Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
11-04-2008, 04:55 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Cogan Station, PA
Posts: 2,298
Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
So, I keep hearing all of you guys talking about the rut picking up, and does being dogged by bucks all over, etc, etc, and there's not a stinking sign around here of chasing. I've found some freshened scrapes and rubs around my food plot, but tonight and last night combined I had 10 does in the plot all evening with me...not ONE sign of a buck, nor do they even look ready to be bred. Most of them are still with their yearlings. Spotlighted quickly tonight in my main field, and saw nothing but does. I'm putting myself in the thick of the does, close to the bedding area, watching the wind, etc, but not a sign of any bucks around. I saw ONE buck chasing on this property so far. I'm a bit frustrated, because I've been going through the same pattern the last 6 (yes 6 years since I even had a shot opp on a decent buck) years. I've really changed my tactics this year (scouted more, rotated stands much more frequently, hunt the wind religously, scent control is down, etc) and I'm seeing more DOEs this year, but dang it, if I can't catch a break on decent buck. Most of you guys on here would probably have had 5 shots on legal bucks hunting the amount of time I have (I'm in the stand every evening of this season except three days), but I can't pull it off.[:@][:@] Heaven forbid if I was only able to hunt the weekends[&:]
Sorry...had to rant a bit...maybe it's the election[8D]
Sorry...had to rant a bit...maybe it's the election[8D]
11-04-2008, 05:08 PM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
This has to be the slowest Pa rut I've ever seen! I'm still in a state of disbelief. Here it is, what should beprime time (Nov 4th), and I see one basket 8pt today, period. Yesterday I saw saw nothing!I have been doing all day sits since the beginning of last week, and have only seen about7 deer.
Now we are going to get rain the next two days, with warm temps. Oh, I forgot to say N N/E winds, which really SUCKfor my spot. I hope something changes soon![&o]
Now we are going to get rain the next two days, with warm temps. Oh, I forgot to say N N/E winds, which really SUCKfor my spot. I hope something changes soon![&o]
11-04-2008, 05:14 PM
#3
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
We had them working tonight.
Ben was going to get there til way late but his buddy Mike was going to hunt Ben's walnut stand. I offered to film Mike and he jumped at the chance so I headed in before hand to set up and film Mike coming in. No sooner was I near the stand when 2, count them 2 nice bucks jumped up. They were bedded under the stand. Damn it I thought. With them gone I set up quickly.
I filmed Mike coming in, he got up and was all smiles when I told him of the bucks. He was still setting up when 3 does came out behind us and across the field. We laughed.
I sat there looking around when I saw movement below us. I couldn't believe it, NOT 15 yards away a 1.5 year old doe stood up. She layed there the entire time I climbed up and set up, and when Mike walked within 10 yards of her and climbed in and set up. She was either fast asleep or didn't care. She stood, browsed, urinated, defecated and slowly walked away. Suddenly Mike pointed out in the field and a buck was moving toward us. I called a little and had him committed when he spotted the doe below us and headed her way. He dogged her all over and then lost interest. He was in the field so I called go him some more and got him to come right in. Sadly with light faded, I heard the arrow go low and miss. The buck stuck around and I called some more. I called him back under us and into the field and a second buck came in as well. They postured around each other and I called them both back under and around the stand until they busted a second doe and away they went. The doe came from our right and the bucks went downwind and circled us to her.
SO CLOSE!
Ben was going to get there til way late but his buddy Mike was going to hunt Ben's walnut stand. I offered to film Mike and he jumped at the chance so I headed in before hand to set up and film Mike coming in. No sooner was I near the stand when 2, count them 2 nice bucks jumped up. They were bedded under the stand. Damn it I thought. With them gone I set up quickly.
I filmed Mike coming in, he got up and was all smiles when I told him of the bucks. He was still setting up when 3 does came out behind us and across the field. We laughed.
I sat there looking around when I saw movement below us. I couldn't believe it, NOT 15 yards away a 1.5 year old doe stood up. She layed there the entire time I climbed up and set up, and when Mike walked within 10 yards of her and climbed in and set up. She was either fast asleep or didn't care. She stood, browsed, urinated, defecated and slowly walked away. Suddenly Mike pointed out in the field and a buck was moving toward us. I called a little and had him committed when he spotted the doe below us and headed her way. He dogged her all over and then lost interest. He was in the field so I called go him some more and got him to come right in. Sadly with light faded, I heard the arrow go low and miss. The buck stuck around and I called some more. I called him back under us and into the field and a second buck came in as well. They postured around each other and I called them both back under and around the stand until they busted a second doe and away they went. The doe came from our right and the bucks went downwind and circled us to her.
