#1700492 - 01/01/10 05:15 AM
Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
|
102
10 Point
Registered: 08/01/02
Posts: 3650
Loc: Tennessee
|
Offline
|
|
I don't know how these stats would stack up from a large sample pool of data, but I will relate to you, would be "trophy hunters" the hard, cold reality of our personal experience.
In 1999, a group (5) of us Tn. hunters decided to "raise the bar" in our deer hunting efforts and head North. We are, and were at the time, successful bow hunters by anyones standards. A couple of us had close to or over 100 bow kills. And all of us had at least a couple "mature" buck kills under our belts. Still, we wanted more big buck opportunities.
Fast forward to 2009. We've (all 5) hunted every year since 1999. The license has MORE than doubled, now VERY close to 500 dollars for ONE buck. And only ONE of us has killed a P/Y buck.
ONLY ONE OF US. We've ALL seen MANY more P/Y bucks than in all the previous years in Tn. (on average we each had about 15 years hunting Tn. experience before heading North in 1999), yet bowhunting and trying to kill one of these mature monsters, on PUBLIC land is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT proposal.
At ANY time, on just about ALL of the big bucks seen, had we had a rifle, or gun, the outcome could have been ENTIRELY MORE FAVORABLE.
What have we learned from this?
GUNS KILL DEER. ESPECIALLY RIFLES.
Illinois, (and I believe OHIO) has NO, ZERO, NADA, RIFLE SEASON AT ALL. And gun season is about TEN days long. PERIOD. ANd NOT continuous.
RESIDENTS of ILLINOIS can kill TWO bucks. Non-residents can too, but they must buy an extra gun tag (about another 250.00)
Also, after the first shotgun hunt, RUT OR NOT...not just the BIG bucks, but ALL the deer...disappear. I MEAN THEY VANISH!!!
The moral of this experience: big bucks, even before gun season, are EXTREMELY difficult to kill. Add about 2.5 MONTHS of GUN hunting...SURELY you get ther picture!
102
Edited by 102 (01/01/10 06:45 AM)
_________________________
God, Family, Job, Bowhunting
Luck is where Opportunity and Preparation MEET!
When in doubt...back out!
SCAPAS.stay calm and pick a spot.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1700505 - 01/01/10 06:21 AM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: 102]
|
Setterman
8 Point
Registered: 12/31/09
Posts: 1783
Loc: Knoxville, TN
|
|
Offline
|
|
IMO, it is not the weapons being used, but more so the increase in human traffic in the woods which causes the deer to change their patterns. And looking at the end of a long deer season, no matter what seasons have come and gone, the animals will be more leary just because of the pressure put on them during the previous 2 months of being hunted.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1700520 - 01/01/10 06:48 AM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: Setterman]
|
102
10 Point
Registered: 08/01/02
Posts: 3650
Loc: Tennessee
|
|
Offline
|
|
EXACTLY setterman! RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!!
Deer by now have been pestered since Sept. 19th.
ANY DEER TAKEN AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON IS A TRUE TROPHY!!!
102
_________________________
God, Family, Job, Bowhunting
Luck is where Opportunity and Preparation MEET!
When in doubt...back out!
SCAPAS.stay calm and pick a spot.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1701281 - 01/01/10 01:48 PM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: 102]
|
102
10 Point
Registered: 08/01/02
Posts: 3650
Loc: Tennessee
|
|
Offline
|
|
Another lesson learned here is that deer hunting successfully takes time, practice, dedication.
Hunting and killing BIG, MATURE bucks, takes all that and a WHOLE LOT MORE.
In fact, it kinda takes the "FUN" out of deer hunting. It is VERY serious at this level. Friendships can even be lost if care is not taken.
102
_________________________
God, Family, Job, Bowhunting
Luck is where Opportunity and Preparation MEET!
When in doubt...back out!
SCAPAS.stay calm and pick a spot.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1703430 - 01/02/10 03:58 PM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: 102]
|
BSK
Jerkasourous of the non-typical kind
Non-Typical
Registered: 03/11/99
Posts: 59548
Loc: Nashville, TN
|
|
Offline
|
|
I tell you what 102, I've got a couple of mature bucks on my place that have completely skunked us again, for the second year in a row. I know they're there, but killing one of these two has been an effort in futility. Both are now 5 1/2 and I did not get a single daylight picture of either buck this year, even though I got dozens and dozens of pictures of them.
_________________________
"Know where you stand, and stand there" --Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan
"There is no reasoning someone out of a position he has not reasoned himself into." --Clive James
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1703443 - 01/02/10 04:12 PM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: BSK]
|
Rackseeker
10 Point
Registered: 09/26/02
Posts: 4761
Loc: Franklin County
|
Online
|
|
I tell you what 102, I've got a couple of mature bucks on my place that have completely skunked us again, for the second year in a row. I know they're there, but killing one of these two has been an effort in futility. Both are now 5 1/2 and I did not get a single daylight picture of either buck this year, even though I got dozens and dozens of pictures of them.
