Thanks Mike, I am definately focused and driven this year to find more and better bucks to target. I am real optomistic about the potential of what this year in N.I. will bring. There are going to be a lot of 3.5 and 4.5 year olds from last year out there this year. Last season's hunters didnt kill the # of older bucks in comparisons to most years. I missed out on 10 days of the rut last year here... to go to Iowa.. so I am excited about getting to hunt that time of the year back here this fall too. I have so much country to cover that I have to get on it now or I will end up reverting back to my honey holes as usual if I dont get it scouted out. I am not one to hunt anywhere that I haven't devoted some time too, maybe I should but I am not a gambler.. more of a plotter! I am really enjoying checking out new country its refreshing.
Have you gotten any confimation of any of the bucks you were after last year making it thru the winter? I'm guessing not yet on any of the "big name" ones or I'd have heard about them. Hoss, the big 6x5 or the 2 hanging with the buck you did kill.
I saw the most and biggest deer last season that I have since being on my lease since '96. I feel pretty good about this upcoming year. There are only a few bowhunters on my lease, and I am taking my vacation earlier this year, as to be in the woods a few days before all the gunners show up. BTW, I am a gunner myself, but at least I'll have a few days to myself before the guns start blazing.
"Aframe" showed up on t/c in late Dec after the season. He should be fine, easy winter. He should be a solid 150 class buck this coming fall. I figured him mid 140s in this pix, as a 4x5. I also really like this young 6x6 buck I call the split6 due to his double split browtines. I have a ton of pix of him that I got after Christmas right before I pulled my cameras, Hes gonna be a nice 4.5 year old this fall, but he would be amazing in 2 years.... I even got him in full antler one day and then the next fully shed ... As for big Hoss, I am crossing my fingers that he shows up on T/C this month, I just put them out today in his area. I am also putting out a camera out on the point where you shot your bull, and then back in at a natural salt lick I found where this shed came from. Pix below of Aframe, Split6 and Split6shedded, then shed antler find from 2 seasons ago. I would love to find the buck that shed this 5x side.. 9plus inch browtines, great mass, tall tines.. 12 inch g-2s ... with 3 new areas running cameras in, this should be a fun T/C summer. as for the big 6x5 I missed opening day last season.. havent seen him since but have a camera going into the area I shot at him in tomorrow.
Bow, that would be great, but if we don't it was great getting to know you last year and all the effort you put into your season. I will definately be keeping tabs on how your season goes no matter what team we are on. Best of luck man. Went out last night with my oldest boy Jess, freshend up two mineral sites and two scrapes, just starting my mocks right now.. most importantly getting to share all this world with my boy. He's 9 right now and is gonna take hunters safety this summer. It wont be long and he will be hunting with me, I can't wait. Now its just time to let the cameras do the work on the scouting end, that and glassing..
Just got back from an outing. Went really well! Found one scrape at a junction of two trails that was hit just last night. Throwing a stand up there soon. Also stumbled in an incredible area. Four trails converging heading to and from bedding, they look like cow trails. Perfect tree here. Time to get my new trailcam ordered!
I don't want to forecast what this year is going to be like, but after it's over I'll be more than happy to give a roundup. All I know was we had a harsh winter. A few of the farmers w/i 2 miles didn't get their corn out due to the weather but there was a larger than normal amount of road kill by those fields. The farmers who did get their crops out nearby had a lot of poachers waiting outside the fields as they were being combined. I say poachers because they were combining after 8 PM and it was quite dark. This spring all I've seen so far are some youngun's and haven't seen any tracks of decent size deer. I put the trail cams out a week ago so I'll know a little more in 3 or 4 more weeks. Anyway, good luck to you this season!
Nice BC and IV... Man I am patiently waiting for the first round of trail cams.. 6 cameras going and about to put # 7 in .. Hopefully tomorrow after I am done logging.
I glassed a lot of elk and deer this evening before dark driving around in my secret scouting car but best of all was a double drop tined buck either that or his main beams both turn down like handle bars out on the ends ...I caught a glimpse of him at last light in my binocs and he only looked straight at me.. it was hard to tell forsure a dropper of some type on the right main beam...pretty sure on the left too ... saw one other nice looking buck with him, actually a bigger buck but he stayed pretty well hidden.. They were about 200 yards directly down a draw and past a saddle that leads to one of my favorite mountainside treestands down in some dark timber on a beautiful bench with 3 different, very old skid trails leading too it.. I have a camera in there right now with a dripper going, man I hope these boys were coming from that stand area to where I spotted them tonight.. the double looked like a 3.5 year old at best..
Doesn't look like the neighbors apple tree is going to bear fruit this year That doesn't bode well for me seeing or my woods holding any deer over the summer. I still have to check the neighbor a few house the other direction and see how his look.
Troy i'm really excited for this new buck now! hopefully you get some TC pictures of him soon. I will finally be done with the 6 week overnight inventory job I volunteered for at the end of this week. Finally time to concentrate all of my time on the deer. Heading to a place saturday night that will overlook a scrape I found last week that was hit the night prior. Pretty excited, i'll be on a mountain about300-400 yards away, providing wind is good. Camera and video in hand. Troy, when you set out a drip this early is that too simply keep the bucks interest peaked in the area? Ryan's book should be here anyday!
BC, sounds great, best of luck scouting that area. To answer your question about the dripper, I like to give the deer in the area one more reason to frequent a particular spot. If you can find a scrape that the deer frequent year around, (community type scrape) they will not always paw it up, but will almost always hit the licking branch. I use synthetic scents that never rot or smell old, I use Buck Fever brand. I have had great luck with their urines and forehead gland scent for the licking branches, which really gets their attention. I am simply trying to get older bucks to keep checking "me" ...basically getting them to hunt me a mock-buck.. The key for us hunters imo is to keep our intrusions to a bare minimum, thats why I like the drippers, they will last about a month.. and the synthetics last a long time in the ground.. I really get clean and wear rubber boots and gloves (latex) anytime I go in to apply new scent to the drippers..or hunt it and need to check the dripper.....or when I am checking my cams...This spot I am referring too with the droptine buck.. is where I missed and absolute stud last fall, opening day.. Sept 6th.. You will be amazed with BF too if you ever try it.. Elk will frequent the scrapes, I have hundreds of t/c pix to prove it.. and Many of which are in daylight hours..
Bummer Ryan, a few of my apple trees are like that.. every other year. Hope you find something for early season that will bring them into your hunting option/areas.. best of luck bud. Wont be long and we will be chasing elk again.. Can't wait brother!
Sounds great, thanks for the info. I'm not sure i'f I want to set up on the scrape I found or not, yet. It's about 75 yards from a provate road and about 200yrds from a house. Kinda leery on that. I am considering starting a mock srcape just up the trail from this one, need to get a new TC soon as well. Looking at the wildgame Innovations.
You know It!!!!!!!! Which reminds me I better get a big order In, I'm a little low on the gland scent . I might see what they have for bear stuff too. I'll be getting mine out here with In the next 2 weeks. Man am I excited!!!
One of my best mock scrapes is about 200 yards from a county road..everyone and their dog just drives right by this spot.. its back down in the dark timber...on a natural travel route that parallels the road. I a get a ton of daylight movement in there, the deer are comfortable with this buffer from road. One of my other best scrape lines is literally 100 yards off of the highway were the deer parallel it deep enough in the thick timber to not be detected.. I always try to look for spots that cars pass by but guys dont stop and get out and hike around in... those are the places bucks and does know are safe.. I never set up scrapes where i see guys park and get out and hike around on a regular basis..
