2020 public land deer pictures

[Buck Smacker]

Draw a 60-80 mile circle around Sherman Tx, and you are in the area. That’s as close as I will narrow it down.

This tree had lots of good bucks during pre-rut and rut last year. It is BY FAR the best spot I have found in about 1500 miles of hiking/scouting in the last 6 years.

Here are the highlights from last season on the same tree.

https://youtu.be/s3eIuJ1iJMA

What makes this spot so dynamite is the big tree trunk in the top right corner is a feral pear tree. Only one I have ever found around here. I don’t get squat for pictures during spring/summer except does and fawns, but the moment the pear tree starts dropping EVERYTHING changes it’s travel pattern to include it. The bucks hardly stop to eat, usually just use it cruising to check for all the does that come in to it.
I didn’t include COUNTLESS smaller bucks in this video, and honestly didn’t even save the videos of them. This camera filled up a 32 gig card, set to video, in just under 5 weeks last November/December. I think after going through all the photos/videos, there were 6 daylight walkers that would have made P&Y on this camera in the month of November. Astounding for around here, that’s for sure... and it makes me look like a lot better hunter than I actually am.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's awesome, thank you for sharing and good luck on that brute!!

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[troy_w_7]

Pulled a cam today, and found a brute. This is the same tree I killed my P&Y public land buck out of last year...

https://youtu.be/vFJK33Cmt6U

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let's see that P&Y from last year!

[IkemanTX]

Let's see that P&Y from last year!

He barely squeezed in as an 8. His mass is what got him over the line. He field dressed at 198lbs, to put body size/antlers into perspective.










I almost got the kill on trail camera too. This was my first shooting lane, but I had so little warning on him coming through I couldn’t quite get drawn and the pin settled before he moved out of the lane.

https://youtu.be/yNfxwjLyrq0

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[solocam_aggie]

Cool thread. Im impressed by some of the bucks you guys have on camera!

[SabineHunter]

I'm gonna plant a couple of pear trees.

[Buck Smacker]

I'm gonna plant a couple of pear trees.

[emoji1787][emoji3516]

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[troy_w_7]

He barely squeezed in as an 8. His mass is what got him over the line. He field dressed at 198lbs, to put body size/antlers into perspective.










I almost got the kill on trail camera too. This was my first shooting lane, but I had so little warning on him coming through I couldn’t quite get drawn and the pin settled before he moved out of the lane.

https://youtu.be/yNfxwjLyrq0

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Beautiful buck and really good mass!

[troy_w_7]

He barely squeezed in as an 8. His mass is what got him over the line. He field dressed at 198lbs, to put body size/antlers into perspective.










I almost got the kill on trail camera too. This was my first shooting lane, but I had so little warning on him coming through I couldn’t quite get drawn and the pin settled before he moved out of the lane.

https://youtu.be/yNfxwjLyrq0

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And I love the in-season scouting video. It's so true from what I've realized over the past few years. I used to scout in spring and summer but you can't see hardly any sign. Maybe a few old rubs but that's it. In season or directly post season, the sign is lit up if you come upon it. I mark everything on Onx and it basically shows their runways and usually falls closely inline with the topo lines, elevation lines, edges, etc. just like you'd expect. I've found some killer primary scrape areas inside the timber that have zero activity until mid-late October and are hit heavy through January but you'd walk right by those spots in the summer. I've got high hopes for a few of these spots this year! I'll be following your threads!

[IkemanTX]

I'm gonna plant a couple of pear trees.

I absolutely recommend it. The persimmons and acorns can be dropping all over this property, and they absolutely prefer the pears. These aren’t even human edible pears... they’re bitter and almost astringent. Find any pear edible to you, and it will drive the deer wild.

And I love the in-season scouting video. It's so true from what I've realized over the past few years. I used to scout in spring and summer but you can't see hardly any sign. Maybe a few old rubs but that's it. In season or directly post season, the sign is lit up if you come upon it. I mark everything on Onx and it basically shows their runways and usually falls closely inline with the topo lines, elevation lines, edges, etc. just like you'd expect. I've found some killer primary scrape areas inside the timber that have zero activity until mid-late October and are hit heavy through January but you'd walk right by those spots in the summer. I've got high hopes for a few of these spots this year! I'll be following your threads!

If at all possible I 100% stand behind my “in season” scouting recommendation as the absolute most effective method out there. I didn’t start doing it until 2018 when my scouted and familiar properties were flooded under 5-6 feet of water... during pre rut, and some of early rut, I couldn’t get within a mile of the parking lot of a couple spots due to high water. I was forced to hit new properties. I walked into a new property on the last day of October and parked on the downwind side of the property. I spent 3 days easing through the property from transition to transition with the wind in my face. I found more solid hunting spots in 3 days than I did the 3 days prior.

Beautiful buck and really good mass!

Thank you!!! I should have kept hunting hard, because there were SEVERAL bigger bucks on the properties I hunt last season. I got cocky and called it quits after my buck... then I pulled cameras after season and realized How good my spots were. I could have connected with another good buck.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[HighwayHunter]

I agree with your in season scouting video Ikeman. I stumbled upon the spot I killed a buck in last year by chance. Hunted it again the next day and almost got my buddy on a much better buck. Went back in May and set up a camera to find out a family of does bed in this specific thicket. There are two young bucks that frequent the area and two mature bucks that since August have visited the area one time each that I caught on camera. I think this spot is much like the one you found minus the pear tree. Hoping it produces again this year, I have two big 8 points on cam in it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rgillispie]

Really awesome stuff guys! I'm getting super pumped for opener this year, and these pics make focusing at work that much harder.

[rgillispie]

.

Those timestamps though... Guess you really do have to sit all day

[TN_boy]

I don't mind sitting all day. That's how we grew up; walk in its dark and don't leave till dark.

[HighwayHunter]

I don't mind sitting all day. That's how we grew up; walk in its dark and don't leave till dark.

Mid day hunting is the best. Show up at 10am leave at 3pm. Make it back to camp just in time for a coooold beer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lovemylegacy]

Mid day hunting is the best. Show up at 10am leave at 3pm. Make it back to camp just in time for a coooold beer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree, however I show up early, before daylight and leave about 3PM. Evening thermals are just to unpredictable. Midday is the best time for buck movement, in my opinion.