I got a good video of a nice wide 8pt in velvet two weeks ago at 1:30am. This week I got another great video (same cam) of that same buck, only hard antlered. But, this time he showed up at 9:50am going in the opposite direction as in the first video. It's public land I hunt, so I usually don't hunt the early archery season, which opens Sept. 21st in my WMU. Usually, I just concentrate my all day sits during the pre rut/rut period, and a couple weeks afterwards. Since it seems this buck is a local to this immediate area, I was considering doing all day hunts starting Opening Day, given his apparently sporatic movements. Does this sound like a smart/logical strategy? I'm hoping to catch up with him before he changes his routine/area before the rut.
If he stays consistent in daylight on the trail camera, go for it. It is public land, in my opinion, the deer move far more than people think. I wouldn't waste my time if is nocturnal close to the opener. Wait until he is consistently moving in daylight.
Good luck on that buck. The bucks where I hunt just finally showed up 2 days ago. But only night image's. Late Oct through Nov is when it should kick off. Sent from my SM-A037U using Tapatalk
nope, not for me in early season, it would burn me out fast before the rut even kicks in ....... their patterns are changing, odds are he'll be nocturnal or move only very early to bed, or late in the day ...
I actually considered the "burn out" before the rut possibility as well. What's making it a tough decision is the fact that I have him at 1:00am in velvet, then again at 9:50am a week later, hard antlered, but on the same cam. Nothing consistent yet.
I'm hoping to get more videos of him before the opener to do just that. Yep, no telling where he'll be during the rut.
Kind of sounds like he is just passing thru. Hard to say he will be around much at all. Especially since you only got 2 pics. Sit one evening before season just to see if you spot him. Maybe he uses a different trail or area thats not in front of your camera. No way i would sit all day just off the intel you have. Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
back when I had 160 acres of private to myself and a buddy, and had food plots, I'd put in tree time (weather permitting), but no all dayers. .. I could promise I'd kill one or two decent does before the rut, usually the first two weeks of Oct., all the buck pics were night time TILL the end of Oct., at that time unknown bucks would start showing on cams, then and only then would I do some all day sits. now that I'm back on state land, I do very few early sits, a few but not many (weather permitting)... come Vac. #1 which is around Halloween, then I spend as much time as possible in a tree, same for Vac. #2 in Nov... when our gun opens, I'm usually gone till it ends. Waaay to many idiots on state land toting firearms. I dont want to be around 'em ...
That sounds like a good idea sitting before opener. In the two videos I have of him, he's going in opposite directions, which might indicate he's not just passing through. Two more weeks to see if he stays in the area.
I'm in PA also but Northeast. I find early season I can only really get out am and pm hunts and I feel in the right area, I have a chance to see any potential shooter. They move whether we are there or not. Sometimes farther sometimes not. I have even had buck sparring on a first day hunt and passed on a big 8 few years back. That year, I was targeting a giant 10 that he was fighting with... Specific to all day, they are long days this time of year. Maybe try stalking around in the mid-day hours to find him vs just sitting?
all day sit for a deer you have on cam at 0130 and 0950? I mean, any day in the stand beats a day in the office, but not sure I'd base that decision on one mid-morning stroll.
