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Big deer. Need advice

So let me put this another way, you know where your target buck is and want to know if you should go kill him?
Not trying to be a smart but the way I think . If I know where the deer is I want to kill I’ll hunt him until I’m no longer getting pics of him.

Absolutely you should.

I’d try to triangulate by adding cameras to the area also.


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Yak’n’Saddle said:
I’d be interested in what your best guesstimates are on this guy, I could be over estimating his size.



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You're in the ballpark.
I've shot a pile of deer that size.
Judging from the picture he's right around 135".
 
ImThere said:
So let me put this another way, you know where your target buck is and want to know if you should go kill him?
Not trying to be a smart but the way I think . If I know where the deer is I want to kill I’ll hunt him until I’m no longer getting pics of him.

Absolutely you should.

I’d try to triangulate by adding cameras to the area also.


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I hear ya, I do. And I don’t disagree with the point. To be fair though my question wasn’t “if” it was “how/when.” Just looking to lean on the more experienced for some sage advice and shorten my learning curve. Get my education so to speak.

I do agree with the camera idea, so I hung three there last July. He doesn’t show often on either of the other two but deer pass by regularly. He’s slipping the less used trails/areas. Next off season I’ll be in there for sure to nail down what is hopefully an annual spot but for now I figure the less intrusion the better. I don’t think he’ll be very forgiving twice in one season.

My biggest concern was that it is an area I’d say should be treated by an all day sit, dark to dark. He moves freely within the cover throughout the day (photos to show it). I suspect during daylight he will almost for sure have a view of me (as well as other bedded deer possibly).

I simply don’t have that option except for an occasional Saturday. New job, no time etc… *que the violin*

From the overwhelming majority of opinion (mine included) it does seem I’m gonna have to push the edge of getting busted and try to slip in before too long one way or another. He moves within the area almost at anytime during the day so I will have to wait until I can get in predawn or make a move during a moderate to heavy rain with strong winds to combat any drifting breezes.

Thanks again for the input.


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Phopkins said:
Strike while the iron is hot! Don't worry about score, if you like him he's a good one.
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I appreciate it. He’s getting an arrow regardless of score, just trying to figure out if my judgment was close or not.


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Good luck, whatever he scores the pursuit is what it’s really about, good deer tho.
 
Yak’n’Saddle said:
I hear ya, I do. And I don’t disagree with the point. To be fair though my question wasn’t “if” it was “how/when.” Just looking to lean on the more experienced for some sage advice and shorten my learning curve. Get my education so to speak.

I do agree with the camera idea, so I hung three there last July. He doesn’t show often on either of the other two but deer pass by regularly. He’s slipping the less used trails/areas. Next off season I’ll be in there for sure to nail down what is hopefully an annual spot but for now I figure the less intrusion the better. I don’t think he’ll be very forgiving twice in one season.

My biggest concern was that it is an area I’d say should be treated by an all day sit, dark to dark. He moves freely within the cover throughout the day (photos to show it). I suspect during daylight he will almost for sure have a view of me (as well as other bedded deer possibly).

I simply don’t have that option except for an occasional Saturday. New job, no time etc… *que the violin*

From the overwhelming majority of opinion (mine included) it does seem I’m gonna have to push the edge of getting busted and try to slip in before too long one way or another. He moves within the area almost at anytime during the day so I will have to wait until I can get in predawn or make a move during a moderate to heavy rain with strong winds to combat any drifting breezes.

Thanks again for the input.


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So thermals are caused by changing temperatures, hunt when the temp changes the least,
He moves all day
Swirling wind, you may have to wait for a day with a solid wind from one direction. Not a lot just enough to know where your scent will be going and make sure it’s not where the buck probably is.

Bedded Deer don’t spook as much in the dark, but if you go in after daylight you can be quieter, slowly limb a tree in the light you can be very stealthy.

IMHO

I vote hunt him 9 to 5, give or take a few hours either way maybe 10-2. Hunt a day with decent wind. Be freaky stealthy.

I have climbed a tree in daylight 15 yards from a buck. I didn’t know he was there until he stood up and he didn’t know I was there until my arrow zipped though his lungs. It was 10 am I had a good 7-10 mph wind.


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I'd say he's in the 120's. Maybe 3.5. In my experience (especially last year's buck) you have to hunt him. Them bucks in that age class are starting to find themselves...and their way to survive. What I did to close the gap was change MY pattern. I accessed differently and hunted from a diff wind and angle. 2 weeks in I dropped him.
 
I just finished a 4 year quest on my biggest deer on public. I had cameras on the 2 best trails but he didnt always use them. Most of the summer he used the right trail which was mostly browsing. 2 weeks before season opener he started using the trail that was leaving left that lead to oaks. Saying that his food source may have changed and you need to find out. Hunt the wind and use the tools available use the cameras to get an idea. Another lesson is cameras are not absolute 10 feet left and you miss him completely. I also prefer evening and get as close as you are comfortable with. Mornings I couldn't get a shot bc they are usually coming in before shooting light.
 
I made this mistake last year on a big one near me. . I was worried about being to aggressive, so I hesitated and "waited for better conditions" well I never got him, and all those times I thought I'd bump never did, because I found him again this year. . . .
So look at it like this, what do you stand to loose by hunting him? There are so many variables to what that deer can do and will do. Some one else could kill him while your waiting for rifle season. Ultimately, it's a deer, you gotta get it's caliber out of your head. And remember that you can't kill him if your not in the game, but someone else can. . . .
Also, your gonna have to be OK with sacrificing some hunts to observe, don't think of it as a missed opportunity if you o ly see him from a far, think of it as a good opportunity to learn and move in for the kill.!
Good luck and get after him!
 
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This year I’m better learning the river bottom near me, and I think this will require some ground hunting, and throwing a lot of milkweed. If I commit to a tree and the wind changes it will take me 20 mins to bail on the spot… much easier if I’m on the ground. Once I know the winds better I’ll be better prepared to commit to trees. Not sure how thick that area is but you might consider the same if you don’t understand the winds, it’s possible it’ll be tougher to spot you too if you’re not shimmying up trees at 75 yards. Of course have to balance this with trying to minimize ground scent. Nothings easy.
 
Yak’n’Saddle said:
I’ve had this deer on camera since early July, maybe 130-140”. A giant for me. I have a moderately good understanding of the are he’s bedding in but don’t yet know all of his runways. No real historical data.

It’s a hill area with slight thermals and swirling winds (go figure).

I made move on him opening morning (9/18 in SE PA). He came in from a trail about 10 yds from me while still dark. He was close enough I could hear him eating acorns. He didn’t jump out of the area but I must have shifted too loudly and he got cold feet. He slipped out and broke his routine from the 3 previous weeks. No wind at the time (maybe 5am).


I just now (9/28) got another trail picture of him but not in his normal relaxed state, just passed by the area quickly.

Here’s the question:

Do I make a move on him before he maybe migrates away during rut?

Or

Do I wait him out till November and hope he plows back in with less concern. (I won’t have many all day hunting opportunities).

Thanks for the input


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Check out Dan Infalt's latest hunting achievement, he's wise!
 
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