Sounds like you have all but given up this season. Right now is the time to be in the woods for a mature buck. Most everybody around you has already quit for the year. They know when hunting pressure has dropped.
_________________________
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1703523 - 01/02/10 05:08 PM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: Rackseeker]
|
BSK
Jerkasourous of the non-typical kind
Non-Typical
Registered: 03/11/99
Posts: 59548
Loc: Nashville, TN
|
|
Offline
|
|
I tell you what 102, I've got a couple of mature bucks on my place that have completely skunked us again, for the second year in a row. I know they're there, but killing one of these two has been an effort in futility. Both are now 5 1/2 and I did not get a single daylight picture of either buck this year, even though I got dozens and dozens of pictures of them. Sounds like you have all but given up this season. Right now is the time to be in the woods for a mature buck. Most everybody around you has already quit for the year. They know when hunting pressure has dropped.
I've been out for several days in a row. Didn't see a living deer.
Those old bucks are still very active (got over a dozen pictures of them in the last week) but all at night.
_________________________
"Know where you stand, and stand there" --Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan
"There is no reasoning someone out of a position he has not reasoned himself into." --Clive James
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1703958 - 01/02/10 09:14 PM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: plinker22]
|
dirtturner
4 Point
Registered: 03/26/08
Posts: 167
Loc: Tn, Lauderdale
|
|
Offline
|
|
I agree with the pressure angle. I love it when the ducks show up and all the peckerheads go ducking. Lets the roads rest as well. The deer relax and start showing back up in secluded places. I spend a lot of time glassing from long distances and it pays off...sometimes. My problem is that there are places that are not accessable by glass from 1000 yds. I usually see some big deer late. Saw one this morning: 130 maybe 4 year old. Nice deer but not really mature.
_________________________
Freedom is NEVER free. NRA life member
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1704237 - 01/03/10 07:11 AM
Re: Growing "Mature" or "Trophy" bucks.
[Re: dirtturner]
|
102
10 Point
Registered: 08/01/02
Posts: 3650
Loc: Tennessee
|
|
Offline
|
|
BSK,
At 4.5 plus, there is so much luck involved with killing an old buck that it is almost depressing.
And allow me to qualify this statement: THE HARDEST deer to kill is the MATURE deer (buck or doe) that knows it is being hunted. Take away the rut, and these deer are next to impossible to kill. VERY few hunters kill mature deer on purpose. VERY FEW. Most kills are made during peak rut times when bucks ROAM large distances and get themselves into territory they would otherwise NEVER be seen in during daylight.
That being said, even small parcels of ground, say less than 2000 acres take VERY little disturbance to alert mature residents to hunter pressure.
Try this little experiment: lay a piece of clear plastic (see through) that you can write on with a dry erase pen, and lay it on your hunting land topo.
Draw a line across as many trails across this plastic over the routes that you KNOW were taken during scouting, camera, hunting outings on your property. Do this for yourself, then do this for EVERY other hunter that you know travelled the property.
Then draw wind currents in for your dominant winds for the bulk of your trips afield. Use Red color.
If yours are like MOST hunting properties, you'll get the idea of what you are dealing with.
Now add in human intrusion noise like truck doors, or any other human noises associated with HUNTER TRAFFIC only.
It becomes obvious after a while how easy humans are to pattern and avoid.
Without doubt, the BEST time to hunt a big buck, is the FIRST time you hunt him.
This is why I hunt SEVERAL counties. And at least TWO States. Almost ALL public land in transition/feeding areas for MATURE bucks.
102
_________________________
God, Family, Job, Bowhunting
Luck is where Opportunity and Preparation MEET!
When in doubt...back out!
SCAPAS.stay calm and pick a spot.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: RUGER, Tennessee Todd, Unicam, Cuttin Caller, CBU93, stretch, Bobby G, Outdoor Lady, TurkeyBurd
|
12104 Members
38 Forums
115609 Topics
1408464 Posts
Max Online: 756 @ 11/20/12 09:10 AM
|
|
|
The TnDeer.Com Deer Talk Forum is for Tennessee Deer Hunters by Tennessee Deer Hunters. If you enjoy using our Talk Forum and would like to contribute to help in it's up-keep. Just submit your contribution by clicking on the DONATE button below and paying with PayPal or a major credit card. Any amount is much appreciated. Thanks for your support!
|
|
|
No deer sighting the last 5 or 6 hunts for me. My buddies are having the same success. 
