Trail cams Don't lie

[southernhunter]

I hunt several really nice farms but they are highly pressured for more reasons than just hunting. My buddy hunts what should be inferior property but it isn't pressured land or I should say managed land. It's less than a mile away from me . I have run trail cams for more than 10 years on the same property and I can count on one hand the Bucks I have had on came that are over 3.5 years of age, my buddy gets pics of several a year. I have tried to explain the difference to the land owner and fellow hunters with no prevail, yet they have the most unreal expectations I have ever seen. I have volunteered to show them proof with over 10 years+ worth of pics. Some people are forced to hunt where the chance of a 130/150 class deer is unlikely and that's understandable. I have been there but that shouldn't be the case on the farms we have to hunt now, yet it is. Fortunately for me I like to hunt for more reasons than just killing high scoring deer but it would be nice knowing we are making the atmosphere conducive for the chance since we have the potential within reach. The other guys only hunt to kill a high scoring deer but are confused when they don't. I recently had a family get so jealous we almost had words because he thinks I hunt in the middle of Tv type deer. In his mind because if things he hears they are hiding behind every tree. He's doing every thing in his power to hunt the farms when he has other property's such as my buddy that he regularly gets pics of mature deer on. I keep saying let's compare pics but have yet had them to take me up on it. It's laughable.

 

[mike243]

Some area's will always hold a good buck while others don't,every area at some time will have a great buck but when the rut gets started you may not see 1 as they will travel,the older they get the harder it will be to see 1 in the day time imo.It's hunting and not shopping,I went 4 years without shooting at any thing passing doe's and small bucks,was at the point of quitting when I realized trophy hunting in E Tn wasn't possible and that TV and Magazines were not true to life.Stopped the mags and hunting shows and just hunted for what was legal,I'm much happier these days and can look at a big buck that some body else kills and not feel 1 bit jealous and glad they connected.I may never kill a huge deer but who knows I run no camera's and have no plans to.I reckon if folks hold off long enuf they will get what they are after but 4 years was my time spent in frustration trying for some thing not easily accomplished on mostly public land YMMV

 

[Smo]

Ya' can't kill em' if they ain't there!

Way to much Trophy Management going on if you ask me.

Kinda' like College football, whoever's got the most money usually wins.

Sad but true.

 

[Mike Belt]

Most bucks almost anywhere you hunt will never exceed 115"-120" at maturity.

 

[megalomaniac]

first of all... yes, trail cams can lie depending on how they are set up...

but that's beside the point.... do you want to see mature bucks on camera or do you want to kill them? While some of these two naturally overlap, there is a great difference between the two.

#1 factor in attracting mature bucks is not killing them before they are mature. If you aren't killing younger bucks, yet still have no mature bucks, then they are leaving for one reason or another. Main reason is lack of cover or too much pressure. Less hunting in early season is better. Save time on stand for late prerut/ early rut. Create sanctuaries on the property where no one is allowed to intrude. And be sure to have a few homebody doe groups that are unpressured and feel comfortable moving in daylight to pull the bucks out of the sanctuaries.

Hunt smarter, not harder.

 

[muddyboots]

Pressure makes tremendous difference. I have a buddy who leased 80 acres in the middle of some heavily hunted river bottom land. He regularly killed 1 to 2 big bucks a year and would have several pics. While the adjoining heavily hunted properties didn't do well. With that said he had to move to another property treated the same way. He hasn't killed anything. The property must be in a good location.

 

[GRIT]

first of all... yes, trail cams can lie depending on how they are set up...

but that's beside the point.... do you want to see mature bucks on camera or do you want to kill them? While some of these two naturally overlap, there is a great difference between the two.

#1 factor in attracting mature bucks is not killing them before they are mature. If you aren't killing younger bucks, yet still have no mature bucks, then they are leaving for one reason or another. Main reason is lack of cover or too much pressure. Less hunting in early season is better. Save time on stand for late prerut/ early rut. Create sanctuaries on the property where no one is allowed to intrude. And be sure to have a few homebody doe groups that are unpressured and feel comfortable moving in daylight to pull the bucks out of the sanctuaries.

Hunt smarter, not harder.

Agree 100%

 

[Os2 Outdoors]

Most bucks almost anywhere you hunt will never exceed 115"-120" at maturity.

Glad I've never hunted there.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[pass-thru]

If your properties are only 1 mile apart, you should be drawing from the same population of deer.

 

[csi-tech]

Most bucks almost anywhere you hunt will never exceed 115"-120" at maturity.

This is pretty much my experience on an awesome piece of land. We may see one or two 130" or bigger bucks in a given year but almost all of our 3 1/2 year olds hover in that 110"-120" range and never really seem to get beyond that.