Going to gamble next year

3rd year in a row late season 1st week in December and I get a pictures of a bigger buck than I saw all year and bigger than I shot. I usually do not hunt until it's time, low pressure is key on small parcels. Thinking about waiting it out next season and forgo the main rut to wait on the real big one. High risk high reward.

 

The biggest buck I killed was late also. I'm trying that philosophy again this year.

 

More power to you.

It's hard to get by "a bird in the hand.........."

 

So are you saying you are not going to hunt until the first week of December?

 

More power to you.

It's hard to get by "a bird in the hand.........."

 

I have gotten pics of the biggest buck of the year after our rifle season has ended. We hunted this small piece of woods hard this year and quit when rifle season came. Nobody has been out the past 2 weeks and this guy has been showing. I know it's after dark. It only by 45 minutes or so.

 

I agree there can be alot less pressure in the late season but I would hate to miss being out there during the main rut.

Blessings..........Pastorjim

 

Yep that's the plan.

 

I just might have to turn to Wisconsin for the hunting fix early in the season.

 

Great buck!! Good luck!!

 

We don't gun hunt on our place and all the neighbors do. Our place allows the deer a place to hide out and feel safe. We hunt harder during the late season on our place than I do at my in-laws. Their place is in the city limits where gun hunting isn't allowed so I concentrate earlier season and the rut there more than I do at our place. I still hunt our place during the rut just not as hard as the in-laws.

 

There isn't any deer to hunt in Wisconsin.

 

Yes, you would have to have another place to hunt. You can't just not hunt most of the season.

 

I already sit out the first 6-7 weeks. I really think it will be worth it I am not talking about a nice 8 pointer, a few of bucks that come here late are big fat brutes.

 

Considering your original "plan " of no hunting until a specific set of days, It looks like your prone to setting constraints that make you very one dimensional. This is a pretty common theme among bowhunters, they find a niche that they had success in the past and they replay ad nauseam, even when it's unproductive in the present, or doesn't produce increased success (bigger deer).
I see this " gamble " as an extension of this behavior. Why not use the new information as way to increase or add to an existing strategy, in a way that will help you target larger bucks then you seen early in the season. Not through becoming more narrow but buy expanding the box to allow for more opportunity.

 

Trial, I hunt a 25 acre piece of land, my land hosts doe and fawn groups. The bucks come out of a 1400 acre gated community that does not allow hunting. I do not have a luxury of taking my tactics to the bucks, I have what it takes to draw the bucks it is a matter of being there when the bucks show up. I pride myself on doing all I can to not get busted but why increase the odds of being busted when it is a gamble that the buck will show up during shooting hours, as they are want to do in the early season.

 

Over 270 inches of antler is 5 sits total over the last two seasons, is worth repeating ad nauseam as well. If you build it they will come.

 

I had the same thing happen last year...I tagged out on bucks in early november and come december I had two bucks show up on camera that were twice the size of the bigger deer I had shot weeks prior!

 

So two 135" deer over two years. Got you. However you must not be satisfied with those results otherwise you wouldn't contemplating not hunting during the time frame you have been successful.
You stated that you killed those two deer over the coarse of 5 sits. You are impatient. Since there are bigger bucks in the area you have not given it enough effort, time and patience ( passing on a 130 deer) in hopes of killing a larger buck (which by you admission, camera results late season, multi years) you know are in the area.
By confining yourself to such a small area (25 acres) your imposing constraints on yourself by limiting your options.

So I see two defining factors in the decision. by correcting both of theses issue I see it as a better alternative then waiting till December to hunt.

First issue is lack of patience. If your going to kill a great deer you have to pass up some really good ones along the way. Those 270' of antlers over 5 sits have kept you out of the woods during conditions that you may have had the opportunity to connect with a really good buck.

secondly you need to ride yourself of the imposed constraints because of the property size. You have to secure another piece (to two)of property adjacent to the focal area. Even a small 10-15 ac lot in the same vicinity will give you access to a larger area. This flexibly will allow you impose yourself into large portion of home range and the obvious upside that can come from. it

 

I love to bowhunt too much to only bowhunt 5 times in 2 years. Sounds really boring to me, shooting 135" deer or not (or whatever 2 deer combo you used to get that 270 number).