Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

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xpauliber
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Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby xpauliber » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:59 pm

Since joining the BEAST, I've had several eye-opening revelations about what it takes to consistently kill mature bucks. Each of these revelations have completely changed my view on what it takes to be successful. In your opinion, rank the top 3 factors for consistently knocking down big bucks, particularly OUTSIDE of the rut. We know that in the rut, things go haywire and almost anything goes, so let's try to keep this list for killing mature bucks outside of the rut. For me:

1. Become mobile. (The element of surprise is your best friend. Hunting the same trees night after night, week after week is unacceptable. Become mobile and your sightings will dramatically increase. I try not to hunt the same tree more than twice a season and if I do, it's once at the beginning of season and once at the end.)

2. NEVER underestimate a mature buck's nose (If you think you can "forget the wind, just hunt", you might as well "forget ever seeing a mature buck in archery range." :lol: I'm not saying you have to hunt with a wind perfectly in your face, but you just plain can't kill bucks when your scent blows from you to them. Period. I thought that if I got out of the woods without a deer snorting, that my spot wasn't compromised and I could successfully hunt that spot again and again. Wrong. The bucks I was hunting could waltz by after dark and smell everywhere I walked and even the tree I hunted out of. Coming to that realization really helped me select my entry/exit routes as well as ONLY hunting spots where the wind wouldn't give me away.)

3. Hunt where bucks spend 90% of their daylight time: NEAR BEDS! (If a buck is bedded down before dawn and only moves 50 yards right before dark, then the ONLY way to legally kill him is to get close enough to where he moves in daylight. I can't tell you how many years I've wasted by giving bucks a "sanctuary" and not getting any closer than 250 yards from their bedding area. My hunt was over before it began.


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Casper
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Casper » Wed Feb 06, 2013 4:29 pm

1) the land has to hold mature bucks 2) know where they like to bed and what they are feeding on 3) wait for the right time to go in for the kill. Meaning don't burn your bridges when conditions aren't right

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Dewey
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Feb 06, 2013 4:50 pm

When I figure out how to consistantly kill a mature buck I will let you know! :mrgreen:

What has helped me see more mature bucks is..........

1. Scout, Scout, Scout and then Scout some more.

2. Like Casper said you have to be hunting where there are a reasonable amount of mature bucks and the best way to figure that out goes back to number 1.

3.You have to be patient and only hunt the spots you scouted only when conditions are absolutely perfect because many times that will be your only chance.

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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby PLB » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:07 pm

1. Join the Beast!
2. Scout, Scout, Hunt
3 Become a mobile hunter

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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby G3s » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:46 pm

I am not sure I can pick just 3 but for me I would have to say
Learn how to use thermals to your advantage
find and hunt staging areas closer to the bed than the feed
to kill a mature deer, dont shoot young deer...seems simple but i see guys do it on a regular basis
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:04 am

Public Land Beast wrote:1. Join the Beast!
2. Scout, Scout, Hunt
3 Become a mobile hunter

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You sound like a Moderator when you say that :lol:
But you are correct, there are great lessons learned here!!! :dance:

I think my number one is your number two... ;)
So much is learned in the invasive early/post season scouting, especially for obtaining new areas.
Let's face it there are more success stories on someone that has history on that piece of land...
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
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xpauliber
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby xpauliber » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:43 am

After checking out some of the replies and thinking about it, limiting the factors to the top 3 criteria, we are going to start seeing the same things over and over again.

I guess the original post would serve us better being stated: "in your opinion, list all of the factors that you feel are necessary to consistently kill mature bucks." Any moderator can feel free to edit my original post :-)

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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Spysar » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:46 am

Short and sweet?

Live in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinios, Ohio, etc.

Scout.

Hunt hard.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby JoeRE » Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:53 am

After thinking about it a bit, two factors might fit things as I see them:


#1 - Don't be lazy. That means lazy with your effort, lazy with your hunting strategies, or lazy with your time.
#2 - About everything else mentioned already.
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:05 am

I'd say that my list goes in order like this:

1) Scout! Always be scouting, even when hunting.

2) Hunt only where mature bucks are. Pass on smaller bucks. (That was tough for me)

3) Only hunt when conditions are perfect. Sometimes my schedule doesn't match up with the correct wind for some of my spots. I need more spots which goes back to #1 on my list.

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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby westmibow » Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:02 am

Being from Michigan it takes a different mentality and approach to kill mature deer. Here that is a deer 3 years and older, maybe even some 2 year olds can be considered mature due to the age structures we have.

1. Scouting is number one, that includes walking your hunting ground, looking at ariels(even if you have hunted an area for years, you never know what you will learn), and running trail cameras.

2. Entry Exit Routes pressure here is extremley high so how you get in and out of your stands is extremley important.

3. Hunt when the time is right. This can be totally different depending on what type of terrain you hunt. If you are hunting a bedding area, wait for the wind you need and go in passive aggressive I guess. If you are hunting a piece that is more of a transistion area/staging area that is better suited for the rut, then don't hunt it until the rut and if you are after those mature bucks you might have to wait until mid November.

Like I said I live and hunt in MIchigan and with all the pressure our deer receive it doesn't take much for them to become very nocturnal even if you hunt over their bedroom so you have to be very cautious and hunt smart.
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Spysar » Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:26 am

Hunt when the time is right???

That's a common statement here. I don't know about you guys, but the "time is right" everytime I'm not working. That could be weeks straight that I save for deer hunting. No way I'm sitting around cause the time isn't right.

There is always a spot somewhere, where the time is right.
A buck will see you three times, and hear you twice, but he's only gonna smell you once.
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby westmibow » Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:55 am

Hunting when the time is right means either you wait to hunt a stand until you have the right wind to hunt it but also to access it and leave it with as little detection as possible. It means you wait until there is a better chance of seeing those mature bucks on their feet in the light. (pre-rut and rut usually) If you hunt an area, like I do, that is highly pressured but also is a transition area where the mature bucks are going through from midnight to 4 in the morning and your trying to take one of those mature deer you have to wait until the time is right.

This post is geared towards taking a mature white tail buck and if you want to do this on a regular basis you have to make some pretty tough choices and one of those is not hunting a spot or spots every chance you get. I love hunting as much as the next guy but I also love going after these big mature deer, so I have made the decision that I won't hunt an area or even a property until I feel the time is right. I run trail cameras to help me in this decision.

I hear what you are saying a lot of guys/gals don't get a ton of time off so when you get it you want to be out in the woods. Its a tough call but going after a mature buck is a totally different game.
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:07 am

Spysar wrote:Hunt when the time is right???

That's a common statement here. I don't know about you guys, but the "time is right" everytime I'm not working. That could be weeks straight that I save for deer hunting. No way I'm sitting around cause the time isn't right.

[glow=red]There is always a spot somewhere, where the time is right[/glow].

That is correct and why you need to have plenty of options so you have spots available for almost every condition.
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Re: Short & Sweet...How to kill mature bucks.

Unread postby phade » Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:39 am

I'm surprised at the fact nobody mentioned this. One word can mitigate many other roadblocks to mature bucks.

[glow=red]Money.[/glow]

A great land can make a poor hunter shine.

For those of us normal people. There's alot of time and sweat of varying degrees.
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