How many do you see?
10-09-2006, 07:42 PM
#31
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 493
RE: How many do you see?
Mobo,
Thats what hunting is all about. Its a game of strategy - hide and seek. Its gathering all the puzzle-pieces together and trying to assemble a good picture of whats going on. I have used topo maps and counted as much of my land as possible. Just keep at it. It took me years to finally take my 1st buck. After that I always tell my friends you 'Break The Bad Luck Cycle' and start taking bucks. Your earn it thru trial and error.
WHAT MAKES THE WINNING BOWHUNTERS IS SHEER DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE and a I WILL NOT QUIT ATTITUDE.
Eventually, you WILL prevail!
Thats what hunting is all about. Its a game of strategy - hide and seek. Its gathering all the puzzle-pieces together and trying to assemble a good picture of whats going on. I have used topo maps and counted as much of my land as possible. Just keep at it. It took me years to finally take my 1st buck. After that I always tell my friends you 'Break The Bad Luck Cycle' and start taking bucks. Your earn it thru trial and error.
WHAT MAKES THE WINNING BOWHUNTERS IS SHEER DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE and a I WILL NOT QUIT ATTITUDE.
Eventually, you WILL prevail!
10-09-2006, 07:43 PM
#32
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 493
RE: How many do you see?
ORIGINAL: GregH
For the last three seasons, in my Ill. spot, I averaged seeing 8-10 different mature bucks per season. I see about the same number of 2 1/2s and 1 1/2s as well. In some of my other spots I see about 3 mature bucks,6 2 1/2s and 10 1 1/2s. In my above mentioned spot, I saw a 150" 10 tonight. I've spent an awful lot of time trying to pick up spots where there are more mature bucks. You can't hunt them if they don't live there.
For the last three seasons, in my Ill. spot, I averaged seeing 8-10 different mature bucks per season. I see about the same number of 2 1/2s and 1 1/2s as well. In some of my other spots I see about 3 mature bucks,6 2 1/2s and 10 1 1/2s. In my above mentioned spot, I saw a 150" 10 tonight. I've spent an awful lot of time trying to pick up spots where there are more mature bucks. You can't hunt them if they don't live there.
10-09-2006, 07:47 PM
#33
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 13,082
RE: How many do you see?
I think you've hit the nail on the head. It's the puzzle I can't piece the puzzle together. I don't think I understand enough about their behavior to understand why they do what they do.
My buddy shot a doe Saturday morning and said he saw over 20 different deer in that spot that morning. We discussed it for hours.....and just don't know why there were so many deer there. Yes, they were eating white oaks, but they are doing that everywhere there. There had to be something else that appealed to them there, but I have no idea what.
I think if I can start putting the puzzle together I may start to figure this out. I appreciate all your help, everyone's......This really is a great discussion. Keep at it.
My buddy shot a doe Saturday morning and said he saw over 20 different deer in that spot that morning. We discussed it for hours.....and just don't know why there were so many deer there. Yes, they were eating white oaks, but they are doing that everywhere there. There had to be something else that appealed to them there, but I have no idea what.
I think if I can start putting the puzzle together I may start to figure this out. I appreciate all your help, everyone's......This really is a great discussion. Keep at it.
10-09-2006, 08:03 PM
#36
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eureka, MO
Posts: 3,703
RE: How many do you see?
I bet they don't feel that safe anymore coming back one short.
I'm in the same boat as you Mo. Being only my 4th year hunting, I haven't even began to remotely try to understand why deer do what they do. Hopefully it comes to me with age but I just get ou there and hunt my tail off gaining as much experience in the field that I can. That's all any of us can really do. You can read every book out there and read peoples experiences then go out and find what they said to be the exact opposite of what you see. Just keep plugging away.
I'm in the same boat as you Mo. Being only my 4th year hunting, I haven't even began to remotely try to understand why deer do what they do. Hopefully it comes to me with age but I just get ou there and hunt my tail off gaining as much experience in the field that I can. That's all any of us can really do. You can read every book out there and read peoples experiences then go out and find what they said to be the exact opposite of what you see. Just keep plugging away.
10-09-2006, 08:04 PM
#37
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Wilmington NC
Posts: 4,919
RE: How many do you see?
the whole secret get in the place where your buddies wont and where they live i mean it will take a long time to get to the stand but you have to be where they bed and the trail they follow to the food because most deer dont feed until dark just get back there in the thick stuff dont be scared i already know your scent proof and use the best camo but i would suggest a high dolla game cam and see what you have study the dates and get where they live of course you can back off a lil during the rut they will mess up a lil bit the a grunt call will drive em crazy
i have seen 5 bucks this year and hunted mabey 10 days
i have seen 5 bucks this year and hunted mabey 10 days
10-09-2006, 08:14 PM
#39
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: How many do you see?
