Norman1wv

First off let me say that I have been hunting whitetails since I was a teenager and I'm now in my late 40's. I have bagged my fair share of deer. My largest buck taken was a small 8 pointer that had a prefect rack although very small in mass and spread. I am still proud of that buck. Lately I have been seeing a very nice 8 pointer that tends to hang-out near my home. Season is not in yet, so all I get to do is try and snap a picture of him in his velvet. (failure so far) My property has a medium sized stream nearby. There is rugged hillside on one side of the stream, and abandoned cornfields on the other side all along the stream for about a mile or so. I see does and fawns frequently standing in my yard in late evening. This 8 pointer is no dummy!... He comes in across the cornfields to bed, or crosses the stream to bed down. I haven't jumped him from his bed yet, but I know he beds close by. I waited on him Monday at his usual crossing but he didn't show up on time. (Yes I have him down to the hour that he crosses which is around 6:30pm) I gave up and decided to scout the hillside across the stream for a little bit. At 7:15 I heard him snorting and acting upset from across this stream. I thought to myself, yea big boy, you smell my scent don't cha? After the 8 pointer calmed down, something caught my eye to my left. There was two of the cutest fawns nearly 4 feet from me, jumping around, just being kids. I gave up and headed home, but not before spotting a huge rub on a nearby pine sapling which was about 4-5 inches in diameter. This sparked my interest to scouting more the next morning. I know it is way too early for bucks to create rubs. This is an issue for me. All the bucks I have seen lately are still in velvet, but this rub seemed very fresh as the sap was pouring out and the inner wood was pale and wet as well. (don't know whats up with this, but I know some larger older bucks will shed their velvet earlier than the younger ones, but this early?) ---anyways.......The rub looked fresh enough to look for more sign. I got up the next morning, bright and early, way before the sun came up. As soon as it was light enough to see a bit, I went on my way to scout. What I found later on that morning made my spine tingle!

I walked about 1/2 mile along a very worn deer path. I don't normally like to walk in the path, but the hillside is so dense with vegetation that I have almost no other choice. I walked along this "deer highway" looking around. Eventually this path lead to a grove of pines. I now know what a rub-line really is! It looked as if someone had a hatchet in there scraping the bark off all the saplings! Rubs rubs everywhere! There was of course old rubs. There were old rubs that had fresh rubs over top of the previous ones. There were many many new ones!... As the path lead out of the pine grove, it crossed a deep and dark hollow which I decided was too much for me to jump. At this crossing was a knoll that overlooked the stream and the adjoining cornfields around 50 yards of the pine grove. This is where I would like to set up a stand, I have sat in this location, on this knoll for 3 days. (not continuously, but every morning and every evening trying to spot whatever monster has already shed his velvet is is tearing up the trees!)

It is July 27th. Deer should all still be in velvet right? What else would create these rubs? Elk have been reintroduced into the area but I know nothing about their behavior, and there numbers are still small. Think 20 total in the county. I know the 8 pointer is still in velvet. Why after 3 days have I not seen anything besides a few does/fawns and that 8 pointer. I know the knoll is a prime location. I just know the 8 pointer's daddy is in the area. My gut tells me he is huge, smart, and very elusive. I have thought about how he may be nocturnal i just hope not. The area has non-existent hunting pressure, plenty of cover/bedding areas, and lots of browse. Perfect home for a monster buck!

What would you do? How would you get a glimpse of him? Should I continue to walk the path? Should I take another route? What is making these rubs? Is it possible a buck has already shed his velvet? How would you hunt him when season opens? Wife just spotted two deer in the yard, I'm gonna end this and check them out, maybe the big daddy is tired of me invading his core area and has decided to invade mine!...

Open to all suggestions!

hardcastonly

too me it sounds like you may want too invest in one or two of the trail cameras that you can down-load pictures from wirelessly from a distance
so you can watch for but not overly disturb the bucks in that area.
read the fine print and info carefully some cameras can be used from far off site, others require you get within a few dozen feet.
https://www.trailcampro.com/collecti...-trail-cameras

https://www.opticsplanet.com/trail-cameras.html

https://www.stealthcam.com/

https://www.besttrailcamerareviews.o...-trail-camera/

https://www.trailcameralab.com/best-...ews-the-top-8/