SO CLOSE!
11-04-2008, 05:16 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: masontown pa USA
Posts: 851
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
Eh, don't feel bad. Lotsa time left. The warm weather has things kinda slow in my area to, southwest PA. I've seen some little bucks chasing,but that's about it. Big rubs are showing up, but I'm assuming it's nitetime activity with the warm days. It's gonna cool down this weekend, it should get fun.
1. You're food plot is basically a field right ? The big boys don't like to walk out in the open like that, I learned it the hard way. Try to figure out the prevailing wind of of that area, then hunt the down wind side of that plot, maybe 50-75 yards in the woods. I used to beat my favorite giant clover feld to death, hunting the edges. AFter the season, I always noticed lotsa big buck sign way off the field edge. So the following year, I hunted the woods, 50 yards on the down wind side of the edge. Scored a 126" buck, and saw a few others the rest of the season. I realized these bigger deer would walk the woods, favoring the thicker areas, and basically scent check the field, never exposing themselves to the open. Crazy, but it worked.
2. Hunt your bedding areas with caution. I usually don't play to close to them till I see some does come in heat. And most of all, try to find yourself 2 bedding areas, then set up in funnel area between the 2, catching patrolling bucks inspecting the bedrooms. Hunting the food sources has never really worked well for me this time of year, when chasing starts. Usually the does are so disturbed by the younger bucks, they don't make it there to relax and eat during shooting time. Find a secure travel corrider down wind of your food source, and set up and observe. This time of year, bucks will hit the easy runways to get from point A to B and not even pay attention to deer trails.
3. Different areas get hot at different times. Don't put your eggs in one basket, or one farm. Branch out.Once spot I hunt has bucks destroying trees and making scrapes, another spot 8 miles away is similar to your's...kinda slow.
Sometimes you gotta abandone conventional tactics to see the nicer bucks, as they don't behave like the younger anxious bucks do.
1. You're food plot is basically a field right ? The big boys don't like to walk out in the open like that, I learned it the hard way. Try to figure out the prevailing wind of of that area, then hunt the down wind side of that plot, maybe 50-75 yards in the woods. I used to beat my favorite giant clover feld to death, hunting the edges. AFter the season, I always noticed lotsa big buck sign way off the field edge. So the following year, I hunted the woods, 50 yards on the down wind side of the edge. Scored a 126" buck, and saw a few others the rest of the season. I realized these bigger deer would walk the woods, favoring the thicker areas, and basically scent check the field, never exposing themselves to the open. Crazy, but it worked.
2. Hunt your bedding areas with caution. I usually don't play to close to them till I see some does come in heat. And most of all, try to find yourself 2 bedding areas, then set up in funnel area between the 2, catching patrolling bucks inspecting the bedrooms. Hunting the food sources has never really worked well for me this time of year, when chasing starts. Usually the does are so disturbed by the younger bucks, they don't make it there to relax and eat during shooting time. Find a secure travel corrider down wind of your food source, and set up and observe. This time of year, bucks will hit the easy runways to get from point A to B and not even pay attention to deer trails.
3. Different areas get hot at different times. Don't put your eggs in one basket, or one farm. Branch out.Once spot I hunt has bucks destroying trees and making scrapes, another spot 8 miles away is similar to your's...kinda slow.
Sometimes you gotta abandone conventional tactics to see the nicer bucks, as they don't behave like the younger anxious bucks do.
11-04-2008, 05:23 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 721
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
As has been pointed out in a few different threads, if you follow the rutting moon philosophy the rut is going to be much later this year with the full moon on the 13th and the does entering estrous proximately 3 days after that. A few of the most mature does usually come into estrous before the rutting moon but according to the calendar it's not quite time yet. The action thus far would support the moon phase theory.
11-04-2008, 06:13 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Cogan Station, PA
Posts: 2,298
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
ORIGINAL: Mikey S.
Eh, don't feel bad. Lotsa time left. The warm weather has things kinda slow in my area to, southwest PA. I've seen some little bucks chasing,but that's about it. Big rubs are showing up, but I'm assuming it's nitetime activity with the warm days. It's gonna cool down this weekend, it should get fun.
1. You're food plot is basically a field right ? The big boys don't like to walk out in the open like that, I learned it the hard way. Try to figure out the prevailing wind of of that area, then hunt the down wind side of that plot, maybe 50-75 yards in the woods. I used to beat my favorite giant clover feld to death, hunting the edges. AFter the season, I always noticed lotsa big buck sign way off the field edge. So the following year, I hunted the woods, 50 yards on the down wind side of the edge. Scored a 126" buck, and saw a few others the rest of the season. I realized these bigger deer would walk the woods, favoring the thicker areas, and basically scent check the field, never exposing themselves to the open. Crazy, but it worked.
