Lack of target bucks

[Redman232]

I have really had to pick and choose my hunts this year due to limited time, so I've been only hunting weather fronts but we just haven't been getting many north or northwest winds with the few cold fronts we have gotten. Regardless, I've gotten on a 140'' 8 pointer and a 10 pointer that is pushing 170. I saw these deer together two times the 3rd and 4th week of October. The first time they were 80-100 yards out at last light. The next hunt I moved about 50 yards closer to what I thought would be their preferred river crossing. With about 45 minutes of light left, the 8 lead the way to the river and crossed. While the 10 pointer made his way to the river and stood in 10'' of water until about 10 minutes past shooting light. I had told myself I wouldn't shoot the 8 pointer if the 10 pointer was with him and I WOULD NOT shoot either standing in the river. The 8 pointer was between 20-30 yards the whole time and the 10 pointer was at 40 yards and slightly quartered to me(and I was standing and holding my bow the whole time and shaking like a leaf). The combination of the distance, the shot angle and my composure lead to me not even seriously considering the shot. I had a good wind but after last light it died down and we (the deer and I ) were at the bottom of a ridge. They never blew or busted out but I'm pretty sure my scent pooled at the bottom as soon as the wind died down. I watched in the moon light as both bucks walked across a wide open canary grass field heading west (wind was out of the NW). I moved across the river the next night and neither buck showed up. These deer a coming off of a nature preserve property so I don't think they will go anywhere but the parcel I"m hunting while it's a great piece of ground, is small (30 acres total). I cannot gun hunt this property and I have to have a west or northwest wind because of the location of buck and doe bedding and topography of the parcel. I have not been seeing the quality of deer anywhere else I hunt (a handful of 100-110" deer) making it increasing more difficult to not over pressure this property. Assuming the weather doesn't cooperate in the next week (our gun season comes in on Nov. 16th) I'm switching gears and heading to S. Indiana this weekend for a 3 day hunt. I'm planing on scouting with a stand on my back and hunting some of the old buck hideouts I've come across in the past without any specific target buck identified. What do you all do when you've got to switch or identify a new target deer during season? I'm not expecting to see another booner type deer (as this is only the second or 3rd I've ever seen) but if I could get on a P&Y deer I would be tickled pink. Sorry for being so long winded but what do you all do when you when you all have to switch gears in the middle of the season.

[matt1336]

.....stay at it. It seems like I'm switching gears all the time. That's the life of a public land hunter. Sometimes this is the best thing that could happen to you because you find some great property as you're switching gears.

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[hunter_mike]

Earlier this October i got sick of where i was hunting so i went out to a new piece of public, walked2 different nights and put some miles on until i finally found a big fresh scrape surrounded by plenty of good sign. I hung a trail cam and hunted over it and didn't see anything but two weeks later i checked the cam and had pics of 5 different bucks, one was a big 10 maybe 130" and there are enough pics of him to recognize a pattern but i ended up killing a smaller buck back there anyways. But i guess what im gettin at is that i had to give up some hunting time and use it to scout.

[ Post made via Android ]

[wibow]

.....stay at it. It seems like I'm switching gears all the time. That's the life of a public land hunter. Sometimes this is the best thing that could happen to you because you find some great property as you're switching gears.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Stick and move. Maybe a set up closer to the actual cross spot at the river is the call. Just a question in not shooting deer standing in the river? I'm assuming it's really shallow if they're crossing there. I've shot a few does crossing the river and watched them drop right as they got to the other side. I was on the ground hiding in a blowdown and some grass. Get back in there when you can,sounds like a slam dunk on that pattern before it changes.

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[kenn1320]

Very misleading title. A lack of target bucks is not seeing anything you would shoot. Seems you have a few to choose from.

[Redman232]

The reason I ruled out shooting one in the river was because it was a 40 yard shot and if I was going to take a shot that long, I wanted to make sure I would have a good chance of recovering my arrow, not specifically because they were in the water. The next evening after the encounter we had the same wind and I moved across the river 20 yards down wind of their crossing spot from the night before and neither deer showed up. The majority of the hunts I've had this year have been observation sits, because of weather patterns and time available for accessing spots. I have not located any other shooters on other properties unfortunately.

[wibow]

The reason I ruled out shooting one in the river was because it was a 40 yard shot and if I was going to take a shot that long, I wanted to make sure I would have a good chance of recovering my arrow, not specifically because they were in the water. The next evening after the encounter we had the same wind and I moved across the river 20 yards down wind of their crossing spot from the night before and neither deer showed up. The majority of the hunts I've had this year have been observation sits, because of weather patterns and time available for accessing spots. I have not located any other shooters on other properties unfortunately.

Right on. Same here as I've only one big boy that showed himself in the thick stuff and never presented a shot. Set up last night on him and nothing. I'll be hitting some other stuff the next few evenings. Goodluck on the 170 man.

[ Post made via iPhone ]