mobow

I am just wondering how many bucks ya'll see in a season. Myself, I don't see very many. In fact, if I see more than 2 it's been a great year. I would wager that I see 100 does to every buck. I'm obviously doing something terribly wrong, but I sure don't know what....Any ideas?

Scoobiedoo

Could be scent. Stand placement. Not entering your hunting grounds INTO the wind.

As Dr. Ken Nordberg once said "Where there are does there will be bucks."

They're just more 'leery.'

When I started paying attention to more of the DETAILS I started seeing (and taking) more decent bucks. Details were:

1) Scent control. I shower in the AM before every hunt with Hunter's Specialty green soap. ALL hunting clothes are washed in the same soap and left on the porch all night to air out. Boots too. I never get gas or go to a gas station the day I am hunting. I don't smoke, eat strong foods like onions, or garlic. I dress light for my walk into my stand and then put the 'heavy' stuff on when I arrive at the stand.

2) Noise control. I don't cough, clank metal objects, etc. while on stand. I pretend that there MAY always BE a buck within sight or scent distance even tho I may not SEE them myself yet. I sit quietly and turn my head in slow motion. I remain quiet, still as much as possible. I don't pee on the ground while on stand. I keep a plastic bottle in my pack to urinate in and seal and take out with me from the stand.

3) Homework. Before the season I want to scout the land and see what FOODS there are, BEDDING areas, TRAVEL lanes, STAGING areas, etc. remember - EVERYTHING a buck does during hunting season is governed by his desire to breed, eat, and sleep. he will do everything to avoid being detected and if over the age of 2 he knows just about what he needs to know to survive another season. While they tend to get more careless this time of the year they aren't stupid either. THINK like them and your odds will improve greatly. Bucks prefer not to travel out in openings unless its pitch black out. I position my stand in the STAGING areas or FUNNELS. A buck will linger from about 1 hr before sunset in this STAGING area and will not enter an open field unless MOTIVATED highly or unless he feels REALLY safe. Catch him on one of his runs on his way to the FEEDING area or where the does have been hanging.

4) Use good camo. Don't silhouette yourself in the tree line against an open sky. Don't over trim shooting lanes, etc. Bucks know when people has messed with their runs and security of foliage.

5) Remain POSITIVE in your choice of stands. BELIEVE that you WILL be successful and ARE doing everything RIGHT and that its just a WAITING GAME. Remember, the MORE you hunt and are out there the better your ODDS get!

I am always amazed at the number of hunters who invest large amounts of money in their super hot bows and gear only to go out and sit for 1-2 hrs and get 'itchy' or 'bored' only to get up and start moving around or they leave too early. Patience is what makes the good bowhunters great! We WAIT it out. We hunt hard, smart - right to the very end.

Hope this helps.

mahoningbuck

The man above me couldnt of put it any better! Roger that.............

buckhunter14

I disagree with the above for a few reason. I focus much on all of them things. I sit in a spot and see about 15 does every time. I will not see a buck until the rut. During the rut, I see about 3 mature bucks and 3 younger bucks. Only in about a 5 day window. I have other stands that I can hunt out of and see bucks more often, but some spots, I think, just hold alot of does.

JoeRE

Mr Scoobiedoo put it well but I would add a couple things...1) does are just as smart as bucks (smarter if you figure they dont loose their head for two weeks every year), so if you are seeing does and not spooking them, in the rut you will, will, see bucks. You may be hunting where the does are (the heaviest sign, very tempting to hunt) early on, and not seeing bucks because of it. however, if the doe/buck ratio is really out of wack then you may still see very few bucks even in the rut no matter what you do, the very few having more does than they can even handle....consequently this makes for a very dull rut.
what do you estimate the ratio is around where you hunt?

I think 30-40% of the adult deer (not fawns) i see are bucks. thats about the buck doe ratio where I live.

gzg38b

Keep shooting those does. Sounds like you've got quite an imbalance in your deer herd. Thinning out the doe herd will help. I know there's not alot you can do about it yourself but try to get others to shoot some does too. Around me the problem is everybody blasts the first spike horn or 3 point they see to say they got their annual buck.Also, shooting does withbuck fawns will ensure those fawns stay in the same area instead of being driven off by their mother. With a better buck/doe ratio the bucks will have to search a little harder to find the does. That means you're more liekly to see bucks. SHOOT THE DOES!!!!!

saulthunter

scoobiedoo you are one smart cookie!!!!!!!

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.

Scoobiedoo

Thanks! I hunted over 26 seasons and worked for DEC!

let me elaborate even further! Yea, our ratio here in NY is a lot of does versus a buck. Once the rut gets going to bucks will begin to travel more. You might see one particular buck 1x or 2x per week. Maybe he travels at night and you dodn't even get to 'see' him during the daylight hours. he's covering a big territorial area. Does may live their entire life in a 1 sq mile radius but bucks tend to travel further - esp during the rut. Some research that I recall reading in Deer & Deer Hunting magazine reported that bucks can travel as far as 5 miles during the rut. So - you may not see that same buck more than 1x during the season. Depends. It's a crap shoot. I would see about 6 doe sightings to 1 buck sighting. Its a crap shoot. Every state is differant and so is each area within that state. Depends on food, cover, climate, herd size, and what the land can support.

buckhunter14

Well put scoobie