Hey gang, I'm pretty new and am here to become a better deer hunter. I can hold my own with ducks and geese, but I pretty much gave up deer hunting for about 6 years due to lack of interest and work.

Well, being things change and now I'm an avid bowhunter. I shot my first buck last year on some family property and this year I've got a lease as well. So here's what I'm dealing with:

The total patch of woods is about a square mile when you add up all the angles and stuff. As far as I know, I'm the only hunter that hunts it. Its a vegetable farm and there are plenty of does to go around, but the other day a MASSIVE 8 point came out. It was literally the biggest deer I'd ever shot at and I shot just under his belly at 30 yards. I went back two days later and was covered up in does and fawns again.

My question is I've hunted this place three times in the last two weeks. I have to walk across the entire field to get to my tree (using a climber for now, Gorilla comes this week) but am absolutely anal about scent control. Often when I get down, there are deer in the field, so I wait until its pretty dark to walk out and don't use a flashlight.

What are the chances I'm gonna see this buck again? I want him...bad. Am I hunting it too much or should I be letting it rest longer? Is always hunting the field edge where I see the deer come out a bad strategy or should I move into the woods as the season progresses?

Thanks for the help in advance!

He would probably be back, give it time. As long as he didnt see you, you should be fine.

Also keep in mind that if there are a lot of does and while it would be fine to shoot 1 or 2 for the meat if you have plenty, he will be where they are in the rut.

Thanks for the replies, I need to shoot a couple of does to get the farmer off my back, but after that I'm gonna try to get this buck.

Thanks for reminding me, the guy that farms where I hunt said he would give us a six pack for every doe we took. He stills owes us from last year....

I'd turn it around and give the farmer a nice quart of whiskey for the priviledge of hunting his property.

Make sure you use some sort of spray on scent killer too. That way it will eliminate any residual odors you may have left behind. Nothing like leaving odors that can linger for 24 hours to let the deer know you are around. I HIGHLY recommend Scent Shield Fall Blend; the best I've ever used.

Also, if you can get someone to pick you up in the evening by driving by your stand, that will help too because when you come off your stand after dark, there ARE deer around! Yeah, it will blow deer off, but better this way so they can't associate you coming out of the very tree you were in.

Good luck!

iSnipe

Yes! Be very very nice to this gentleman. Just don't ask to look after his daughter. LOL!

iSnipe

Look at it this way, those does are there every day, the buck could be a mile away...

Chances are the does will pattern you before he does, once he gets hot, he'll follow those does around just like a freshman...

Also...get the doe numbers down so he doesn't have it so easy...
With too many does, you may never see him in the open, he's having his fun in the woods...

Hunt the wind. If it isn't right go to another place to hunt.