Evidence

[Czabs]

Let me ask you guys. If you have a spot you scouted out and looks good but when you go out shining or scouting and you don't see any big guys in the fields or any big tracks on the way out of that bedding area do you even bother hunting it? I feel as though I want to still hunt it but if the big guy isn't there is it really worth it? He still might be there even though you haven't seen him. Thoughts?

[Kodiakman]

Echos of Dan saying "Hunt where they are" comes to mind. If they aren't there.....

But that could all change come rut.

[dan]

If I am convinced they are not there, I wouldn't be heading towards that stand in the 1st place... But, if I go to that stand cause I suspect a buck is there, lack of physical sign does not deter me.
Some of my biggest bucks have been shot coming out of a bedding area with very little sign.

[G3s]

If you see no sign of a big deer, and no sightings of a big deer...then there probably is not a big deer hanging there right now...I would focus on an area where I knew there were a big one hanging out and keep an eye on the other area for a big one to show up

[Bucky]

If I don't have evidence I don't hunt it... the way I gain evidence #1 is by trail cameras... they don't lie and they are out there 24/7. I used to rely heavily on shining... If I don't think the property has a mature buck to hunt I don't hunt there... this is the simplest step to shooting bigger deer but often over looked. You have to hunt property that holds the kind of buck you're trying to shoot

[Czabs]

I have a spot that was completely TORE UP and should be a good bedding area to hunt but I hardly ever see big bucks or any deer for that matter in the adjacent fields shining and glassing....It is a spot I found this spring scouting. Big rubs. Big beds. Do you think that might be a rut bedding area? The crops are the same so it shouldn't be that.

Bucky...when putting out trail cameras how close do you usually get to the suspected areas you want to hunt? I have some spots I want to put out trail cameras but I can't put any on the fields just trails going to the fields, but I don't want to screw anything up...

[Z7WIBoy]

What time of night are you shining?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Czabs]

What time of night are you shining?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

anything before 12am abouts.

[Bucky]

I have a spot that was completely TORE UP and should be a good bedding area to hunt but I hardly ever see big bucks or any deer for that matter in the adjacent fields shining and glassing....It is a spot I found this spring scouting. Big rubs. Big beds. Do you think that might be a rut bedding area? The crops are the same so it shouldn't be that.

Bucky...when putting out trail cameras how close do you usually get to the suspected areas you want to hunt? I have some spots I want to put out trail cameras but I can't put any on the fields just trails going to the fields, but I don't want to screw anything up...

Don't put it in a local you plan to hunt or have to walk through the area you plan to hunt to check it. The best would be to find a good scrape (close to the area on an outside edge) and place the camera there around Oct 10th or so and check it Oct 20ish. In those 10 days there is a pretty good chance that most the bucks working the area would have hit a well defined scrape. I mentioned in the past sometimes, I will dive right into a bedding area with the intention of learning what is going on for the following year. I do this a lot when I have no clue... If on that 1st check I get a whopper buck he probably has smelt me but that doesn't mean I give up. I might sit him yet that year, at least I know there is a tanker in the area. Most good public land bucks I have killed were because I bumped a buck or got confirmation one was working the area through shining/trail camera/other sighting along with sign be it tracks/rubs/scrapes etc

[cwoods]

That is really solid advice Bucky.

[Czabs]

Thanks for the advice. We'll see what I come up with. Waiting for some rain and time to check my trail cam out there right now, since June 3rd!!!