Pheasant opener Saturday, Any ideas how to kill a buck?

[KLEMZ]

A couple of the public properties I hunt get stocked by the Wisconsin DNR with pheasants. These areas are a ZOO on opening pheasant (Saturday at noon). One corner of one of the property is home to two big bucks that I know of. Some of the beds are in tall grassy areas next to or within red brush clumps. (areas I would expect pheasant hunters to walk). Some of the beds are along a canal and are overlooked by most hunters (Which is why the beds are there).

My theory is that I may be able to capitalize on bucks relocating to the canal beds. I know of a tree I could set up in along the canal that could funnel a buck past me once the pheasant hunters hit the grassy area. If I did this, I am pretty sure some pheasant hunters will push right past my tree at some point in the afternoon..but perhaps the big buck already came by ?

Or should I just try and hunt a bed that is nowhere near suspected pheasant hunting?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Knute78]

I would sneek in their and hunt the morning before the pushing starts, get there an hour or two before they start. I had one public chunk I used to hunt that I would use this technique on opening phesant in MN. As all the phesant hunters were lining up for their 9AM opening day start time I would park and walk right past them bow in hand. I would always get funny looks. I would walk back to the 10 acre wooded area in the middle of the CRP and crops and get up in a tree. By the time the hunters started pushing I was high in the tree waiting. Saw more deer this way that I could ever count as they piled into the surrounding woodlot. Never did see the buck I was looking for but hey what can you do.

[KLEMZ]

I would sneek in their and hunt the morning before the pushing starts, get there an hour or two before they start. I had one public chunk I used to hunt that I would use this technique on opening phesant in MN. As all the phesant hunters were lining up for their 9AM opening day start time I would park and walk right past them bow in hand. I would always get funny looks. I would walk back to the 10 acre wooded area in the middle of the CRP and crops and get up in a tree. By the time the hunters started pushing I was high in the tree waiting. Saw more deer this way that I could ever count as they piled into the surrounding woodlot. Never did see the buck I was looking for but hey what can you do.

Thanks for the reply Knute78, sounds like if a guy is sitting in a good spot there could be some action! How soon after the starting whistle would you start seeing deer fleeing to the woodlot? Would they keep filtering into that woodlot all day or only for a few hours. I was originally thinking of hunting the pheasant push for a few hours and then sneaking close to a bed for the evening, but there wouldn't be much time to sneak to a new spot and I suspect the buck wouldn't be too eager to move early because of all the new hunting commotion.

[hunter_mike]

Thanks for the heads up. I know i will be affected by this pheasant hunt

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[dan]

Quite honestly, I have never had much luck during opening day of pheasant, but within a week of the opener my remote spots start getting good... When I used to guide I used to sell a special pheasant opener hunt and all that ever got seen were the little bucks.

[trad4life]

maybe have a little orange in the tree incase they shoot towards you? safety first.

[Knute78]

I'd give it a sit and see what the action is like for a few hours right before, during, and after the orange army moves through. Understanding escape routes and the terrain surrounding it will be key. I am no expert and do not claim to have nearly as much expertise as many on this site but have seen good action on bird opener while they were driving deer into the cover around me.

If nothing seems to be happening I would slip out and move on to a new less pressured bedding location for an evening sit.

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[dan]

If you have a spot that works well for opening day of gun deer season it would likely work well for opening day of pheasant... For me, most of the places around here that they have pheasant hunting are marshes with thick cover and the mature bucks have played this game before and have good escape wroughts into the heavy cattails.

[trad4life]

Did you end up seeing any deer?

[KLEMZ]

Did you end up seeing any deer?

Well, I am a little embarrased to say I did not hunt that weekend...even after starting the thread . I appreciate the advice knute annd dan gave regarding their experiences with the pheasant opener. I opted to get other stuff done that weekend and not mess with the army of hunters. One of my reasons for enjoying bowhunting is getting away from the rat race. I did not like the idea of most likely having guys walk past my stand.

[trad4life]

Did you end up seeing any deer?

Well, I am a little embarrased to say I did not hunt that weekend...even after starting the thread . I appreciate the advice knute annd dan gave regarding their experiences with the pheasant opener. I opted to get other stuff done that weekend and not mess with the army of hunters. One of my reasons for enjoying bowhunting is getting away from the rat race. I did not like the idea of most likely having guys walk past my stand.

Honestly that is a smart move not to hunt it. The public land for a bowhunter during gun season isn't a safe place haha. Did you hunt the property or spot at all this year with any deer sightings?

[KLEMZ]

Honestly that is a smart move not to hunt it. The public land for a bowhunter during gun season isn't a safe place haha. Did you hunt the property or spot at all this year with any deer sightings?

I have worn blaze orange while bowhunting the public during gun seasons. I really don't like broadcasting my location like that on heavily hunted public property. Sadly, there isn't much late season opportunity to bowhunt on the CWD zone lands that I hunt. It is practically 6 straight weeks of various gun seasons so I would be in orange all late season .

To answer your question, I did hunt that particular corner of the property a few times during early season. Each hunt in a new location. 2 sits I saw zero. One sit in September I glimpsed one of the big boys living in that area moving early one evening. He was coming from a direction I did not even know had bedding. I didn't see enough of him to say how big he is. More spring scouting is in order!