Holding out for big bucks in big woods?

[stash59]

The oldest big woods buck I killed was 6.5+ in western VA National Forest, a basket rack 7 pt. The biggest was 4.5 150ish ten point from northern Adirondacks. I kill a 3.5 every year almost in WV. Killing a 4.5 year old buck in eastern mountain big woods just is not easy and there is no secret. It takes time and dedication and determination and constantly adjusting and learning and making mistakes. On an average year I have one sighting and potential opportunity at a 4.5 or older hunting October into January.

It sounds like you’re doing it right but you can’t kill what is not there and there just are not that many big mature 4.5 year old bucks running around, especially where you are. Look how much someone like the Benoits traveled to find big bucks in the Northeast. You may want to start scouting and hunting different areas. My experience in the ADK’s was pockets of good deer and good bucks where good habitat diversity occurred, especially if it included logging.
But the only consistent way I have found to get on older bucks in big woods is dogged determination and a lot of in season scouting. Snow in your area is another way to find big bucks. And tracking is a great way to hunt big bucks in the NE.

This is what I was hoping to hear, makes me feel better about the deer I'm shooting here and helps confirm what I suspected. I do a lot of upland and waterfowl hunting with my 4 year old field lab, so realistically, do not have the free time required to target only big bucks, especially the in-season scouting part.

I do hope to do some snow tracking this season, either in Maine or Vermont during one of their late muzzle loader seasons. Since I have used this site to learn how to kill deer, I never have a NH gun tag by the time the snow starts falling . I have the Benoits book and the Salerno brothers and will be reviewing beforehand. I understand there is an expert snow tracker from northern WI on this forum as well, so will be digging through those old threads as well.

magicman54494

Check him out on FB under Misty River Trackers base camp. And on YouTube at Misty River Trackers.

[Bonecrusher101]

I’ve been on the beast going on five seasons and 4.5 year old bucks in my area are quite rare. You can’t kill what doesn’t exist.

I’d guess that the large majority of bucks killed are 2.5 year olds.

I know, and to be honest with you, I am happy to just finally fill tags in NH with some consistency - bc growing up I didn't even see deer, let alone harvest any. I'm just curious if anyone around here or in a similar big woods / low density environment has figured out a way to consistently kill mature bucks. I know some very good hunters here, but they all travel out of state to Target big bucks, and shoot whatever they can here for the freezer.

There’s only one deer hunter I know in my region that kills a fair chase mature big buck every season. His life revolves around it. He’s a farmer in his mid 30s no wife or kids just a dedicated sportsman. He farms all spring and summer until harvest time then is off all deer season so he can hunt everyday. He’s got family land and he has access to 1,000s of acres of prime deer land. It’s very rural where he is so deer have a better chance to reach maturity. He knows the land intimately and the land owners and earns the access. He picks up a garbage can full of shed antlers every spring and has the sheds memorized. He’s on a different level than I am, but he’s still earned it. He claims luck but the distinction is obvious.

Hard work and dedication and the knowledge from this site will absolutely help, but I’ve realized everyone’s situation is different. I live in the city with wife and two small kids. My free time is currently narrow so I’ve backed off with raising the bar for now and have hoped to continue to be consistent. This site has helped me to be more consistent and have plenty of venison every year and still at least one kill decent buck (2.5 year old) every season on public land. I look at odds and percentages as well and still think I will continue to average 1 or 2 mature aged wall hangers every 10 years if I can keep learning and scouting when I can to add to what I’ve already scouted.

[Joe Belly-High Rub]

The oldest big woods buck I killed was 6.5+ in western VA National Forest, a basket rack 7 pt. The biggest was 4.5 150ish ten point from northern Adirondacks. I kill a 3.5 every year almost in WV. Killing a 4.5 year old buck in eastern mountain big woods just is not easy and there is no secret. It takes time and dedication and determination and constantly adjusting and learning and making mistakes. On an average year I have one sighting and potential opportunity at a 4.5 or older hunting October into January.

It sounds like you’re doing it right but you can’t kill what is not there and there just are not that many big mature 4.5 year old bucks running around, especially where you are. Look how much someone like the Benoits traveled to find big bucks in the Northeast. You may want to start scouting and hunting different areas. My experience in the ADK’s was pockets of good deer and good bucks where good habitat diversity occurred, especially if it included logging.
But the only consistent way I have found to get on older bucks in big woods is dogged determination and a lot of in season scouting. Snow in your area is another way to find big bucks. And tracking is a great way to hunt big bucks in the NE.

This is what I was hoping to hear, makes me feel better about the deer I'm shooting here and helps confirm what I suspected. I do a lot of upland and waterfowl hunting with my 4 year old field lab, so realistically, do not have the free time required to target only big bucks, especially the in-season scouting part.

I do hope to do some snow tracking this season, either in Maine or Vermont during one of their late muzzle loader seasons. Since I have used this site to learn how to kill deer, I never have a NH gun tag by the time the snow starts falling . I have the Benoits book and the Salerno brothers and will be reviewing beforehand. I understand there is an expert snow tracker from northern WI on this forum as well, so will be digging through those old threads as well.

magicman54494

Check him out on FB under Misty River Trackers base camp. And on YouTube at Misty River Trackers.

Thank you, this saves me from looking through the past wired to hunt episodes for the name.

[Joe Belly-High Rub]

I’ve been on the beast going on five seasons and 4.5 year old bucks in my area are quite rare. You can’t kill what doesn’t exist.

I’d guess that the large majority of bucks killed are 2.5 year olds.

I know, and to be honest with you, I am happy to just finally fill tags in NH with some consistency - bc growing up I didn't even see deer, let alone harvest any. I'm just curious if anyone around here or in a similar big woods / low density environment has figured out a way to consistently kill mature bucks. I know some very good hunters here, but they all travel out of state to Target big bucks, and shoot whatever they can here for the freezer.

There’s only one deer hunter I know in my region that kills a fair chase mature big buck every season. His life revolves around it. He’s a farmer in his mid 30s no wife or kids just a dedicated sportsman. He farms all spring and summer until harvest time then is off all deer season so he can hunt everyday. He’s got family land and he has access to 1,000s of acres of prime deer land. It’s very rural where he is so deer have a better chance to reach maturity. He knows the land intimately and the land owners and earns the access. He picks up a garbage can full of shed antlers every spring and has the sheds memorized. He’s on a different level than I am, but he’s still earned it. He claims luck but the distinction is obvious.

Hard work and dedication and the knowledge from this site will absolutely help, but I’ve realized everyone’s situation is different. I live in the city with wife and two small kids. My free time is currently narrow so I’ve backed off with raising the bar for now and have hoped to continue to be consistent. This site has helped me to be more consistent and have plenty of venison every year and still at least one kill decent buck (2.5 year old) every season on public land. I look at odds and percentages as well and still think I will continue to average 1 or 2 mature aged wall hangers every 10 years if I can keep learning and scouting when I can to add to what I’ve already scouted.

Wow, sounds like a cool guy to know. I am in a rural area with lots of access where bucks can reach maturity as well, but I'm just not ready for the level of commitment. Sounds like we're in similar stages of our deer hunting career, only I missed my once a decade wallhanger a couple seasons ago when muzzle loader powder didn't ignite. I still think about it often...