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Shooting the Big Buck?

Last post 02-23-2007, 7:42 AM by Wild1. 7 replies.
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  •  09-19-2006, 8:04 PM 13

    Shooting the Big Buck?

    I have only been hunting a few years and was wondering how I could go about snagging a big buck. I have realized that sitting over bait piles has not worked at all, any suggestions on how to track and kill the monster bucks?
    "Bullets change governments far more than votes do."
  •  09-20-2006, 3:41 PM 14 in reply to 13

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    The first thing is that you need to hunt where there are. So do some research online and find out what are the best counties for big bucks in your state, because you can't kill something that is not there!!! Second not only do you have to find big bucks but you have to lose the other hunters. That part is not as hard as it sounds 90 percent of hunters will not hunt more than 400 yards off the road. The good part is that the area with the least hunters will normally hold the biggest bucks in the area. The third part is to scout in the off season as much as you can. Your best chance for a big buck is the first time you sit a stand. So do your homework and make sure that your stand is in the right spot the first time and only hunt it with a good wind. Fourth do as much research on big bucks as you can. Read books, magazines, and every other thing you can get your hands on that will help you pattern big bucks. Last but not least is hunt, hunt, hunt it takes alot of time, effort and luck to bag a mature buck so the more time in the woods the better your chances.
    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." ~Thomas Jefferson, 1776

    You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."
    ~Winston Churchill

  •  09-20-2006, 4:20 PM 16 in reply to 13

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    It's all about time in the woods!  And a good location Big Smile .  CB375HH is right on about having a good location and spending time scouting in the off season.  It definitely does take a lot of time and effort to be successful.  Walking into the woods on opening day and find a stump to sit on is not going to cut it. I spent a lot of years hunting in Michigan's zone 2 and didn't have much success at all.  After finding some better spots to hunt and learning a few things about sent control and wind direction I have been much more successful.  I personally like bow hunting [b&a] a little better than firearm season since I have historically had better success.  Plus the fact that most serious hunters bow hunt but every jack a** and their uncle shows up for firearms season.


    "Chance favors the prepared mind" - Louis Pasteur
  •  09-25-2006, 10:43 AM 42 in reply to 13

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    Strongbow - There are a lot of factors that come into play when trying to bag a buck espically a mature one.  CB375HH and Squirrelnutz make some great points.

    Location is key.  Do as much preseason scouting as possible.  Look for heavy traffic areas with intersecting runnways, near by food sources (oak trees, apple trees, corn fields, etc..).  Search for those bedding areas where you might have a chance to ambush that big buck on his way back from the nights feed.  But remember that deer patterns will change as the seson gets closer.  Start looking for those rub & scrape lines in the woods to find the path that big buck is taking.  If you find a rub, chances are there are few more that you could almost draw a straight line through.

    Once you think you've found your spot you'll want to set-up at least two different stands.  This way if the wind is bad for one you can hunt the other.  No matter how good you think a spot may be it will do you no good sitting there if the wind is not good.  Another inportant thing to remember is the path you chose to take to get to your stand.  The quickest and most direct route to your stand may not always be the best choice when trying to bag a big buck.  You're not going to want to walk right through a bedding area to get to your stand.  You also want to pay attention to wind direction when entering.  Try to keep the wind at your face so you don't spook anything going in.

    Another important factor is scent control.  You'll have to be pretty anal about this to increase your chances of seeing that big buck.  My best advice here is to do some research.  There are a lot of products out there to choose from.  Everything from laundry detergent, scnet bags to store your hunting clothes in, scent lock clothing, and scent sprays.  Something else I forgot to mention.  While you're doing your scouting its also important not to spread your scent all over the woods.  Get yourself a pair of rubber boats, this will help.

    Hopefully this will get you started.  Good luck!

  •  09-27-2006, 6:58 PM 60 in reply to 42

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    After close to 40yrs of deer hunting I can tell you this, if you don't let the little ones walk ,odds are you won't get that trophy you long for. I,ve got a couple of decent one's over the year's, got caught with my pants down a couple more times on some even better ones. But, the bottom line is, you've got to let the little ones have a chance to get to that trophy stage .As the saying goes "you can't shoot what isn't there ". Good Luck in your quest. Let's hear some comment from you QDM guys.

                                                                    turkey-god

  •  09-28-2006, 6:59 PM 67 in reply to 60

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    There are easier ways to go about it you could just hunt in pen like Bill Jordan and act like you are a great hunter when you really just hunt in a small cage every weekend.Embarrassed
    "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." ~Thomas Jefferson, 1776

    You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life."
    ~Winston Churchill

  •  09-29-2006, 12:42 PM 71 in reply to 67

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    This is all excellent input, things I would not have considered before have been brought to my attention. Appreciate the input.


    "Bullets change governments far more than votes do."
  •  02-23-2007, 7:42 AM 561 in reply to 13

    Re: Shooting the Big Buck?

    Well Hunt the Rut, Go where the does are and stay there the hole day and wait up until the last light.. Do alot of homework before season feeding areas where they are traveling thru from there bedding areas and just stay with the same plan for days just because you don't see him right away doesn't mean hes not there. If there are hot does there  than there will be a buck.. I takes alot of time to harvest a big buck. Just stay there and be looking everywhere.. I put in about 4 months of scouting and patterning the deer that has worked great for me.. Bow and Arrow
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