NW Pennsylvania..... 3 Velvet SLOBS. 5x6 mainframe with junk

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ragecaged22
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NW Pennsylvania..... 3 Velvet SLOBS. 5x6 mainframe with junk

Unread postby ragecaged22 » Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:02 pm

Greetings my fellow stone cold monarch serial killers! It's been a long time since my last post this summer...been too busy scouting, spying, and keying in on some NW Pennsylvania hawgs :mrgreen: In the next couple days I'm gonna go back through the threads and read up on how to post pictures of my CalTopo maps and the 3 studs I'm after. I am beyond stoked for first morning of bow season. I'm lucky if I get 4 hours of sleep a night because I can't stop brainstorming and scrutinizing my maps....

So, yesterday after work I went on a scouting expedition and had to confirm/disprove some strong suspicions and find the evidence on foot that would support my theory on a big mainframe 5x6's bed to feed travel route....

Sure enough, I cut his track numerous times down in there (I have cell phone pics of his exact track from previous scouting ventures) .... the 5x6's track is 110% different than the other 2 big dawgs in this area. I'll post a picture of his track for yins, it's distinct.

At this point, I'm getting pretty hot and bothered. I head downhill farther into the drainage and onto a knoll/point in the center of 3 gullies. I find a giant bed that looks like a cow has been laying in it for 7 years. I found a good amount of fresh hairs (hairs were not brittle, and would not break apart when I pulled on them with my fingers like less-fresh deer hairs would do), fresh-as-could-be clumped scat all around the bed, and large old rubs from years prior. Based on that, I'm fairly certain this bed is getting used frequently.

The most shocking evidence from this scouting mission was that the bed wasn't in the top 1/3 of the hill like I usually find them, and just like Dan and many of you other guys find them in hill country.

However, when I got down into the physical bed and looked around to see what he would be seeing and really thought about WHY the bed was there, it was easy to see why that bed was located exactly where it was.

I'm thinking that this specific bed was advantageous and conducive for a mature buck for the following reasons:

1. Although it wasn't located in the top 1/3, the bed still placed him at a good vantage point on that knob/point overlooking 3 gullies

2. The bed was surrounded by THICK Beech brush at most angles, especially at his back and to the sides.

3. The bed allowed him to overlook a heavily traveled lease road AND a hunting camp....the camp is literally 100-125 yards directly downhill and across the lease road. All he has to do is lay his head down low to the ground like a dog and the people going into camp in vehicles or people riding wheelers would never in a million years see him up in the beech brush...

4. Morning Thermals....even at this lower elevation, I'm sure he still gets the morning thermal action to an extent pushing up the gullies to him when the sun heats the valley floor and hillside below him.

5. S, SW, SSW, and WSW winds are all suitable for him to leave the hay field before daylight, travel downhill through the timber into the drainage and to the bed with those winds blowing directly to or crosscutting his back

6. Once in the actual bed, those winds would still be blowing to his back and covering his back trail/entrance route, assuming he is looking downhill primarily in the bed.

7. I'm guessing an old lazy slob like him wants to lay down fairly shortly after daybreak and ensuing the hay field fiesta all night...the bed is probably 4-500 yards downhill from the hay field...

8. Dans famous "thermal tunnel" theory could probably be applied to this bed, even at the lower elevation

9. If the 5x6 who I call "Piglet" is indeed a slave to his stomach, this bed puts him in close proximity to high quality/highly preferred browse on his way to the bed in the morning or on his way up to the hay field in the evening. Whether it's the Beech nuts, the Black Cherry fruit that is starting to fall, the almost pure stand of Red Oaks nearby (which by the way, some of my Red Oaks are dropping already from wind/rain/squirrels), the blackberry patches, or the Aspen seedlings,etc that are along his travel route to and from.

10. We haven't had too much rain this summer. Usually, there is water literally everywhere around here. Spring seeps and other areas that usually have ponding water are dry right now. This bed puts him about 2-300 yards uphill from a quiet and slow moving stream amongst some dense Hemlocks. The Hemlocks offer him good shade if he gets hot too.



This all sounds fine and dandy and one may infer that I have him pinned for first morning, but I swear the 5+ year old bucks around here are a different species of deer compared to other states, and even different from other areas in PA. You'd have to live and hunt around here to know what I mean. Velvet still has to come off and this spot has to be minimally intruded on by humans between now and October 3rd.

I GPS'ed and picked out the kill tree for my lone wolf climber. It's got good cover as two hard maple poles run up the sides of the tree and branch out at like 15 foot. This tree puts me about 70 yards uphill from the bed. If he walks the few routes that I think he's going to walk first morning, I will be downwind of him the entire time. I'm guessing that the moment of truth is going to be during grey light so I don't have to worry about the morning thermal pushing uphill to him on his way downhill from the hay field... right???? The only way he will be able to smell me is if he somehow gets past me downhill and downwind of me, like between me and his bed. Even at that, my scent may be just off to the side enough that he won't be able to smell me from his bed.....unless he J-hooks on his entrance. But by that time I am screwed anyways...I guess this set up is high risk high reward. Oh well, it's worth a shot.


I can't to show you guys some pics of Piglet and the other 2 bucks.

I'm guessing that the 5x6 will go in the mid 140's or maybe touch the low 50's...you guys can be the judge ......he's got some junk on his brows.... awesome mass and great beam length. My neighbor has pics of this buck last winter and he was all busted up and scarred from fighting and had a huge gouge under his one eye so he's got the "badass" personality and thinks he's the alpha male in the area.

my #2 buck is an impressive 8 point I call "Cinemaxx".... I think he's a 4 year old but he could be just a huge 3 year old. He'll go in the 120's maybe low 30's .....I love big 8's

#3 buck is called "PlayBoy" ........ big 9 point...... good beams and exceptional mass.......125" atleast I'm guessing


Looking forward to some replies and opinions and I'll try to get the map and velvet pics posted.

-ragecaged


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RageCaged
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Re: NW Pennsylvania..... 3 Velvet SLOBS. 5x6 mainframe with

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Tue Aug 25, 2015 8:18 pm

It sounds like your brain cells have been getting a lot of exercise! It also sounds like a risky move trying to hunt him in the mourning. He will probably be bedded long before daylight. I would opt for an evening sit instead if possible. It will be interesting to see some pics.
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Re: NW Pennsylvania..... 3 Velvet SLOBS. 5x6 mainframe with

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:19 am

Looking forward to seeing pictures.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: NW Pennsylvania..... 3 Velvet SLOBS. 5x6 mainframe with

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Aug 26, 2015 1:00 am

I am right there with you, I can barely sleep with the gears turning and when I do sleep I dream of aerial maps. I have been living on Google earth. It is just so addicting because you know every buck you want to shoot is right there in front of your face. His beds, his trails, his food, it's all there for you to pretend to figure out.

Good luck with those bucks. I will be in NW PA last week of archery as usual.

Also I have seen mature bucks use beds like you found at the bottom of that drainage. Tough spot to get after them.

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