#1 on my hit list

[TDH]

I went and checked my cam for the first time this year and got a couple pics of this guy. I only had my cam in this spot for a week as I wanted to move it to one of my other spots. I think I have pics of this guy from last year, if so he grew up a bit. The brow tines are what makes me think its the same deer, The pics aren't the greatest but what do you all think? Any guesses to what he might score? I was thinking 110 give or take. This is public land so I don't think I could pass him up if he gives me an opportunity.

[Hoyt4]

Very nice buck, hope you get a chance at him this season.

I'm heading out to put my camera's out this week.

[eyeguy 54]

nice buck, if he's the same he has grown a bit. looks like 115 to 120 to me. good luck!

[Archerysniper]

I think you are underestimating him a little it is hard with the velvet but I put him around the 128" to 130" mark for a gross score but that really don't matter as long as your happy punching your tag on him

[InTheNorthwoods]

The pictures make it tough to tell but it lookes like he's a nice looking deer and you are probably about right on the score at the moment. As a straight 8 with average width, average 1's, average 2's, and short 3's, it would be hard to put him over 110-115" at the moment, but he can still grow. There is definitely nothing wrong with this deer and he'd be hard to pass on public land.

[TDH]

I'm pretty sure he would be my biggest buck so I wouldn't pass him up. The thing is that I have been bow hunting this spot for 6 or 7 years now and have yet to see a buck during the day, but I have seen lots of does and fawns. I just don't understand it because this area gets almost zero pressure during the summer and into the first few weeks of the season.

[Archerysniper]

They don't get big by being stupid now do they. Still looking at the picks I have my 128" 8 on the wall next to me and his picks are just as big right now and he is still growing so hopefully you can stick him and give us a final measurement I know if he came past me I'd be pickin a spot.

[96trigger]

Yeah, I would say he is a 120 inch buck, if not more. If he makes you happy, take him, no doubt. Good luck, the season is just around the corner.

What is your game plan for getting him?

[TDH]

Yeah, I would say he is a 120 inch buck, if not more. If he makes you happy, take him, no doubt. Good luck, the season is just around the corner.

What is your game plan for getting him?

To be honest I really don't know what to do at the moment. I don't think he moves until after dark in the evenings which is when I typically hunt this spot. So my though at the moment is maybe I might be able to catch him in the morning. I still don't know where he travels or when on his way back to his bedding area. Since I only have the one trail cam that is gunna make it real difficult to figure him out. I have my cam in my other favorite spot at the moment so I have two weeks to figure out what my next plan of attack is going to be.

[Bear55]

I am guessing he does move before dark but he stays pretty close to his bedding area. If your cam clock is on (10:06) I would guess you aren't too far from his bedroom but I don't think he will show up in the open like that on public land, you might have to sneak back a little closer to his bed if you can find it, or try in the morning like you had mentioned but I would get there at least an hour before first light. 1.5 hours might be even better.

[TDH]

I am guessing he does move before dark but he stays pretty close to his bedding area. If your cam clock is on (10:06) I would guess you aren't too far from his bedroom but I don't think he will show up in the open like that on public land, you might have to sneak back a little closer to his bed if you can find it, or try in the morning like you had mentioned but I would get there at least an hour before first light. 1.5 hours might be even better.

I agree with what your saying but the problem is basically everything around the field is bedding area and I just cant figure out where the deer are coming from. The area around the field is mostly poplar trees with a few pine trees. After that it get wetter and is mostly smaller trees and brush. Here is a pic of the area in question. The blue dot is my usual stand location as well as my cam location. The deer typically cross the road into the hay field and work there way the corn/bean field to the southwest. I assume they also go to the corn field to the west but I have never seen a deer in that field.

[Archerysniper]

Check out that point to the right of your stand site if thier is a trail there I'm willing to bet that is were he is bedding or accessing the wetlands to bed set your cam over it and see what happens. Also to the right of that point on the other side of the water looks like a little high spot in the swamp I know if i was a buck that is where I would bed. It might be hard for you to do but you might want to stay out of the area until around halloween that is when you got your best chance of catching him during shooting hours.

[TDH]

There is a trail going back into that point, I hunted back there last year with no luck. I can only get about 60 yards max from the field after that there are zero trees for me to get up in with my climber. Those dark spots to the south of that point are evergreens of some sort, that area is a little dryer than the surrounding area so maybe thats the spot he's bedding up. I guess I will take your advice and set my cam up on that trail and see what happens.

