What to do?

[wobblegobble]

When your target list 1,2,3 are gone what do y'all do? Settle target 4-5 or just start fishing? The difference between these deer are 10-15 inches!!!

 

[Mike Belt]

Did you kill 1, 2, or 3? I'd be happy if I'd have taken one of my top 3 picks. After that in my way of thinking, 4 or 5 are 4 and 5 for a reason. I'd give them time to gain some ground and go after some freezer meat.

 

[Hunter 257W]

I don't ever have enough good bucks to have a target buck so that's never been my problem. :) I just deer hunt and don't worry about a specific deer.

 

[DaveB]

Go after freezer food. Knock down a doe or two.

 

[wobblegobble]

I knocked off #3, neighbors have smoked 1 & 2

 

[bigasports]

When your target list 1,2,3 are gone what do y'all do? Settle target 4-5 or just start fishing? The difference between these deer are 10-15 inches!!!

With the rut trickledown into Dec & Jan I get big shooters on camera I've never seen before traveling through looking for the hot doe. You never know what may come by. I'm gonna be out hoping for just that scenario if my top choices are gone. Unless of course I feel like fishing lol.

 

[wobblegobble]

When your target list 1,2,3 are gone what do y'all do? Settle target 4-5 or just start fishing? The difference between these deer are 10-15 inches!!!

With the rut trickledown into Dec & Jan I get big shooters on camera I've never seen before traveling through looking for the hot doe. You never know what may come by. I'm gonna be out hoping for just that scenario if my top choices are gone. Unless of course I feel like fishing lol.

Our Rut hasn't started yet in this neck of the woods, it usually starts mid December in my area.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I have very seldom set target bucks because when the weather gets cold, the bigger boys start to move more, and usually they are bucks I haven't seen all year

 

[wobblegobble]

These were about as good as it gets! The 4 and 5 in the past would be great but not anymore.

 

[Simpleman.2]

When your target list 1,2,3 are gone what do y'all do? Settle target 4-5 or just start fishing? The difference between these deer are 10-15 inches!!!

With the rut trickledown into Dec & Jan I get big shooters on camera I've never seen before traveling through looking for the hot doe. You never know what may come by. I'm gonna be out hoping for just that scenario if my top choices are gone. Unless of course I feel like fishing lol.

Yep. Our very biggest bucks show up mid to late December. Many we've never seen before.


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[THEdonkey0515]

When your target list 1,2,3 are gone what do y'all do? Settle target 4-5 or just start fishing? The difference between these deer are 10-15 inches!!!

With the rut trickledown into Dec & Jan I get big shooters on camera I've never seen before traveling through looking for the hot doe. You never know what may come by. I'm gonna be out hoping for just that scenario if my top choices are gone. Unless of course I feel like fishing lol.

Yep. Our very biggest bucks show up mid to late December. Many we've never seen before.


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last season late late December, I saw a real nice buck I was not able to get a shot on... I had never seen this deer once..

It was on our land also had trail cams out all year around never had one pic of him thought we pretty much knew what was around.

I went to check the trail cam after I got down That was 50 yards from the stand overlooking as small hand thrown food plot & a trophy rock, yup monster 9pt in daylight from the morning before .. so you never know

 

[TDW05]

Yep the buck I killed this year was a prime example. I never seen him last year until late December chasing doe. Killed him less then 100 yards away from where I seen him last year.

 

[THEdonkey0515]

If I killed 2 of my best 3 then I would be very happy with the season, would probably slow down a little, but still hit the woods some. Maybe to just get outta the house, or to hope a yote, bobcat, or hog attempts to sneak by.... maybe even a doe if I still had some room in the freezer. or to just look at new areas.

If I didn't kill one of my top 3... That would make me want to go even more... Maybe try an area you have not hunted or scouted really didn't have cams up at all some public land, maybe a good one still around. I have seen deer on our own land even I never knew about late in the season. I like Wma hunts like I got Oak Ridge In December possible a good deer still running around up there. I had a drawn Catoosa hunt early in Muzzy had no idea of the size of the deer in that area I was hunting, I do know They some dang good deer taking from those places every year so I might as well take a weekend to give it a shot.

My dad killed 2 of the I say 4 biggest deer we had on our main hunting areas in a week during Muzzy ...... it's not gonna stop me from climbing a tree somewhere this Sunday.

 

[Gad Father]

I would leave the farm alone and hit up some public ground and try to kill a good public land deer. There are a lot less people running around on public land after thanksgiving.

 

[Winchester]

Only you can answer that!!!

 

[woodsman04]

Depend on how much you like to fish I guess. I would keep hunting, like you say, rut ain't even started in your place so you never know when a bigger one will come through.


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[EastTNHunter]

Don't have "target bucks" and it won't be an issue. Hunt for the fun of woodsmanship or shoot does. I try not to get so serious about it that it feels like a "do or die" profession

 

[infoman jr.]

Kill some does to fill the freezer. Monitor trail cams. Spend some time with the family.

That's what I'm doing anyway.

 

[Nsghunter]

When your target list 1,2,3 are gone what do y'all do? Settle target 4-5 or just start fishing? The difference between these deer are 10-15 inches!!!

If I wanted a better buck I would let #4 and 5 walk and take some freezer meat. Also waiting 'til the VERY end of the season to fill a buck tag may give results that you hadn't expected or a deer you hadn't seen yet. This site of full of stories like that.

 

[Jcalder]

I don't usually see any of my target bucks. Gets frustrating watching them on cam all summer and moving off their summer pattern. I know of one that I had 2 summers in a row.


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[hitek7]

Don't have "target bucks" and it won't be an issue. Hunt for the fun of woodsmanship or shoot does. I try not to get so serious about it that it feels like a "do or die" profession

It is fun for me to target a certain buck or 2 and hunt them. Individuals are different. I was able to shoot my #1 last week. I will now spend most of my time bowhunting, shooting some does or trying to get my daughter and/or brother on one of the other bucks.