Ok, I have access to hunt 30 acres of some over 100 acres. Where I hunt there is sign of rubs and scrapes all over. But I only see a little spike 4 pt buck. Do you think there is another bigger buck in the area? I cant amagine the 4 pt to make some of the rubs that are pretty big. anyone have any thoughts?? I have tried grunting, rattling, and a can call, but nothing.

A buck's range is much larger than 30 or even 100 acres. That means your 30 acres is probably included in the range of at least one big buck, maybe several. During the rut, bucks can travel miles, so your chance is probably as good on your 30 acres as it is on any 30 acres. Hunt it as effectively as you can. Try to make as small of an impact as you can. In other words sneak in and out. Maybe a big buck will pass through there. The good news is that you have big buck sign on the 30 acres, so they frequent there. Good luck.

i can almost bet that the big one is comin through at dark

We have set out a trail cam and on it we only have the spike and some does...i am thinking i am in the wrong location. Also, there is a small thicket with an old dry pond and then nothing but high tall grasses around us. There are some trails mowed into the grass, but a couple of low spots as well..i took a nice 11 pointer 2 years ago that we have never seen, that came out from bedding in the tall grass right before dusk.

that pond sounds key here... a nice protected spot. I would set up somewhere where you can get a shot into there, without disturbing that area. Bucks are coming through, especially with the rut coming in they willl be travleing a lot. Spend time in the woods, you'll see something in there.
-jake

Yeah, there are a couple of rubs in the pond area and leading out of there, but my father has a stand on one side of the pond with his back side to it, and he hasnt heard or seen anything but a doe in there...if he is going through at dark, how do i intercept him?

the pic is where i have access to hunt currently. We cannot hunt the whole area because some jack off keeps getting closer and closer to us and thinks he runs the place when he doesnt..hope it helps..

persistence is key. don't hunt the area in a wrong wind. a bad wind will keep the deer away or bedded until after dark.

For the last two years, i've set up cameras on nice big rubs and the "only" buck I've seen actually rub an existing rub was a little 2 pt with ONE antler.
This year I had a lot of scrape activity. I had many bucks on camera with many of them coming back time and time again. Last Saturday, opening gun season, none of us saw a buck and the does came and went quickly. We hunted long and quiet. Sunday, nothing. Sunday night it snowed. No tracks to be seen on Monday. I shall persist, however.

more than likley