How many do you see?
10-09-2006, 05:25 PM
#11
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 493
RE: How many do you see?
ORIGINAL: MOTOWNHONKEY
My man scoobie hit if pretty well to say the least. I can almost bet you are hunting field edges and food sources. I may be wrong, if so someone else may benefit. You got to know where the dominant buck is most likely bedding. If your waiting for him to come out to the field edge I will bet you he is watching you get out of your stand. You have to be more aggressive with dominant bucks. You have to go after them. Get in that staging area and find a funnel or crossing spot and play the wind or forget it. I'm in my stand and hour before the sun comes up in the pitch black.I can hear them big bastards comming thru going back to the bedding area that early. But lo and behold he's going to be staying out playing with the doe's soon and will get off his schedule. When he makes that mistake and comes thru later I'll get my chance. Be more aggressive, make a plan, and put it into action.
My man scoobie hit if pretty well to say the least. I can almost bet you are hunting field edges and food sources. I may be wrong, if so someone else may benefit. You got to know where the dominant buck is most likely bedding. If your waiting for him to come out to the field edge I will bet you he is watching you get out of your stand. You have to be more aggressive with dominant bucks. You have to go after them. Get in that staging area and find a funnel or crossing spot and play the wind or forget it. I'm in my stand and hour before the sun comes up in the pitch black.I can hear them big bastards comming thru going back to the bedding area that early. But lo and behold he's going to be staying out playing with the doe's soon and will get off his schedule. When he makes that mistake and comes thru later I'll get my chance. Be more aggressive, make a plan, and put it into action.
I tend to find the funnels where a bedding/feeding area join or something like that. I now place my stand inside these fringe areas - deeper into the woods where its cooler and darker. I know that generally they won't be caught out too much before dusk - however, just when I say this one will go and do something during the RUT and prove me wrong! lol! THATS HUNTING! But, generally - you gotta think as paranoid as a buck does.
Just ask yourself - how would I be if there were 1-2 Navy SEALS in these woods after MY arse? Make ya mighty careful, eh? Hmm.
10-09-2006, 05:28 PM
#12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: How many do you see?
Motown, I don't hunt field edges but I do indeed hunt food sources. The buck/doe ratio I believe is way out of sync, as evidenced by my lack of seeing bucks. Ya'll, I don't mean big mature bucks.....I mean ANY bucks....I just don't see them.
Some of my stands are on inside corners, saddles, ridge tops, fence crossings, stuff like that. I even hunt the occasional water hole. I try to diligently control my scent and play the wind, though I have yet to master that swirling wind thing.....I hunt high but it still swirls on me.
I fear I don't know how a buck thinks in order for me to think like him. I don't know, I just get pretty confused.....like I've mentioned, I see does by the tons....just never any bucks. I think in the last 3 seasons I've seen..........7 bucks, of ANY size and age. I see does nearly every trip to the woods.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not discouraged....shoot, I love to see and shoot does. I am confused though....I don't expect to see as many bucks as does, that's unrealistic....but 1 or 2 a season seems silly as well. I hunt hard. During the rut I sit from dark to dark. I put in some........50 days on stand.....I just don't get it.
Some of my stands are on inside corners, saddles, ridge tops, fence crossings, stuff like that. I even hunt the occasional water hole. I try to diligently control my scent and play the wind, though I have yet to master that swirling wind thing.....I hunt high but it still swirls on me.
I fear I don't know how a buck thinks in order for me to think like him. I don't know, I just get pretty confused.....like I've mentioned, I see does by the tons....just never any bucks. I think in the last 3 seasons I've seen..........7 bucks, of ANY size and age. I see does nearly every trip to the woods.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not discouraged....shoot, I love to see and shoot does. I am confused though....I don't expect to see as many bucks as does, that's unrealistic....but 1 or 2 a season seems silly as well. I hunt hard. During the rut I sit from dark to dark. I put in some........50 days on stand.....I just don't get it.
10-09-2006, 05:33 PM
#13
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 493
RE: How many do you see?
OK,
Dr. Ken Nordberg once said "You can't make bucks in an area no matter HOW good it 'looks' to us" (or something like that). If the area you hunt doesn't have that kind of buck-to-doe ratio you can't MAKE it better (unless of course you get into QDM <Quality Deer Management> aka food plots, taking does or letting young buck mature and grow older. If you are seeking monster bucks or really good bucks you have to look at your State's DMU's and see which areas consistently produce the biggest, best bucks and where the ratio's are more conducive for SEEING more bucks!
Dr. Ken Nordberg once said "You can't make bucks in an area no matter HOW good it 'looks' to us" (or something like that). If the area you hunt doesn't have that kind of buck-to-doe ratio you can't MAKE it better (unless of course you get into QDM <Quality Deer Management> aka food plots, taking does or letting young buck mature and grow older. If you are seeking monster bucks or really good bucks you have to look at your State's DMU's and see which areas consistently produce the biggest, best bucks and where the ratio's are more conducive for SEEING more bucks!
