buckeye

I had an exceptional year (for me) with "mature" buck encounters.....

I had 5 shot ops (2 private, 3 public) this fall up until I hurt myself in early November.

I think I had logged around 150 hours on stand up to that point... resulting in 1:30 hours....

I would say my average years are 1:75 range on shot ops.... Some years better some worse [&:]

GregH

This year 12 hours.

Last year 200? [&o]

Diesel77

Ive had over 80 days in a stand this season with a bow and probably 6 days with a firearm.I would guess averaging 3 hours per sit. Ive had probably18 encounters with maybe5 realistic shots with a bow, and 1 with a gun. I got lucky and took 2 mature bucks with a bow and 1 with a shotgun.So, thats about 51 hours or 17 sits per close encounter with a mature buck. Im still hunting for 2 more weeks so those figues will change some, probably for the worse.

bloodcrick

Well even though i flubbed three p&y buck shots over the years , i did get shots Im gonna say 40-70 hrs

Oneshot7

I would about 125 to1 but, that one is worth it.

SouthDakotaHunter

I average about 20 - 25 sits per opportunity... If my sits average 3.5 hours as an estimation - that would put me around 70 - 90 hours per shot opportunity.

Those numbers do include early season hunts as well. So I suppose those numbers would drop quit a bit if I just hunted the rut...

MGH_PA

Averaged about 2-3hrs a sit. Approx 32 sits during early archery season. ZERO mature buck shot opportunities. One shooter 2.5 at 50 yds was the closest. Logged another 14 sits during Rifle season ~1.5hrs per sit (mostly evenings after work), yielded, again, ZERO mature bucks. Second day of rifle, driving down my driveway, one very nice 2.5-3.5 8point crossed the road[:'(]

Last year (in college). Logged approx 10 sits in archery ~2.5hrs per sit. 8th sit, saw a VERY nice 3.5 8 point at 40yds, close to shot, but too little light left. Amazing looking back at this year and last year. Approx 1/3 of the stand time, but yielded a BIGGER buck sighting at a CLOSER range. Geesh.

Rob/PA Bowyer

Which year, man I'd have to really think...thinking.......thinking......thinking..... ....,

In 2001 I only had 2 mature bucks in range which happened in Nov, hunting all but every single day, mostly 3 hours in the evening. Probably roughly 125 hours and they both came by the same day.

2004 was the next "mature" buck that I had a shot at and I shot him in Nov, same amount of hours,

2005, nothing better than a 2.5 year old.

2006, dropped a 2.5 year old but missed a 4.5 year old the 3 week of Oct so I had fewer hours for him and sat after with a friend and WOULD have had shots at 2 more mature animals, both being 4.5 and one perhaps older.

2007, 3.5 year old down Oct 29th.

ya'll do the math...LOL [8D]

HuntingBry

I would say 300+ hours per close encounter. Since I have yet to put a tag on a true mature buck I don't know that I have a calculator that will go high enough for real opportunities.

mobow

LOL!! HOURS???? How bout..........YEARS!