Mature bucks in big woods swamps

[GavinMcGee5]

Hi guys, my season is rounding off here in Louisiana. I’m hoping to get a good discussion going. I did not meet my goal of harvesting a mature buck this season. I did kill a 2 1/2 year old 8 and he was the best buck that I encountered this season.

My question to you : Have you ever talked yourself out of a good spot. Ignoring sign because you’re assuming night time sign? Also, how are you approaching these bucks on AM vs PM.

I struggle with mornings. I can get myself in the bedding but I’m always worried about getting winded on their way in. I love evening, because I can approach the assumed bedding and get as close as possible. Since I started targeting mature bucks it has definitely made me question myself. I feel that I definitely am getting closer to them than I think. My friend did encounter a mature 9 pointer 200 yards away from me. I would have never known I was that close to him without his eyes to confirm.

Give me your thoughts.

[szwampdonkey]

Evenings are more productive in general when trying to hunt mature buck bedding. A lot of the big guys are in bedding way before you ever could be, especially on pressured public.

[GavinMcGee5]

Agreed. I found that during rut you can catch them coming back into bedding later. But I have found better success with set ups in the evening.

How do you like to access / approach them in the evenings ?

[Bonecrusher101]

I’m north of you in west TN. I tend to think deer will act differently, even in different areas of the same regions. But there’s also a lot of good info that works for some of us on here that isn’t even applicable to other hunters from different regions.

Here, I have found secure bedding that holds deer during the daylight and deer don’t venture far from it after guns go off in November. It’s in isolated places that are still semi close to where they want to feed. Usually, they are blocked by deep water where hunters won’t walk or run dogs through.

My goal would be to setup close by the bedding but where I can still see and get a bullet through. Im not walking in there in the dark. I’m mobile I will setup on deer travel that I can get into without bumping deer. As the morning goes on I might move 75- 150 yards and reset.

I’m not much of a bow hunter, I mess with it some early season and have a dozen bow kills under my belt but my chances At killing a buck greatly increase once November hits. I’ve exhausted alot of effort and had inconsistent results. My odds are best at catching bucks on their feet after Nov hits. Our state already has muzzleloader or gun season open by then and I simply don’t have it in me to grab my bow during boom season.

I hunt travel corridors and most importantly (escape routes) in the mornings and hope to catch deer escaping other hunter pressure feeding on the edge of oaks or a good buck cruising between doe bedding.

Approach is very important for me. I access by water when I can and hunt usually within 200 yards of the boat. Canoes, kayaks, Jon boats. I use em all!!!

[Bonecrusher101]

Correction, I go in the woods in the dark and setup on funnels in dark, but I don’t go into bedding areas until I can see