New To Site

[Csk21]

Hey Guys,

 

Found the site searching the net for ways to improve hunting whitetails.  Live and hunt in the CNY area (Northern Tier).  Mostly hunt on the family dairy farm.  Started hunting with my Old man and Uncle around age 10 and have killed some decent bucks since then.  In my opinion once you stop actively trying to improve you've already lost, hence the reason I'm here. 

 

Anyways, this past summer I was watching a nice buck feed in the clover lot out back a couple times a week up until about the beginning of Sept. when he up and vanished.  Long story short is that I've got him on trail cam a few times coming by one of my muzzle loader / rifle stands Between 8:15am and 9:15am.  The first picture I have is on Sept 6th at 8:40 PM coming out of a stand of hemlocks on a hill they use to bed.  I've got him again the very next day at 8:15 AM and 8:50 PM, the first one coming into the bedding area and the next leaving.  Then I have nothing again till Sept. 18th when I caught him heading back into the bedding area at 9:15 AM.  The last time I've got him  (I think its him) is October 8th at 8:50AM once again heading into the bedding area.

 

I checked these dates and they coincide with the New Moon and A full Moon.

 

I thought I had him pretty well patterned coming in and out of his bedding area even though I wasn't getting him every day I figured he might be using a different trail out of view of the camera.

 

I left the site alone all through bow season because I didn't have a stand in range of the trail he seemed to be using and I didn't want to spook him out of his routine by going in and hanging one.

 

I've been out to a stand that overlooks the area in the pictures every morning since muzzle loading opened and have seen a few does but not the buck I'm after or any of the smaller ones he was running with in Sept.  I have not hunted the stand in the afternoon,

 

The wind was good Opening Day (Saturday) and Today but kept changing directions on me Sunday (Yesterday) but the adjacent parcels get hunted pretty heavily during the week of muzzle and the first week or so of rifle.

 

Anyone have any opinions on the subject?  Could that not be his primary bedding area and I just got him on camera just by chance checking on different groups of does?  I'm kind of worried about over hunting the stand and busting him out of the area for good.

 

Sorry for the long winded post. Just wanted to give as much info as possible.

 

Thanks for listening guys, here are some pictures (Bedding area to the right)

 

 

 

Thanks Again,

C

[Csk21]

No takers?

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[shawnhu]

Welcome aboard! Sorry, I don't chase bucks.

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[Culvercreek hunt club]

The main problem I think you have is his patterns have changed and are about to change again. You had him before many of the other food sources came around. now he has a lot of choices out there and he is about to go on the cruise so no telling where he will end up. You obviously are part of his core area so he will still be coming through. Patterns are great for the early season but become more and more difficult as the rut gets closer. Have you seen any scrape activity on the property? Have the does been seen in any of the property on food or travel corridors?

[beachpeaz]

welcome

[Renegade Hunter]

Welcome to the site. I would get in there and look for some sign this time of year. Rub lines and scrapes. I have learned from my uncle all my life. He isn't afraid of making a walkthrough to see what area he is tearing up and where the fresh sign is. Then he makes his move with the climber. If you happen to bump him in that time it won't make him disappear forever. Some might not agree, but the proof is in the pudding and on his wall. Good luck, I hope you get him. 

 

I currently have a bruiser I am trying to get my hands on. Have found his sign and is luckily going through an area I already have a stand in. Hunt it then give it a rest for a few days. 

[Csk21]

The main problem I think you have is his patterns have changed and are about to change again. You had him before many of the other food sources came around. now he has a lot of choices out there and he is about to go on the cruise so no telling where he will end up. You obviously are part of his core area so he will still be coming through. Patterns are great for the early season but become more and more difficult as the rut gets closer. Have you seen any scrape activity on the property? Have the does been seen in any of the property on food or travel corridors?

 

 

That was kind of what I was thinking as well.  They turned off the clover quite a while back but he was still coming by the stand. 

 

Don't really like to poke around to much to early looking for sign because like I said the adjacent properties get hunted pretty hard and I don't want to risk kicking deer next door.  They pressure usually lets up when southern tier opens and a lot of the guys migrate south.

 

There is one scrape that I saw a few weeks back that's on an abandoned ATV trail.  This scrape in particular is in the same spot every year, under a little beech tree. 

 

I gave the stand a rest this morning, mostly because of a bad west wind.  Looks like I might not be able to get back to it till the end of the week or so.  Might hunt that scrape tonight if the cooperates.  

 

Anyone ever try or have any luck with a scrape dripper?

[Csk21]

Any guesses on age? 

 

I'm saying 2 1/2 because he doesn't look too filled out.

 

Never have been good at judging age though.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Any guesses on age?

I'm saying 2 1/2 because he doesn't look too filled out.

Never have been good at judging age though.

I think 2.5. Front about same size as the hinds.

[Renegade Hunter]

I would just bring in some "active scrape" scent and spray a squirt or two on it. Might get him to check it more often. I did that with the buck im hunting and he is keeping them fresh, or maybe other deer are hitting it too. Only problem with mine is they are on the edge of the field and he hits them at night. 

[Geno C]

welcome to the site!

 

what you were nailing down earlier in the year appear to be his summer patterns, he may have been holding up there for awhile but like culver said, as we get closer to the rut those patterns will change. his needs and wants will be different now as apposed to what they were a month ago. i would try and hone in on an area  depending on how much land you have to hunt but hone in on where you see mature doe bedding or any doe bedding on your property if you dont happen to have an area as such. hes going to be looking for where those doe are keeping and he will stick in and around there waiting for the time to come OR he may have moved off to a property or area that does have that situation. he may even be making his way around checking multiple bedding areas to see which doe may be the closest to coming into heat. but as of right now try and hone in on those areas. when that rut comes or close to that there really is no rhyme or reason for the most part.

 

 

and yes he looks 2.5 to me as well

good luck 

[Csk21]

I would just bring in some "active scrape" scent and spray a squirt or two on it. Might get him to check it more often. I did that with the buck im hunting and he is keeping them fresh, or maybe other deer are hitting it too. Only problem with mine is they are on the edge of the field and he hits them at night. 

 

 

Funny you say that.  I went this morning and picked up some Wildlife Research Golden Scrape.  Every time I have checked it so far this year it has been cleaned out.  I'm going to go out In a few minutes and freshen it up.  Still debating on sitting the scrape tonight because of the wind.

 

I'm no biologist but I think we've got a pretty low buck to doe ratio around here. I'll watch the fields pre-season and see 20 or so does and maybe 1 buck.  I know this can't be the actual ratio, its just the Ag fields drawing a lot of does from different areas.  But that, and the fact that in any given year there is never an abundance of buck sign leads me to believe that the bucks that ARE there don't have a lot of competition and don't feel the need to become very territorial.

 

Here's a picture of the exact same scrape from 2011. My uncle ended up killing this deer about a week after and a half mile from where the picture was taken.

 

[Renegade Hunter]

I would say that is the route to go then

[F-150]

welcome aboard and good luck hunting !!!!!

[Csk21]

I would say that is the route to go then

 

We'll see.  I guess I just wanted to post to organize my thoughts and get a plan more than anything, maybe get a little reassurance from some other guys.  Kind of ties into the other post about confidence. I think I'm way to cautious about spooking deer, but how's the saying go "You can't kill em' if you ain't out there"?

 

Thanks for the help. Good Luck with your buck.  I'd like to see some pictures with a tag on him.