Bow hunting a tough buck? Would you....

[mikemorvan]

I'd slip in an hour before daylight - don't use your flashlight if possible - make sure wind is right.
Hunt a long AM sit - slip out for lunch - and then hunt a long afternoon sit.

Also beer helps sometimes.

You may be on to something. I'll get him drunk. It worked in college.

[mikemorvan]

Looks like I may be on an ambush site prep on Friday afternoon if i can get away from work in time.

[whiteoak]

Over the summer I sat in a hot double bull for 5 straight days from sun up to sundown to kill a big axis and did. If he is big enough do it. It is not easy killing a big buck and sometimes takes all day sits.

[mikemorvan]

This is him...

https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=750569

[Slicefixer]

So, let me start by saying that from the time i was a kid i've hunted with bow and arrow. I fell away for awhile, but now i'm back. I love the challenge. But, for a variety of reasons (some bad luck, more just choosing not to shoot) i'v never actually shot a whitetail deer w/ bow and arrow. I'm determined to do so.

There is a buck i've been chasing that has become my White Whale. I believe he's about a 160" deer with much character. He's has been faithful in coming to the feeder where i have a tripod. It is impossible to get the the tripod without going by the feed pen. (Bad set up i know, but there's not many options). Anyway, he is in and out of the pen at night quite a bit, up to about an hour before shooting light. He comes back in about an hour after shooting light has expired. He, very rarely, but occasionally, shows up in the middle of the day.

I can't be sure, but logic tells me i may have jumped him out of the pen in the mornings. I like to be in the tripod and hour and a half before sunrise. One full hour before shooting light. I'm sure i had to have jumped him out at some point. Maybe multiple times.

So, the last weekend of the season is here. I'm giving serious consideration to waiting to go out at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, and Sunday morning and sitting in that tripod all day. So, the question is: Would you?

The idea being to not disturb him the morning and hope for the best the rest of day. Whaddyathink?

First, your best chance to get a buck like that is going to and from food, NOT at food. So I'd figure out his travel pattern and quietly adjust your hunting for next year.... in the least intrusive manner possible. It's actually easy to do post this season.... couple of days of footwork....locate staging areas, rub lines, Google Earth, Onyx, etc etc etc.

Secondly, I've killed quite a few good deer in my life, passed way more than I've killed, and the vast majority were seen just before quality light, just after quality light, and +/- high noon. I've hunted all day several hundred times.....just be prepared to do so.

Go for it! Great fortune to you...hope you get him! 👍

[Shane]

He's a stud for sure! Does he use the same trail in and out every time?

[mikemorvan]

First, your best chance to get a buck like that is going to and from food, NOT at food. So I'd figure out his travel pattern and quietly adjust your hunting for next year.... in the least intrusive manner possible. It's actually easy to do post this season.... couple of days of footwork....locate staging areas, rub lines, Google Earth, Onyx, etc etc etc.

Secondly, I've killed quite a few good deer in my life, passed way more than I've killed, and the vast majority were seen just before quality light, just after quality light, and high noon. I've hunted all day several hundred times.....just be prepared to do so.

Go for it! Great fortune to you...hope you get him! 👍

I've got all that info. Those plans are already rolling in my head for next season. The deer messed me up by changing their travel pattern this year. Still can't figure that one out.

[mikemorvan]

He's a stud for sure! Does he use the same trail in and out every time?

Pretty much. It's a brushy trail up a steep hill from the river below. I just have to go down there and figure something out.

The next thing will be figuring out how to get him out of there if i do get him. But i'll cross that bridge when i get there.

[Shane]

Pretty much. It's a brushy trail up a steep hill from the river below. I just have to go down there and figure something out.

The next thing will be figuring out how to get him out of there if i do get him. But i'll cross that bridge when i get there.

It's nothing to skin and quarter a deer on the ground. Getting him on the ground is the challenge. Good luck!!

[Shane]

Be super careful to not disturb much on the trail, and try not to spread much scent. I'd take a Ziploc bag of hand corn with me too. Spread that out in a good shooting lane once you get a good setup. Take more when you go back to hunt (if you don't hunt immediately).

[axisbuck]

Id probably set up a pop up or move the tripod to get wind and entry/exit in your favor. Handcorn 20-30yards away, get in early and stay late and you might be surprised what you will see. Not a big fan of spending 3+hrs in a tripiod before shooting light.

[Slicefixer]

He's a stud for sure! Does he use the same trail in and out every time?

Naw.....he'll have several ways, both in and out, with a couple being his prime routes.
I'd do a few things....

First.....STUDY Google Earth.....where's the food and where's the cover? Where are the travel corridors between the two? Watersheds? Transition zones? Etc. Draw it out on Google Earth maps.....then get to walking in the off season.

Once on the ground you'll find his primary corridors via his rub lines and occasional scrape. When you find a rub of some significance, flag it or immediately note on your gps/phone, then note the side of the tree the rubs primarily damaged the tree.....that's his general direction of travel. Walk lazy circles in that general direction and you'll soon find another....and another....and another....now ya got him. Now staging areas (close to food and bedding) via his rubs....scrapes too. Note all of this on your map. As you note more and more things a "picture" WILL emerge.

Then, using your map figure out where he's more vulnerable IN THE DAYLIGHT. Then, once you've located several of his vulnerable spots, figure out the easiest ingress, egress, and prevailing winds for each spot

Then get in there in August and sweat your butt off building highly disguised ground blinds....blend em in but good.

The good thing is this, once he's dead (or retired 😉 ) another dominant buck WILL move right in and take over the territory. So your hard earned honey hole blinds will still be highly viable.

[mikemorvan]

Naw.....he'll have several ways, both in and out, with a couple being his prime routes.
I'd do a few things....

First.....STUDY Google Earth.....where's the food and where's the cover? Where are the travel corridors between the two? Watersheds? Transition zones? Etc. Draw it out on Google Earth maps.....then get to walking in the off season.

Once on the ground you'll find his primary corridors via his rub lines and occasional scrape. When you find a rub of some significance, flag it or immediately note on your gps/phone, then note the side of the tree the rubs primarily damaged the tree.....that's his general direction of travel. Walk lazy circles in that general direction and you'll soon find another....and another....and another....now ya got him. Now staging areas (close to food and bedding) via his rubs....scrapes too. Note all of this on your map. As you note more and more things a "picture" WILL emerge.

Then, using your map figure out where he's more vulnerable IN THE DAYLIGHT. Then, once you've located several of his vulnerable spots, figure out the easiest ingress, egress, and prevailing winds for each spot

Then get in there in August and sweat your butt off building highly disguised ground blinds....blend em in but good.

The good thing is this, once he's dead (or retired 😉 ) another dominant buck WILL move right in and take over the territory. So your hard earned honey hole blinds will still be highly viable.

There is a big scrape 10' from the tripod. Rub line down the hill. I'll be all over your suggestion this off season. There are several bucks that are using this trail system. A couple of future champions.

[GarGuy]

Shut the feed off except in daylight. Set up a pop up an the edge and a big pile of hand corn. Get the wind right and kill him first hunt

[Hoss163]

Good luck getting him I bet that buck is going to be hi 50s once you get him on the ground .


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