MFDfire15
Well-Known Member
Wow, that dude is wide
2025 Velvet Target Bucks
- Thread starter Mars25
- Start date
tree_ghost
Well-Known Member
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
What I think is going on....
when you get those cool downs, that's a BIG stimulus for bucks to begin to explore and venture out from their tiny bed to feed routine. I've noticed the same thing, as well as picking up usual bucks 30m earlier in the afternoon and 30m later in the morning than usual pattern. We also occasionally pick up a new buck. yest eve had a dandy show up, but he was a LONG way from the cam. If he really is what my imagination says he is (5.5 and 145"), I'm very tempted to chase this one...
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megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
5.5... stud. Kill him!
tree_ghost
Well-Known Member
I don't think it's your imagination… go get him!
I'd say your theory probably has legs… I bet if I had cameras on licking branches this time of year around the areas those bucks are in I could pick up those bucks there. I might try it next year.
BigAl
Well-Known Member
Too dang hot for me.
Same
T. J. Mercer
Well-Known Member
Totally thought it was next weekend, just checked the Hunting Guide . . . oops!
I don't foresee getting out this evening, but as much as I hate sitting in a puddle of sweat while feeding the mosquitoes for several hours, I have a dude who's been camped out in my area. Last 2 or 3 weeks, he's predominantly been appearing after dark, whereas beforehand he was a regular at the twilight hours.
It's also extremely rare to see drop tines where I hunt, but I don't know what else I'd call that side kicker coming off that one buck. I have at least 4 shooters regularly hitting my trophy rock.
I don't foresee getting out this evening, but as much as I hate sitting in a puddle of sweat while feeding the mosquitoes for several hours, I have a dude who's been camped out in my area. Last 2 or 3 weeks, he's predominantly been appearing after dark, whereas beforehand he was a regular at the twilight hours.
It's also extremely rare to see drop tines where I hunt, but I don't know what else I'd call that side kicker coming off that one buck. I have at least 4 shooters regularly hitting my trophy rock.
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DeerMan66
Well-Known Member
I had o e with a tall rack like that in the area I hunt a couple years ago and he got one main beam broke before muzzleloader and all the tines off the other antler by the end of the rut. I don't know what happened to him but I didn't see any pictures of him after that season.
Not being negative, just curious. What is around that trophy rock??
I'd gladly sweat it out for that big based buck.
T. J. Mercer
Well-Known Member
You mean the one back in July?
Let's see, first time putting a camera there, so I raked all leaves back, threw out some Throw & Grow, poured a bunch of hoojoo on the area stumps, dropped a trophy rock, poured about 10 lbs of corn on it, added persimmon, beet and apple powder to the corn. I basically scent-bombed the area, to see what was passing nearby.
The corn gets cleared out by turkey, raccoons and deer usually in 2 to 3 days, but it gets the deer in on the rock, establishes patterns, and like any local drug dealer, once I get them hooked on the crack, er, um, I mean "tropy" rock, they'll keep coming back for more.
I don't know many folks who don't throw corn out from time to time to get a census.
That night picture is a half acre food plot I started last year, and much to my pleasant surprise, the brassica somehow survived / returned.
6 cameras spread across 30 acres, and that dude has appeared on all 6 of them. If there any experts out there, I'd be curious to learn
1) how central my parcel is to his home,
2) how big his range is, and
3) could he remain in the area until the rut, or is it assumed he'll relocate in a coupla' months?
Obviously, all bets are off during the rut, but until then, I can't help but wonder.
Let's see, first time putting a camera there, so I raked all leaves back, threw out some Throw & Grow, poured a bunch of hoojoo on the area stumps, dropped a trophy rock, poured about 10 lbs of corn on it, added persimmon, beet and apple powder to the corn. I basically scent-bombed the area, to see what was passing nearby.
The corn gets cleared out by turkey, raccoons and deer usually in 2 to 3 days, but it gets the deer in on the rock, establishes patterns, and like any local drug dealer, once I get them hooked on the crack, er, um, I mean "tropy" rock, they'll keep coming back for more.
I don't know many folks who don't throw corn out from time to time to get a census.
That night picture is a half acre food plot I started last year, and much to my pleasant surprise, the brassica somehow survived / returned.
