yup, after looking at several thousand trail cams my buds have and dissecting their property via topos and arials ... and knowing exactly where we are NOT ever aloud to traverse it makes perfect sense. He has those vampire/ghost bucks too..heck the big boy I passed, He hadnt seen all season, and I was tucked in deep close to the sanctuary when I got my opportunity...Jay has one place on his ground that he hasnt been into for 20 years and hes 27 or 28, about a 30 acre tangle of timber and willow and underbrush. Just curious if you dont mind me asking..how big of a piece of ground to you own/hunt and in relation to that how big are your sanctuaries. Jays are about 30 and then two at 50-60 ish.. (he has a 500 acre piece total)..I would say gauging from the maps I looked at thats how big those sanctuarys are.
No offense towards anyone... especially the thread starter.. But this question and some of these answers so far are SO loaded with ego.
I said what I said for one reason, Duke. If I've learned anything in the last 5 years (about deer hunting), one big thing would be this.... Bucks are, in a word...."efficient". I don't think they do anything they don't have to. And, around here, they'd have to do things they wouldn't have to do.....if they lived somewhere less "busy". I think this way....especially since there's really good habitat really close to where I hunt. It's easier to live down the road a ways. I think they're lazy/efficient....and this makes them appear to be (by default) - smart. Do they come through my grounds? Yeah. At certain times, I'm sure they do.
Hey.. I understand what you're saying. But the question is slightly absurd... "if you were a buck". What? Doesn't even make any sense. And then you read some of these answers... about how I (if I were a deer mind you) would live by me... "cause its so hard for a person to hunt here"... or vice versa.... Seriously... this is a question for GROWN MEN? And they answer it? Imagine an outsider reading this one... what a face he must have... and then to laugh without control over answers that are just so blatantly obvious to there intentions.. and soley put in this thread to make that person feel better about themselves and their hunting prowess. We should put our collective intelligence into better use than the "If I were a buck" scenario. But I will admit.. this one thread has got me laughing.
Well I'll take full blame, then. I worded the question the way I did (but eluded to its' quirkyness, also). I guess I should have said......"Why" or "why shouldn't" a big buck call your hunting grounds - home?
I guess I really didnt see a lot of arrogance anywhere here. Just some guys admitting that they either have it rather easy and others that face some challenges in attracting or holding the class of buck they would like to target. The question may have been unique. But I dont think there is anyone here who hasnt tried to think like a buck at some time. If not you should be. Makes a lot of sense. The facts are, some places are hard to access geographically or are limited to access by choice and both make great spots for mature bucks to live. I guess if that is so absurd to someone they dont have to respond.
My main location is about a thousand contiguous acres and about a total of 200 acres that would be considered sancturary. But very little of it gets weekly pressure. Sanctuaries range from 20 to 30 acres to nearly 60
Fletch, sound like you have a great hunting area out there, I always look forward to see what you put on the ground each year. Mike, Fletch is right, I dont think anyone was trying to be arrogant, and Jeff, I don't know why you are apologizing. You asked a legit question. How many times do we as hunters try to think like the animals we are hunting. I took the thread with a grain of salt and tried having a little fun with it. Nothing more; nothing less, Do I get sent to time-out now for not meeting the lofty standards or agreeing with the perspective of the intellect police? LMAO give me break.
Yep. If I was buck I'd gladly live on the ground that I hunt. There's just NO good way to get back there without them having a good chance of busting you.
I kind of seen it that way too. But, I looked over the wording an took it for what it was worth. Because, they do stay in places for long periods of time. Its a topic worth a discussion.
I would live in the median strip of the Interstate Highway (during hunting months). In places it's 1/4 mile wide or more. I thought I was the only one who thought of things like this.
LOL...I've thought about that a LOT. It's PERFECT! There's a strip between Durham and Richmond that's got prime habitat on both sides......AND the middle.
In my opinion If you know enough about the species your hunting there Is no reason not to try and think like them and wonder what they will do In certain situations. When I'm bear hunting, this Is exactly how I try and think. I wouldn't be able to think like this If I knew nothing about them.
Bucks don't usually live on our farm. The neighbors recieve less pressure, and also have better options for bedding. However, the big ones do travel through our area. We have the best options for food. I'm not going to say that a big buck is never bedding on us, but I don't think he spends the majority of his time there by comparing hunting pressure to surrounding properties. We did log a lot of areas in '08 and '09, so hopefully that will be changing.
I cant believe a grown man like you would answer this question in such an arrogant way. Poor Dukemichaels is going to be laughing at you so hard he could rupture his spleen. Now take that back before you get banned.
