Checking Scrapes & Chasing

[infoman jr.]

I saw does being chased for the first time this fall this evening. I'd never put a camera on a scrape until last week. This is a deer I have a ton of history with this year. He's the one I saw pushing a group of 4 does around this evening which made my 5th encounter with him this season. I've had shot opportunities 3 of those times and passed. He'll be a stud next year.

4 hours before this picture was taken, I freshened the scrape up myself.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

nice buck

 

[redblood]

VERY NICE YOUNGSTER

 

[easy45]

Cool

 

[BSK]

I would have shot that buck in a heartbeat!

 

[infoman jr.]

Re: Checking Scrapes & Chasing

I would have shot that buck in a heartbeat!

I keep going back and forth on him. If I was going to shoot him, I wish I had done it on September 3rd when he was in full velvet at 15 yards.

I saw him twice yesterday, at 8AM he came in behind me at 10 yards, and in the evening he was chasing a doe, grunting the whole way. She gave him the slip, then he did the same routine, going behind me, but he waited til dark to come out in the field. Too late then.

The thing is, the guy hunting this place with me (he doesn't hunt it much) assured me that he would shoot it if he had the chance. There are 2 bucks bigger than him but haven't been visible in a while (see the "big dude" thread).

How old would you put him, BSK? Also, I haven't gotten any new bucks this year yet. I would think with the chasing I've seen, I would have by now. Maybe when gun season kicks in Saturday, it'll stir them around.

 

[BSK]

Looks 4 1/2 to me.

 

[infoman jr.]

Looks 4 1/2 to me.

Oh, for the sake of my sanity, don't tell me that. Here's a more neutral view (on the right). Are you sticking with 4 1/2? If so, I may need to hit the woods this evening. (don't ask me what the fork horn is doing)

 

[BSK]

That 11/4 pic looks like a mature buck's neck, but the 11/2 and 10/19 pic look a little more like 3 1/2 for central KY.

 

[infoman jr.]

Cool. Thanks for your input.