Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

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

HB Store


Fredbearjunior
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:35 pm
Status: Offline

Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Fredbearjunior » Sat Aug 11, 2018 11:46 pm

Here’s the problem, where I hunt is right by a river in Texas. The river barely had any current but it gets up to 15’ deep. I’ve seen a doe swimming across or before. Directly across from my cabin there are about ten BIG bucks who show up occasionally. They have does with them usually. They will just come out and lay in the shade at an abandoned house straight across the rive. The river is about 100 feet wide. Any ideas to get them to cross?! A decoy on a float pulled back to me maybe?? Haha


User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sat Aug 11, 2018 11:57 pm

Do u have access to the other side? If so I would crawl in that abandoned house and shoot out the window. Did that with a ratty barn once shooting off the hay loft. If not, it's a pretty tough thing to do in my eyes. Think u would need a rabbits foot and a lot of Lady Luck. Best case is a hot doe on your side of the river and he gets a whiff.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
User avatar
Boogieman1
500 Club
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:18 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sun Aug 12, 2018 12:05 am

Also, depending on what part of the state you are hunting. You might wanna try carrying a bucket of grain to the waters edge and calling the deers name. I've seen this work many times on the outdoor channel.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
Fredbearjunior
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2018 1:35 pm
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Fredbearjunior » Sun Aug 12, 2018 12:15 am

Boogieman1 wrote:Also, depending on what part of the state you are hunting. You might wanna try carrying a bucket of grain to the waters edge and calling the deers name. I've seen this work many times on the outdoor channel.

Hahaha! I don’t think they have names yet brotha. I asked for permission there by letter. The property belongs to a rich old man in a big city like 90 miles away. I’m thinking that if I don’t hear back from him I’ll be taking some leisurely kayak rides across the river to examine the rut behaviors
User avatar
<DK>
500 Club
Posts: 4484
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 10:02 am
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby <DK> » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:07 am

Acorn cruncher :D
User avatar
Bigb
500 Club
Posts: 937
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:12 am
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Bigb » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:11 am

Fredbearjunior wrote:
Boogieman1 wrote:Also, depending on what part of the state you are hunting. You might wanna try carrying a bucket of grain to the waters edge and calling the deers name. I've seen this work many times on the outdoor channel.

Hahaha! I don’t think they have names yet brotha. I asked for permission there by letter. The property belongs to a rich old man in a big city like 90 miles away. I’m thinking that if I don’t hear back from him I’ll be taking some leisurely kayak rides across the river to examine the rut behaviors


I'd stay in the Kayak or you could get hit with trespassing. No better way to guaranteed youll never have access than yo do that. I think it usually takes a incidental meeting to get permission in these cases.

Personally, I'd wait for the rut and set up a doe and possible buck decoy where they can be seen from the other side of the river. If one of those bug bucks things a small buck has a hot doe pinned down he'll make his way across.
User avatar
PK_
500 Club
Posts: 6894
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:10 am
Location: Just Off
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby PK_ » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:40 am

A feeder.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
User avatar
Uncle Lou
Moderator
Posts: 10308
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 12:32 pm
Location: Holly, MI
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:03 am

<DK> wrote:Acorn cruncher :D


dang it, I was gonna....
Silence Your Gear with Stealth Strips®
http://www.stealthoutdoors.com
User avatar
Ghost Hunter
Posts: 4891
Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
Location: South Arkansas
Status: Online

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:41 am

Buck Bomb with right wind. I guess they still sale them?
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
User avatar
oldrank
Posts: 6158
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
Location: USA
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby oldrank » Sun Aug 12, 2018 8:46 am

So....why are there not deer on your side of the river?
Swampbuck
Posts: 2434
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:29 am
Location: S LA Swamps
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby Swampbuck » Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:29 am

Ask for forgiveness lol
Make It Happen
User avatar
muddy
Posts: 8770
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 5:04 am
Location: Hawkeye State of Mind
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby muddy » Sun Aug 12, 2018 9:33 am

It'll take an act of God coupled with a 50 gallon drum of dumb luck to get a buck to cross in the situation you're describing. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but I'd put realistic effort into your side of the river, especially if it's as deep as you're saying. Any time I've seen bucks cross rivers it's either a shallow crossing or a random chasing of a doe.

Seriously though, I hope you slam one.
http://www.iowawhitetail.com
Leading the way for habitat and management information

"It's a good thing you don't need commas and colons to kill deer" -seaz
User avatar
hunter_mike
Moderator
Posts: 8294
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:24 pm
Location: south central WI
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby hunter_mike » Sun Aug 12, 2018 1:14 pm

Is there not food and bedding for deer on your side of the river? Maybe look at reasons why you may not be seeing much on your side. Too much hunting pressure? Lack of good habitat? Or lastly could it be a grass is greener on the other side syndrome (not giving you a hard time, just saying i have been there before myself)
“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
User avatar
jporcello
500 Club
Posts: 1228
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:07 pm
Location: Louisiana
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby jporcello » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:34 pm

isnt this the age old question? why did they booner cross the road (river) whatever? :lol:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results” Albert Einstein
User avatar
MN_DeerHunter
500 Club
Posts: 1344
Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:00 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Convincing a buck to swim across a river to me

Unread postby MN_DeerHunter » Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:48 pm

If you can’t access where they move in daylight move on to a different area and/or a different group of bucks.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 75 guests