6 cameras spread across 30 acres, and that dude has appeared on all 6 of them. If there any experts out there, I'd be curious to learn
1) how central my parcel is to his home,
2) how big his range is, and
3) could he remain in the area until the rut, or is it assumed he'll relocate in a coupla' months?
Obviously, all bets are off during the rut, but until then, I can't help but wonder.
No expert, but this is either from personal experience or what I remember from different studies, mostly from MSU deer lab.
1. No telling without more info. If you have 6 cams on 30 acres, but only getting night pics, he's for sure bedding somewhere else during the day. What time is he usually coming in at night? The longer after dark that he shows up, the further away he bedding during the day.
2. Bucks home range averages around a square mile, with daily range around 250 acres. Keep in mind there are no hard rules, any buck could be alot more/less. If you have alot of agriculture around you, it's probably on the lower end since they dont have to travel that far for food. Big woods or mountains are likely on the higher end.
3. Absolutely, if you're getting him regularl pics of him, you're in his home range right now. Some bucks will leave their summer range during the rut, some wont - but almost all will at least visit their summer range during the rut even if they leave it.
Do you have any history from last year with him during hunting season? Seems like bucks will typically keep the same pattern from year to year - and a surprising amount keep that schedule almost to the day. This ia why alot of guys will keep a calendar of which days a certain buck showed last year, and they'll be hunting that spot on that day this year.
Good luck!
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Never needed corn on the ground to have deer hammer the trophy rock. And now that they have found yours you wont either. Keep in mind corn on the ground in our humid climate can develop aflatoxins which is toxic and deadly to turkey poults and not good for deer....they will return to just the trophy rock year after year.
Your pic shows that having large acreage isnt always necessary to have a chance at nice bucks....its having the right acreage in the right location....Great looking bucks!!..Good luck with them this season!!
BING! You absolutely do not need bait or big acreage to kill big deer. The bulk of my biggest all came off sub 100 acre properties. In fact I'd rather have multiple small properties to hunt than one big one.
wrightk2
Well-Known Member
T. J. Mercer
Well-Known Member
You bring up several things I honestly hadn't considered.
The irony is that the new plot I put out was purposed at seeing if I could locate his pathing to my field.
I did.
What I hadn't considered is watching the timestamps to see if there was patterning or projection of range or distance from his bedding area.
He showed up throughout the day, broad daylight and throughout the night on all cameras in July.
In August, I'd say he's been more nocturnal the first two weeks of August (and I haven't checked the camera across the past week to know about the third week).
Another point you made . . . last year . . . I wasn't sure, but I'm reviewing pics of one I called "The Beast Seven" last year, who had a larger right beam that should have split along with a more pronounced left brow tine, and the dude from this year looks like he would be the older twin brother, the brow tines are same shape, direction, and lengths, only scaled up with a wider space in between. And that guy was camped out on the property just like this one, all season long.
[RANDOM RABBIT TRAIL:
I even took a shot at him with a crossbow, but as I learned last night, broadheads are jacking up my accuracy. I can shoot a tight group at 20-, 30- and 40-yds with fieldpoints, but with broadheads, they might be 6" off in any direction.
I watched one spiral (only b/c it had a lighted nock could I see it).
I shifted broadheads, and the inconsistent shooting followed the broadheads, proving the bolts were fine.
I put brand new broadheads on, only slightly better, and again, field tips are fine.
So, I just had some TenPoint Center Punch arrive, so we'll see how they do.
Sorry for the tangent.]
But yeah, I clipped his back, he ran and lived to see another day.
I appreciate your feedback!
T. J. Mercer
Well-Known Member
The Corn Soapbox . . .
Corn . . . it's funny, I haven't been as frequent on TNDeer as I used to be, but I've always seen a pretty strong conviction against the use of corn in any sense. I've always been intrigued by the "average" Tennessean stance that baiting was morally detestable by many, despite many states in our proximity having zero problem with it.
It begs a few questions . . . to say the least.
So, I was shocked to learn that they'd passed a new regulation to allow for baiting with a small fee without anyone storming the castle. I wondered how this could get passed without revolt. I meant to come to TNDeer to watch heads explode.
