Should I save my spot for later?

[regulat0r]

There have been several threads made about the rainy/windy weather coming in this weekend. there is a huge buck on my property that i want to maximize my chances with. i think most people will agree the best chances of killing a mature buck are the first time you hunt a stand. luckily, i am fortunate to have several properties to hunt. should i save this spot for a time when the conditions will be better or should i hunt this deer. I dont want to alert him and drive him away. what would you do?

[stoneam2006]

Personally I would hunt it. The rain will help kill your scent and may put him on his feet as it will be colder. Can kill him if you don't try. I don't think chances are better the first time on stand. If that's the stand he walks by I'd be in it anytime the wind allows it. Good luck

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[Gencountyzeek]

I say hunt it unless the wind that we are getting isn't what your stands are setup for. By me in 8g it's not going to be the usual wind direction, so some stands are off the list for me. It's a great time to have that buck patterned but at the same time u don't want to spook him the first weekend and end up not seeing him again. So if the wind is good for your stand location go for it, if not try a different spot.

 

[Bowguy 1]

id wait for good conditions, especially the wind. Storms can sometimes change a deers pattern n if you know it than don't gamble. Now hard rain could wash away some scent after you leave but deer often don't move in that. Mist or somewhat wet conditions actually intensify animals ability to smell you. Watch a bird dog or hound in it. They never lose the source. The first time is the best time. If the deer doesn't smell or see you he may not know he's being hunted but again w the weather n patten change probability how could you know where or when he's somewhere? To spook him makes em become harder to hunt 

[grampy]

The absolute perfect time to hunt a known big buck are when conditions favor YOU, perfectly! Moist, damp conditions do favor the deer's nose. And in the case of a marginally placed but fatal shot, you want every opportunity to follow that blood trail. You want the perfect wind for that particular set-up. And it doesn't take too many trips to that set-up until he catches on, even if you don't see him! Right now he will be in a somewhat predictable pattern, until the end of the month and the rut kicks in. I understand how tempting it can be to just want to get in there and kill a known mature buck! But I've learned that patience and stealth work better than any other tactic. You can kill him! You just have to use our biggest advantage over him, your brain! For the perfect ending, hunt him under perfect conditions! Best of luck! I look forward to seeing the pic's!!

[moog5050]

Is he on a feeding pattern now that works wind wise for where you plan to hunt him.  That would be the deciding factor for me.  If you just know he is around, but no real pattern, I would wait it out like Grampy said.  If he is on a daily pattern, go get him before that changes.  Just my opinion.

[phade]

I've killed most of my bucks when conditions were not perfect - one consistent has been the conditions were almost wrong for me and almost right for the buck. Fine line to walk. I've rarely killed bucks when conditions are perfect for me - because largely if they are perfect for me, there is something that is going to impact that buck that would "change the game." IE a perfect wind for me could result in the buck leaving a bed on a different trail or the buck not bedding in that bed at all (wind-based bedding scenario).

I think you take a shot if the conditions favor you being able to encounter him - there will be other hunters in the woods w/pressure being opening day. As long as you think you can get in and out safely and not stink up the joint, then take the shot I say.

Early on I was real hesitant to make a move on a buck, but if the information tells me I can do it, I believe it, and I step up to the plate. I think a common mistake for hunters is waiting for the perfect time that never comes. Not because it doesn't happen, but because the hunter is always "looking" for a reason to second guess and not pull the proverbial trigger. It's akin to watching a buck walk 20 yards out of range twice. There shouldn't be a third time he does that, yet most hunters fail to make the move and watch that buck walk by 5 or 10 times just out of range from the same stand.

 

 

 

[NYbuck50]

He might still be there in 3-4 weeks. or he could rut somewhere else... i usually hunt my best spots where i know their are bucks right now 1st few days, then back off and leave them alone till first real cold snap, or end of october