Dedicated to one buck

[fairchaser]

Love to hear the stories good and bad regarding going after a single buck to the exclusion of all others.

Most of us have a target buck we are focused on but how many of us will pass on other good or even great bucks to get the one?

I've done it and been successful but mostly ended the season with tag soup. I won't do it anymore! My time, age, the required dedication and the emotional involvement are prices I'm not willing to pay.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

Here's my two cents worth. I think it's each hunters goals, but I want to kill great bucks, and if your goal is great bucks you have to let good bucks walk. My goal is 5 1/2 year olds but occasionally kill a 4 1/2 thinking it's older

 

[backyardtndeer]

I have, and have on a couple occasions been blessed to have killed that buck. There have also been times that my target buck disappeared, and I knew someone else must have killed him so I settled for the next best deer. This year, got really lucky and found my target buck in front of me on the afternoon of the first day of November. I think I had 5 or 6 sits in total by the time I killed him.

 

[Snake]

Like I've mentioned before never used cameras but for one year. With that said I've seen bucks hunting but not able to get a shot off , waited on them and killed some of them. Only year I put out cameras had a really good ten point coming to my favorite stand and I hunted him religiously but never laid eyes on him . So no more cameras for me ...I think

 

[Tenntrapper]

Like I've mentioned before never used cameras but for one year. With that said I've seen bucks hunting but not able to get a shot off , waited on them and killed some of them. Only year I put out cameras had a really good ten point coming to my favorite stand and I hunted him religiously but never laid eyes on him . So no more cameras for me ...I think

I've got 6 different bucks on cam where I hunt. All pics have been at night. Haven't seen the first buck this year while hunting.
First one I see and can get a shot at is going in the freezer... assuming I hit it. Probably get so worked up from actually seeing one that I screw up the shot...

 

[Crappieaddict]

The area that I hunt is relatively small. I have saw some good bucks on camera and had hopes that he would show himself, but that is about the extent of my targeting.

 

[Lost Lake]

There's no way I'm going thru a year without venison, so I'd shoot any deer that weighs enough if it came right down to it. That's always first.

These days, I'm mostly shooting for age. Giant racks just aren't that common in my part of the hunting world. Sometimes I'll hold out for a particular buck, like this year, but for the most part I'm not gonna let a buck go that I like.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

We typically average around 6 mature deer / year I wouldn't hesitate to shoot. Sure, one may be favored over another, but I will never "not shoot" one because I favor another one. And if one pops up I've never seen, if my heart is pumping enough, I'm shooting.

2022 and 2023 have been horrible for us. Horrible. 2 mature deer per year on the property - that's not a good huntable population to have success. We're talking a lot of acreage. Basically, if I get excited enough, I'm shooting

 

[themanpcl]

Love to hear the stories good and bad regarding going after a single buck to the exclusion of all others.

Most of us have a target buck we are focused on but how many of us will pass on other good or even great bucks to get the one?

I've done it and been successful but mostly ended the season with tag soup. I won't do it anymore! My time, age, the required dedication and the emotional involvement are prices I'm not willing to pay.

I have never had a "target buck". I have certain standards that I use to determine the "shoot or don't" in the moment. Now, when I see pics of good bucks on my cams, do I have a wish list, sure. But I will not exclude any mature or big buck in order to go after a particular buck. Do I eat tag soup regularly, yes. I don't "have" to kill a buck every year. Also with the trespassers/poachers that are in the county I hunt, letting a good one go does not insure that I will get a look at him ever again...

 

[Ski]

I hunt specific bucks. I have always loved big antlers and tried going after them. While I have had some fair success with that I pretty often settled on the buck I killed for no other reason than it presented the opportunity. I've killed a lot of good bucks when I knew there were bigger bucks around. As they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

But these days that doesn't do anything for me. I don't get a kick out of just any good buck. I decided to challenge myself to pitting against only the oldest/biggest buck available to me that year, ignoring all others. So that's what I do these days, for the most part. And I'm loving deer hunting again like I did when I was a teenager. It's fun. I fail a lot but I succeed enough to keep me chomping at the bit. And probably even more than killing something, I enjoy things I learn by playing that cat & mouse game. Each buck is like it's own puzzle to solve. I guess if I had to put a number on my success rate it would be somewhere between 30% & 50%. I normally hunt TN & OH and between the two I usually tag one target buck. Sometimes I'm lucky & fill all three tags. Sometimes none. Failing doesn't bother me much. If anything it drives me to strive harder.

