Where would you start?

[smokey615]

I have recently gotten some trail cam pics of a buck that I think is now 10+ years old. I didn't think he made it through last hunting season, until he recently showed up again, much to my surprise. I have marked on the map with the black square where I got the pictures this year and for the past 6 years. I have a trophy rock there. Most pictures he comes from the north to get to the rock. Last year I got pictures of him at the red dots. Last year the eastern most red dot would have him show up to feed on recently fallen mast within an hour after dark, always coming from the west, before the season opened. The western most dot I always get his picture at some point during the rut cruising a trail through a cutover.

Sorry for the rambling. Where would you guys start your approach to killing this deer? For what its worth, we have a pretty good bumper crop of mast this year. There are several newer and older cutover areas on the map.

The black lines are mountain bike trails.

[jmaas07]

Are you getting pictures of him in daylight or close to dark in the black square?

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[Twenty Up]

Sounds like you've gotten a great head start on this old guy! I would rely heavily on that Eastern most dot IMO. He will more than likely keep using this bed come Fall if nothing drastic has changed in the area. He could be bedding in a small spot you keep overlooking since the two dots look to be close.

If you have the dates from when he kept coming from the West, check out your areas weather history. Find the barometric pressures, wind directions, temps, moon phase ect... This will help get you a better understanding, this is also your best information because like us deer are habitual creatures.

Good luck getting after him and keep us updated! (with pictures )

[BHC]

Agreed, I'd look to find him near those cams the same general times as last yr. Use his direction of travel/ time of arrival be a guide to where he could have came from, and hunt as close in that direction as you feel comfortable.give him 1-2 really good hunts in each spot per time frame..

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[smokey615]

Are you getting pictures of him in daylight or close to dark in the black square?

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I got 3 sets of pics of him since mid-May. 8/2 & 8/4 daylight in the morning. Once he came in from the SW, but he may have circled the rock to scent check it first, so I wouldn't say that is 100% accurate. I will have to check the wind direction. The other daylight pics he came from the north. 8/11 he once again came from the SW but 120am. It appears each time he leaves he goes to the north.

The pics at the red dot where I was getting pics shortly after dark last year had west winds when he was showing up. West is the predominant wind here.

[jmaas07]

Could be bedding off the point to the east of your black box with a west wind on the leeward side and you may be getting pics of him when he leaves the bed and has to go around the high side of the cut. If you can't get on him early I would wait till the bucks start cruising and focus on the high sides of cuts near suspected bedding based on the wind that day

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[smokey615]

My initial thinking is he is bedding on/around the point in the top center (just west of the black line). The flat on top is a 20~ year old clearcut so its still relatively thick and dense with saplings. Depending on wind direction he can just flop sides. The side hills are relatively open. It is kind of center of where i've gotten all my pics over the years.

[smokey615]

It appears my hunch may have been somewhat correct. I hung cameras at both places where there are blue squares. I got him at both spots, although only once at each. The top blue square was on 9/10 at 1800. He was walking NW-SE, with a NE wind. The lower blue square I got a picture on 9/27 at 2250. He was walking S-N with a SE wind.

I did hang another camera where the ravine comes out of the main hollow and meets the black line I have drawn in the center/top of the map. No photo evidence there and some boots on the ground showed some sign, but not what I was looking for. The main hollow is wide open with very little mast. Most deer appear to be skirting around the top edge which seems reasonable.



For anyone wondering, here is the old fella. He broke a browtine at some point.

[Divergent]

Can you post an aerial photo?

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[smokey615]

[Divergent]

I would hunt just Slightly NW of the middle blue dot and rd (along the edge) from now thru the first week of October. I'd hunt it only on a morning hunt so you can catch a buck slipping in late due to the moon and only if you've got a predominantly S/SE/E wind. Im no expert though

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[smokey615]

That's the exact area I was planning on checking out with a stand on my back. I know its super thick in there so things will be difficult. I was planning on trying an afternoon sit though to hopefully catch him up on his feet before dark. I will not be able to hunt until the weekend when a NE wind is forecasted. The one picture I got was with a NE wind. I suspect he probably bedded on the west side of the older cutover to the NW of the middle square that day. There aren't alot of mast producing trees on the upper side of the road/cut. If he beds on that side he almost has to go through the cutover to get to mast.

[Divergent]

That's the exact area I was planning on checking out with a stand on my back. I know its super thick in there so things will be difficult. I was planning on trying an afternoon sit though to hopefully catch him up on his feet before dark. I will not be able to hunt until the weekend when a NE wind is forecasted. The one picture I got was with a NE wind. I suspect he probably bedded on the west side of the older cutover to the NW of the middle square that day. There aren't alot of mast producing trees on the upper side of the road/cut. If he beds on that side he almost has to go through the cutover to get to mast.

I think you've got a good bit of info on him. I would plug in your times and photos on some software like biggamelogic.com. I couldn't connect the dots on a few deer last year til I plugged in all of the different variables. I feel like he's bedded on the north half and feeds down into the bottom half given your trail times. Then, either walks the right side or (left side where I suggested) depending on the predominant wind. The edges near the tops of the draws look promising too to funnel him up and would keep your entry and exit to a minimum.
I'd definitely be interested in the saddle to the left during the rut and those edges that all come together near the strip of woods just to the north of the saddle. Good luck!

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[dan]

If all I had was the info you have given, I would expect that buck to show during pre-rut up on the ridge that runs from the center of the topo up towards the north East... My kill spot would likely be just West of the 2400 elevation marker at the trail on the top of the draw on a N.W. wind.