With all the "Finally a good one", and "my 2011 target" threads popping up, I'm starting to feel a bit left out. It's been a very busy summer at the resort, and I've only had my cameras out a few times. So far I've got a ton of does and a few little bucks, but nothing worth pursuing. I'm not really concerned about the season, but it'd be nice to get a couple on camera. Anyone else out there still lacking a target for this fall?
I am right there with ya Fitz!!! I am not traveling this year staying in Michigan to spend more time with my daughter and friends. With all the cameras I have been running i don't have a shooter on any of them, I have alot of little guys but no bigguns. Now my mom an dad are telling me of a big one coming into the food plot behind there house but I don't let anyone hunt there because I made that plot for them to watch deer out there window. So all I can do is hope a big one shows up in the hunting spot some time, If not it will be a fill the freezer year with does..
Fitz, When I see a buck this year it will be the first time I've seen him. No trailcams out but I have a good idea where they are bedding and traveling. So it will be a total suprise when I find out. I kind of like it that way. You really have no idea what is going to show up.
I'm only running one cam this summer, and I've been way to busy to run more (i.e., build more), and so I'm also without any target bucks at this point. I'm not worried (I know they're their), plus, to me, it just adds that much more excitement going into it with the unknown aspect.
I think a lot of hunters put way too much faith in trail cameras anyway. I still use my instincts to hunt an area even though no bucks have shown themselves on my cams and have been successful. On the other hand, I have also hunted an area where I've gotten great bucks on camera just to never see them in the flesh. It is fun running cameras though. To answer the original question. I spotted an absolute monster last night right behind my house adjacent to some land I have permission to hunt. I took a pic but it was too dark. Hoping to go back this evening and get some good pics. He's a doozy!
I'm a little disapppoint as well after having a large 10 and a huge 16 in the field and on camera last year I've got nothing but 2 small bucks and does. Lots of corn around me this year compared to last year but nothing been in the bean field for awhile.
Last year I had more shooters on camera than ever before which translated into no buck on the ground. This year the very best I have gotten is about a 100" 8 point. So I keep telling myself no bucks on camera this year means a big one on the ground??
I almost never have a "target" picked out, and I like it that way. Occasionally I'll see one in the yard or while spotting in my hunting areas that will get me excited, but that's about the extent of it.
I have checked 2 cameras so far, actually 3 but the one had a Memory Card error... grrr not a dang pic over a month long period.The scrape is worked over very well though,lots of tracks in soil so I left the camera and put a new card in. Anyway, at the two camera sites of 14 that I have out in two states.. I only have 2 bucks that are 4.5 years old or older on cam. and only 3 bucks total that made it from last year. Lots of young bucks, does and elk though. I was hoping a couple of the big boys in these two areas from last year had made the winter.... and they may be in there just no pix yet. on the bright side, I have so many more cameras to check over these next two weeks. Hopefully a monster will show up.
I am not to happy ether, My best buck might go 118 to 120 and 8 pointer and just 1 at that. a few smaller bucks
I have not (and have no plans to) put out any trail cams this season. So no targeted bucks here. It'll be a first come first served situation for me this season.
I have at least 1 cam running 24/7/365. This is just because I'm nosy really. I have a buck that was coming around that wasn't bad, but it was a good while back. The year should prove interesting. I passed on a very nice buck last year because he was a little young. I know none of my neighbors got him. I also had a real big boy on cam at the end of last season i know that made it. However, my woods butts up to about 300 acres worth of woods, and a field (which I cannot hunt). The bucks won't go near the field. I've never seen a buck larger than 4 points in that field, they just know better. We'll see. Hopefully one of the big boys gets curious what does are on the other side of the fence, and then he'll be all mine. On the negative side, I did lose nearly 100 acres of wooded riverbed to hunt. It's less than a mile from my house. Problem with Indiana is there's too many hunters, not enough woods.
Pulled cards from 2 cameras on a 43 acre property in WI this weekend and am very dissappointed. One sickly, skinny doe (CWD?) and one 1.5 year old buck on the one camera over 6 weeks!!! The other camera had the same sickly-looking doe, a healthy-looking doe and her twins. Also, 6 weeks. Will still be hunting this property, but expectations will be low. Neighbor also is baffled as there were two 160+ bucks that survived the winter that have not been seen by anyone around that area. Not to mention that we had frequent deer sightings last year so not sure what to make of the low deer numbers this year. Only thing I can see is that a farmer 1/2 mile down the road plowed his pasture and planted beans this year. This is the closest field to the property. I am hoping the deer are hanging in cover closer to that field even though I did not glass any deer Saturday night in that field.
I've only got one shooter so far this summer. One farm about 2000 pics (the farm I'm expecting the big boys to show up), and the biggest the other farm produced was a 6 that looked like he could turn to a 8. I'm not running cameras there anymore, all of them are on the farm that I'm going to be hunting the most and holding off for the most.
I've got pics of one buck that might break the 125 Inch mark. He's either a 4.5 or 5.5 year old. Last year I passed him up numerous times as he Is a really crappy gened buck. I like Inches. This buck really needs to be shot though. I've got 2.5's on camera that have his Identical rack when he was younger. Ticks me off! During the rut last year I got one picture of a mid 140's to 150 Inch 10 point at one of my mocks. Chances are he's bigger then that. Lots of tine length on him. I believe he lives a long ways away but was crusing during the rut. I'm holding out for a chance with him this year. If he's still alive I'd bet good money that he's a B&C buck this year. He's got awesome looking genes. Last year I believe he was a 3.5 year old buck. I could be wrong though. Good luck Fitz!!
I have 5 camera's up and so far no Bucks on any of them; however, I've seen one monster (about 10 points on one side) as I was hanging my last cam up on a hill at the far end of my property. that was about 3 weeks ago. I ran up there again to check the pics and nothing. stupid me forgot to format the camera. I placed the cam on a fence crossing into a field. plenty of prints and also hair on the fence. I guess I'll have to wait and see again.
