Target Buck:What Do You Do If..

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Liberty-Hunt
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Re: Target Buck:What Do You Do If..

Unread postby Liberty-Hunt » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:36 pm

I'm an opportunist, but not for a small one if I'm aiming on a big should I say... ;)


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jlh42581
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Re: Target Buck:What Do You Do If..

Unread postby jlh42581 » Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:16 am

Location as much as anything dictates what I will shoot. If I am DEEP, I dont care if I have a fist full of doe tags, Im too lazy to drag a doe that far. When it comes to bucks, I have never had an encounter with a buck I had on cam. I suspect my own stupidity was the case in these instances.

This season saw me scrambling, with a new son, scouting a ton wasnt an option. I sacrificed hunting days to find areas for next season because I saw pressure in my areas that I have never seen the likes of before.

Pa implemented HR(herd reduction) ten years ago and we were supposed to take the population down 25%. Some areas, mine included have went as far as 75%. Seeing deer period can now be considered a successful hunt.

When I head to Ohio, it will be something to make me grin or nothing. Im not spending time and money to travel and kill a sup par buck.
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Re: Target Buck:What Do You Do If..

Unread postby PredatorTC » Tue Dec 13, 2011 4:46 am

For the past few 4 years I have had a new a target buck that I was after every year. Every time, I came super close to killing that buck, but someting would go wrong. Every year, a lesser buck stood in front of my string and I took him not wanting tag soup. I cant even begin to tell you how much I have learned by hunting this way. I think by having a target buck you get personal with a deer. You get to know that specific bucks personality and you learn way more than bouncing around just trying random stands for any good buck. You learn how your target deer thinks. Deer are smart animals, yes, but I personaly belive that the reason they outsmart us so often is simply because their brains are wired differently. I have many examples of this but I think I would sound like a crack head talking about them. My goal is to learn as much as I can about on specific deer and try and learn how they think becase I really have no idea.

Twenty years from now my goal is to be able to pick a specific buck I like and give myself at least an 80% chance of killing him. By continuing to hunt this way I belive that eventualy my target bucks will slowly start dropping. I have ton to learn!

THis is kinda off topic also but one thing in the Dans DVD that Andrae said that really struck me was when he said that a lot of people hunt deer that are not in their class. He said a lot of people will hunt a 150 class 4 or 5 year old and will not have the foundation and knowlege to kill that buck. I know a lot of people that do this each year and eat tag soup. This is why I wont hold out for that monster all season. I still want to hunt some 110-120 class bucks becase im still learning.

Just my 2cents :)
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Re: Target Buck:What Do You Do If..

Unread postby Buckfever » Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:27 am

Spysar wrote:So a few of you guys hunt "target" bucks. In other words your hunting a buck you have either seen, have pictures of, have sheds of, and maybe even have passed him in previous seasons. Maybe you are hunting his bed, or have him patterned.

What do you do if a "strange" buck of equal caliber comes by? What if a smaller buck comes, but there is something cool like a droptine? What if a bigger one comes, but not the "target".

I'm an oportunist, and take what I see if I like it. I really never even have a "target". Even when I see a good buck on my ground and know hes there will I make it my target. I personally like the chance at what might come along..

But my question is, at what point do you abandon your "target" and shoot what comes along?



Usually if I have a target there is some history or reason. Maybe the buck beat me a few times, or maybe it is of such superior quality to what is usually the case in the area, that it's worthy of a concentrated effort. If something better comes along that's fine, but it's not like it diminishes the hunt any. Plus realistically, you'll be lucky to get one shot at the target, let alone a shot at something better. So it's not a real big concern.

I think though that targeting a specific buck is something that for those of us who have just killed a boatload of deer, might chose as a means of raising the bar and keeping it interesting. At least for me that's what it is. I've already got 3 full days of scouting and 2 sets made on my target for next year and wed I'll make the third. It's very hard for me to bring this kind of passion to my hunting, without a worthy target. But with it, it becomes a passion.

And if I never kill another deer. I could care less. But I will make the hunt.
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Re: Target Buck:What Do You Do If..

Unread postby rudy78 » Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:07 pm

Last year was the frst year ii really started to use a trail cam, so it was the first time I could really have a target buck since all my buck hunting is done out of state. The biggest buck we got on trl cam last year I helped a guy who paid to gun hunt the lease get. This year the buck I shot was our top buck not only was he the biggest but we had several pics of him including a couple during the day. I killed him on my 4th encounter during the week. Had another good buck come by I would have shot hiim, I pretty much only get a week to bowhunt so I want to shoot a good buck & can't wait for just 1 buck.

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