 PM
#22
Thread Starter
Site Buck Guru
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,922
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From: Racine, Wisconsin
RE: One that got away
ORIGINAL: rybohunter
I think a lot depends on what you feel is around and if you are actually hunting a specific buck.
My situation dictates that I do not feel there is a mature buck bedded on the property I hunt or at least using it as his primary bedding area. I do my best to still not intrude upon, or sit for long periods of time with winds blowing directly into the good bedding areas. BUT in a very shifty wind, which often is what I will get, I’ll stick it out to whack a doe as I am usually not in a very intrusive spot.
Once my focus shifts to bucks, I pick my stands according to winds, but its also that time of year where they are seeking/chasing and could come from anywhere. Rarely do I hunt in a spot where I have one overwhelming direction. If I was in one, and the wind went bad, then I would move. But for the most part, my hunting spots are multi-directional, and I’m not pin pointing a specific mature buck. I’m looking to catch ANY mature buck in his search for does.
I think a lot depends on what you feel is around and if you are actually hunting a specific buck.
My situation dictates that I do not feel there is a mature buck bedded on the property I hunt or at least using it as his primary bedding area. I do my best to still not intrude upon, or sit for long periods of time with winds blowing directly into the good bedding areas. BUT in a very shifty wind, which often is what I will get, I’ll stick it out to whack a doe as I am usually not in a very intrusive spot.
Once my focus shifts to bucks, I pick my stands according to winds, but its also that time of year where they are seeking/chasing and could come from anywhere. Rarely do I hunt in a spot where I have one overwhelming direction. If I was in one, and the wind went bad, then I would move. But for the most part, my hunting spots are multi-directional, and I’m not pin pointing a specific mature buck. I’m looking to catch ANY mature buck in his search for does.
Once I knew that they did exist, I set about changing my tactics to try and see more of them. That's how I started hunting for mature bucks. A couple of the things that I changed was....
1) I stopped shooting does until late season because they are my "bait".
2) I started studying the does and learning their family units.
3) I started hunting funnels and trails that connected two or more doe bedding areas together.
4) I started buying more and more stands to have a stand to hunt for any given wind direction. (some of these stands may be only 20 -30 yards apart).
Over the years I have learned what I think the mature bucks like and what they'll be looking for. I try to set up accordingly and find that it is best to error on the side of caution. I always give them more credit than not enough. This is what I've found to work the best for me.
07-25-2008 | 12:44 PM
#23
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 9,445
Likes: 0
From: Central Minnesota
RE: One that got away
ORIGINAL: rybohunter
I think a lot depends on what you feel is around and if you are actually hunting a specific buck.
My situation dictates that I do not feel there is a mature buck bedded on the property I hunt or at least using it as his primary bedding area. I do my best to still not intrude upon, or sit for long periods of time with winds blowing directly into the good bedding areas. BUT in a very shifty wind, which often is what I will get, I’ll stick it out to whack a doe as I am usually not in a very intrusive spot.
Once my focus shifts to bucks, I pick my stands according to winds, but its also that time of year where they are seeking/chasing and could come from anywhere. Rarely do I hunt in a spot where I have one overwhelming direction. If I was in one, and the wind went bad, then I would move. But for the most part, my hunting spots are multi-directional, and I’m not pin pointing a specific mature buck. I’m looking to catch ANY mature buck in his search for does.
I think a lot depends on what you feel is around and if you are actually hunting a specific buck.
My situation dictates that I do not feel there is a mature buck bedded on the property I hunt or at least using it as his primary bedding area. I do my best to still not intrude upon, or sit for long periods of time with winds blowing directly into the good bedding areas. BUT in a very shifty wind, which often is what I will get, I’ll stick it out to whack a doe as I am usually not in a very intrusive spot.
Once my focus shifts to bucks, I pick my stands according to winds, but its also that time of year where they are seeking/chasing and could come from anywhere. Rarely do I hunt in a spot where I have one overwhelming direction. If I was in one, and the wind went bad, then I would move. But for the most part, my hunting spots are multi-directional, and I’m not pin pointing a specific mature buck. I’m looking to catch ANY mature buck in his search for does.
07-25-2008 | 12:48 PM
#25
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,161
Likes: 0
From: West Ky.
RE: One that got away
ORIGINAL: GregH
Not trying to be an ass or anything, but I used to hunt like that. I never saw ANY mature bucks but there were a bunch of 1 1/2s and a few 2 1/2s around. I got to thinking one day, that if there are young bucks around it would make sense that there must be some old bucks around as well. I knew that there wouldn't be as many of them but they still had to be around somewhere. Finally, one day I saw one, a beautiful 10 pointer.
Once I knew that they did exist, I set about changing my tactics to try and see more of them. That's how I started hunting for mature bucks. A couple of the things that I changed was....
1) I stopped shooting does until late season because they are my "bait".
2) I started studying the does and learning their family units.
3) I started hunting funnels and trails that connected two or more doe bedding areas together.
4) I started buying more and more stands to have a stand to hunt for any given wind direction. (some of these stands may be only 20 -30 yards apart).
Over the years I have learned what I think the mature bucks like and what they'll be looking for. I try to set up accordingly and find that it is best to error on the side of caution. I always give them more credit than not enough. This is what I've found to work the best for me.
ORIGINAL: rybohunter
I think a lot depends on what you feel is around and if you are actually hunting a specific buck.
