Some of the posts I read about people and their local deer herd... How much time do you spend each year locating bucks to hunt? How do you go about your location process?
I spend a good bit of time scouting in the spring...looking for sheds and new ideas for spots to hunt the following fall. I am hunting a piece of land which is new to me this year so I have spent a lot of time out there and have a couple stands hung already. The spring scouting helps me locate bedding areas and travel routes. I don't always know exactly where specific bucks are bedding but often have a good idea form past experiences on the land I am hunting. As far as knowing about specific bucks...I always locate some through evening glassing during the summer. I have spotted a really nice looking bachelor group in one of my usual hunting areas a couple times this summer. I have found the early season to be my best chance to jump on a specific buck if I can pattern them. The bucks I have seen this summer have been frequenting the neighbors land as much or more than mine though and don’t seem to be following a consistent pattern at least from what I can tell. Closer to the rut I tend to hunt terrain or spots which are likely to be frequented by bucks that time of year. The areas that I have seen bucks I want to kill are where I will spend the most time.
Not as much time as I use to or would like to again (my milk hauling business gets In the way) but It's still enough time to have an Idea on what's going on. I do allot of glassing In the spring and summer months, again not near as much as I use to but I do get some time In. I've only been using Trail camera's for 3 years this year, I don't base much on what I see on them although I'd be lieing If I didn't say I enjoy them more when there's good bucks on them more.:D Trail cams are more for fun with me anyway, always hoping to get a pic of a monster buck (that's the only reason I bought them for). I've walked miles upon miles In the spring and winter time looking for sheds In my woods, never have I found one yet (21 years). The deer just don't hang much around my woods come winter, they head across the road to a huge alfalfa field. While searching for sheds I keep my eye's out for buck sign, I've hardly saw the buck sign that I always used to. Years ago my woods would be tore up good (scrapes and rubs). This last year I'd bet there wasn't more then 2 to 3 semi active scrapes In the whole woods. My woods Is 120 acres or so, 50 of which Is woods and swamp (mostly woods) and the other 70 Is farm land. It's pretty damn hard to hunt decent bucks when the sign Is lacking year after year.
1. Find a straight tree and set a stand. 2. Walk 20 yards from the base of the tree and place corn, apples, carrots, beats, etc. Am I doing something wrong?
Are you seeing and harvesting the bucks that you want? If no, than yes, you are doing something wrong.
Locating bucks to hunt? None. Go about my location process? Wait til the day I'm hunting or night before (usually) and make an (hopefully) educated guess.
As most know, im fairly new and entering my 4th bowseason, I got all the basic stuff out of the way, and im moving on to locating and hunting mature whitetails now, I have 1 located for sure this year, that im going to be spending alot of time hunting, Also, i have a "certian" buck that i would like to get a chance at, but the more i look into it the more im starting to realize that im going to have to wait until the seeking phase and get lucky with location. My land just doesnt offer enough size/recources to hol dhim in the early season.
Instead of asking the questions because you feel people are not going about locating bucks the right way, why not just tell us how you go about it?
With topo help from king "gri22ly" I have been fortunate to pin-point some key areas much better. It was scary when he sent me back a marked up topo of a few very productive spot for me. Many spots were known and a few have now been scouted with VERY good results. The last two years have had more boot leather and topo scouting than ever before for me and am convinced I shall be successful, hopefully luck will also be on my side! The other tool I believed helped tremedously was the blood brothers DVD videos, which is quite different than most, as it's more of a learning tool verses lots of killing...
Nice. I think it's time for hunting season gents/ladies.. the testosterone levels are really starting to amp up around here lately. (estrogen for you Christine).:D
Pretty much none. I am limited to the places I have access to hunt. While yes I like riding around the areas to see deer & get excited, actually "locating" one to hunt is a moot point. & my out of state places are too far to try and "locate" a buck. Especially without the use of trail cams.
I'm in the same boat. I don't have any properties that are so large that I can key in on a bedding area, know where a buck is going and try to hunt him. My best bet is to know what I am looking to shoot and put myself in the best spot to see a buck of that caliber.
So you do not use any recon from shed season, game camera photos, summer glassing etc? Not what I am getting at. Let me ask it again phrased differently.... How do you go about locating the bucks you plan to hunt and how much time do you spend doing so?