[96trigger]

where is the east to west trail that connects the field your stand is in to the corn field to the west. There has to be some kind of path between those two fields. The first inside corner to the northwest of your stand on the other side of the field is an area where I would also be looking at sitting.

Having hunted this area before, where do you see the most does? On public land I hunt the does and wait, when the rut starts to hit, the bucks eventually show up, but very seldom before that.

If it has human traffic in it, he will probably find a hole to hide in and sit tight until dark. If you can pattern the does before the rut, he will show up.

[TDH]

Here is how the trails go in general there might be one or two more but I cant think of them at the moment. What I have experience over the years is that most of the doe traffic is along the field edge where by bow stands are early in the season. That holds true for about three weeks or so then it seems to shut down. It could be because of me hunting there or from the grouse hunters when the leaves start to fall. I usually just stop hunting this area until gun season then I hunt the other side of the field and almost all of the deer have come from the west when hunting that spot.

[96trigger]

I would be going back and forth between the gun stand and bow stand during the archery season. Keep them guessing and you won't over hunt one over the other. I would also get a stand in the northwest corner where three trails come together/split off. That could also be a money spot. Field edges are tough, they are what I primarily hunt. You have to be careful getting in and getting out to not spook too many deer. Most of the deer you see should be just passing through on their way to the big corn field.

If you get up another stand up there and try not to sit in the same stand 2X in a row during the first month or so of the season, you should hopefully see deer pretty regularly. If you are hunting the same stand consistently, the deer will figure it out. Keep them guessing.

[Bear55]

I think Archerysniper has it right, he is probably bedding on that point or somewhere on the edge or in that swamp. He could also be across the road to the south somewhere in that mess. Even a small clump of brush out in the swamp might be a little hump of high ground that he is bedding on. Any chance you can zoom out a little further so we can see a little more of the area?

I think your best chance to get him would be the first couple weeks of the season or late October. If you are going to setup on that trail back on the point or anywhere near his bed you are going to have to make zero noise and make sure your scent isn't blowing right into him. Wait until the wind is coming from the NW or SW and see if you can't work an angle where your scent is just blowing off to the side of his bedding area, with the wind in his face he might feel secure enough to get up before dark and mingle in the area that just might put him into bow range.

It took me a few years to figure this out but on public land you almost have to hunt the wrong wind if you want to see a mature buck during shooting hours. Just about every time I see a buck 2.5 or older on public land they are heading into the general direction the wind is coming from, if you can work those angles to your advantage you might get the jump on him.

If it doesn't work out this year get in there after the season get into that swamp and see if you can't find his bed, once you know right where he is bedding you can play those angles a little better.

[eyeguy 54]

Shoot him so we will know.:>) I,ve taken a lot of 8 pointers and i gotta stick with my max of 120 on this one.

[TDH]

Here's a zoomed out look.

[Wanderer]

You sure the pics are showing the same deer? I see a possible 10 pointer in the top pic and a 105 inch 8 in the bottom two.

But I may need new glasses.

[TDH]

You sure the pics are showing the same deer? I see a possible 10 pointer in the top pic and a 105 inch 8 in the bottom two.

But I may need new glasses.

I guess I didn't make myself clear enough in my original post. The two bottom pics are from last year. I put them on here because I wanted to know if you guys thought the same thing. The deer in the top two pics is definitely not a ten point but it could be a nine point but I don't have and good pics of his left side yet to confirm. I think its just a straight eight pointer though.

[Wanderer]

I gave into the "What's your thoughts on score?" question since you got the most opinions on that.

Too hard for me to tell if it's the same deer from what I can see. My guess is no, but it's only a guess.

I would also like to lower my score estimate on last year's pics.... I was being nice.

The deer in the top two pics would be a shooter from my stand though.

[Bear55]

THD thanks for the zoomed out view, I just wanted to be sure there wasn't something off the first aerial that might look hot. I would guess he is bedding right in your area. I would follow triggers advice and not over hunt the area or he will go nocturnal a lot sooner then it takes for the does to figure out they are being hunted, I also like his advice about moving around a lot to keep the deer guessing.

One other thing to consider is where you park, this doesn't look that that large of an area and if you park too close to your stand just hearing a truck door slamming or a truck stopping/parking might be enough to keep him in his bed until after dark. Remember these older bucks only get old for a reason, they are an entirely different animal then the other deer in the area.

Edit: I think he would probably score right around 120 or slightly above.