Summer Big Buck

[Ashreve93]

As we all know, mid summer is when bucks have a good show of how nice their racks are going to be come fall. How do you guys scout for big bucks at this time? Personally, I spot, or "shine" (the non lethal kind). After you find a big summer buck, how do you find his bed? I know before green comes up is the best time to scout, but surely you've seen "that buck" 4 weeks before season that makes your jaw drop and drool come pouring out..
When is it too late to look for his bed?
Do you prefer in season scouting?

Just curious about everyone's tactic for the "too late to do your homework" buck that shows up late.

Thanks in advance

[Boogieman1]

I put salt licks right on the edge of many thickets in many diff areas. After velvet sheds, if I'm getting pics of a good one I know I have found his core area. Then I use the times of photo to determine how far from his bed.

[MikePerry]

I’ve had this happen to me in the past, a 170 showed up on public middle of October 2012 and I lost my mind trying to kill him, someone killed him first day of gun a mile from where I was hunting, come to find out people all over knew of this buck he was seen all over the public and private by people shining and caught on trail camera on the public and private, turned out he had a large range. So in hindsight I should of just concentrated on the deer I already had on my radar from the previous season. So to answer your question I would forget about him till next year after the lesson I learned in 2012. I can afford to do that because I hunt several areas in two states.

[Killtree]

I put salt licks right on the edge of many thickets in many diff areas. After velvet sheds, if I'm getting pics of a good one I know I have found his core area. Then I use the times of photo to determine how far from his bed.

X2

[Ashreve93]

I put salt licks right on the edge of many thickets in many diff areas. After velvet sheds, if I'm getting pics of a good one I know I have found his core area. Then I use the times of photo to determine how far from his bed.

What a cool idea. Do you think there is a difference between velvet and after they lose velvet? You don't fear putting too much odor out there?

[Ashreve93]

I’ve had this happen to me in the past, a 170 showed up on public middle of October 2012 and I lost my mind trying to kill him, someone killed him first day of gun a mile from where I was hunting, come to find out people all over knew of this buck he was seen all over the public and private by people shining and caught on trail camera on the public and private, turned out he had a large range. So in hindsight I should of just concentrated on the deer I already had on my radar from the previous season. So to answer your question I would forget about him till next year after the lesson I learned in 2012. I can afford to do that because I hunt several areas in two states.

I've heard this story so many times, do you think it would be different if you came close once or twice?
I've learned from this, and what I do is talk, ask everyone around if they saw any big bucks, then triangulate the responses to locate the bed. I've narrowed it down to swamps, just not the exact location.

[Boogieman1]

I put salt licks right on the edge of many thickets in many diff areas. After velvet sheds, if I'm getting pics of a good one I know I have found his core area. Then I use the times of photo to determine how far from his bed.

What a cool idea. Do you think there is a difference between velvet and after they lose velvet? You don't fear putting too much odor out there?

Yes I feel there is a big difference between velvet and hard antlered. Scent is a big deal I don't check them often usually just once or twice timed up with a rain storm. Once I get pics I stay away I don't need another pic, what I need is a plan

[Rob loper]

I’ve had this happen to me in the past, a 170 showed up on public middle of October 2012 and I lost my mind trying to kill him, someone killed him first day of gun a mile from where I was hunting, come to find out people all over knew of this buck he was seen all over the public and private by people shining and caught on trail camera on the public and private, turned out he had a large range. So in hindsight I should of just concentrated on the deer I already had on my radar from the previous season. So to answer your question I would forget about him till next year after the lesson I learned in 2012. I can afford to do that because I hunt several areas in two states.

It probably wasnt a large home range it was probably the pressure on him pushing him to the outer limits and beyond
And most likely he got killed in an area he was not familiar with or going through and wasn’t familiarwith the sanctuaries or escape routes of that area he was killed in.
We arent allowed to shine here where i live but i know know wat im going to do this summer is if i catch a big boy in a local field. Im going home and cyber scouting for the nearest wet terrain or terrain that mature like to bed in. Sanctuaries

[Whitetailaddict]

I’ve had this happen to me in the past, a 170 showed up on public middle of October 2012 and I lost my mind trying to kill him, someone killed him first day of gun a mile from where I was hunting, come to find out people all over knew of this buck he was seen all over the public and private by people shining and caught on trail camera on the public and private, turned out he had a large range. So in hindsight I should of just concentrated on the deer I already had on my radar from the previous season. So to answer your question I would forget about him till next year after the lesson I learned in 2012. I can afford to do that because I hunt several areas in two states.

I've heard this story so many times, do you think it would be different if you came close once or twice?
I've learned from this, and what I do is talk, ask everyone around if they saw any big bucks, then triangulate the responses to locate the bed. I've narrowed it down to swamps, just not the exact location.

This may be an ok strategy but you have to ask yourself how honest are the people you're asking? Would you voluntarily tell people of a big buck you've located? I sure wouldn't. If I am hunting a location and end up meeting someone at the vehicle I usually ask how their hunt went but I never put much faith in what they tell me. I only do this to be personable but I would never expect anyone to tell me about a buck they're hunting. If they do they won't be the only one hunting it for much longer. Loose lips sink ships so keep that in mind when asking for tips especially from others that hunt.

[Ashreve93]

This may be an ok strategy but you have to ask yourself how honest are the people you're asking? Would you voluntarily tell people of a big buck you've located? I sure wouldn't. If I am hunting a location and end up meeting someone at the vehicle I usually ask how their hunt went but I never put much faith in what they tell me. I only do this to be personable but I would never expect anyone to tell me about a buck they're hunting. If they do they won't be the only one hunting it for much longer. Loose lips sink ships so keep that in mind when asking for tips especially from others that hunt.

