Rifle season ended today ( yea !!!! ) so now the scouting starts all over again to locate good bucks to hunt... plus the ones that we targetted earlier if they made it. Sadly the Big 4 might have gotten shot as someone shot a big 4x4 that scored 154 in the area that he roamed. Tyler hunted this area and said there was another big 4x4 roaming it also so he still has hopes it isn't the Big 4. I heard the description of the buck and it sounds like him. No idea if the Tall Tined 6 made it but hopefully so. If he did he gets a pass from us as he is only 3.5 years old. He earned it if he made it through rifle season as that area got hammered hard !!! I doubt I'll hunt that area again this year so hopefully we will find his sheds next spring. Called a landowner tonight to make sure it is ok to hunt his land. It was !! This call made my night not only getting to hunt his land... but I had a hunch one of our targetted bucks probably had been pushed over to his land if he survived rifle season. MY hunch was right. Flyers is a live and well as of today !! The scouting begins tomorrow at dinner break from work. Hope to be hunting him Thursday depending on the wind. My ace in the hole is still a live and kicking. The Old 4 PT has been coming to the trail cam every night now. He is really tempting now with his big neck but I want to see what else is out there in the next couple weeks. He is the one we have 2.5 sets of sheds to and is 5.5 years old. I know where he beds and how he moves through the area. There is never such a thing as a sure thing with bowhunting but he is as close as it comes. There is suspose to be a monster buck of all monster bucks seen in another area that the rifle hunters couldn't get a shot at. Need to do some checking into that area which starts tomorrow morning before work. I've got access to that area were most of the rifle hunters didn't. Generally the aftermath of rifle season is not good but this year things are really looking up. I am really looking forward scouting/hunting. Going to be a blast !! Tim
Best of luck Tim, there is still plenty of time. It's really good news that you have some great bucks still wondering. That's the thing about "locations", some have many target bucks, others have 1. Man I hate PA. :D Looking forward to the hero shots Tim.
Good LOCATION is only good if you can get access to it. If I relied on just the boss's land... I would only have one buck to hunt... the old 4 PT. He farms 5000 - 6000 acres. His land is horrid for hunting after rifle season and not that good before. He is too good of a farmer. The other guy that works with me has been pounded his land all weekend and can't buy a deer with rifle. LOL I really work hard on keeping in good with all the landowners in my area. Especially with landowner in good locations. The landowner I talked to tonight has all his corn standing so you know where the deer were pushed to... plus it is great land to start with. I have access to 20,000 acres... none of it mine with 1500 acreas being public land. We found 6 bucks that really interested us with a tremedous amount of scouting this year so far. It is more then just location. Effort is just as important to me as location. I would say we work very hard at it but I love that part of it also. I wouldn't want it any other way. Good luck on your hunting. Try not to get eaten by the 3 legged bear. Our location for bear sucks and I am just fine with that !! LOL Best of luck Rob !! Tim
I agree 100%. With you hunting 20,000 acres of ground.. that takes some REAL effort and planning. A nice look at some of your bucks Tim. I still don't know how you passed that ole' man earlier this year... but I see why a little clearer now. Good luck on any one of these brutes. Clearly some WELL aged deer in those pics. Wow!
Glad to see some of them made it Tim. Love the history you and Tyler have with the deer you hunt. I'm rooting for you guys.
Relax guys, did ya'll miss the smilies. Bottom line, I love the midwest and I hate PA. :D No one could find 15,000- 20,000 of acres to hunt. The luckiest hunters in PA have a couple thousand and even then, the fringes are hammered. It's all in fun. :p
Rob, I couldn't agree more with ya! My buddy just came back from Illinois a couple days ago and was talking about the bucks that were taken and seen. PA is ruining itself year by year.
Good luck TJF. It looks like you've got some good opportunities still and your work cut out for you. It sounds like a labor of love though. Truer words have never been spoken (or typed).
I am relaxed. LOL Just was rambling last night as the location thing is interesting even though we have probably beaten it to death. I am glad where I live even with the few trees and way too many duck hunters. I've heard how you, Ryan, Fran and others have talked about PA. Doesn't sound like a place I would want to move to. It would be fun hunting with you guys or just seeing your spots... but I have a feeling ND would look awful good when I got home... especially with Sunday hunting. You guys just can't win !! Again best of luck with your hunting. Tim
You've got some studs there Tim man!! Best of luck to you and Tyler In getting the bucks your both after. On a side note, I was thinking about this the other day. You and your son Tyler chasing big bucks together when he's home, I remember doing that with my dad when I was home from college. Man do I miss them days. Best of luck guys!!!
Yep, today's the last day of our MO firearms season. Can't wait to get back in the mix... though you're on a few nicer deer than I am.
farming at the moment. We wrapped up the field work tonight and have a busy day tomorrow getting things organized and put away. Give me a shout during the day so I can take a break !! LOL Otherwise if not too late I will give you a shout tomorrow night. Hopefully we aren't working Friday so I can get a 4 day weekend of hunting in. The bucks are really moving looking for does. Tim
