Found buck sign, what should I do?

[Hall17]

I am not a "buck hunter". I hunt and kill deer. Typically the first deer that walks by my stand is getting an arrow, both antlered or not (if legal). I am trying to become more patient and kill more buck. This is going to be hard for me because I love stacking them up each year. However, I've been scouting and today I scouted a new area and close to the road (150 yards) I found some buck sign. Good size rubs (high and fresh), a scrape within them (fresh), trails coming and going into this area, acorns dropping like crazy and large droppings with other doe droppings. Also, found a lot of other deer sign close to that area. I did not look for a bed as I tried to get out of there with min. human contact but regardless I know I buggered it up with my scent. All this sign is right off a large very thick grown up area. I would assume if I did look I would have found his bed up against this thick stuff looking out over the open area towards the road/parking area. He could easily hear/see human activity before it got dangerous and slip into the thick stuff. While I was in there I found a tree to hunt out of, figured I might as well since I'm in here already. My question is this, since I was in there and he'll know I was in there, how long should I wait to go back in? Opener is this Saturday October 2nd but I do have plans to hunt a doe spot first thing in the morning. I was thinking about hitting up this spot next Tuesday evening. Thoughts? Remember, I've killed a bunch of bucks (basically by accident/luck) so I know little about actually targeting them. Morning/evening better?

 

[Tjraley2]

I’d hit it ASAP. I don’t think you boogered up too much by going in once. Especially if the season isn’t open and they have been pressured yet. If you can get in out of sight/sound/smell of where you think. They’re bedded, I’d hit it all day on the opener. I’ve noticed I get a TON of mid day photos early season on acorns. I think it’s because they bed so close that it’s easy to pop over for a midday snack.

 

[Hall17]

I’d hit it ASAP. I don’t think you boogered up too much by going in once. Especially if the season isn’t open and they have been pressured yet. If you can get in out of sight/sound/smell of where you think. They’re bedded, I’d hit it all day on the opener. I’ve noticed I get a TON of mid day photos early season on acorns. I think it’s because they bed so close that it’s easy to pop over for a midday snack.

So I guess I should have said this as well. Saturday I can only hunt till about 8-9am due to being on-call. So I won't have a ton of time on the 1st day to spend at that spot.

 

[Jwiggins762]

So I guess I should have said this as well. Saturday I can only hunt till about 8-9am due to being on-call. So I won't have a ton of time on the 1st day to spend at that spot.

Then I wouldn't go, im also not a great hunter so what do I know.

 

[Hunter260]

Sounds like you’ve found a buck bedding area for sure and that’s the first step to killing him. I’d be sure to mark down on onx or HuntStand the exact location of all the trails and everything and don’t go back until the conditions are right. I’ll bet anything you did spook him out of a bed nearby, BUT THATS NOT A BAD THING.

The way I think about bucks and deer in general and their habitat is not like most people. Where that deer is living is not his house, it’s just a hotel.

Let’s say you’re staying in a hotel, and someone comes close to your room one night acting weird, but doesn’t try to shoot you or scare you too bad. You might be freaked out, you might leave for the day or a couple days, but the room is comfy and a good price so you’ll be back. You even had a good enough view that you could see the danger coming and get out of the way.

I like the hotel analogy better than a house because deer are used to intrusion, big mature bucks are more intolerant than other animals sure, but think about how many times those deer still get bumped by hikers or coyotes or dogs or anything else. They come back because they gotta live somewhere and living in that spot has kept them alive for 4-5 years already.

If you can find a way to hunt near that bedding area, or near a waterhole between it and food, or a small opening between there and food that’s great. But you HAVE to hunt undetected. It may take 5 hunts to catch this deer, but if you hunt every time and leave no scent or scare no deer it’s always your first hunt.

Another thing, setting up over rubs or scrapes will be wholly unrewarding. A mature buck on public land will not make a scrape in daylight. When you see that 190” on the outdoor channel tearing a scrape on a field edge up at 5:45 in the afternoon that’s the definition of unrealistic whitetail behavior.

Go kill that buck!

 

[Jtaylor]

If you don't know when he's in there and limited on time, set up a trail cam and let it soak a few days preferably hunting the day setting it up and the day pulling the card. If ya don't have a trail cam or don't want one, plan on sitting all day in the right conditions. You can see a lot more than a cam and nothing beats that anyways! Play the wind and try to keep scent low but don't let it keep ya from hunting!

 

[aclawrence]

Nice find! I would definitely look at it on the map. Try to figure out why and when or what conditions he’ll be in that spot and wait for when it’s right for the two of you. When you think he’ll be there but you can also get to the kill tree without him knowing. I think the wind and thermals will be the deciding factor. Take some milk weed with you and don’t be afraid to back out if the wind isn’t right on the way in.


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[Hall17]

Nice find! I would definitely look at it on the map. Try to figure out why and when or what conditions he’ll be in that spot and wait for when it’s right for the two of you. When you think he’ll be there but you can also get to the kill tree without him knowing. I think the wind and thermals will be the deciding factor. Take some milk weed with you and don’t be afraid to back out if the wind isn’t right on the way in.


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So when I was in there today I noticed the wind blowing into the thick cover. Next time I decided to pay attention to the wind when I found a tree it was blowing 180 degree in the opposite direction. We all experience this for the most part so not entirely sure how and when I will do this. Again, I don't know EXACTLY where he's beds which is the issue. I would say 100-150 yards from this sign is a swampy area where I would assume he beds and this sign and food is where he ends up either 30 min before dark or at dark. I am unable to use cameras on this property so that is out. I think all I can do is hunt it carefully early, if I don't see him come back in a few weeks and try again. Maybe keep doing this all year. Honestly, there is probably more than one buck that is using this area. If a 120" deer comes out he's getting an arrow. When maybe if I let him slide there is a 140" behind him. However, without sightings and the use of a camera I'll take what I can get!!

 

[LoadedLimbs]

I scouted a new area and close to the road (150 yards) I found some buck sign.

Being that close to the road is a great thing for slipping in undetected to hunt the last few hours of daylight and catch him coming out of his bedding area into the area where acorns are dropping.

All this sign is right off a large very thick grown up area.

Sounds like good security cover for him, even if it's not his bedding area. When you're set up in the tree, I would be glassing that area intensely looking for him to show up in the last few minutes before dusk.

My question is this, since I was in there and he'll know I was in there, how long should I wait to go back in? Opener is this Saturday October 2nd but I do have plans to hunt a doe spot first thing in the morning. I was thinking about hitting up this spot next Tuesday evening. Thoughts? Morning/evening better?

Since your time is limited Saturday morning, and you already plan to hunt doe, I would recommend you do that for your season opener hunt. I would go back in after that buck at your first opportunity for an afternoon/evening hunt. You didn't specify if this is public land, but if it is ... It's important to get in there as soon as possible, because other hunters will probably be poking around soon enough - and it's easy to access if it's that close to the road/parking area.

Use the daylight to your advantage to slip in with maximum stealth. This early in the Fall, it's less likely for him to be up and around in the afternoon - he'll probably be bedded. If you go in to hunt him on a morning, it's harder to have maximum stealth (if you're heading into the area in the dark), and there's a possibility that he'll be able to see you sneaking in since he'll probably NOT be bedded down at that time.

 

[Hall17]

I would agree. It is public but I never see anyone parking in this area they always use the main parking area further in

my plan is to set up on this spot on the 3rd day of the season. Get in around 3-3:30pm. Be quiet and get up early.

not going to lie. If a few doe come in I will need to close eyes. The struggle will be real but this is a spot I am only shooting a buck. I have plenty of doe spots