I have had pictures of a deer on our lease for 4 years now. We call him One Eyed Willie because he has been missing his right eye ever since he started turning up on trail camera photos. All the photos we have of him have come from the same spot in the same field. He usually dissappears about 3 weeks into bow season. This year was no different as I do not have a photo of him in the past 3 weeks. Yesterday, my father and I were working on some stands at about noon. We drove up to a stand to trim some limbs. Directly behind the stand is a deep canyon full of kudzu. This is about 200 yards from the spot we get photos of him. Laying there about 60 yards away was One Eyed Willie. We quickly got down on the ground and he sat there looking at us for about 5 minutes until he calmly stood up and trotted off into the woods with his tail up. My question is, do you think he's gone for good? Should I go to the area where he ran and bow hunt this next weekend or wait until ML season gets here? This was the first time anyone has ever seen him in person. His rack is actually smaller than it was last year. He has been a 7 point for the past 4 years until this year he has a small G3 on the right side. I will try to upload photos as soon as possible. I'm new here and never uploaded photos. Your advice is greatly appreciated!
Advice on a old/mature buck
- Thread starter dgolden
- Start date
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
That deer is smart...he learns and adapts quickly. Yeah, you're likely busted with that stand (he will look up there every time from here forward :) but he was in that gully/area because noone bothers him in THAT spot 99% of the time. He was comfortable there.
My guess is that he's not gone for good but may make a little tiny adjustment; how he enters, how he leaves, where he beds, how he can catch the wind, how hard he looks and smells before he drops his guard, to maintain the advantage.
Know this: he knew you were there WAY before you knew he was there...but chose to hold his ground. If he still feels he had the advantage in that area and he'll return.
Stay out for now...deer like him are REALLY sensitive to pressure. They just don't tolerate much. He'll prolly be back but will also prolly only give you/pops 1 chance before he completely abandons that spot as unreliable.
My guess is that he's not gone for good but may make a little tiny adjustment; how he enters, how he leaves, where he beds, how he can catch the wind, how hard he looks and smells before he drops his guard, to maintain the advantage.
Know this: he knew you were there WAY before you knew he was there...but chose to hold his ground. If he still feels he had the advantage in that area and he'll return.
Stay out for now...deer like him are REALLY sensitive to pressure. They just don't tolerate much. He'll prolly be back but will also prolly only give you/pops 1 chance before he completely abandons that spot as unreliable.
Thirty-06
Well-Known Member
If that's his spot most likely he will be back. How late do u hunt in the mornings? If u saw him mid day I would hunt till mid day or all day
Outdoor Enthusiast
Well-Known Member
I would probably stay out of there until you can get a weapon with a more effective range - MZ or rifle.
If that is the place where he beds all the time he will likely come back, but not if you overhunt it. Give him a few weeks. During the pre-rut he may venture from his bedding area during daylight. If you can pinpoint a good location to intercept him when he is entering or leaving the kudzu you might have a chance to kill him.
Just my $0.02.
If that is the place where he beds all the time he will likely come back, but not if you overhunt it. Give him a few weeks. During the pre-rut he may venture from his bedding area during daylight. If you can pinpoint a good location to intercept him when he is entering or leaving the kudzu you might have a chance to kill him.
Just my $0.02.
I hunted a mature deer a few years ago. I didn't hunt the wind good enough and he busted me, didn't even take off running, he just took a turn into cover.
I left it alone for a couple weeks, then went back and hunted the same stand. He came in just like he did before except a lot slower and more careful. Before he got to where I had a clear shot, he turns around and walks the way he came from. Never seen him again.
Usually, mature deer are educated. I would wait until you have a muzzle loader or rifle in your hands before I would even step foot in there. Also, you got the rut coming up, very good time to catch him slipping.
I left it alone for a couple weeks, then went back and hunted the same stand. He came in just like he did before except a lot slower and more careful. Before he got to where I had a clear shot, he turns around and walks the way he came from. Never seen him again.
Usually, mature deer are educated. I would wait until you have a muzzle loader or rifle in your hands before I would even step foot in there. Also, you got the rut coming up, very good time to catch him slipping.
