Need Help on Big Buck Late Season!

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

HB Store


OUBrew
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:19 am
Location: NW Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Need Help on Big Buck Late Season!

Unread postby OUBrew » Wed Dec 05, 2018 2:10 am

I hunt a piece of private ground. Mix of ag ground and 200 acres of timbered ridges. All surrounded by 3 big public marshes to the north, east and south.

There has been a mature buck spotted four times. He's the big boy on the block. At least 5 years old and is at least a 150 class. He has been seen in late October twice on a 2 acre picked corn field on the southeast corner of the farm. One time in the middle of the timber first week of Nov. walking a ridge and once tending a hot doe on Nov 9 in a 20 acre oat field. His only competition was a 140s class 4 year old. He was shot on Nov 5. The property was absolutely trashed during gun season with the owners allowing hunters to do daily drives. They killed 16 deer out of the timber.

I did find one area on a leeward point off the main east/west running ridge on the south side of the property. I am a novice but it just had the feel of a big buck bed. Old rubs but beds facing both north and south. This bed is close to the small corn field and 20 acre oat field where he was seen previously.

No news of him during or after gun season. No cameras active.

My question is....will he be back in the timber in the next three weeks or is he going to stay in the marsh for the remainder of the season? There are picked corn fields on all sides of the timber block. Should I hunt that bedding area I found on the next cold front or focus on the more overlooked areas that Dan always refers to in farm country?

One note is the 140 inch buck that was shot was found dead heading for the public marsh to the north. Within a 100 yards of that buck was a dead head we found that was a mature animal. 150's. There is an untouched switchgrass/marsh grass area with some oak trees to the north of the timber block. That connects to the public marsh to the north only split by a state highway. Both bucks were found within 50 yards of the highway in that grass.oak area.

Thanks


User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: Need Help on Big Buck Late Season!

Unread postby headgear » Wed Dec 05, 2018 3:49 am

I would try and observe the corn fields from a distance and see what shows up, going in and scenting the place up could drive him elsewhere. You could also check these fields for tracks but I would stay away from bedding or letting your scent get into bedding.
OUBrew
Posts: 60
Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2018 6:19 am
Location: NW Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Need Help on Big Buck Late Season!

Unread postby OUBrew » Wed Dec 05, 2018 5:42 am

Might get a good wind before the muzzleloader season ends. Thanks
User avatar
CattailCommander
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2018 8:04 am
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Need Help on Big Buck Late Season!

Unread postby CattailCommander » Wed Dec 05, 2018 9:11 am

I'd go check areas that didn't get any pressure on those drives, which I'm guessing is probably the marsh or possibly near the highway if people are overlooking it and he can detect any danger. If he's in the timber that got pressure, find a spot where he could bed and detect any of the drivers (or a predator) before they got to him. He was only probably seen in the timber or fields at that time because he was with or out looking for a doe and probably spends the rest of his time in secure cover.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 94 guests