Chickenrig
Well-Known Member
7 hrs?????? Holy crap Batman
I couldn't do half that in this stand
You must still be very mad at em
Good luck Mega!
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Deer Movement Question
- Thread starter Spurhunter
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I couldn't do half that in this stand
You must still be very mad at em
Good luck Mega!
BSK
Well-Known Member
That would be an average hunt on my place! Average hunting hours to see any antlered buck: 7.9 hours. Percent of hunts with antlered buck sighting: 29.7%
3-4hrs is normal for me, and dark to dark isn't uncommon.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
10 deg drop in temps has made a world of difference..
Have seen 5 racked bucks, 1 button, and 2 does so far this morn. They are still moving as of 15 min ago. The member I'm a guest of has seen a really nice low 130s 8pt, just wasn't sure if he was 3.5 or 4.5, so didn't shoot.
Have seen 5 racked bucks, 1 button, and 2 does so far this morn. They are still moving as of 15 min ago. The member I'm a guest of has seen a really nice low 130s 8pt, just wasn't sure if he was 3.5 or 4.5, so didn't shoot.
1- look how bright it has been at night this week
2- Big bucks shy away from cameras
3- that's about all I got
2- Big bucks shy away from cameras
3- that's about all I got
Even in the big buck states a legit 130" 8pt is a huge rack buck, and chances are quite slim that it's only 3.5yrs old. That's the same frame as a 140's-150's 10pt. I can count on one hand every 130+ 8pt I've seen on the hoof in my entire life and none were young. I sure wouldn't let one walk!
I decided not to hunt today after yesterday being so bad and the moon being so bright last night. Only one of my guys is hunting today and he says it's dead again. Not even the birds and squirrels are moving.
Yessir that's a pretty good indication of another round of breeding about to kick off. I reckon the does interested in scrapes are ones who haven't been bred yet. The scrapes hadn't been worked by bucks in at least a week or more. In fact I saw bachelor groups of young bucks. Older bucks were still alone but mostly in the dark. Does were also grouped up in large herds, a sign of winter feed patterns. I wasn't seeing single does or a doe with fawns & yearlings. I'm talking groups of a dozen or more.
Funny you say that. While walking to check cams yesterday I came across several squirrels and they didn't bark or run. Unless I was walking straight toward them they didn't even mind me any attention. I'm tagged out so I was wearing a bright orange t-shirt and was clearing debris & clipping or breaking branches hanging over the trail. I wasn't being quiet. Squirrels usually go crazy but yesterday they acted like lazy pot heads.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
He knows his stuff. Took a legit scored 150in 8 on my place a few years back.
I saw a 3.5yo Thurs afternoon that had every bit of 5.25in bases. Not normal, but not impossible. I had 2 different bucks on my TN farm this year that were low 140s as clean 8s. Again, not the norm, but we seem to have 1 most years (but nearly always gets yugo by the neighbors)
Can't blame them. Not many people pass a 140" 8 point whether he's 1.5 or 11.5. Personally I don't get the age thing and why it became all the rage. If a buck is big enough to shoulder mount and display on your wall, who cares how old he is? I've never seen a jawbone hanging on someone's wall, although I suspect it will start happening.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Oops... typo on my cellphone above. We pass the low 130S 3.5yos. Thise are exactly the type of deer that have to make it to 4.5 to have a shot of killing a 150in er.
We've only had one 3.5yo over 140in. That was a couple years ago. And yes, we passed him 3 times. But again, there is only so much room on walls for shoulder mounts, so the racks just get cut off or euro mount the 140s. I like to kill deer, so I'd much rather shoot a 200lb 5.5yo that scores 110in over a 165lb 3.5yo that scores 140... but that's just me. Neighbors hunt for any buck over 125 regardless of age, so they won't shoot the old bucks with inferior racks.
Yeah I'm right in the middle I guess. I purposely target the oldest bucks, but that's almost always because the oldest bucks are the biggest bucks.
I also don't necessarily believe nor disbelieve in the "let them grow" mentality. Its all situational. Killing younger bucks has never yet prevented me from killing older or bigger bucks. Reality is much more nuanced than that, and I'm a pragmatic guy. If I see a 130+ 8pt I'm shooting it even if it's a 2yr old. The only way I don't is if it's a very regular visitor and I have some confidence that he'll survive to be hunted next year, or if I have my sights on a bigger buck and realistic hope of getting him.
I also don't necessarily believe nor disbelieve in the "let them grow" mentality. Its all situational. Killing younger bucks has never yet prevented me from killing older or bigger bucks. Reality is much more nuanced than that, and I'm a pragmatic guy. If I see a 130+ 8pt I'm shooting it even if it's a 2yr old. The only way I don't is if it's a very regular visitor and I have some confidence that he'll survive to be hunted next year, or if I have my sights on a bigger buck and realistic hope of getting him.
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We have gone from seeing 15-20 deer a day across our 10 cameras, to none or 1. Stand sits are similar.
We did have one pretty good buck on cam at 1AM Friday morning.
Other than that.... slooooow.
We did have one pretty good buck on cam at 1AM Friday morning.
Other than that.... slooooow.
SES
Well-Known Member
Saw 23 yesterday morning. Bucks chasing like crazy. On the east side.
Friday afternoon 3:00 pm till dark I saw about 12. Smaller bucks and some doe groups.
Chickenrig
Well-Known Member
This guy gets it right here !!!!!!! Thank you for saying what i think
