2.5yrs.....and a confession
08-21-2008 | 09:04 AM
#11
Thread Starter
Dominant Buck
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 21,043
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From:
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
LEt me ask, guys....because my question has underlying possible repercussions.....
I have been hunting a GREAT staging area all year long on the "old" land. I've hunted it "fairly" hard up to and including the rut. I have taken several does from this area.....and I've still been able to take two good representative bucks from my woods in this little parcel.
I don't think the bucks are ANYWHERE near this area until the rut. I've seen so few bucks, here, it's disheartening. bit when the magic time gets here.....so do they. How much am I hurting my chances, later on, if I decide to take some does early, here? if they'r enot there, anyways.......what can I hurt?
OK....I can educate does.....but I can't (or won't) educate all of them (too many of them). Can I still take does from here and feel good about it? I KNOW it's worked out that way int he past.....but ANY time we take a good buck 'some" luck comes into play. I'd like to stack my odds on that "luck" as much as possible....and still feel like I'm being a good manager of the resources.
Catch-22......
I have been hunting a GREAT staging area all year long on the "old" land. I've hunted it "fairly" hard up to and including the rut. I have taken several does from this area.....and I've still been able to take two good representative bucks from my woods in this little parcel.
I don't think the bucks are ANYWHERE near this area until the rut. I've seen so few bucks, here, it's disheartening. bit when the magic time gets here.....so do they. How much am I hurting my chances, later on, if I decide to take some does early, here? if they'r enot there, anyways.......what can I hurt?
OK....I can educate does.....but I can't (or won't) educate all of them (too many of them). Can I still take does from here and feel good about it? I KNOW it's worked out that way int he past.....but ANY time we take a good buck 'some" luck comes into play. I'd like to stack my odds on that "luck" as much as possible....and still feel like I'm being a good manager of the resources.
Catch-22......
08-21-2008 | 09:14 AM
#12
Typical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 851
Likes: 0
From: masontown pa USA
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
Sometimes that's what it takes to change your outlook on bowhunting. I bowhunting for 15 years in "average" spots in SW PA, and then I got access to some killer property, and after laying my eyes on the deer these places can offer, my thought process about bowhunting changed all together. I now spend more time planning, scouting and arranging stands that I do hunting; basically biding my time till late october/early november hits. I don't why, but I kinda lost interest in hunting early october, but I hit it hard once the bucks start playing.
Nothing wrong with slam dunk does !
Nothing wrong with slam dunk does !
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
I'm STILL gonna take does.....but they will be fewer (me, personally) and further between. They will also be (and please - no criticism....as I am fully aware that it is never a surety) slam dunk opportunities. I mean SLAM DUNKS.
I've gotten SO much advice from some really great guys on this new land (you know hwo you are
) and I appreciate every word of it. New land - new outlook.
I'm STILL gonna take does.....but they will be fewer (me, personally) and further between. They will also be (and please - no criticism....as I am fully aware that it is never a surety) slam dunk opportunities. I mean SLAM DUNKS.
I've gotten SO much advice from some really great guys on this new land (you know hwo you are
) and I appreciate every word of it. New land - new outlook.
08-21-2008 | 09:17 AM
#13
Typical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 851
Likes: 0
From: masontown pa USA
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
Well the one thing wrong with that is you might educate the does to your presence, and they may not hang around for rut time. If you pressure them, they may switch feeding bedding locations on you to a differnet property, and the bucks will follow.
Wack a doe or 2 early, then back out for awhile till the action picks up.
Wack a doe or 2 early, then back out for awhile till the action picks up.
ORIGINAL: GMMAT
LEt me ask, guys....because my question has underlying possible repercussions.....
I have been hunting a GREAT staging area all year long on the "old" land. I've hunted it "fairly" hard up to and including the rut. I have taken several does from this area.....and I've still been able to take two good representative bucks from my woods in this little parcel.
I don't think the bucks are ANYWHERE near this area until the rut. I've seen so few bucks, here, it's disheartening. bit when the magic time gets here.....so do they. How much am I hurting my chances, later on, if I decide to take some does early, here? if they'r enot there, anyways.......what can I hurt?
OK....I can educate does.....but I can't (or won't) educate all of them (too many of them). Can I still take does from here and feel good about it? I KNOW it's worked out that way int he past.....but ANY time we take a good buck 'some" luck comes into play. I'd like to stack my odds on that "luck" as much as possible....and still feel like I'm being a good manager of the resources.
Catch-22......
LEt me ask, guys....because my question has underlying possible repercussions.....
I have been hunting a GREAT staging area all year long on the "old" land. I've hunted it "fairly" hard up to and including the rut. I have taken several does from this area.....and I've still been able to take two good representative bucks from my woods in this little parcel.