In a normal season in upwards of 12 or more, the resident doe herd is twindled. I can't exactly tell you how many does because they all look alike and unlike bucks, I can't tell the difference...lol
Last season I had 8 different bucks in my home area, I hunted a different area one day and saw 6 different bucks, then another area had 2 including the one I shot. That was 16 different bucks last season.
Last season I had 8 different bucks in my home area, I hunted a different area one day and saw 6 different bucks, then another area had 2 including the one I shot. That was 16 different bucks last season.
10-09-2006, 08:22 PM
#40
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hoosier Country, Baby!
Posts: 1,710
RE: How many do you see?
Well, as much as I agree with what everyone has said so far, I also have to say that in my 4th year here as well, and I see lots of bucks. Seen a few doozies (in my book, 8-10pt), as well as a few medium (5-7), and lots of little ones. I'd say most of what I say within gun shooting range (for some people, not me past 100 yds), are in the 5-7pt range. As for the big ones, we had a very large 10 walk across the field 50 yds away from us last year, but it was bow season.
My husband has taught me 98% of what i know and practice in hunting. He has taken some nice bucks on the very small area of land we have permission to hunt. We only have about 3-4 acres of woods that we have permission for... We are conscious about our scent, but we do not go to extremes to cover it. I wash my clothes in normal laundry soap most of the time. We smoke before we hunt, we chew in the stand, we whisper, we take the same path in each and every time, we walk down the deer trails to our stands, I could go on and on and on about the things we do "wrong" in many hunter's philosophies. However, we see a ton of bucks. I would say we have a 4 doe to 1 buck ratio. EVERY YEAR.
Because of the small woods we hunt, it doesn't "hold" deer permanently. Basically if we see a 10pt one year, we don't expect to see the same deer the next year, it's just not enough space, and there are a lot of distractions to deer around. We hunt only about 200 yards off of a very busy highway, we have houses that have dogs, kids, loud noises abounding all around us. Also noticing more and more sign of an increasing coyote population every year.
Of course we could do things better in some people's books, but we have two kids and one on the way and not as much time to invest as we would like to have. We take what we can get and we are happy for the land we have to hunt. Our area is so saturated with hunters it is soooo hard to acquire land.
I think it just depends on your area and the saturation of hunters. It also has a lot to do with conservation guidelines. We have a one buck rule here in Indiana, so I think that helps a ton. My father in law owns 40+ acres of prime hunting land in Northern Michigan, but he hardly EVER sees bucks during hunting season. I think a ton of it depends on where you are and what nature has to offer.
What these guys say absolutely can and *is* effective for taking big bucks, everyone's situation is different.
My husband has taught me 98% of what i know and practice in hunting. He has taken some nice bucks on the very small area of land we have permission to hunt. We only have about 3-4 acres of woods that we have permission for... We are conscious about our scent, but we do not go to extremes to cover it. I wash my clothes in normal laundry soap most of the time. We smoke before we hunt, we chew in the stand, we whisper, we take the same path in each and every time, we walk down the deer trails to our stands, I could go on and on and on about the things we do "wrong" in many hunter's philosophies. However, we see a ton of bucks. I would say we have a 4 doe to 1 buck ratio. EVERY YEAR.
Because of the small woods we hunt, it doesn't "hold" deer permanently. Basically if we see a 10pt one year, we don't expect to see the same deer the next year, it's just not enough space, and there are a lot of distractions to deer around. We hunt only about 200 yards off of a very busy highway, we have houses that have dogs, kids, loud noises abounding all around us. Also noticing more and more sign of an increasing coyote population every year.
Of course we could do things better in some people's books, but we have two kids and one on the way and not as much time to invest as we would like to have. We take what we can get and we are happy for the land we have to hunt. Our area is so saturated with hunters it is soooo hard to acquire land.
I think it just depends on your area and the saturation of hunters. It also has a lot to do with conservation guidelines. We have a one buck rule here in Indiana, so I think that helps a ton. My father in law owns 40+ acres of prime hunting land in Northern Michigan, but he hardly EVER sees bucks during hunting season. I think a ton of it depends on where you are and what nature has to offer.
What these guys say absolutely can and *is* effective for taking big bucks, everyone's situation is different.