2. Hunt your bedding areas with caution. I usually don't play to close to them till I see some does come in heat. And most of all, try to find yourself 2 bedding areas, then set up in funnel area between the 2, catching patrolling bucks inspecting the bedrooms. Hunting the food sources has never really worked well for me this time of year, when chasing starts. Usually the does are so disturbed by the younger bucks, they don't make it there to relax and eat during shooting time. Find a secure travel corrider down wind of your food source, and set up and observe. This time of year, bucks will hit the easy runways to get from point A to B and not even pay attention to deer trails.
3. Different areas get hot at different times. Don't put your eggs in one basket, or one farm. Branch out.Once spot I hunt has bucks destroying trees and making scrapes, another spot 8 miles away is similar to your's...kinda slow.
Sometimes you gotta abandone conventional tactics to see the nicer bucks, as they don't behave like the younger anxious bucks do.
Eh, don't feel bad. Lotsa time left. The warm weather has things kinda slow in my area to, southwest PA. I've seen some little bucks chasing,but that's about it. Big rubs are showing up, but I'm assuming it's nitetime activity with the warm days. It's gonna cool down this weekend, it should get fun.
1. You're food plot is basically a field right ? The big boys don't like to walk out in the open like that, I learned it the hard way. Try to figure out the prevailing wind of of that area, then hunt the down wind side of that plot, maybe 50-75 yards in the woods. I used to beat my favorite giant clover feld to death, hunting the edges. AFter the season, I always noticed lotsa big buck sign way off the field edge. So the following year, I hunted the woods, 50 yards on the down wind side of the edge. Scored a 126" buck, and saw a few others the rest of the season. I realized these bigger deer would walk the woods, favoring the thicker areas, and basically scent check the field, never exposing themselves to the open. Crazy, but it worked.
2. Hunt your bedding areas with caution. I usually don't play to close to them till I see some does come in heat. And most of all, try to find yourself 2 bedding areas, then set up in funnel area between the 2, catching patrolling bucks inspecting the bedrooms. Hunting the food sources has never really worked well for me this time of year, when chasing starts. Usually the does are so disturbed by the younger bucks, they don't make it there to relax and eat during shooting time. Find a secure travel corrider down wind of your food source, and set up and observe. This time of year, bucks will hit the easy runways to get from point A to B and not even pay attention to deer trails.
3. Different areas get hot at different times. Don't put your eggs in one basket, or one farm. Branch out.Once spot I hunt has bucks destroying trees and making scrapes, another spot 8 miles away is similar to your's...kinda slow.
Sometimes you gotta abandone conventional tactics to see the nicer bucks, as they don't behave like the younger anxious bucks do.
11-04-2008, 06:20 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Hughesville, PA
Posts: 2,590
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
Matt, I got in on the action late tonight 5 pm, in order to leave Mike and Rob alone, I drove out 118 further and dropped down in a gulley to find a scrape. I had a call on the phone and thinking that I just made a racket scrambling through the briars I took and and told the wife I made the 575 mile trek and was hunting. As I was looking at a huge new scrape, I said softly, love ya hun and shut the phone, looked right and saw a nice 8 that was coming down the logging road bound away. Stay at it and be in the woods as much as possible, if you have a half an hour, get at it.
At this point, I would stay with the does, its only a matter of time. If I was a betting man, I would say that a buck has to visit with them before time runs out.
At this point, I would stay with the does, its only a matter of time. If I was a betting man, I would say that a buck has to visit with them before time runs out.
11-04-2008, 06:33 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: pa.
Posts: 1,115
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
It only takes five minutes to turn the season around. I had not even seen any does in the spot I was hunting, but I knew they where there from the sign. Some rubs showed up last week and I stayed the course. Hunted with the right wind and scent control same as you and it happened for me. Not a monster buck but a good one to take. Never, ever give up......it will happen and when it does WOW...what a feeling.
11-04-2008, 06:36 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Iowa (Heartland USA)
Posts: 3,249
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
The younger bucks are chasing the does but that's it here. Give it time. I was torqued earlier, but found I need to put it all in prospective and have fun.
11-04-2008, 06:43 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Cogan Station, PA
Posts: 2,298
RE: Wow...I'm now getting frustrated.
I know, AF, in the grand scheme of things, I'm not doing too badly. It's been a rough 6 yrs with this buck slump I'm having[8D], and maybe it's my sometimes overpowering desire to be successful, but I just feel like I'm trying so hard, and putting a lot of time in, but have nothing to show for it. I don't know how guys kill good bucks consistantly year after year. I would just like one year.