buck bed help

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mauser06
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buck bed help

Unread postby mauser06 » Sat Dec 14, 2013 11:43 am

So...opening day of rifle season (2 Mondays back) I snuck to a stand of pines to check...there is a stand of mature pines on the top...then a slop with 30-40yds of woods..then a bit of a brush buffer and then overgrown Christmas trees...I jumped a deer on the edge of the hill..steaming bed in the big pines on the edge of the hill...body was big...tracks were good buck tracks...

I've caught deer bedding in the brush edge of the Christmas trees and always bust deer out of the big pines when grouse hunting...

Today I was still hunting and making my way that direction...getting the wind lined up and I see movement..ahhhh! Lady and 2 dogs!!!

I work my way over there and sure enough she went down the trail that goes through the big pines...

I ease over to where I can see his bed from opening day and sure enough he was bedded there...but she jumped him and he blew out....I was dumb enough to walk over to the bed...and feel it...it was still warm! I tracked him slow and careful for 2 hours...he doesn't stop for 300 yards or so till he gets out of the open woods and into a hemlock bottom....

I thought I'd win...the hemlocks are open enough to see decent but deer feel safe in them...

I knew where he was going and knew he'd likely bed on one of the knolls in the hemlock bottom or hook back up onto the ridge...

He bedded on a knoll...I never seen him but he seen me...he took off hard...through a small cat tail marsh...then jumped into a decent sized creek and I caught a glimpse of him on the other side..I can't cross the creek...he won...


My question.....tomorrow is the last day....I have a few hours in the morning to hunt....will he be back?

He doesn't know I found his bed...till he goes back and smells it....he knows someone spooked him and I caught up with him 500yds later....he is smart...I believe he is the same buck that gave us the slip last season...the path he ran today actually showed me a LOT of his tracks...which is directly behind camp..he has the other guys patterend...if they hunt they walk out and he crosses their paths..I typically hunt the top and I drive around and come in off another road..

Not sure what to do...can't hurt to be standing in his bedroom when the sun comes up....

Any thoughts??


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Stanley
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Re: buck bed help

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Dec 14, 2013 11:57 am

I'd give it a go. I don't like your chances, but unless you have a better plan?
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
mauser06
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Re: buck bed help

Unread postby mauser06 » Sat Dec 14, 2013 12:40 pm

Its the last day and I have my buck tag still....I am fresh out of better ideas....

Ideally he doesn't go back until tomorrow morning after I am waiting for him....if he does he is going to know I was there...

I kno many guys like bottom access....I think my best odds are driving around and walking a field edge out and around the woods and slip in there...bad plan if he is in the fields when I walk in.....but he had a lot of tracks coming past camp and heading up there...if he cuts my tracks leaving camp he might go hide...
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Buckfever
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Re: buck bed help

Unread postby Buckfever » Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:17 pm

Good luck.
mauser06
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Re: buck bed help

Unread postby mauser06 » Sat Dec 14, 2013 1:41 pm

Thanx! I need it! Not sure what hunting pressure will be like in the morning....probably pretty minimal...but I've seen them drive the place out too...may help or hurt...I'd love the big one....but I will be happy with a legal buck on the last day...and be completely thrilled...

That's part of the problem with our season...pressure is ridiculous the first day then near nothing the rest of the season with spikes on both Saturdays...they hole up like rabbits...

I walked/srill hunted the entire day today and covered a few miles...that buck track was the only fresh track I cut in fresh snow....that's sad! I know the deer are here...I saw 20 yesterday...but today there was just enough pressure to keep them holed up I think where as all week there was no pressure so yesterday they were feeling safe...
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Re: buck bed help

Unread postby dan » Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:27 pm

Stanley wrote:I'd give it a go. I don't like your chances, but unless you have a better plan?

x2
mauser06
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Re: buck bed help

Unread postby mauser06 » Sun Dec 15, 2013 2:40 pm

Sneak in there in the dark...

Daylight comes...nothing...half hour or so later...crunch crunch crunch.. CRAP! He IS gunna come in down wind! I gotta slowly turn and get him killed before he gets down wind of me! I knew the sound was on the quad trail behind me...I ease around with the gun ready...

Yep...the only 2 hunters in the block...

3 doe came screaming in and stopped..I had to meet a buddy so at 830 I left...I didn't get to investigate if he cane back or anything....he bedded there religiously though..like 5 different beds under that tree...all different ages...all his tracks...

Its a stupid good bedding spot...there are a few dirt mounds right next to a giant white pine...its on a knoll...top 3rd elevation...good back cover (big pines). Anything coming from behind is gunna take the quad trail and have to come through a few rows of the big pines before getting to the bed...below him is open 30-40yds...

Hopefully he makes it...I still have a chance in flintlock season...but my time will be limited...3-4 days...if I can even make it back up here to camp...which I'm gunna try as I have a doe tag here too...



The beast and hill country almost got me a buck today though later...me and my buddy were still hunting out a hillside...hoping if we bumped anything it'd go to the other guy...I see a point coming up...I slip up the ridge (I was traveling the top 3rd the entire time on good trails). And ease in for the shot...5 bust out...another stands..it was snowing pretty hard...he had horns...white rack...snow on the ground...snowing hard..he's 70yds or so...dead if I pull the trigger...but I couldn't put 3 legal points on him to save my life...which in turn saved his...a doe behind him didn't see ended up busting me..

The next point we came to I knew if my buddy stayed on his line of travel would send the deer off there...i figured they'd go down or double back the back side of the hill....knowing I could cover the back door I slipped over to see the other side of the hill...i keep sneaking along and sure enough 2 sets of tracks..both looked like buck tracks...they went around the point toward me like I hoped but once they got around the point they angled down the point...



I spent 3 days here at camp hunting the hill country....I've never rifle hunted like this...usually after stand hunting the first day we drive deer at home...well...after finding like 8 dead bucks in the woods and not seeing much i decided to come up here for the last 3 days....didn't kill anything...but it was VERY enjoyable...and in learned a lot and I am learning to get it done myself...stand hunting would have been tough with these temps..wind chills in the teens and below zero...i actually had 2 shots at doe and my firing pin was froze both shots on Thursday.... bummer...but a successful hunt...I am learning to still hunt and get it done alone...had my gun on 3 bucks these 3 days....not an easy feat at the tail end of a PA season...

Next season I plan to spend more time up here and less at home...the pressure and small woods and everything at home just isn't enjoyable most of the time...I love the big woods...

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