Hey guys, I'm new here so I will introduce myself. My name is Nathan and I live on a cattle farm in Northern Missouri. I have always hunted our land and harvested many good bucks as well as my family, my biggest being a 160 class buck. So there is some land south of my house that I have obtained permission to hunt on. It consist of about 200 acres of soybeans and thick ditches. I should be the only person hunting on it. The last 3 or 4 years I have been seeing a 180+ class deer. In the summers, I will see him in the evenings out in the field eating, but when it gets to be fall, I only see him late at night (he's a smart buck) around midnight on my way home next to the road. I have become obsessed with this buck. Many of my neighbors have also seen him. There are also two 150 class bucks in there. I need some advice on where to put bow stands as rut is coming up. I want to be smart and make sure I get him and not spook him. Here is an aerial view with yellow dots being where I have seen him. Advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Any idea where they might be bedded? I would try for easiest route in without spooking them near spottings. Is that a gravel road or drive? Hard to tell you where to put a stand without seeing the trees, etc. You'll know better by seeing it. Without knowing more I would try to come in on the northeast corner in the correct wind situation if you can hang a stand near the yellow dots.
The road on the left is a gravel road and the road on the right is a highway where I see him. The problem is I never see him next to the road during the mornings or evenings. All of the ditches are really brushy so they could be in any ditch. I went along the north ditch and found spots where they had been bedded down along the outside of the ditch but no really good trails going into it. I didn't know if there was anyway you pros knew how to locate where they would be from an aerial view or not. Thanks for the reply!
If only it was that easy. Hard to tell for sure on aerials. Some others might have some good ideas for you based on your information. Is your season not open yet? I would try to get in ahead of the rut if you know some of his patterns early on before rut. Any trail cameras up to see patterns? To me the rut is a great time to see bucks active. Not much for patterns though. Bucks will be looking for does.
They stop hitting the beans late summer to early fall so that could be one reason. Find the other food source and you might find him, also check the beds in that ditch and see if it is a buck bed. If you find his bed you have a huge advantage.
Season opened September 15. I don't have any cameras out but I will get some up. The pond at the bottom right is the only one on the place. Would that be a good place for a stand too? Or would they only visit at night?
A couple cameras would help you locate him traveling to and from the feed. Then you'll be able to get a better idea of where he is bedding. Hunt closer to the beds and you may catch him in daylight. Kinda late though... One way or the other, I hope you get him!
What they said! I had a buck come in 2 nights ago chasing these does all over the place so find does and you will find them. Also water is a critical part. I have put a couple red dots on places I believe would be a great spot to set up at hope this may help in your decision. I chose the spots due to ease of access to the pond from the road, enter on the back side and be able to overlook the pond from one side, and also they may enter from the left of that pond from the beans. I chose the other two because of the woods you can use as cover to access, the one closer to the road because maybe you could put up a tripod feeder or just dump corn down their to kind of funnel them into that area, and also the one to the left of that to overlook and glass the field to see things come in from a far and also to be at the beginning of the funnel so maybe a buck may enter or exit from either side of the woods.
do any of the surrounding niebors have water sources close to your property ?,if not put a trail camera on your pond, actually do it even if they do,he has got to get a drink regually.
