What should I do?

[Remington guy]

Getting kinda frustrated that I haven't been seeing any bucks or any deer At that. I have been moving my stand to new spots so much lately. I have lots of public land around, what should I look for before trying to go hang a stand, I have hunted thick stuff, I have hunted water, I have hunted ridges, nothing is producing. I know there are big buck around because I pretty much shine all these areas, right a dark...the rut is starting, I don't know what to do...I'm not giving up at All but it sure seems to be getting tough, I'm not the only one either, other hunters I talk to from my area say there not seein much either... What should I do????

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[Remington guy]

Maybe I should save my money And go to buffalo county... Lol

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[headgear]

Hang in there Rem, having an off year too. Not seeing the bucks or sign I usually find, especially for late Oct. I didn't get a buck last year either but had some close calls and a lot of fun doing it. Like they say, your season can turn around in a minute, hunt hard and keep after it.

[Buckfever]

If you don't have a bed and a target buck, I would look for hot sign going in and up on virgin sits. By hot sign I mean staging areas with multiple substantial rubs in areas of close proximity to likely bedding. The cluster rubs tell you that there is minimal human scent there and they are staging before heading out, hopefully during legal.

[whitetailassasin]

I've seen very minimal bucks on there feet so far, but i'm noticing alot of activity in the forms of scrapes and rubs around the bedding areas and thickets they travel. Besides one encounter with my target buck(60yds) I've not seen any shooters or other deer(even does aren't moving as well; although the weather conditions have lowsy, windy, rainy) I have seen his sign on more and more trees in the area, and Last night albeit 30 mph winds I snuck in the bedding area and located a tree to hunt, didn't spook any deer and seen 10-15 empty beds around. Figured the standing corn on the private is holding some deer. I know things are going to change very soon with that magic time coming up here in Michigan. Keep your head up, your encouragement keeps me in good spirits and wanting to keep perserving. Success is just around the next tree.

[Dewey]

I am in the same boat as you. Not a good time to lose your drive as the best is yet to come, believe me. Your season can turn around in a matter of seconds and you need to keep a positive attitude. If that means taking a day or two off so be it.

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[Remington guy]

I'm not losing my drive I have been hunting at least every other day. Actually over night were I am hunting there are 6 fresh scraps within 50 yards of each other... How would I hunt that?

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[Zap]

I would scout ready to hunt and look for very good fresh sign, then set up.

If you do not find that sign then find a good observation spot and observe.

[Crazinamatese]

If you don't have a bed and a target buck, I would look for hot sign going in and up on virgin sits. By hot sign I mean staging areas with multiple substantial rubs in areas of close proximity to likely bedding. The cluster rubs tell you that there is minimal human scent there and they are staging before heading out, hopefully during legal.

This ^^^ and what ZAP mentioned about an observation stand I think is good advice in your situation. You have plenty of season left to get 'er done. Good luck.

[dan]

Right now you should be targeting funnels, doe bedding areas, and doe feeding areas... Keep moving around, and don't let no sightings get to you. I don't see a lot either in some of my areas, but persistence and a plan will pay off.

[hoyt]

I've been going through the same thing. Have been hunting as hard as I physically can and seeing very few deer or sign and just about no does. However..the woods have just busted loose with fresh buck sign everywhere..most likely because shortage of does in the area and I just yesterday walked up on a possible Booner at 11:30am right behind my house. He was cruising right behind a big soybean field. I probably screwed that place up for a while..although he's got some big fresh rubs in there and I know he will be back.

All my stands are way deep in the woods and I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to figure out when, where and how to hunt all this new found buck sign

The last 3 hunts I've seen two real good bucks and several small ones, but no shots at any.

I just don't know where the girls are..they seem to just be here or there with so much food and no congragation (only seen 2 does from my stand all the month of Oct. and about 5 coming and going in the dark) so I'm undecided if I should hunt the thicker stuff with good buck sign or the more open hardwoods with good buck sign. I'm thinking I'll stay put longer in the medium thick edges between white oak ridges and bedding areas that have rub lines and scrapes. I would think the scrapes will go pretty much dead any day.

I'm just going to bounce around from one known big buck area to the next and hope for the best.

[Remington guy]

I kno on the private piece that I and only me have permission to hunt, because some of the other hunters were doing things told not to do, cut down trees shoot small bucks etc... So I know I'm the only one anyways.... I seen a big 150 class ten point buck, last year, the neighbor shot a 140 inch 8 point buck last year the two bucks I was targeting last year, the big ten only uses the land I hunt during rut, never seen him besides the rut anyways,but I have 6 big new scrapes withing 50 yards, and I have a gut feeling its him, I only seen him two times last year, and he's smart, he doesn't fall for any trick I would guess him to be 3.5 to 4.5 years old.which is pretty old for this area. I'm going to strictly hunt these woods from now on. But the wooded section is maybe a 5 acre strip, corn field on one side sunflowers on other, and it connects two big wood lots I believe he beds on the south section and comes through my funnel in morning. Should I hang stand on south side of scrap path or north side? Winds are usually out of north or west?

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[Buckfever]

Here a little further south the youner 1.5-2.5 year old bucks are scent checking doe, which are not receptive but they must be starting to smell, I'm figuring we still have a few more days down here, typically the 6th it explodes and then you got to be in the funnels, probably getting closer up by you. Do you know where the bedding is relative to those scrapes you're seeing? I figure up north by you it should be ahead of us a few days.

[matt1336]

Be carefully not to over hunt it rem. deer, bucks and does will not be in your woods if your scent is all over the place. Try being mobile, switching trees, hunting new parts of the property. Just my advice.

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