How many of you see bucks on cam but never during hunting season?

[Christopher Quast]

Who has had pics of bucks in velvet and once they go hard-horn you never see them again or you never see any of the bucks during shooting hours like you did before during early season and when they were still in velvet and please include your hunting area in general farm country,river bottom, big woods, public or private land. Thanks

[CodyDawg]

I have never seen a buck in real life that I have saw on camera...not counting basket racks. Any buck that had a distinguish-able rack I have not seen. Last year, I had 3 nice and one giant 8 pters on film. Nobody in my party even saw a nice 8. I shot a nice 10. We are in mixed farm/woods/swamp country in west central MN.

[Mark Christianson]

I shot a nice 8 opening day of firearms that I had one picture of. Of course I shot him as he was bolting through our land after having one of his rear legs basically shot off at the knee.... It wasnt like he was wondering on his own accord.

Neighboring property 3/4 of a mile east of us shot a very large 11 pt that I had one picture of.

Other than that, I have oodles of pics of very good to outstanding bucks that we never see in person.

I do see a fair share of 1.5 year old bucks earlier in the season.

By Nov 1st, its a whole new ball game.

I shot a dandy 11 pt a few years ago, that I had no idea was in the area, but its hard to judge that with the rut, since they can cover a lot of miles.

Without cameras, I would swear our woods are void of bucks completely at times.

We hunt 25 miles East of Fergus Falls in a transition area from heavy ag land to our SW, and very hilly hardwood forests to our NE. Private land.

[Gofishleech]

Its the same for me, lots of differsnt bucks with velvet and then when the velvet is gone no more pictures,,or very few anyway. buck groups break up and there no where to be found. I hunt big woods and I use salt/menerial in front of my cameras and I do think that when the velvet is gone so is the need or desire for salt/menerial.

[96trigger]

I have some nice bucks on cameral but I don't expect to hold out for any of them in particular. I am new to the camera thing, but I have relatives that have used them for years. They've got pictures of nice bucks during the summer, and had 2 get taken miles from their land last fall by the neighbors. I just think the deer roam too much down here in the bluffland. Deer cross property lines often and move from farm to farm without ever calling one home. The only nice part is that when one moves out, aother will usually move in. Those same relatives shot 3 nice bucks last fall and never had a one on their cameras.

[archerystud]

I had a real beauty on camera two years ago and never saw him with the bow or gun. Since I'm now realizing my camera was hosed last year he may still be there.

[B. Amish]

I shot one last year that I had pictures of for two years. I'd seen him three times while hunting before he finally came within range and walked into my arrow.

At one point last year, I seen 7 different bucks in one night that I had on my camera. It was like a glorified bachelor group. That was the first week of the season. I also would see this set of three 1 1/2 year olds that stayed together though mid October. It was always fun to see them, because they often sparred with each other.

But, there are bucks that just flat out vanish. Do they get shot, wounded, hit by a car, become ghosts.... who really knows.

That's hunting for you. Some bucks are easy to pattern, others don't follow any rules but their own.

[deerhunter10]

Me and my buddy just received a trail cam that we have used in my woods and we got photos of two really nice bucks but we have never seen them besides the photos so who knows if they will be around come bow season. We are located in SE Minnesota.

[slimngrizzly]

I rarely see mature bucks that I have on camera, then again I rarely see mature bucks. Many of the larger deer I get pics of in velvet are shot 3 or 4 miles away during the rut. I have pictures this year or a big 6 year old that I have 3 years of sheds of.

You just never know? The main thing is a big buck picture gives a person hardened evidence that a trophy exsists and that is motivation for us to sit in the stand, no matter where he is at the time. Being mentaly prepared is just as important as being physically, it will keep ya going!