Shot opportunities on mature buck per season

[redsquirrel]

We posed this question in the podcast and would like to hear your input!

How many shot opportunities do you get on a mature buck per season?
Follow up questions:
Do you hunt public or private?
How many days per season do you hunt?
How many bow opportunities vs gun opportunities?

For me:
Typically 1-2 per season.
Public
Around 50 days per year.
Those are bow opportunities. I have had a couple mature bucks in sight over the past couple seasons but they've been at the edge of my shooting range and I was never offered a clear shot.

 

[PJC]

Hunt almost every day during bow season. Mix of private and public. Not enough places though to keep from burning them out. Had two opportunities this past season on mature bucks. Never had a chance to draw though due to my errors. Two previous seasons, 0 chances. Season before those, 1, and made that count.
I have to edit my post. No way I can hunt almost every day. But I'm thinking about it. Does that count? Lol
Roughly 115 days in an archery season. Some weeks are antlerless only. I'll have to count the days this year. I'll be going more places now that I'm mobile with a saddle. I don't hunt Sundays. I don't hunt poor winds obviously, and some days I have to work. I hate that!
I'm probably more in the 50-60 days range.


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[TFNC]

For me:
Typically 1-2 per season.
Public
30-40 ish days per year.
I had one encounter with a nice buck this year, but was never offered a shot I felt comfortable taking with my bow. I got a chance to watch another one well out of bow range. I only hunted 2 days with firearm, the rest of the season was bow.

 

[thwack16]

Probably average 1.5 a season. 3 last year.
50/50 Public/Private
Have been right around 45 sits the last two years. Hope to be in the 55-60 range this year with a little more vacation and some other things that should help.
I have been nearly 100% bow only for the past ten years until last year. So most of these were bow encounters until last year. Made maybe 10 firearm hunts this past season and those encompassed all three mature buck encounters.

 

[BassBoysLLP]

The last few years it has been 0 - 3 opportunities per season. I usually pass 0 - 2. Reasons being busted up rack, shed out, etc.

Less than 15 days the last few years. I see that improving now that the kids are getting a little older.

I'm about 90% public, 10% private. I use to hunt more private and limited access public.

Windshield time greatly improves my odds so I do more full day hunts than half day hunts.

I've done a fair amount of accounting and reflection the last couple decades in WI and this is how it breaks down for me in WI as far as mature buck odds.

Northern WI
September Public: 5%
October Public: 3%
November Public: 8%
December Public: 5%
September Private: 10%
October Private: 5%
November Private: 12%
December Private: 9%

Southern WI
September Public: 12%
October Public: 8%
November Public: 22%
December Public: 10%
September Private: 22%
October Private: 10%
November Private: 29%
December Private: 19%

 

[ImThere]

0 opportunity but I seen 3 mature bucks. While hunting, walking in to hunt or in the dark.
Public land
40~ 50 hunts


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[DaveT1963]

I never release an arrow at a buck last year but I had 2 bucks, both over 150" within 25 yards. Typical season I will normally have 3-4 opportunities on what I consider a mature buck (3+ years old). I hunt public land nearly 95% of the time (when I hunt Ohio I typically hunt some private)

 

[Ontariofarmer]

Misconception of a fairly new hunter are many. I figured you guys would have had more opportunities.... This year will be my 5 th season hunting seriously. I figured the guys above would have had more opportunities. I probably hunted about 40 days last fall.
I killed only 4 bucks in 4 years and no bucks this year. I did kill my first doe this year because I wanted to be sure I had some venison. Only one of my four bucks would be called mature but he was not impressive just old.
I saw no mature bucks the first two years I hunted but I have been close to 4 nice bucks in the last two years which I thought was terrible. Now I don't think it is too bad because of the posts above. I guess I am lucky to have seen what I have so far. Thanks for the encouraging honesty from the guys above. I have learned a lot from this forum and the hunting beast and John Eberhardt and Dan Infalt . I want to get a trophy buck some day. Hopefully this year.
I guess I have just learned something new again. Mature buck opportunities are not a frequent occurrence even for experienced hunters.

 

[BassBoysLLP]

I just got into this podcast. My stats above don't include 2 year olds. I pass a lot of 2 year olds. On a good rut hunt, I may pass a few in a single day. Older ones come much harder. I've run cameras off last year's sign chasing a ghost. It's a lot easier in good country with multiple mature bucks. A love finding areas like that. I almost like it more than hunting itself, especially on public. You feel like you are getting away with something.

