Bachelor Groups?

[Bear55]

So Sunday night on the way home from the stand I had a great encounter with of Group of 6 mature bucks, I didn't get a real good look at them but I am pretty sure they are all shooters in my book. So now my brain has been working overtime trying to figure out how to hunt these guys.

I have access to 15 acres on the back side of the field I saw them in but they seem to be bedding across the road on land I won't be able to hunt. Also knowing that they will be heading out on their own in the near future so I put together a map of about 16 square miles and found a lot of public ground within 2 miles of where I saw these bucks.

My plan as of now is to try and hunt them on the 15 acres this weekend and see if I can get lucky but I am guessing they will hold tight to their current bedding area. Then I think I will stay out of the area until late October. During mid October I will try and stay as scent free as possible and do some scouting on the public land within the 16 square miles, focusing on funnels and the down wind side of doe bedding areas to see if I can find any good ambush points.

So I am looking for any other tips or advice to hunt these guys? Have I missed anything or how would you go about this in a different way?

[ANYFISH]

Do you have access to the field that you seen the deer on? One of my buddies has had very good luck early (September) using a buck decoy on fields to bring buck groups to him. I am assuming that they are crossing during daylight hours. It shouldn't take them long to get there if they do. The only issue is that if they don't get there in time to shoot you have to find a creative way to bump them off the field without giving your self up. I suggest a strong grunt sequence or a "blow". As most of these buck will disperce a bump may not effect future success at these animals. Like you said the groups will be breaking up soon so use this as a do or die tactic.

[sticknstring]

That is a great encounter... I'm surprised they're still together. Was it a bean field? I know they'll hammer 'em hard until they turn yellow but the days are numbered... I'd be in that field now if you can hunt during the week... next weekend may already be too late - they'll be breaking up. Your gameplan for prerut is sound. If you can't locate them now... hunt hard around Halloween in those funnels and hopefully you'll be rewarded. Good luck - keep us posted.

[Bear55]

No I can't hunt the field itself, just the woods on one side of it. I believe it was just your standard hay/alfalfa field. I also don't think the deer are moving or at least moving into that field during daylight. I caught them crossing the road into that field about an hour after shooting light. They were coming from land I don't have access too. I think my only chance to score on one soon would be if they change their bedding area and start hitting the acorns in the small woodlot I can hunt. Its a long shot but I am going to give it a try but put most of my focus on later in the fall. I would love to get out this week but my schedule does not allow for it.