Searching for rumors.

[Crazinamatese]

Has anyone ever heard people at work, in line at the grocery store, or at a tavern of people talking about seeing big bucks close to the land you hunt, and you sit and wonder if its true and if you should try to seek out if these bucks exist? This last season, I found out during late season archery, thru word of mouth, that a monster buck was living on some MFL property next to some public land I have been hunting. I heard this from a co-worker, who was a new employee at the time, talking about a huge buck she has been seeing crossing a road almost every morning when she was driving to work. I asked exactly where, and had her draw a map, and found out this buck was very close to where I hunt, and was on land open to the public. This co-worker, also a bow hunter, wanted to get after this buck. But she never had the time to hunt this last season with two jobs to tend to. I never seen this deer with my own eyes. I did find some huge rubs on that parcel though that could be his. I hope he is still alive for next season.
On another property that I used to live on, I would hear many rumors of big bucks in the area. Booner size bucks. I would see a few nice ones every now and then while out shining, but I would never see the "giants" that the neighbors would see. Almost makes me think its all hogwash, but nonetheless, I do enjoy searching for them by shining, or scouting. I dont use trail cameras either It adds a little excitement during the season because you never know if those elusive giants that people have been talking about will come wandering by while on stand.

[Jackson Marsh]

This past season I heard about a large buck, if he made it I will be after him hard............I scouted the most likely bedding areas, and a few unlikely bedding areas as well.

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[G3s]

I seldom chase rumors. I have spent to many nights on a long blood trail of a "monster" my buddies have shot only to find a 2 yr old buck dead at the other end. Nothing wrong with that but I see so much exaggeration from people its not even funny. Amazing all the "ground shrinkage" that happens when peoples imagination doesnt run away with what they think they saw.

[dirt nap giver]

What others call a monster and what we "Beast members" call a monster a two very different things.
However, I do and have looked into areas before. Ya just never know

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[JJWI]

When hearing tales of large deer, if I am hearing it from 2 or more people, or a reliable source, it perks my interest. First I look at the area it is suppose to be at. If it is an area that can support a buck like this, I look in to it. The main thing I look for is a area that a big buck will feel safe in, example, huge thick swamp, rough areas, outlook that gives him an advantage on us, anything that would be overlooked by the average Joe Hunter. If I go in and look, it is during a week day when no one else is around or knowing I am in there. I did this last season, I didn't hear of a big buck, but a large chunk of public land by me perked my interest. I knew the land owners around this section were shooting nice bucks and thought the public land could hold a nice buck. I found a big buck bed 75 yards from the main parking lot, that buck was hit on the road a week before bow season opened. His rack netted 172". I had another buck beds located on the other end and walked the atv trails at 4 am every morning before work to catch his track going in to that section. I finally got his track in that section, set up on him one night and had my chance, only to be busted by him drawing back on him! You gotta use everything you got to locate these deer sometimes, be it hearing tales of the local "monster" or going in a hunch, as the old saying goes, "nothing ventured, nothing gained!"

[Crazinamatese]

I remember back in 2007 one of my neighbors had a big tall tined 8 that was frequenting the property I was living on, and his parent's property. I have seen that buck a few times that summer and he was big. Problem was that buck often traveled off the grid during the rut and winter months. He decided to pin up trail camera pics of this buck on a pin-up board at a bar where local hunters would pin up pics of their big buck kills and anything else deer related. I would take them down and keep them. I found out about other bucks I never seen in the area just from that guy putting those pics up, and a humungous black bear too. Another neighbor used to talk about big bucks on his property at the same bar. he never knew I was his neighbor and I would ask him all the time what he was seeing. he wouldn't let anyone hunt his land ever. One guy managed to score permission for one season, they would usually park their truck on the side of the road where I would see nice bucks cross all the time in the early morning . I don't think anyone came out of there with a big buck during the years I resided there. I could have hunted that land and probably been able to take those bucks if I had permission just from gathering information from the local waterhole.

[dan]

I have gotten onto several bucks thru rumors... Even killed a few.
Sometimes its an exaggeration. Sometimes its not... Scout the land, look at the sign. Sign don't lie.

[UntouchableNess]

I rarely hear rumors (people are pretty tight lipped around here anymore) and I've never chased a rumor.

I dont use trail cameras either It adds a little excitement during the season because you never know if those elusive giants that people have been talking about will come wandering by while on stand.

I use trail cameras year around. And you are exactly right, those elusive giants you haven't gotten on camera all year long will cruise through during the rut.

[dan]

Here is a good, but old article about one of the rumors I chased down:
viewtopic.php?f=159&t=1339

[Dewey]

I don't chase rumors since it seems like everyone knows about these deer. Most of these bucks are so heavily pressured by the guys trying to kill them that it can be very difficult except for a few peak days during the rut.

I would rather hunt a buck that I have scouted myself and nobody really knows about because I feel my chances are probably better on these deer.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Stanley]

I hear so many people say say "a huge 12 point crossed the road". I am positive some of those 12 pointers are actually 1.5 year old 8 pointers.

[blackwolf]

There are rarely rumors in big woods. I get on real bucks I have seen or photographed or at least seen the sign. An exception would be this coming year as someone saw a monster in an area I hunt and I will be spring scouting it heavy.

[PK_]

I have scouted a few. I always assume the horns are half what they say it is, usually spot on, depending on the source.

[dan]

You have to take the source into mind, or the quantity of sightings... One random sighting by a person I don't know, or trust, is not worth my time... But, in the case of the deer I chased last year that got taken during gun season by someone else ( 180's non-typ. ) I went after this buck based on hearing rumors of sightings from about 7 or 8 people...

[phade]

I have permission on one side of my road and not across from my house. Just walking my dogs through the summer up and down the road put me on alert when I spotted a good 140" 10 buck on the non-permission side. Saw him enough just from walking and watching his feeding and movement patterns, I knew where he could be set up and killed very easily.

A father-son combo have had permission for many years prior to me moving there (I was denied permission, understandably). I shot my NY buck Oct. 1 so I spent more time than normal behind my house where getting does was easy and I didn't have to drive to do so. I saw that buck more from my yard, walks, and glassing from the other side of the road than they pair of hunters did. The son is 18 or so. That poor kid walked right by that buck on so many occassions. The kid would park and walk in along a hedge the buck was beeded in, the buck would stand up, and silently mosy through the corn field and pop out 50 yards from my house. Me and that deer locked eyes so many times it became comical. They talked about that deer all season long at the diner, gas station, etc. Three people missed the buck opening morning of gun season. Saw the buck at nightthe final week of regular season, so hopefully he made it through. Unfortunately, he simply didn't spend much time on my side of the road the few times I went back there.

I thought about telling the kid how he can go kill it, but then he was leaving one night and gassed the corner with his truck on purpose, peeling around like crazy. Yep, not gonna share info with you now kiddo. I saw him last week at the gas station, he said he saw the buck twice but no shot in bow season.