Author Topic: Big Buck Strategy Advice  (Read 1514 times)

Offline Adrock

  • 6 Pointer
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Big Buck Strategy Advice
« on: Oct 25, 2021, 01:47:42 PM »
I pulled one of my camera cards on Saturday and looks like I've got a tall tined 8 pointer that I got a number of pictures of last year. This is only the second season I've hunted this property and I didn't start getting pics of bucks out here until things started getting a little rutty. Same pattern seems to be holding again this year. This guy first showed up in mid-late October last year. Here's a couple pics from last year:







Then the one I pulled from the other day:



Little tough to tell because he's at the edge of the camera's range but I'm pretty sure it's the same buck. I compiled a little weather data to see if there was any intel to extract from that:



Near as I can tell he like cold weather, high pressure and n/nw winds. The question circling in my head is do I try and spend as much time as  I can in there and just hope the timing works out? Or try and play some of these weather variables as best I can and hope our paths cross? This property is a public land and I think there's a few people hunting it but I don't think it's getting pounded. I'm weary of hitting it that hard and pushing all the does out of there and sending this guy off in a different direction. I had a handful of daylight pics of him last year so I feel like he's somewhat killable. I'm curious how would you guys play this out?

Offline aquaassassin

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Re: Big Buck Strategy Advice
« Reply #1 on: Oct 25, 2021, 02:32:31 PM »
Id worry moreso what The best wind is for you that’s not going to blow into where he’s or the does are coming from. I’d focus on the best entrance and exit that doesn’t involve using there trails and are the stealthiest for in and out. Practice scent control religiously and be smart about when you hunt. It’s true you can’t kill them from the couch but it’s also true you can ruin your season without even knowing it by getting off that couch some days when you should of gone elsewhere.
It's not being cocky if you can back it up!

Offline Huntnfish603

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Re: Big Buck Strategy Advice
« Reply #2 on: Oct 26, 2021, 11:53:59 AM »
Nice that you have an indication there's a decent buck around. I agree with Frank . On top of that, although it's a little late in the season to go scouting, I'd want to know where are he and the does coming from. Where's the bedding area, feeding area? Does he usually come from the same direction, morning or evening? These may be difficult to determine being the last week of October without blowing scent everywhere. But knowing that, and wind direction, can give you an idea of what days to be in there and what days to stay out. Once the rut kicks in soon, the weather patterns, moon phases whatever and such won't matter as much. He'll have one thing on his mind. Of course a cold front never hurts...
Good luck, hope you see him in person.

Offline Adrock

  • 6 Pointer
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Re: Big Buck Strategy Advice
« Reply #3 on: Oct 26, 2021, 01:47:18 PM »
The stand is what I would likely consider a transition zone between some swampy cover and stream drainage at that transitions up to a hardwood hill side that is at least 50% mature oaks. Mast crop is down a little bit this year compared to the last two but still enough food to keep them cruising around in there. My current theory is that the does like to bed in the swampy area and come up out of there to feed in the hardwoods. Pretty sure the reason all my daytime pics are morning is because he's up on the hill side looking for does and coming back down low in the morning to looking for them in the bedding areas within that swamp.  I'm sure that big buck has a couple of hidey holes of his own in there some place, it's a pretty large drainage system and it's got some spots that are real s-holes. I'm always leery about morning hunts there because I access the area up high on the hardwood side and I'm concerned about blowing the whole hill side out trying to get to the stand in the dark. Might need to consider finding a path that goes straight down to the swamp edge and cutting in low and see if I can find a quieter way in along the stream bed or something like that. The wind is strange here to, generally doesn't seem to matter what the direction is coming from it always seems to funnel up through the swamp/drainage and back up the hill. Who knows, it's fun to think about, maybe all the pieces will come together and our paths will cross.

Offline aquaassassin

  • 30 Point Buck
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Re: Big Buck Strategy Advice
« Reply #4 on: Oct 26, 2021, 01:56:33 PM »
Consider your thermals, hunt high in am, low in evening. Some old fellas will laugh while they crank butts and tell you about there spike they put there butt out to shoot every other year. I’m looking for something more lmao
« Last Edit: Oct 26, 2021, 01:57:21 PM by aquaassassin »
It's not being cocky if you can back it up!

 


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