Finally got some decent bucks on camera
 

This past weekend marked the last weekend before all of the firearm seasons start opening up, beginning with the youth hunt next weekend and then muzzleloader season after that. I've been checking my cameras almost religiously all summer and fall, but I haven't seen anything other than does, fawns, and young bucks. Yesterday, though, while checking my cameras, I had pictures of some decent sized bucks that seem to be scouting for does:

The 7-point






The 8-point (yes, he's an 8, one of his tines is just hidden due to the angle)


Here's what I'm thinking. I won't take the 7 with my 300 Encore, but he's fair game if he gets within range of my 460 S&W, Optima pistol, or one of my Blackhawks. That 8-point is going down regardless of weapon if I see him.

What do you guys think?

What's your plan for catching sight of them during shooting hours? Right now just seeing them while hunting, even out of range, would seem like big deal, given these pictures were taken so late at night.

I'm going to wait until muzzleloader season starts on November 5th. The rut should be in full swing between the second weekend of muzzleloader season (12th and 13th) and the opening weekend of gun season (19th and 20th). Hopefully by then they'll be driven by their breeding instinct to come out during daylight hours to within shooting range. I've certainly seen plenty of does around for them to chase. That 7 point is less than 10 yards from my blind, so if he shows up in that general area he'll be well within range of whatever handgun I'm carrying.

That is, if my cousin or sister don't get them before I do. But, I wouldn't mind if they did.

Gun season feels like it's starting so late this year (starts the same weekend in Virginia, where I'll be) that I sometimes wonder if it'll see any rutting action at all. I'm hoping the moon increases deer movement if nothing else, because it seems the mast crop is strong this year that it would otherwise make them less likely to go far from their beds during the day.