huntncoach
Well-Known Member
What are the three most important things a hunter must do to be successful in hunting mature bucks? I have all the meat I need but have only take. One good buck since I began hunting.
Hunting mature bucks
- Thread starter huntncoach
- Start date
@fulldraw
Well-Known Member
Pray for luck!
Pray for a mature buck!
Pray it all comes together!
Pray for a mature buck!
Pray it all comes together!
deerhunter10
Well-Known Member
Wind
access
pressure
and patience
obviously if you don't have mature deer you cant kill mature deer. now if you do they are pretty much a completely different deer then all the others. they are extremely aware and very smart.
access
pressure
and patience
obviously if you don't have mature deer you cant kill mature deer. now if you do they are pretty much a completely different deer then all the others. they are extremely aware and very smart.
There has to be a mature buck in the location you're hunting. Some properties where I hunt there seems to be only a few bucks - lots of yearlings and occasional 2.5 or 3.5 year olds. Other properties are much better with balanced herds.
Gonna get alot of opinions but ill give my 3. Most of my experience with mature deer comes from bow hunting public land.
1. Hunt the wind, dont count on getting lucky.
2. Be willing to think outside the box.
3. Get ready to put a lot of work in.
With all that being said... u cant kill big deer if ur hunting an area that doesnt have big deer. Not tryin to be a smart a.. with that one but u gotta evaluate whats realistic for ur area.
1. Hunt the wind, dont count on getting lucky.
2. Be willing to think outside the box.
3. Get ready to put a lot of work in.
With all that being said... u cant kill big deer if ur hunting an area that doesnt have big deer. Not tryin to be a smart a.. with that one but u gotta evaluate whats realistic for ur area.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
1. Accept the humbling possibility that many things you learned and think you know about killing whitetail bucks (in general) simply may not apply with old deer.
2. Slow down. Scouting, hanging stands, observing sign, enter/exit, monitoring activity, and studying their behavior. You'll start to pick up little things they do differently that you can key on.
3. Wait until the right time to hunt him...when he's most vulnerable. You'll need every possible advantage to kill old deer consistently and even though you found him in August may not mean opening day of bow season is the best time to kill him.
I choose these 3 in part because they were personally, my most difficult challenges. C'mon, how tough can killing a mature buck be? Boy was I WRONG.
Totally completely different animal.
2. Slow down. Scouting, hanging stands, observing sign, enter/exit, monitoring activity, and studying their behavior. You'll start to pick up little things they do differently that you can key on.
3. Wait until the right time to hunt him...when he's most vulnerable. You'll need every possible advantage to kill old deer consistently and even though you found him in August may not mean opening day of bow season is the best time to kill him.
I choose these 3 in part because they were personally, my most difficult challenges. C'mon, how tough can killing a mature buck be? Boy was I WRONG.
Totally completely different animal.
Bone Collector
Well-Known Member
I have not killed one. I got lucky, but if i had to pick 3 though, it would be
hunt the wind.
hunt when he is most vulnerable (probably this month)
Time - you will have to be able to sit long periods of time.
hunt the wind.
hunt when he is most vulnerable (probably this month)
Time - you will have to be able to sit long periods of time.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
#1 hunt where mature bucks are.... seriously... there are a LOT of properties that don't even have a 4.5 yr old on them... you can't kill one if it isn't there
#2- minimize pressure on that property till right before the rut (unless you can pattern him in the first week of bow season). hunting before the rut starts will just make him harder to kill. That's exactly why I took my vacation NEXT weekend for ML hunting my farms. The 2.5 and 3.5 yr olds will be running does like crazy this weekend, but it's still a tad early for the fully mature bucks to be moving during daylight (my rut peaks Nov 18-21st)
#3- be willing to pass up a LOT of NICE 3.5 yr olds you know, esp the 120-135" 3.5 yr olds... those are the hardest ones to pass on... once you punch your tag, you're done... and if it is on a 3.5 yr old... well, then you can't kill a 4.5yr+ old.
#2- minimize pressure on that property till right before the rut (unless you can pattern him in the first week of bow season). hunting before the rut starts will just make him harder to kill. That's exactly why I took my vacation NEXT weekend for ML hunting my farms. The 2.5 and 3.5 yr olds will be running does like crazy this weekend, but it's still a tad early for the fully mature bucks to be moving during daylight (my rut peaks Nov 18-21st)
#3- be willing to pass up a LOT of NICE 3.5 yr olds you know, esp the 120-135" 3.5 yr olds... those are the hardest ones to pass on... once you punch your tag, you're done... and if it is on a 3.5 yr old... well, then you can't kill a 4.5yr+ old.
