Late season bucks, where to start

[catman529]

I'm guessing near thick cover and food source. Where are y'all seeing older (3+ year old) bucks around this time? Red oaks, cut corn, browse... Guess it's different for every property. I'm also wondering if rut range shifting bucks that left public tracts to surrounding private properties will come back to their normal range on public land but without the pressure of public land since they were elsewhere most of the season. Just a thought. To those who have a lot more experience than me, what's one thing you would recommend if I am going to hunt a few times in hopes of a buck older than a yearling. All I've seen this season is yearlings except for older bucks on other property that I can't hunt. Thanks for any advice

 

[deerhunter10]

Food evenings thickest cover you can find mornings. We are still seeing rut activity on our farms. Saw 2 shooters for sure last night no shot over food ( age field) go to the spots you haven't touched yet and hunt hard.

 

[scn]

I'm guessing near thick cover and food source. Where are y'all seeing older (3+ year old) bucks around this time? Red oaks, cut corn, browse... Guess it's different for every property. I'm also wondering if rut range shifting bucks that left public tracts to surrounding private properties will come back to their normal range on public land but without the pressure of public land since they were elsewhere most of the season. Just a thought. To those who have a lot more experience than me, what's one thing you would recommend if I am going to hunt a few times in hopes of a buck older than a yearling. All I've seen this season is yearlings except for older bucks on other property that I can't hunt. Thanks for any advice

The best advice is the same as you have been given all fall. Stay out of their bedding and security areas. Make the decision on whether or not you want to shoot mature deer or take their picture.

You can get by to a certain degree with your activities and still see young deer. It usually will not work with mature deer.

 

[JJ3]

First you have to decide to let the yearlings and does walk to see what might be trailing behind them.

 

[catman529]

First you have to decide to let the yearlings and does walk to see what might be trailing behind them.

I have let a bunch of yearling bucks walk but I have been shooting mostly does so I've decided to take a couple hunts to let more of the does walk and see if a buck shows up.

 

[Rackseeker]

I have been seeing a lot of deer around food sources at first light. They aren't traveling very far before bedding down. The only draw back to hunting their bedding area, you have to get in there way early. I have hunted a lot since gun season opened and haven't seen any rutting activity at all. Maybe they will get on their feet this week.

 

[Rackseeker]

I'm guessing near thick cover and food source. Where are y'all seeing older (3+ year old) bucks around this time? Red oaks, cut corn, browse... Guess it's different for every property. I'm also wondering if rut range shifting bucks that left public tracts to surrounding private properties will come back to their normal range on public land but without the pressure of public land since they were elsewhere most of the season. Just a thought. To those who have a lot more experience than me, what's one thing you would recommend if I am going to hunt a few times in hopes of a buck older than a yearling. All I've seen this season is yearlings except for older bucks on other property that I can't hunt. Thanks for any advice

The best advice is the same as you have been given all fall. Stay out of their bedding and security areas. Make the decision on whether or not you want to shoot mature deer or take their picture.

You can get by to a certain degree with your activities and still see young deer. It usually will not work with mature deer.

This may be good advise but it is just the opposite for the way I hunt mature bucks where I hunt. About the only way I kill mature bucks is getting in or very close to their bedding area. It takes a lot of effort to hunt this way, like getting in there 1.5- 2 hours before daylight, scent control. A lot of times he will come by before daylight, then sometimes you can get lucky and catch him after daylight. I have found that a lot of mature bucks move very little during daylight, but will move a couple times a day with in their (small) bedding area. Take this for what its worth because I haven't seen but one mature buck this year. LOL...But the best is yet to come here, I hope.

 

[scn]

I'm guessing near thick cover and food source. Where are y'all seeing older (3+ year old) bucks around this time? Red oaks, cut corn, browse... Guess it's different for every property. I'm also wondering if rut range shifting bucks that left public tracts to surrounding private properties will come back to their normal range on public land but without the pressure of public land since they were elsewhere most of the season. Just a thought. To those who have a lot more experience than me, what's one thing you would recommend if I am going to hunt a few times in hopes of a buck older than a yearling. All I've seen this season is yearlings except for older bucks on other property that I can't hunt. Thanks for any advice

The best advice is the same as you have been given all fall. Stay out of their bedding and security areas. Make the decision on whether or not you want to shoot mature deer or take their picture.

You can get by to a certain degree with your activities and still see young deer. It usually will not work with mature deer.

This may be good advise but it is just the opposite for the way I hunt mature bucks where I hunt. About the only way I kill mature bucks is getting in or very close to their bedding area. It takes a lot of effort to hunt this way, like getting in there 1.5- 2 hours before daylight, scent control. A lot of times he will come by before daylight, then sometimes you can get lucky and catch him after daylight. I have found that a lot of mature bucks move very little during daylight, but will move a couple times a day with in their (small) bedding area. Take this for what its worth because I haven't seen but one mature buck this year. LOL...But the best is yet to come here, I hope.