That said if a random bigger/older buck comes in range than my target buck, I'd probably kill it. It's never happened so I can't say or sure, but probably. I also occasionally hunt other states and when I do that I don't have history with bucks. All I can do is scout a spot that seems like I might see an older buck, and then if given the opportunity I shoot the first older buck that presents. That's a whole lot different than hunting my private grounds where I have bucks that I've seen for years & know exactly how old they are. I enjoy both types but really enjoy targeting specific bucks.

 

[fairchaser]

I hunt specific bucks. I have always loved big antlers and tried going after them. While I have had some fair success with that I pretty often settled on the buck I killed for no other reason than it presented the opportunity. I've killed a lot of good bucks when I knew there were bigger bucks around. As they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

But these days that doesn't do anything for me. I don't get a kick out of just any good buck. I decided to challenge myself to pitting against only the oldest/biggest buck available to me that year, ignoring all others. So that's what I do these days, for the most part. And I'm loving deer hunting again like I did when I was a teenager. It's fun. I fail a lot but I succeed enough to keep me chomping at the bit. And probably even more than killing something, I enjoy things I learn by playing that cat & mouse game. Each buck is like it's own puzzle to solve. I guess if I had to put a number on my success rate it would be somewhere between 30% & 50%. I normally hunt TN & OH and between the two I usually tag one target buck. Sometimes I'm lucky & fill all three tags. Sometimes none. Failing doesn't bother me much. If anything it drives me to strive harder.

That said if a random bigger/older buck comes in range than my target buck, I'd probably kill it. It's never happened so I can't say or sure, but probably. I also occasionally hunt other states and when I do that I don't have history with bucks. All I can do is scout a spot that seems like I might see an older buck, and then if given the opportunity I shoot the first older buck that presents. That's a whole lot different than hunting my private grounds where I have bucks that I've seen for years & know exactly how old they are. I enjoy both types but really enjoy targeting specific bucks.

I feel like maybe you and a few other hunters are at a different level. In order to stay challenged at the highest pinnacle, they want to outsmart the oldest and wariest of whitetails. It's not enough to just kill an older buck but one that is the oldest and most difficult.

I'm not saying this to puff you up but being serious. If you have even 30% success on targeted bucks, that's exceptional. I can personally only say I've done this twice. This might be more luck than skill. I know a couple hunters that will go after a certain buck and within a couple weeks, they will have him. I really don't know how they do it but they do.

 

[cbhunter]

Been hunting this buck for years. Have pictures of him yearly. Let him walk within 5 ft of me in 2018 while sitting on the ground when he was 2.5 (first two pics just after he passed me on the ground)

Then two years later I shot the limb in my only encounter.
Last year I passed on a very mature buck in video but he his rack was busted a little. Was waiting on the other guy. He would have been 6.5

This year I have zero pics of him so I got itchy and shot a non mature 10pt.

Regret letting the mature one go last year but that's hunting and running cams for ya

 

[deerhunter10]

Some years I do some years I don't. Generally have a list of ones id shoot, but try to specifically pick one. But not passing other shooters usually unless I have 1 tag left. I had 17 sits on one deer just this year. It's fun and very rewarding when it comes together but can be tough very tough. For me to dedicate to a certain deer he needs to be regularish, in a spot I can get in and out multiple times and have multiple places to hunt that deer on different winds.

 

[Bushape]

I hunt specific bucks. I have always loved big antlers and tried going after them. While I have had some fair success with that I pretty often settled on the buck I killed for no other reason than it presented the opportunity. I've killed a lot of good bucks when I knew there were bigger bucks around. As they say, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

But these days that doesn't do anything for me. I don't get a kick out of just any good buck. I decided to challenge myself to pitting against only the oldest/biggest buck available to me that year, ignoring all others. So that's what I do these days, for the most part. And I'm loving deer hunting again like I did when I was a teenager. It's fun. I fail a lot but I succeed enough to keep me chomping at the bit. And probably even more than killing something, I enjoy things I learn by playing that cat & mouse game. Each buck is like it's own puzzle to solve. I guess if I had to put a number on my success rate it would be somewhere between 30% & 50%. I normally hunt TN & OH and between the two I usually tag one target buck. Sometimes I'm lucky & fill all three tags. Sometimes none. Failing doesn't bother me much. If anything it drives me to strive harder.

