Why did my buck make a mistake?

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


Jed33
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 4:24 am
Status: Offline

Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Jed33 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:18 am

Image

This past bow season I got lucky and was blessed with a 140” buck that apparently didn’t read the rules to not walk down a hunters access route. Attached is the set up. I have an idea of what could have happened but I cannot explain the fact that he walked down my access trail. The yellow star is where I first seen the buck. The red star is where I was hunting. The light blue star is another hunter that was set up at the same time as I was.

I suspect the buck came out into the clear cut at that location for one of two reasons :

1) the other hunter bumped him
2) the buck just finished breeding a doe and was on the lookout for another hot doe

I killed him November 10th about an hour and a half before sunset. Bleated and grunted to him at first sighting because he was not coming from a confirmed buck bed and was not traveling in my direction.

The green star is where he fell dead in the creek.


dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby dan » Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:49 am

Bucks make mistakes... That's how the majority of people get lucky.

That aside though, I see them and hunt them on human access all the time. They get used to people walking thru certain areas. Its when you get your scent in new areas that they freak.
JoeRE
500 Club
Posts: 4576
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:26 am
Location: IA
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby JoeRE » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:36 am

You said "November 10th"

Lots of bucks make huge mistakes that time of year!
User avatar
Tim H
500 Club
Posts: 2811
Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 3:37 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090396597022
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Tim H » Wed Feb 28, 2018 8:41 am

I have never killed a buck of that caliber. :oops:

So I wish I could contribute, however I'd be wrong.
Jed33
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 4:24 am
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Jed33 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:36 am

NorthwoodsWiscoHnter wrote:I have never killed a buck of that caliber. :oops:

So I wish I could contribute, however I'd be wrong.


Yeah me either until this year. Took me 27 years to get lucky. That’s one reason I joined the beast to try to not rely on luck!!
User avatar
Rob loper
500 Club
Posts: 1747
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 1:49 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heBuckPsych/
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Rob loper » Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:58 am

Jed33 wrote:
NorthwoodsWiscoHnter wrote:I have never killed a buck of that caliber. :oops:

So I wish I could contribute, however I'd be wrong.


Yeah me either until this year. Took me 27 years to get lucky. That’s one reason I joined the beast to try to not rely on luck!!


I hope and pray to see a 120 buck one day yet a 140 wow wat a stud he must be
User avatar
Hawthorne
500 Club
Posts: 6217
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: michigan
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Wed Feb 28, 2018 4:29 pm

Looks like to me you got the back door kill because he probably heard the other hunter come in. He had your ground scent but not your air scent. Sometimes that gets them.I’ve killed a few nice bucks that crossed my access. One was this year
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby dan » Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:47 pm

The conservancy I hunt has a human walking access trail that goes thru it on the high ground and goes past most of the good buck bedding areas. I have found that hugging the bedding sets those bucks off in high alert and they abandon bedding areas quickly if you don't get them 1st sit... However, sitting back just a little further on the human trail they pay no attention to my scent and come past on a regular basis.
User avatar
brancher147
500 Club
Posts: 1414
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:46 am
Location: West Virginia
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby brancher147 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 11:42 pm

I think you just got lucky with a cruising buck during the rut. And your choice of spot put you in the right place with the right wind to get lucky. Or he heard the other guy and came you way.

As far as the buck walking your access trail. I have mature bucks walk my access trail or cross my ground scent all the time. If it is dry leaves on dry ground you don't leave much scent to begin with, and bucks during the rut don't seem to pay it much attention in my experience. Now let a 5 year old doe come across that ground scent and it's a different story, but bucks during the rut do not always pay it as much attention.
Some do. Some don't. I just might...
User avatar
fireforeffect
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Jun 09, 2017 12:54 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby fireforeffect » Thu Mar 01, 2018 12:39 am

Was he nose down trailing? Other hunter may have used a drag rag.

I got a big one on Nov 10th this year as well. It was a good day to be in the woods.
User avatar
ghoasthunter
500 Club
Posts: 2211
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:09 am
Location: New jersey
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Thu Mar 01, 2018 1:47 am

dan wrote:The conservancy I hunt has a human walking access trail that goes thru it on the high ground and goes past most of the good buck bedding areas. I have found that hugging the bedding sets those bucks off in high alert and they abandon bedding areas quickly if you don't get them 1st sit... However, sitting back just a little further on the human trail they pay no attention to my scent and come past on a regular basis.