There is a lot of difference in what you are doing in hunting that bedding area and someone running cameras and continually busting deer out of their beds. Your methods are a high risk, high reward method. The other is likely a ticket to seeing only young deer.

Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with seeing and shooting young deer.

 

[Rackseeker]

That's very true, I wish our club property manager would ban trail cameras during hunting season. After a deer gets 2.5 yrs old they start to learn real quick. On our property I think the deer pattern most of the hunters.

 

[landman]

I'd said just keep hunting the way you are this year
You have probably done missed your best chances
at a mature buck for the year, but Luck does happen.

Do you want to kill deer or mature bucks?

You have all year to think about it before next season,
You will have to reprogram your way of hunting

 

[Mike Belt]

I'm still seeing 3.5 or older bucks in thick areas as well as in the wide open. Strange year because they seem to be cruising in slow motion and not actually chasing does. I'm not bashing you because to each his own but having read many of your posts, you seem to try to make a kill on almost every hunt. Unless you have quite a bit of land to constantly hop around on you've probably already tipped off the very deer you seek. If I could suggest anything to you for the upcoming years it would be if you have somewhere to hunt that has some potential for taking a more mature buck DON'T make it a killing field for does and smaller bucks. It doesn't take much to move an older buck off a small property. It's hard (and you have to be very lucky) to have your cake and eat it too.

Other than that, if I was hunting a smaller property right now I'd be concentrating on the edges of some of the thick stuff...particularly in areas that provided access to outside areas.

 

[280longshot]

What Mike said is very true.

I think he said he is hunting public land. That is another issue..

 

[UTGrad]

What??

Catman wants to kill bucks now? What happened to the fawns and yearlings?

 

[UTGrad]

Lol

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

When the weather is extreme .Like teens to mid 20's for a few days watch a good Honey suckle patch. They might be laid up in it or wander to it from some place close by. Honey Suckle seems to be one of the primary food sources late season.

 

[catman529]

thanks yall for the advice. I have been hopping around a handful of different areas, mostly public land. But there are a couple spots I have hunted multiple times this year. I'm not even gonna go for a mature buck, but would like to try and hunt thicker areas where one might be hiding. I'd be happy with a 2.5 year old right now, since it is late season and I still have 2 buck tags to fill. If I shot a decent 2.5 year old buck I'd be very happy and would still have one tag left just in case that lucky chance comes where a mature buck takes a wrong step.

I know I have been out to kill on most of my hunts, and have probably blown some chances by shooting does as soon as they come into range. I'm going out in the morning, not sure where yet, but I have a feeling I will be passing deer if I see em. Just gotta pick a spot that will work for a SW wind. I will still go out a few times this month with the mission to kill another doe or two, but will be setting aside at least a few times to let every deer walk unless it's a buck I want.

 

[Roost 1]

I would pick my places,so to speak, where to kill does..
I have places on my properties to kill does and other places are buck only. I hope this makes sense........

 

[Woodson223]

I would pick my places,so to speak, where to kill does..
I have places on my properties to kill does and other places are buck only. I hope this makes sense........

This

 

[ImThere]

I know I have been out to kill on most of my hunts, and have probably blown some chances by shooting does as soon as they come into range. I'm going out in the morning, not sure where yet, but I have a feeling I will be passing deer if I see em. Just gotta pick a spot that will work for a SW wind. I will still go out a few times this month with the mission to kill another doe or two, but will be setting aside at least a few times to let every deer walk unless it's a buck I want.

Heres where you blew it imo
I took you to a spot where i had been hunting a mature buck last year on the last day. You ran cameras there all late summer and fall. You put up a stand there and hunted it during bow and then with a rifle you killed the first 2 does that walked under you. Imo you should have been hunting that big mature deer there instead of trampling down the woods collecting does you didnt need and gave away.
Imo just the facts mistake #2
I also took you to a honey hole to kill a couple of turkeys. We had seen 2 mature bucks there the next day you went back and killed the first 4 pt that walked under your stand. I know it was your first public land buck bow kill and congrats i just think you need to take some advice given above if its big mature deer you want to kill. In a big mature deer area leave the little ones alone and our chances of seeing those mature deer will increase. I know i kill whatever walks under me but i have areas i hunt i wont kill anything in hopes of the big one. I hope what i said dont offend you take it for whay its worth. Im not trying to get on you. You did ask

 

[jaypz4]

catman I was just like you years ago!!! shooting what I wanted to when I wanted to and that was that, so I know where your coming from brother! this year i have seen 2 mature bucks behind my house where i hunt but no shot andit sucks but that's hunting! another property i hunt i have seen several nice bucks that i have passed on! reason for that is....my son shot a mid 140's buck on the juvy hunt which MADE MY SEASON THE BEST ONE EVER!!!! i have taken 7 does this year 3 with bow 2 with rifle and 2 with a 9mm pistol! which makes it for a great season for me, and from now on until season ends i will only carry the pistol....make it a challenge! with all that being said.....do what makes you happy and as you get older your hunting will change where you only go just to see deer! and one day that mature buck will come by!! take that for what its worth......good hunting!