I didn't see anyone in this thread do it, either. Nor did I elude to that. I have no idea where that buck was killed. I have my suspicions. But, I'll never "know". I only know who killed it.
Like Fletch and Justin stated that magical time in late October is the time to be there. Expecially in that first cold front that moves through. I find the time that I have seen big giant deer that I might not see the rest of the year is the first week of the hunting season here in Minnesota. I've been doing this a while and have just kinda figured out that if you can do some hard core pre-season scouting from the binocks or truck you can catch a giant on a pattern. The last two seasons I have been soooooo close to taking one but have not closed the deal. Then its like poof there gone to their special bedding area where you might see them again in October but only if your lucky.
Now that I think about it just last season third day in the season I had a 140" class buck within 17 yards while at full draw. He sensed something was up and backed out before I had an open shot. I hunted that buck with stratigy changes and never seen him again. Im leaning toward Ghost buck status encounter with him in early season.
This guy knows a thing or two about hard to kill bucks, it's a MI buck and it scores 80'' this one side. I bet nobody saw this buck in the area he roams.
Justin, if you really think I took that statement literally then I guess I could pass as a rock without a functioning brain. A buck is going to have to move more than just a few yards each day to survive, and that movement will occur during daylight hours. I don't know why you would talk about a water hole other than to try to be funny and insulting...I guess it kind of worked. And the joke about the 50 hours in relation to my thought process is intended to be insulting as well, good work. Hunting and killing a ghost buck is simple in some respects. Either that buck frequents your property at the right times of the year or you are screwed in that you won't see him, much. If you hunt where he lives year round minus the rut, you still have a legit shot to kill him if you know where he beds. And when we are talking about ghost bucks, we are talking about decent bucks that are rarely seen. We are not talking about 180-200 inch Illinois bucks. In fact the ghost buck I hunted for 3 years would go maybe 100-105 inches and I just bet he was 5 years old. And some people think they kill "ghost bucks" because they kill 150 inch bucks that frequent their property at the right time, not because they did anything special. I am not grouping all hunters into that statement, just more than 50% of hunters, possibly more. October 1 or November 1 does not matter. The first time I get the right wind I am moving in to kill the buck that beds here. If I don't, 100 other public land hunters will mess this spot up and I will be screwed. I cannot wait until the pre-rut, I have to move in and kill him now.
They can be killed in any month from Sept to Dec, the key is first of all knowing where he is exactly, his bedroom, then trying to infultrate the fringes of his bedroom and kill him while hes on his feet in there. 9 times out of 10 imo on big mature bucks; hunters tip the buck off by making mistakes with scent, noise ...or any other negative stimuli that is going to push him away or force him to "hole up". I do like to use scrapes to my advantage as well in Sept and Oct ...well before the rut. That works as I have killed my oldest bucks in Sept/Oct in conjunction with scrapes.. Inches really have nothing to do with how smart or wise a buck is, its all about age.. Here many of our oldest bucks will never score more than 150..It really depends on your geography when it comes to antler score... when you start killing 5,6,7,8,9 year old deer consistently with a bow... you have done your homework extensively, executed sound game plans and have not blown your chances, because more often than not your best shot at a veteran buck thats a ghost is going to be 1 maybe 2 chances before he catches onto you, this often equates to the first time or two you hunt him.
A ghost buck doesn't have to be huge to be a ghost. I've seen skitish 1.5 year olds that would fall into ghost buck status in a couple of years.Age and experience plays a roll on how these deer live,if a buck is never hunted and use to people is he less likely to become a ghost? Like Germ said,there are always stories of pen deer that nobody has seen. They find them dead and everyone is is amazed.I remember reading an article from the Whitetail Institute about one of there study pens.It was a 90 acre pen and they found a buck that nobody ever knew was there.There were people there everyday. I don't hold deer up on a pedistal like some mystical creature but I do believe that there are alot more deer out there that fall into ghost status then us hunters want to admit to.
"Hunting and killing a ghost buck is simple in some respects" With all due respect then they are not a "ghost bucks". The so called bucks are never easy to hunt. They may show themselves a couple of times during the season during the day, but it's in a place where they can see you coming or they are down wind of where they are eating or drinking. If it's not down wind they won't eat or drink it until it's dark. And you say they have to move and they do during day light, but only if the conditions are in their favor. These deer have bedding areas that they switch to once they leave their bachelor groups that most of the time you can't hunt because of these things....and hense that is why nobody sees them again until they screw up during the rut. (and most of the time they still don't screw up) I think they just have personalities that make them very parinoid and maticulouse about every aspect of thier life. If you think they are "simple in some respects" then you havn't hunted a true to the definition "ghost buck".
There are also other reasons why those bucks move during the pre-rut, other than the hormones coursing through their body. There are more hunters in the woods, and those hunters are spending longer trips afield. Hunters are in the woods longer so that means they see more bucks..it is just a math thing. More bucks being pushed around by a greater volume of hunters plus hunters spending more time on stand=more ghost buck sightings. Add in the hormones and things really pick up.
Mitch is amazing. The stuff he has shared with me over the past 13 years is unreal. I have a book filled with pix and letters that are just mind boggling. His knowledge of mature whitetail bucks is second to none. I feel sorry for the bucks that he is after.
TS--I said SIMPLE in regards to the potential you have of killing a ghost buck...either he is on your property or not. You may only see him 1-2 times a year on your property because he frequents it to breed, then nothing for the rest of the year. Or he may live on your property. Or he may move through your property and not stop until he gets to his destination. There are a million variables.NOTHING is simple about killing a buck like that, in fact I never have to this day. Understand?
Ghost bucks are called that for a reason....it's as if they don't exist. There are a few guys on here with the experience needed to give credible advice. The rest of us might as well talk about our best tactics for killing big foot or the loch ness monster. Or better yet, just listen to the credible guys. But then how much fun would that be?
Many of us stand as good of a chance seeing one of these two.......as a 180-200" buck. My creek is 4' deep in the pools. One never knows, right?
If we are talking about bucks that are rarely seen and 4.5-5.5+ years old or something, then I would say that more guys on here than you think are credible enough to talk about those bucks. Now if you add on that those bucks have to have a certain size rack because a buck stores it's intelligence in it's rack, then the field drops considerably.
I believe in ghost bucks. I have been lucky enough to see about 3 of them. I may have even killed one. These are bucks that have hardly ever been seen if seen at all. A lot of times, the first time they are seen is when they are killed. Usually they surprise everybody. A lot of these "ghost" bucks are large in body size and sport enormous racks. I believe that it is their individual personallities that make them this way. I also believe that a lot of these bucks do not show much interest in the rut and spend ALL of their time in seclusion. Ever notice that most of the ones taken usually seem to have flawless racks? To them, their safety is always their # 1 priorty. As far as I know, there are two ways to kill one of these bucks. 1) Find his bed and hunt him there. (How do you find something that's never been seen?) 2) LUCK.
They always leave something behind. Tracks,Rub,Scrape. Just because you don't see him doesn't mean he doesn't leave clues behind.
