How should I hunt this Deer? - NEED OPINIONS

[Dylan Sluis]

Ok so first of all I want no negativity on this thread and I truly just want what you guys think. In hindsight I should have done a little more scouting to be ahead of this deer. Where as now I feel like I'm one step behind him. This is my first year on this land and didn't get access till later. But heck, i'm 20 years old and have a lot to learn. But I am going to try to describe everything the best I can.

I have this buck, what I guess to be 4.5. I found where he was during the summer and where he lived around the end of August to mid September. But in mid september he disappeared and have only got pics of him 1 time on Oct 2 since then. I know bucks ranges change and his did about the 20th of august but then i re found where he was living. For a long time I just thought he truly went somewhere else until some recent scouting trips revealed multiple areas around where I'm hunting with rubs everywhere. I have had cameras around these areas but no pics. I know they love to find acorns this time of year and their isnt any acorns around this area. So I am wondering. What would you do to try and get on this deer again. Here's what I think but please let me know what you guys think and what you would do.

I have a hard time believing that this buck wont come back to this area with all of these rubs. It's just how long of a time frame would I have. There are does in this area which I think helps as well. Part of me wants to go and scout to new areas in search of acorns, but I also don't want to totally blow this buck out. So what goes through your head. Should I go and try to find some new areas away from where im currently hunting away from pressure and maybe some acorns. Or should I stick it out around these rubs and hope he show back up at some point. Obviously there is no diffinitive answer to this, and the only way this can be solved is if he hits the dirt. For reference I am in northern MN. And I would love to post maps with pins but I am hunting on half private i have access to and half public. And the last thing I want is some a**hole to see this and get some great idea. Seriously guys thanks for any of the help or advice you give me in advance.

 

[Gravel Road]

I'd put in a licking branch, scrape the dirt underneath and take a piss in the scrape. Put the branch on a field edge if possible and put a camera on it. If he's around he'll find it, especially when the other deer start using it.
It's amazing how well this works to see what bucks are around. I've never seen or shot a buck on my property that I didn't have pictures of on the licking branch, and they return year after year.
Lastly, minimize excursions into the hunting area until you are hunting. Mature bucks aren't stupid.

Edit: Good luck!

 

[Bugger]

Without knowing his pre-rut feed&bed pattern, I wouldn’t mess with adding new food or disturbing his home area trying to get lucky. Fortunately you’re close to his home range so you’ll have first crack at him using scents and rattling whenever the early rut kicks off in your area. Don’t get too aggressive and don’t go shooting does in his back yard.

 

[Dylan Sluis]

I appreciate the help so far! I have put a couple mock scrapes in with branches but so far no luck. But if he's not using the area he wouldn't have found them. Once he finds one though he should keep coming back to it. And yes I'm not shooting any does, I only get 1 tag in my zone so it has his name on it and his name only. Thanks guys!

 

[cnelk]

You never know, he could’ve been hit by a car or another hunter got him.

 

[journeyman713]

He left to establish his presence in a doe heavy area.
He may circle back to his home turf now and again, but not like before.

 

[Wheels]

I have had this happen multiple times with mature bucks, summer one place and once they shed velvet move to their "core" area and spend the rest of the fall/winter there. That area can be very small and they will not leave it, they breed their 3-4 does and are happy and safe. Hunt the edges and hope he walks by, or push it and either kill him or blow him out.

 

[Skerhunter]

I have had this happen multiple times with mature bucks, summer one place and once they shed velvet move to their "core" area and spend the rest of the fall/winter there. That area can be very small and they will not leave it, they breed their 3-4 does and are happy and safe. Hunt the edges and hope he walks by, or push it and either kill him or blow him out.

This is very true from my experience/research - late summer/September is a great time to get an inventory of bucks in the general area. They have since moved (my deer go .5-2 miles away) and are currently out rubbing/scraping/exploring/eating.

Now is when most ppl educate them - bump a mature deer now they usually go nocturnal until peak rut or just leave. Right now hunting evenings and being super conservative with the wind is the only way I hunt.

Finding them today isn’t easy - BUT the next 2 weeks they will be covering more ground. You should pick him up on trail cam if he is using the area still. Pics almost every day = he lives there. Pics every 4-7 days he is not you need to expand your search he is just checking out your doe.

Cold front coming through around Halloween this year is looking great. This is the best time to kill a mature deer by calling them in. The coldest mornings they will be on their feet late enough to see them. Evenings are still a safer bet depending on the deer. Warm mornings are still sketchy.

By November 5 - 12th all bets are off they cover a lot of ground. This is when you sit all day down wind of doe beds and in funnels to catch cruising bucks.

My advice - you are young go hunt, have fun and shoot whatever gets you excited! If you want to hold out for this specific deer go for it, but just realize you may only see him a couple times this year and never get a shot.

My personal experience hunting mature deer summed up- I eat a lot of archery tags - bucks I kill usually someone within 2 miles was hunting him and had tons of pictures of before he disappeared in October - someone shoots the buck I hunted for years during rifle season usually a mile or more away from his core October area.

I appreciate the help so far! I have put a couple mock scrapes in with branches but so far no luck. But if he's not using the area he wouldn't have found them. Once he finds one though he should keep coming back to it. And yes I'm not shooting any does, I only get 1 tag in my zone so it has his name on it and his name only. Thanks guys!

 

[Honyock]

I'm not an expert but I've been chasing deer for over 40 years. Be patient and hunt the late season. I've killed more big deer the first week of bow and the last two weeks of December (less pressure and on more of a feeding pattern). If you're going to target an old buck, you're going to have to be patient and pass up the "decent bucks". Hunting mature bucks is not easy, so keep your expectations realistic and learn to enjoy the process. Unfortunately, you'll screw up from time to time and that's how you learn. Old bucks don't get old being stupid. Once they quit looking for ladies, they tend to come back to their home turf where you saw them before pre-rut and get back on more of a pattern. Once it gets close to the rut there's nothing predictable about them or where they will be. If you can, hunt all day close to and through the rut. During the late pre-rut and rut I've probably killed more deer between 10:30 and 2:00 that any other time. It's like they learn when the orange army arrives and leave to go to lunch.

 

[Westernwannabe]

It sounds like youve been going in there often to look for sign, move cameras, etc. He’s likely on to the intrusion and has shifted to avoid you. If you are familiar with the area and have determined some good doe bedding areas, set up between a couple or on the downwind edge of a good one and sit all day. I start getting mid day photos of mature bucks around Oct 25 every year. If you can find a natural scrape and get a camera on it great, but I wouldn’t go blowing all of the deer out of the area looking for one. You know he isn’t far and your in his range so hunt close to the does for the next couple weeks.

 

[Dylan Sluis]

Little update. I went out scouting yesterday as it was a hot windy day. I went about 400 yards from where im currently hunting to an area i had found some small rubs about a month ago. I had a camera on this for a little bit but only got pictures of a decent 8 point that I call "George" and no pics of "Tips" the buck above. So i pulled the camera a while ago. I went back in yesterday and found probably double to triple the amount of rubs i seen earlier in the year. It's like a line of rubs. This area has been pressure free for probably 3-4 weeks. So I put a camera up and threw a mock scrape in on this line so hoping I can get a pick of something. A massive cold front moves in tonight into tomorrow so I will be hunting before and after work. I think the buck is bedded west of this line of scrapes where I access from the East so we will see I guess. All it takes is 1 pic and I will be moving my stand very quietly and hunting this area. Here's a pic of the two bucks i know of. George on the left Tips on the right