I don't think the bucks are ANYWHERE near this area until the rut. I've seen so few bucks, here, it's disheartening. bit when the magic time gets here.....so do they. How much am I hurting my chances, later on, if I decide to take some does early, here? if they'r enot there, anyways.......what can I hurt?
OK....I can educate does.....but I can't (or won't) educate all of them (too many of them). Can I still take does from here and feel good about it? I KNOW it's worked out that way int he past.....but ANY time we take a good buck 'some" luck comes into play. I'd like to stack my odds on that "luck" as much as possible....and still feel like I'm being a good manager of the resources.
Catch-22......
08-21-2008 | 09:20 AM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
Likes: 0
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
If you have a chance to take a doe (or 3) from that area, in the early season I would do so...
I'm going to say something that many don't believe...More does do not equate to you seeing more bucks during the rut...
With less does, thebucks have to travel more, looking for does...They simply have to work harder, making the odds better
for you to seem them during hunting hours...
We have 3 farms where we have been taking a lot of does off of for 20 plus years...We are now seeing more bucks and bigger
bucks than we did in the past...
In addition, bucks travel looking for does so you may have a buck come by that isn't in his core area...Each year we see bucks that
were not seen on our farms during the summer months...So we are convinced that they are cruising...The trick is to find the funnels and
staging areas, where the bucks come through looking for the does...
I'm going to say something that many don't believe...More does do not equate to you seeing more bucks during the rut...
With less does, thebucks have to travel more, looking for does...They simply have to work harder, making the odds better
for you to seem them during hunting hours...
We have 3 farms where we have been taking a lot of does off of for 20 plus years...We are now seeing more bucks and bigger
bucks than we did in the past...
In addition, bucks travel looking for does so you may have a buck come by that isn't in his core area...Each year we see bucks that
were not seen on our farms during the summer months...So we are convinced that they are cruising...The trick is to find the funnels and
staging areas, where the bucks come through looking for the does...
08-21-2008 | 09:30 AM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,849
Likes: 0
From: Southwest Ohio
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
I think that there is a time and place to hunt bucks by "targetting" does and hunting areas you won't see many other deer. It all depends on the time of year and what their main drivers at the time are.
08-21-2008 | 09:49 AM
#16
Giant Nontypical
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 7,208
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
Jeff,
Just my opinion, I think sometimes people go to extremes to put less pressure on their areas. Safe, yes. 100% necessary…..eh, probably not. There comes a time when you have to decide if you want to hunt, or sit home WAITING to hunt. I’ve seen first hand my success improve by not going into “hotspots” before their time. On the flip side, I’m not to just sit around and NOT hunt. I’ll find different places or hunt those that leave less of an impact. Just be careful & take precautions. Ultimately you have to decide how much increased risk you are taking.
I say, if you don’t think the bucks are frequenting the areas you speak of, smartly & strategically whack the does. You’ll be fine.
Just my opinion, I think sometimes people go to extremes to put less pressure on their areas. Safe, yes. 100% necessary…..eh, probably not. There comes a time when you have to decide if you want to hunt, or sit home WAITING to hunt. I’ve seen first hand my success improve by not going into “hotspots” before their time. On the flip side, I’m not to just sit around and NOT hunt. I’ll find different places or hunt those that leave less of an impact. Just be careful & take precautions. Ultimately you have to decide how much increased risk you are taking.
I say, if you don’t think the bucks are frequenting the areas you speak of, smartly & strategically whack the does. You’ll be fine.
08-21-2008 | 10:04 AM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,375
Likes: 0
From: Wentzville, MO
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
There's an area on our property that I think fits into your scenario. It's a big buck hotspot during the rut, and does frequent it pretty much all the time. I don't usually hunt there until late Oct. But when I have, trips in there have not decreased sightings of big bucks later in the season.
08-21-2008 | 10:40 AM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 0
From: New Jersey
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
Jeff, im my opinion, i would go about doing what your doing. Like you mentioned, you have been wacking lots of does the last few years in this area and you have still been shooting a mature buck out of the same spot. Dont fix what aint broken.
08-21-2008 | 10:57 AM
#19
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,445
Likes: 0
From: Memphis TN USA
RE: 2.5yrs.....and a confession
I agree with what rybo said. Keep hunting but rotate your hunting areas. If you have a spot like the one you mentioned then slip in and kill a doe and hunt other areas for a week or so and then slip in and kill another one. that way you still get to hunt the spot and kill some does without over hunting and educating them and or letting them pattern you. Save your "honey holes" until the time gets right and then start spending your time there.