10-09-2006, 05:37 PM
#14
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: How many do you see?
OK...so are you saying that they just not be there?? I don't think that's what you mean, and I certainly don't believe that to be true.
One farm I hunt.....we've taken......12 does off of it the last 3 years....and we see more deer now than we did then. That really confuses me....[&:] We need to take more, no doubt....but 2 of us can only do so much.
One farm I hunt.....we've taken......12 does off of it the last 3 years....and we see more deer now than we did then. That really confuses me....[&:] We need to take more, no doubt....but 2 of us can only do so much.
10-09-2006, 05:41 PM
#15
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 493
RE: How many do you see?
They might not be. let's say you have a 15:1 ratio. 15 does to 1 buck. Now lets just say that your stand placement isn't conducive to taking mature, smart bucks. So whats the odds now? 20:1? Higher?
Just b/c you have lots of does doesn't mean you necessarily have lots of bucks. What if that rutted buck traveled 4 miles into YOUR area during the rut but is only in YOUR hunting area 1 or 2x a season? How many days of the week can you hunt? 2? 5? 7? And whats YOUR odds now of seeing him or being there when HE is?
Have you tried a Trail Timer or Stealth Cam yet? maybe you should try one of these to see if you can see what's traveling at night or when your NOT there?
Just b/c you have lots of does doesn't mean you necessarily have lots of bucks. What if that rutted buck traveled 4 miles into YOUR area during the rut but is only in YOUR hunting area 1 or 2x a season? How many days of the week can you hunt? 2? 5? 7? And whats YOUR odds now of seeing him or being there when HE is?
Have you tried a Trail Timer or Stealth Cam yet? maybe you should try one of these to see if you can see what's traveling at night or when your NOT there?
10-09-2006, 05:45 PM
#16
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: West Wareham, MA
Posts: 178
RE: How many do you see?
This is a great thread.....thanks for the info....I too see alot of does, and not many bucks...they are around, just smarter than me....I'm still a novice at this, but I learn all the time....this will be my 2nd year....trying to take it to a new level this year.....this thread will help!!
10-09-2006, 05:46 PM
#18
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: How many do you see?
I've though of that, but I just don't believe they aren't there.....they must be, or there would be no deer at all....
Yes, I had a camera out last year....not this year however. I did get pictures of a couple of bucks....nothing huge though.
Yes, I had a camera out last year....not this year however. I did get pictures of a couple of bucks....nothing huge though.
10-09-2006, 05:52 PM
#19
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 493
RE: How many do you see?
LOL! Thanks - but the point I want to make is this...
1) I'm no better hunter than anyone here - but I TRY and hunt what time I DO have HARDER and smarter! I read all kinds of hunting mags - but the BEST teacher is GETTING OUT IN THE WOODS. I TRY and learn something new every time I go out - and many times thats been thru missed shots, spooking deer, making some stupid mistake. But that is how you learn what works and what doesn't!
Read stuff from the Wensel Brothers, Nugent, Nordberg, Fudducia, Trout, etc. I learned most of what I know the hard way. Years of hunting blindly with little regard to the DETAILS! My bro-in-law used to laugh at me for using non-scented soaps, and Tink's 69 religiously - until I started CONSISTENTLY harvesting nice 10's, 8's, 6's, etc. EVERY year. I don't say that to brag - and I don't trophy hunt either. But, I hunt as SMART as I can.
I am ALWAYS trying to improve myself in the woods. I shot my bow A LOT in my own yard. I know my limits.
1) I'm no better hunter than anyone here - but I TRY and hunt what time I DO have HARDER and smarter! I read all kinds of hunting mags - but the BEST teacher is GETTING OUT IN THE WOODS. I TRY and learn something new every time I go out - and many times thats been thru missed shots, spooking deer, making some stupid mistake. But that is how you learn what works and what doesn't!
Read stuff from the Wensel Brothers, Nugent, Nordberg, Fudducia, Trout, etc. I learned most of what I know the hard way. Years of hunting blindly with little regard to the DETAILS! My bro-in-law used to laugh at me for using non-scented soaps, and Tink's 69 religiously - until I started CONSISTENTLY harvesting nice 10's, 8's, 6's, etc. EVERY year. I don't say that to brag - and I don't trophy hunt either. But, I hunt as SMART as I can.
I am ALWAYS trying to improve myself in the woods. I shot my bow A LOT in my own yard. I know my limits.
10-09-2006, 05:55 PM
#20
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Kansas
Posts: 6,598
RE: How many do you see?
Mobo in about a week and a half I bet you will start seeing little bucks. Do everything you are doing right now. When I start seeing the small bucks walking around looking as if they have nowhere to go,I then know that the big boys are getting aggressive and running them off. Thats whenI get like Emeril Lagossie and KICK IT UP A NOTCH!