That's very true, I don't know how many times I have heard someone say they saw a monster buck and it end up being a 2.5 yo. Don't get me wrong I've shot my fair share of 2.5 y o bucks, but I'm after that actual monster. To me it depends on who you talk to. If you talk to a farmer who doesn't care too much about hunting, then he will tell you every spot he saw a big buck. Then you talk to a hunting fanatic and he won't say a single word. Talk to a person who has only seen a handful of decent bucks in their life, and they bring up that monster 2.5 yo. So I suppose the important thing to do is to understand who you're talking to and interpret what they say. I have always been good at conversing, I suppose that's why I'm good at finding these deer based on Word of Mouth.

[<DK>]

As we all know, mid summer is when bucks have a good show of how nice their racks are going to be come fall. How do you guys scout for big bucks at this time? Personally, I spot, or "shine" (the non lethal kind). After you find a big summer buck, how do you find his bed? I know before green comes up is the best time to scout, but surely you've seen "that buck" 4 weeks before season that makes your jaw drop and drool come pouring out..
When is it too late to look for his bed?
Do you prefer in season scouting?

Just curious about everyone's tactic for the "too late to do your homework" buck that shows up late.

Thanks in advance

If youre talking about glassing or shining - essentially - I would have scouted the area before summer, found the off season buck beds, then see a buck in velvet. 2 - determine what time he was seen, where and how he arrived at the destination. 3 - decide how far he traveled to get to that destination (time of day or night seen). 4 - id make a decision on possible beds he is using. 5 - Finally, confirm by finding tracks or jumping the deer (accidental or purposely). ALL before he is hard horned. Tracking is a passion for me now and my favorite tool for confirmation. The issue w early season is summer bedding and pattern shifts so knowing the area before hand can be huge for the attack plan.

It goes w/o being said but we scout all the time. I prefer to be done intruding by the time they shed velvet. HOWEVER... I have had excellent luck by jumping them hard horned a few weeks before season, then coming back and hunting them opening week. They just seem more tolerant in velvet but dont get it twisted bc them old ghostly bucks dont tolerate much anytime of year. Iv spoken w a few members about cams about how the older buck will pick it off and his mentality changes. Hang em high and let em sit. The further into season you go and jump the buck, then more likely the spot needs a buffer. Very situational though...

[MikePerry]

I’ve had this happen to me in the past, a 170 showed up on public middle of October 2012 and I lost my mind trying to kill him, someone killed him first day of gun a mile from where I was hunting, come to find out people all over knew of this buck he was seen all over the public and private by people shining and caught on trail camera on the public and private, turned out he had a large range. So in hindsight I should of just concentrated on the deer I already had on my radar from the previous season. So to answer your question I would forget about him till next year after the lesson I learned in 2012. I can afford to do that because I hunt several areas in two states.

It probably wasnt a large home range it was probably the pressure on him pushing him to the outer limits and beyond
And most likely he got killed in an area he was not familiar with or going through and wasn’t familiarwith the sanctuaries or escape routes of that area he was killed in.
We arent allowed to shine here where i live but i know know wat im going to do this summer is if i catch a big boy in a local field. Im going home and cyber scouting for the nearest wet terrain or terrain that mature like to bed in. Sanctuaries

The buck was killed on the public land and not far from the road, he was following a doe at noon on the first day of gun on the edge of a swamp but the stand was visible from the road because I know the guy that shot him. There were 73 vehicles parked around that piece of public when I left there at about 11:30 that day. He was in his home range. This buck had a 4 inch sticker between his brow and base, the trees he rubbed were easy to identify, I found his rubs after the season all over a wide area of swamp that went probably 1 1/2 miles by 1 mile that I was allowed on, that does not include the private that was also catching him on camera and where he was being spotlighted. I believe mature bucks range way more than most people think. I hunt NE Ohio, I have permission on three farms that are in a 3 to 4 square mile radios and I’ve gotyen pictures of some of the same mature bucks on all three farms through the year from summer to winter and the two furthest farms apart are three squares from each other and 3 miles as a crow flies.

[Ack]

I put salt licks right on the edge of many thickets in many diff areas. After velvet sheds, if I'm getting pics of a good one I know I have found his core area. Then I use the times of photo to determine how far from his bed.

I once read that Bobby Worthington would also use this tactic and had real good luck with it.

[brancher147]

Around here in the mountains, where a buck is late summer could be miles from where he will be during hunting season. I watch big bucks every year in crop fields, then the corn is cut in September, acorns start to fall in the big woods and those bucks are gone, never to be seen again. This past year was a bumper mast crop and my best ridge near crop fields was dead after watching big bucks below it all summer. If there is a mast failure then I can make a plan on those bucks as they will hang around the same area as summer, but usually I just put cameras up and see what happens in season to make a plan on those type of situations. After 10 years or so of different mast crop scenarios, you begin to know what will happen depending on mast conditions with these type of bucks.

[<DK>]

Around here in the mountains, where a buck is late summer could be miles from where he will be during hunting season.

Great point Brancher, this is one major aspect of hunting Sept bucks! The opening of every ones season is an important part of this. Mine is Sept 15, mature bucks have shed velvet by then and the first 7-10 days is a great time to attack. Like you stated, it doesnt take long for the Oct shifts to happen though.