I know all the arguments about pros, cons, etc . . . so no need to educate.
In the end, I'm not a fan of baiting, because I put a lot of time and money into management, food plots, etc., and the thought of some yahoo neighbor emptying a 50lb bag of corn for their one hunt of the year and pulling deer away kinda' irks me. (I've literally hunted with friends in KY who did this where they posted up.)
An $8 bag of corn that anyone can toss out and shift patterns I've worked hard at establishing/influencing?
No thank you.
But will I throw a few pounds of corn out here and there when I swap SD cards every few weeks to pull a deer over to smile for a camera?
Absolutely.
And while aflatoxins can develop in 24 hours, under ideal circumstances of heat and humidity, it usually takes a few days.
I have such high traffic and disperse such a small amount, that I know it's not going to last long enough to grow mold, fungus, CWD, etc., b/c it's gone in under 2 days if not 2 hours. I probably get more coons and turkey than deer, on some cameras.
They vaccuum it -- and the cameras typically show it being consumed in 24 to 36 hours.
I'm not the least bit worried about the deer in my woods.
I just think it's important that we recognize that a few pounds of corn in July is a completely different scenario than the madness of having a feeder dumping corn nonstop where you're actively hunting.
One is baiting, the other is not.
But I do recognize that both can present very serious health concerns for the local deer population!
Corn . . . it's funny, I haven't been as frequent on TNDeer as I used to be, but I've always seen a pretty strong conviction against the use of corn in any sense. I've always been intrigued by the "average" Tennessean stance that baiting was morally detestable by many, despite many states in our proximity having zero problem with it.
It begs a few questions . . . to say the least.
So, I was shocked to learn that they'd passed a new regulation to allow for baiting with a small fee without anyone storming the castle. I wondered how this could get passed without revolt. I meant to come to TNDeer to watch heads explode.
I know all the arguments about pros, cons, etc . . . so no need to educate.
In the end, I'm not a fan of baiting, because I put a lot of time and money into management, food plots, etc., and the thought of some yahoo neighbor emptying a 50lb bag of corn for their one hunt of the year and pulling deer away kinda' irks me. (I've literally hunted with friends in KY who did this where they posted up.)
An $8 bag of corn that anyone can toss out and shift patterns I've worked hard at establishing/influencing?
No thank you.
But will I throw a few pounds of corn out here and there when I swap SD cards every few weeks to pull a deer over to smile for a camera?
Absolutely.
And while aflatoxins can develop in 24 hours, under ideal circumstances of heat and humidity, it usually takes a few days.
I have such high traffic and disperse such a small amount, that I know it's not going to last long enough to grow mold, fungus, CWD, etc., b/c it's gone in under 2 days if not 2 hours. I probably get more coons and turkey than deer, on some cameras.
They vaccuum it -- and the cameras typically show it being consumed in 24 to 36 hours.
I'm not the least bit worried about the deer in my woods.
I just think it's important that we recognize that a few pounds of corn in July is a completely different scenario than the madness of having a feeder dumping corn nonstop where you're actively hunting.
One is baiting, the other is not.
But I do recognize that both can present very serious health concerns for the local deer population!
T. J. Mercer
Well-Known Member
Great looking deer!
I'm curious, assuming Maryville is up-to-date for your location, is a buck of that caliber that common in your parts?
I would think he's rare indeed.
If there is one thing I am sure of, when it comes to scoring deer from pics, it is you can OFTEN NOT get close to guessing from a pic, ESPECIALLY from ONLY solo pics (he is standing alone)!
This buck looks like a large mature buck. I am confident in that. But he may be dressed at 155 or 230 lbs. I have MANY examples both in pic, and in person. These experiences are with just this situation.
But I would guess that if he is a 180 pound dressed buck, and his rack is as big as it looks, he could easily velvet score 150 gross.
One thing I am certain of, if he gave me a shot, that encounter would end with me having at least one DULL broadhead tipped arrow!
easy45
Well-Known Member
I can't find any bucks lol
I'm maybe 20 minutes from Maryville and I've seen some large bucks around here in the foothills. We've also got some big deer on the mountain, they're just more elusive.
5.5 bare minimum, likely older. He would make the list!