That said if a random bigger/older buck comes in range than my target buck, I'd probably kill it. It's never happened so I can't say or sure, but probably. I also occasionally hunt other states and when I do that I don't have history with bucks. All I can do is scout a spot that seems like I might see an older buck, and then if given the opportunity I shoot the first older buck that presents. That's a whole lot different than hunting my private grounds where I have bucks that I've seen for years & know exactly how old they are. I enjoy both types but really enjoy targeting specific bucks.

Any advice for folks attempting to do the same, and is it feasible when hunting public or in a club?

 

[Huntaholic]

Ive had TWO target bucks in the last 10 years or so. I killed the 1st one, a 153in 9 pt with my compound in KY. The 2nd one was 3 years ago and my buddy killed him on a Saturday eve from MY STAND that I was going to hunt Sunday morning. I havent had or focused on a target buck since and as a matter of fact, Im not sure Ive killed a buck since then. I lost the drive.
ETA in TN. Ive killed several in Texas and Montana since then.

 

[Ski]

Any advice for folks attempting to do the same, and is it feasible when hunting public or in a club?

Be as analytical as possible and don't give him too much respect. If you have reasonable belief you know where he's at then go get him because he won't be there for long. He's after food and sex, and he knows from experience where to get it and when. So figure out what he's after in your hunt area and hunt it when you believe he'll be there. If you hesitate or wait you might have missed your chance.

He'll move around place to place from resource to resource, and he doesn't know the difference between public or private. All he knows is that there's a white oak that drops sweet acorns for these three weeks, or there's a doe he knows has been estrus on this day last two years in a row. So he'll be there again this year at that time.

It sounds simple and it really is. The difficult part comes from there being only one of him and a whole lotta ground he covers, and you can only hunt tiny pieces of it. That's why timing is critical and you can't wait. You have to hunt him on his schedule, not yours.

 

[Carlos]

In 2018, I caught pics of a HUGE buck on some property that wasn't private. It was restricted to quota hunts only, except for one week of archery hunting.

Every time I'd setup a trail camera, this beast would pose several times. Then- when there was a hunt open, he'd vanish. He was so huge, several guys thought I was planning them, when I shared the picture.

I recall during one quota hunt, sitting in the rain, during 37-40 degree weather for 3 days. That's when I gave up, of course I had to- because that was the last hunt for the area anyways.

I won't likely try that again, at least, unless it's on private property. There's just too many variables involved where this one was hanging out.

Great topic, thanks to the OP.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

I tried this year, to an extent. I had a giant show up November 10. Last year, it was around also and was a solid buck but not a giant like this year. I spent the rest of the month trying to find that deer. This was on a place that I am very familiar with and know exactly where to sit. Problem is, it just came through two nights that I'm aware of in November. It just didn't spend much time at all on the place, likely having its core area on a neighboring unhunted property. The acorn crop probably didn't help me. I spent a good amount of time sitting on the crossing coming over from the unhunted property, I saw one good 10 point, passed it but never filled my 2nd tag due to hunting that one buck. I'm hoping it made through the year. I would imagine that if one of the local poachers would have got it, then I would have seen a picture by now. In this area, if they make it past November, they will usually make it.

 

[tree_ghost]

I have done it multiple times. I have about a 50% success rate. It has its ups and downs IMO. When you are able to make it come together, for me there is no better feeling. I have taken out a big mature buck, on his turf, and with purposeful intentions. It's the culmination of perfect bowhunting for me, when it works out…when it doesn't it can be tough to deal with. I can quickly take the fun out of the hunt and turn a passion I love into a frustrating, fruitless chore. There are years when I might have 5 or 6 shooters I'm after and that makes it much easier. If it's only 1 or 2 good ones I have a lead on then it can become more monotonous. I am currently 2 seasons in and over 60 sets in on one deer. It's been a roller coaster ride but when I feel frustration creep in I change up and hit a different piece with my longbow to give myself a reset.

 

[killingtime 41]

I don't run cameras on public. But if I did and happened to get mature bucks on camera. Sure I would want to kill a particular buck over others. But first good 3.5 is getting laid down. As that's my definition of a mature buck. Massive difference in a 2.5 and 3.5 rack and body. And that's been my standards for years. So that's my goal. Anything older is just a bonus. My own land if I had a big enough piece I might up it to 4.5 possibly. Meat wise I think doe's taste better. Even though I tend not to shoot many at all.