It sets up for an awesome thread.
You killed a big old buck this year on heavily hunted land. I want to hear your perspective!
I don't think deer are super smart. They will run in front of cars on the highway for a hot piece of tail. They make mistakes. It's on us to use our biggest advantage our brain to capitalize on them. Deer have excellent survival instincts and the older bucks have the best instincts because we are all after that old big racked buck.
I'm on public. Im fluid. I'm constantly moving changing and adapting. The deer are also moving with pressure and preferred foods available. (I am also pressure! I can't act like every time I step into their world I am impacting it) It's my job to find where the deer want to be and when they want to be there. We as hunters try to hard to draw deer into areas they don't want to be. I want to Slip in and ambush them and make the very most out of the first time I go in.
The rules constantly change, the landscape changes and hunting pressure changes. Good and great spots often change by the week. Right place right time is a big factor. If you sit the same 3 spots all season long you are going to get a few good hunts per season but it won't last and you are limiting yourself.
Deer need two primary things right now! They need security and groceries. They don't know distances from roads, road noises, too much water, too thick. They glide right through the stuff. If they have both together they will be on their feet and moving throughout the day.
I think there are pockets that deer move into that hunters can't get to without the deer knowing it first. And honestly, humans just flat out don't and can't get to them. It's too wet, too deep, too far to walk with waders stand gear and weapon. Right now, there's too much seasonal water and the swamps in west TN are a safe haven this time of year, if the bucks needed it. The big old buck might have a SAFE private land spot near a corn feeder where hunters aren't currently hunting. Hes likely bedded in a way to see the ole hunter/farmer unlock the gate and drive in. He knows when it's safe to step out and when he needs to sit tight till after dark and the truck leaves.
Now another twist. It depends on the food!!! During late season the deer need the groceries to survive. There is a lot more hunting pressure now on public lands than on private lands. Duck hunters push bucks out of some swamps and they stack in others where they are safe if there is enough preferred food. If not the deer might migrate to the private ag where a higher nutritional source of food is available.
Most deer and big mature bucks included are social creatures. (Most) Never all, cause they are quite individualistic. The ones I have seen usually have other deer nearby or in the general vicinity.
They watch other deer alert to danger and the older bucks are the first ones to drop their head and tuck their tail and slip out of the area. They typically have a very good escape plan, when bedded.
Big bucks have their own unique quirks that have kept them alive. I find deer using late season food sources like red oak acorns and green briar on public. This year, it's looking more vacant than years past. Bad acorn crop? who knows, I just mark it off my list of areas that I'm going to try this year.
Also currently everything is underwater here, it's Kneedeep swamps. This will also change things. They have no problem walking and moving through water. They will move through it and shake off like a dog no problem. One thing I've never seen though is a deer bobbing for acorns! They have a hard time feeding on submerged acorns and deer don't bed down in water. So they will need at least a bit of high ground to bed down on and some good forage.
If they have soy beans or corn or better browse on a private property ag field and aren't being shot they would likely choose that.
Anyway, A lot of that is my opinion of things. I want to here your take on things fairchaser.