My situation dictates that I do not feel there is a mature buck bedded on the property I hunt or at least using it as his primary bedding area. I do my best to still not intrude upon, or sit for long periods of time with winds blowing directly into the good bedding areas. BUT in a very shifty wind, which often is what I will get, I’ll stick it out to whack a doe as I am usually not in a very intrusive spot.
Once my focus shifts to bucks, I pick my stands according to winds, but its also that time of year where they are seeking/chasing and could come from anywhere. Rarely do I hunt in a spot where I have one overwhelming direction. If I was in one, and the wind went bad, then I would move. But for the most part, my hunting spots are multi-directional, and I’m not pin pointing a specific mature buck. I’m looking to catch ANY mature buck in his search for does.
I think a lot depends on what you feel is around and if you are actually hunting a specific buck.
My situation dictates that I do not feel there is a mature buck bedded on the property I hunt or at least using it as his primary bedding area. I do my best to still not intrude upon, or sit for long periods of time with winds blowing directly into the good bedding areas. BUT in a very shifty wind, which often is what I will get, I’ll stick it out to whack a doe as I am usually not in a very intrusive spot.
Once my focus shifts to bucks, I pick my stands according to winds, but its also that time of year where they are seeking/chasing and could come from anywhere. Rarely do I hunt in a spot where I have one overwhelming direction. If I was in one, and the wind went bad, then I would move. But for the most part, my hunting spots are multi-directional, and I’m not pin pointing a specific mature buck. I’m looking to catch ANY mature buck in his search for does.
Once I knew that they did exist, I set about changing my tactics to try and see more of them. That's how I started hunting for mature bucks. A couple of the things that I changed was....
1) I stopped shooting does until late season because they are my "bait".
2) I started studying the does and learning their family units.
3) I started hunting funnels and trails that connected two or more doe bedding areas together.
4) I started buying more and more stands to have a stand to hunt for any given wind direction. (some of these stands may be only 20 -30 yards apart).
Over the years I have learned what I think the mature bucks like and what they'll be looking for. I try to set up accordingly and find that it is best to error on the side of caution. I always give them more credit than not enough. This is what I've found to work the best for me.
Keep them coming
07-25-2008 | 01:16 PM
#27
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,541
Likes: 0
From: Phoenixville, PA USA
RE: One that got away
ORIGINAL: GregH
Yes that is my son back in 1991. The buck grossed 181 1/8.
ORIGINAL: BobCo19-65
Greg, is that your son in the picture. Very, very nice deer BTW. What did he go?
Greg, is that your son in the picture. Very, very nice deer BTW. What did he go?
One thing that makes me laugh about that story is that isn't amazing that the wind shifted right at that opportune moment for the buck to catch you? 10 seconds earlier or 10 seconds later and you're golden. It never fails to catch you just right.
07-25-2008 | 01:18 PM
#28
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,208
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: One that got away
Not trying to be an ass or anything, but I used to hunt like that. I never saw ANY mature bucks but there were a bunch of 1 1/2s and a few 2 1/2s around. I got to thinking one day, that if there are young bucks around it would make sense that there must be some old bucks around as well. I knew that there wouldn't be as many of them but they still had to be around somewhere. Finally, one day I saw one, a beautiful 10 pointer.
Once I knew that they did exist, I set about changing my tactics to try and see more of them. That's how I started hunting for mature bucks. A couple of the things that I changed was....
1) I stopped shooting does until late season because they are my "bait".
2) I started studying the does and learning their family units.
3) I started hunting funnels and trails that connected two or more doe bedding areas together.
4) I started buying more and more stands to have a stand to hunt for any given wind direction. (some of these stands may be only 20 -30 yards apart).
Over the years I have learned what I think the mature bucks like and what they'll be looking for. I try to set up accordingly and find that it is best to error on the side of caution. I always give them more credit than not enough. This is what I've found to work the best for me.
Once I knew that they did exist, I set about changing my tactics to try and see more of them. That's how I started hunting for mature bucks. A couple of the things that I changed was....
1) I stopped shooting does until late season because they are my "bait".
2) I started studying the does and learning their family units.
3) I started hunting funnels and trails that connected two or more doe bedding areas together.
4) I started buying more and more stands to have a stand to hunt for any given wind direction. (some of these stands may be only 20 -30 yards apart).
Over the years I have learned what I think the mature bucks like and what they'll be looking for. I try to set up accordingly and find that it is best to error on the side of caution. I always give them more credit than not enough. This is what I've found to work the best for me.
1. I'll never wait that long to shoot does, I enjoy it too much. I have more than enough "bait" in the areas I hunt. But also along those lines, I feel I can shoot does in places where I wouldn't neccessarily pursue mature bucks.
2. I'll go along with that, it's fairly easy to recognize which groups of does like to hang where.
3. I've always done that when targeting mature bucks, and when I'm not I stay well away from those areas. That's my #1 tactic.
4. I use a climber, I have a ton of trees prepped to go for any wind direction. Leaving out hang-ons is not real feasible in my situation.
So far these tactics have worked more often than not for me, but I am still quite new to mature buck only hunting. And while I'll gladly take in any info I can, I will also process that info to see if I can apply it, and still have fun while doing so.
Steve,
To answer your bolded question.
Yes its in the same general area, but not near the stands I feel are my best shots to kill a mature buck from.
Say I'm in a stand where the place I absolutely DON'T want the wind to go is to theNW. Butthedeer maycome from theSW all the way to the E, I'll take my chances with a wind that is bouncing from W to N. I'm not going to bail even though technically, all I am left with is a window for deer approaching between the SW & S.
