So my comments this week about never seeing anything more than 1.5yr olds on my property except during the rut can be thrown out for this season...maybe. This morning a VERY nice/wide 10 was spotted just above my parent's backyard (not far from where one stand is hung, but that's beside the point). I wasn't there, so I don't have any details other than he was mainframe 10 with an ~18-19" spread (according to my dad). Anyways, he's a shooter by my standards and then some from the description. I have NO idea where he came from (my parents didn't see him come in either, only where he exited). I've seen ZERO signs of a good buck on this property over the last year. I couldn't find beds, only a few good sized rubs, etc during my winter scouting. He wasn't chasing the doe in the area (although he was VERY close to a doe bedding area which has me confused why he was there). He nibbled on some acorns for a while, then left. I've included a map indicating where he was spotted and where he went when he left. The blue dot in the NW is an area I've hunted in the past. It's a transition point between somewhat open woods, and thick cover. I've only been in once this season and passed 5 doe up. The majority of deer in there have been doe coming from the W, so I don't see how the buck would be using this as a bedding area as well. The area between the buck's exit route and the blue dot is THICK. It's a fairly flat area with a natural spring, and thick undergrowth that transitions into a thick steep ridge. I found some decent rubs at the base of this ridge two years go, but I've only hunted it during rifle season (saw some small bucks cruising the ridge, but nothing big). Is there anything worthwhile here or do you think he was just passing through? I hate to admit it, but I honestly have NO idea where he came from, or what he might be doing regularly, because before today I would have NEVER thought a buck like this would be on the property prior to the seeking/chassing.
Come on topo guys hook MGH up. I want to see him behind this deer, I just lack the skills to help. Matt, are you sure that the "doe" bedding area is just a "doe" bedding area?
Pretty sure, but then again, what do I know? I hunted on the fringe once during rifle and had a nice 8pt come through, but it was rifle season, and found he was sneaking through after being bumped from the area this buck my parents saw today was heading to. For those of you wondering where this bedding area is, it's the thick pines just north of the orange dot. I have a few regulars who enter the food plot to the east from that section every evening, and those 1.5yr olds may also bed there as well (two spikes and 5pt).
How high is the spot in blue as compared to the rest of the topography? Also, what direction was the wind blowing?
Not sure of the exact elevation change, but's a STEEP slope up to the blue dot. The blue dot is a sort of flat/staging area on top. I hunted it tonight, and saw 4 doe again. Not a good sign right now.
I really wish I could offer some advice here. For now stay with what you are doing. As these next 2 weeks go, get nearer the thicker areas. connect the dots between thickets & wait for him to cruise thru looking for a doe.
Yeah, there's a spot further south of the blue dot I found last winter. It's an old sheep fence (actually if you look closely, you can see the fence line running N/S on the left hand side of the aerial) that's down, and there were quite a few rubs there. In fact that "flat" come to a point down there. Might be a good mid-morning on spot in two weeks or so. It's just a bit frustrating. I never saw any signs of this guy (or any good buck for that matter) on my property even during post-season scouting earlier this year. I don't know of that means he was just slipping through, but that doesn't make sense considering he wouldn't be chasing/cruising. I just wish I knew where he called home, and why I missed it?
He'll be back, but when is the question. I was having this very conversation with Gri22ly today regarding a deer I had glassed and am now hunting(if you call one sit every freakin' 8 days, hunting) Dopnt over think this. Look for obvious travel routes and ambush sites, such as, breaklines, funnels, pinch points, doe trails, doe bedding(especially a nice downwing location where a buck may scent check from). Keep an eye on those rear glands of the doe. If you see a darkie, stick with her. Literally hunt her. This deer is most likely not "from" your area, rather, he was traveling through, just looking for a date. My advise would be to sit this patch of woods as often as possible, staying TIGHT to the doe(s). Hopefully, you'll be there when he comes back through. He will be back, but, like i said above, based on what you've stated- he was most likely just passing through.. Good luck...
You think he's in the area scent checking already? I'll check the glands, but from what I'm seeing in the field, the does are alone, and the young bucks are still traveling together. Like was discussed on here earlier, I don't think you can make the rut come early, but I suppose if there's a mature doe in the area, and she's coming into estrous early, then it's possible.
What is your primary wind? What direction does it blow when a front comes through? The red circle really looks like a decent spot for a buck to bed, assuming you have a primary S/SW/SE wind. He can lay there and look downhill and likely both sides of that "finger" coming off the sidehill, and let the wind cover his back. Assuming your a primary S/SW/SE wind like my place, I'd get further in to where the deer came from, but I would enter/exit from the north. The top two red dots are places I'd be looking to start off in as observation stands. If you get a north wind, I'd get right into that red circle. Be careful and DON'T go in further than you are going to hang a stand and hunt that day. If you bump him, he will be back by time the rut starts. Getting bumped once isn't gonna make him leave permanently. Just MHO. As a plan B, I'd be figuring out every consistent doe bedding area on that property and be looking for thick travel corridors between then on the downwind side. I'd be camping out over those starting about 10 days from today. Again, assuming you have a primary S/SW/SE wind there, that blue dot stand you have really looks good, I can see a buck cruising that shelf in the evenings checking the does in that field from the downwind side. There also has to be a crossing in that hollow somewhere, see if there is a spot that gets consistently used in there. Also, an aerial/topo overlay can be created on mytopo.com, just preview the map and then grab a screen shot. It would be much more helpful to see this, and also to include the surrounding area so that one can really see the "big picture". :D
MGH, my first thought after looking at the topo was... the ridge. The one between the blue dot at the road. A perfect place for him to look down one side and catch the wind coming over his back. As RJ asked, what are your dominant winds?
Thanks guys. matt and dubbya, my primary wind is indeed a w/sw. Matt, the western red dot you indicated on the map i have a stand set at. This is prinarily a morning stand now and only has been hunted twice. I enter from the south though. Those pines are def a bedding area, but i think just doe.Dubbya, that ridge has always been of interest to me. The blue dot stand gets me close, but maybe not close enough,..its very thick on that ridge line.
Also, a bit of a side question. Should I be leaving this are alone for now? That field to th NE is my foodplot, I have a stand in the NE corner of it and most deer enter it from the SE corner. Wouldn't hunting near that red circle with a SW wind be sending my scent toward what might be ANOTHER beeding area in the NE?I have a Sw wind tonight, so i have two choices. Hunt this location, or play it safe and hunt a standing corn field that is perfect for this wind, but it's not cut yet so I'm not thrilled with that prospect.
