So here's the deal- I have a really nice buck (for NC at least) coming out into a 50 acre hayfield every night. He is fairly consistent time wise and is always with three other bucks. Trouble is, the times I have sat over the field, he has come out at the opposite ends of the field. Which would put the two bedding areas he uses about 1000 yards apart. So what should I do? This would be by far my biggest buck ever, and I know things could change before the season but he's held this pattern for about 2 months now. I've considered putting a haybale blind in one spot and a stand in the other and just running cameras over minerals but if I don't kill him the first time in, I'll spook him on the way out. Any ideas would be appreciated Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
A lot of times in situations like this you're only going to get one high percentage shot at hunting him, then he'll know you're in the area. While glassing I'd keep a record of wind direction and how he's entering the field, mature bucks are going to use their nose when bedded and probably picks which bed to use by wind direction. This may tip you off as to where to hunt if he keeps on the pattern.
This ^^^ but I wouldn't be surprised if he was using 1 bed and just taking different routs to the field based on wind direction .
Based on the way the field is laid out, I doubt this is true. Unless he literally walks a mile around the field just to walk back in the direction he came from out in the field. I have seen that happen, but I don't think that's the case here. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What do you guys think about putting up minerals and cameras? Or would you risk possibly spooking him? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't think I've ever come across a situation where minerals are a bad thing and a camera is what you should use to pattern him and identify when and where he is going to be. This may end up being one of those deals where you stay out of the property unless the wind is perfect and then go in when you have his pattern locked down. When targeting a specific deer, hunting less and being more tactful is almost a must in order to be successful. If you go in and get busted there's a chance it could throw him off his pattern completely.
My question is why? You have a food sourse and the ability to scout from a distance without influencing his core area. If he's bedding close to the back of the field and you introduce human scent in or near his bedroom plan on sightings becoming sporatic. I'd let him continue on his pattern, try to figure out his most likely bedding area, and even if he changes food sources before season, if he feels safe bedding there I'd expect him to come back at some point in the season. Then move in for the kill.
I'm not able to scout consistently, I may only be able to glass a couple more times before the season. So I figured cameras on the field edge over minerals wouldn't be too risky, and would allow me to see where he has likely been bedded on a particular day. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
