What is with the lack of confidence in our bowhunting ranks about setting up on and taking down good bucks in October? Having read GMMATS thread... Most everyone is predicting Nov.... Why do you feel you won't have an opportunity until November?
For me - I pretty much only hunt Saturday mornings until Nov comes - then I take my days off work. Also - waiting until Nov just works easier around here...too many dang outfitters and yahoos driving every county road each day - The biggest ones do seem to go nocturnal for Oct. That being said - I took my best bow buck on Oct 22nd
Because I haven't done the work to pin exact locations of multiple good buck bedrooms, where I'm likely to find them in October. :D I've got 3 spots that I know are very likely to be holding "shooter" bucks, 2x of them I'm VERY confident are holding "shooter" bucks on a daily basis, but I've only got it narrowed down to a 20 acre or so patch, not an exact bed that is getting used consistently. If I get lucky, I'll catch one coming out for a late morning snack like I did last year, or maybe a late afternoon snack in October, but other than that, I feel my best bet is to hunt the funnels and pinch points during the rut. Would you this late in the game get in those 20 acre patches to pin their exact bedroom, knowing you would likely bump them in the process, or leave the spot alone and take your chances of catching him on the edge of the area?
The buck I'm chasing has not shown his face in daytime. He's older and seems to already be nocturnal. So I feel that the rut is my best time to catch him off guard
Our season starts October 3rd for antlered deer in my zone. I'll be out the first week to try to get one before they start moving less in daylight due to pressure. If I can't do that I'll hunt the fringes where I've seen them travel, but not put too much pressure in the main travel areas until November to catch them scouring for does. That's my plan and I'm sticking to it.
Mine wasn't to late, but due to the fact that i will be filming alot this season paired with school and work im not going to be getting that much time in the woods.
Because I don’t think I’ve ever confirmed a mature buck sighting prior to late Oct in 20+ years of hunting. And there is no reason for me to believe this year would be any different. I’ve seen some nice ones but it’s likely they were all 2.5 yr olds before I knew what a “mature” buck was.
Same here I only play around and hunt with friends and just having fun you know you don't want to booger up a good spot and I don't get serious till Nov..Walt
Honestly? Because I'm just not that good. I've lost a lot of confidence in myself over these few years. Not really sure. Part of it, I think, is me limiting myself to one small plot (90acres). I feel my strategy and tactics have gotten much better over the past two years, but I have nothing to show for it but more deer sightings.
Everyone's hunting situation is different. Some people have the ability to glass crop fields, place trail cams, and scout with an endless amount of time. Others have families and hunt places that do not allow trail cams and have no crop fields. Some people have a ton of bucks running around their properties while others have very few. Some people hunt 5 days a week while others only once a week. I could go on and on about why some people find it difficult to pattern an early season buck while others can pattern some fairly easily.
Scot with the exception of 2006 all of my buck kills have been Sept and Oct since I started back in the 80's. It just seems I have to get to them before the pressure gets to them first around my part of the state.
I don't see me killing a buck before the 20th of October. Kids basketball practice and warm weather keeps me out of the tree alot until then.
Confidence = time in hunting, right now time is what I do not have. I also got kicked square in the junk when my wife lost her job, I now am working 2 so my kids can go to the school I want them to go to. Can I go out and kill any buck? Sure in MI it's not that hard at least in the SLP, but I won't, I will attempt to shoot a P& Y class buck in a state that the odds are 1 in 5050 with a bow. Things have change in 2009, I have a differnet perpective about hunting and where it falls in my life. Right now it's pretty far down on my list, I am OK with it for right now, because these are the card I have to play right now, they may suck, but it's the hand I was given.
I'll have one down when and if the buck presents itself for the shot. Will it be October, November, December? I haven't a clue as I have no control over the movements of the deer.