this is also common in NJ one thing we have a lot of is people as long as the human scent stays right around the trail the deer pay no attention. if you get that one adventurous kid of the trail the deer are gone. the buck I killed this year was j hooking to his bed literally 50 yards from one of the heaviest trafficked trails in the US. He was bedding on a low point over watching a swamp one side was the trail, and 75 yards across threw the bull rushes was the primary buck trail. this year scouting I found one of the biggest bucks on the whole mountain once again bedded within 50 yards of a hiking trail. well one thing is for sure I know where ill be setting up for the evening sit. I'm starting to see a trend around me where the biggest bucks purposely choose bedding where they can monitor human traffic. they also seem more likely to return to these beds faster if they do get pressured vs some of my real remote spots. as long as you don't physically break there comfort zone from that bed will stay active.
I have seen bucks and does track humans quiet often actually the more I think about it. I see it a lot when deer drives are going on. The deer will hunker down and let the drivers pass then get up and walk down there tracks what I think they are doing is trying to physically keep track of where you are so they know when they can continue on there way. so if that buck came up your trail he may have thought you continued on or he was trying to pin point where you were. He could have very likely watched you pass from closer than you think. How many times have you guys been walking scouting and stopped moving then minuets later had a deer bust out right under your feet. I think bucks in bedding areas sometimes are so comfortable that they feel bullet proof in there. deer also are very curios animals buy nature so I'm not at all surprised that a buck could come in on your trail. a shore sing that a buck was purposely tracking you is how he's coming in. they almost look like they are still hunting. they will take a couple steps pause for a minute then sneak a little and pause then once they feel secure they will continue on there marry way. deer do this coming into calls a lot too. Its just there natural reaction to the situation.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
User avatar
ghoasthunter
500 Club
Posts: 2211
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:09 am
Location: New jersey
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Thu Mar 01, 2018 2:14 am

now that I think about it the buck in my avatar came down the same logging road I came in on. he then paused where I cut of the trail and scent checked. then he continued down the trail I shot him at 130 yards with the old 870 slug gun. I was set up on top of his scrape was that buck scent checking for me or the scrape? was that buck bedded when I walked in I shot him at 11:30 so maybe he thought I have passed buy. I now know that bucks like to bed along that trail so I loop around it during the NY gun season. I have shot several deer along that trail over the years before I realized the whole ground scent thing. this is also during the rut so everything is starting to make sense. like they always say are you patterning the bucks or are the bucks patterning you.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
Jed33
Posts: 76
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2015 4:24 am
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Jed33 » Thu Mar 01, 2018 3:36 am

dan wrote:The conservancy I hunt has a human walking access trail that goes thru it on the high ground and goes past most of the good buck bedding areas. I have found that hugging the bedding sets those bucks off in high alert and they abandon bedding areas quickly if you don't get them 1st sit... However, sitting back just a little further on the human trail they pay no attention to my scent and come past on a regular basis.


The parcel of land is private with other hunters on it that could be using the same trail from time to time, however I do not believe it is being accessed as much as a public parcel.

fireforeffect wrote:Was he nose down trailing? Other hunter may have used a drag rag.

I got a big one on Nov 10th this year as well. It was a good day to be in the woods.


He has his head held high looking around, never lowered it less than a half sneak while he was in view. I use zero cover scent and zero attractant scent as well. I did step on every walnut hull on my way to the stand to try to "mask" my scent all natural :D I doubt it made a difference but hey they were laying there couldn't have hurt imho :roll:
User avatar
ghoasthunter
500 Club
Posts: 2211
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:09 am
Location: New jersey
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:06 am

Jed33 wrote:
dan wrote:The conservancy I hunt has a human walking access trail that goes thru it on the high ground and goes past most of the good buck bedding areas. I have found that hugging the bedding sets those bucks off in high alert and they abandon bedding areas quickly if you don't get them 1st sit... However, sitting back just a little further on the human trail they pay no attention to my scent and come past on a regular basis.


The parcel of land is private with other hunters on it that could be using the same trail from time to time, however I do not believe it is being accessed as much as a public parcel.

fireforeffect wrote:Was he nose down trailing? Other hunter may have used a drag rag.

I got a big one on Nov 10th this year as well. It was a good day to be in the woods.


He has his head held high looking around, never lowered it less than a half sneak while he was in view. I use zero cover scent and zero attractant scent as well. I did step on every walnut hull on my way to the stand to try to "mask" my scent all natural :D I doubt it made a difference but hey they were laying there couldn't have hurt imho :roll:

head held high during the rut he could have been posturing and alerted the smell of the wall nuts created a scent trail he could of thought you were a intruding buck in his turf they don't think very straight sometimes especially if a hot doe was in area. one thing is for sure don't be surprised if it happens again. deer are very driven buy instinct and are predictably un predictable some times. but its probably just something that was missed on an observation. in the end its all just theory and the animal makes the next move. I've had plenty of actions that made me shake my head but theirs all ways a answer cuz deer don't think they react from experiences causing sign of false intelligence. some of its genetically implanted some of its learned along the trail.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
User avatar
Edcyclopedia
Posts: 12605
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:54 pm
Location: S. NH
Status: Offline

Re: Why did my buck make a mistake?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Thu Mar 01, 2018 6:49 am

Thinking with his other head...
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 90 guests