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[Mint]

I'd say one to two a year within 25 yards and another two within 35 yards. I hunt about 25 days a year from Oct 1st thru Jan 31st.

 

[MJH]

I hunt 75% public land, 25% private land
30-40 hunting outings per year
80% bow, 20% rifle
1.5 mature buck opportunities per year

 

[flinginairos]

On a normal year i'd say 2 opportunities with roughly 40 hunting days and 120-150hrs on stand. Last year was a great year for me, I hunted 30 days, sat 108 hours, saw 108 deer and killed three good bucks that I saw. I had another encounter with a 5+ year old Ohio brute while I was filming as well and another buck that I believe to be 3.5 in the early season. So last year I had close encounters with five mature bucks.

I hunt mainly private but it gets hammered by other guys so might as well say "public"

 

[PJC]

Misconception of a fairly new hunter are many. I figured you guys would have had more opportunities.... This year will be my 5 th season hunting seriously. I figured the guys above would have had more opportunities. I probably hunted about 40 days last fall.
I killed only 4 bucks in 4 years and no bucks this year. I did kill my first doe this year because I wanted to be sure I had some venison. Only one of my four bucks would be called mature but he was not impressive just old.
I saw no mature bucks the first two years I hunted but I have been close to 4 nice bucks in the last two years which I thought was terrible. Now I don't think it is too bad because of the posts above. I guess I am lucky to have seen what I have so far. Thanks for the encouraging honesty from the guys above. I have learned a lot from this forum and the hunting beast and John Eberhardt and Dan Infalt . I want to get a trophy buck some day. Hopefully this year.
I guess I have just learned something new again. Mature buck opportunities are not a frequent occurrence even for experienced hunters.

Makes me feel better too. Lol


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[g2outdoors]

2-3 Public land opportunities per year at a 2.5 or older buck. 25-35 sits per season.

 

[PJC]

On a normal year i'd say 2 opportunities with roughly 40 hunting days and 120-150hrs on stand. Last year was a great year for me, I hunted 30 days, sat 108 hours, saw 108 deer and killed three good bucks that I saw. I had another encounter with a 5+ year old Ohio brute while I was filming as well and another buck that I believe to be 3.5 in the early season. So last year I had close encounters with five mature bucks.

I hunt mainly private but it gets hammered by other guys so might as well say "public"

That was a great season for you. If it happens again this year, I'm going to be stalking you. Lol


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[Dewey]

Lately I average 3-5 mature buck opportunities per season. Ten years ago that number was much higher but now the buck population is down quite a bit and they are getting much harder to find.

I hunt 100% public and average 40-50 days hunting per season. Stand time is usually in the 200-250 hour range.

My bow opportunities are always much better than gun mainly because I rifle hunt in the Northwoods where big bucks are quite rare.

 

[Stump06]

Id say 2-3 opportunities
Private land
Usually hunt 40-50 days a year but most of those opportunities are gonna come Mid-late Oct/ Mid Nov. for me or early season (rarely).
I usually only take my bow. I could kill 2 mature bucks a year pretty easily with a rifle where I hunt. thats just not near as much fun

 

[redsquirrel]

This is good stuff guys! Thanks for sharing and keep it coming!

 

[GCTerpfan]

My dad, my son and I hunt the same 70 acres of private land (usually at the same time) 10-15 sits a year for my dad and I and 5-10 for my son. In the past 3 years My son has taken three - 2.5 yr. olds, my dad has taken two 3.5 yr olds and one 2.5 yr old. I have taken one 2.5 yr old (that I thought was 3.5 when I shot it) and I have passed three or four other 2.5 yr. olds.

So for the the three of us combined:

Total for three years is about 105 sits with ten opportunities at 2.5 yr old or older deer (two of which were 3.5 yr old deer).

Per year average is 35 sits with a little over three opportunities at 2.5 or older deer

Per person/Per year average:

About 12 sits with slightly over one opportunity at 2.5 yr old or older deer.

Someone check my math....

 

[Autumnrider]

4 - 5 per year
Public 95%
70 - 75 days a season (lots of vacation)
Bow and rifle
Ever since Mississippi changed to a 4 pt rule (earlier in the managment years) and now to antler size restrictions and killing more does, seeing more mature (3+yr old) seems to be very common state wide. Plus on national forrest, atvs are no longer allowed. So in return, lot less hunters.