Have you ever chased a single buck for an entire season?

[Brickhouse]

Last year on oct. 4th I shot a respectable 8 for my area. On the 8th I had a 140 class 14 point show up on one of my cameras. Happened to have the right wind that night for the general area it looked like he was headed to bed at so I went in around 2 and hung a stand and set up. Was ready to go by 4. Just after 6 he stood up out of his bed 50 yards away and I shot over his back. I spent the rest of the season chasing him but was always 1 step behind. Jumped him at 15 yards with a doe a couple days after the gun opener on my way back to the truck after my morning sit. If id had a gun with me it wouldve been a done deal when he stopped at about 75 yards to look at me. I knew by taking the bow with me there were going to be sacrifices. I learned a lot from that buck and hope to continue the chase this year. I passed up several nice bucks for my area (115+) to try and get that buck and it was worth every second. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[Boogieman1]

I've never chased a single buck, I always try to have a small handful to up the odds a little bit. When all your hunting is done around 10 min from home it's a lot easier to stay on top of the bucks in the area. With that said in 2011 I didn't have a single deer to target. That was a long season when u r left just hoping a traveler comes through. But in a learning aspect it taught me a lot the biggest being to always be on the look out for new ground and ditching ground that is proven unproductive.

[Lockdown]

I missed a buck with my muzzleloader late season 2009. That made it personal for me in 2010 I chased him all year with my bow. Never got him, and really regret it because it wasn't worth basically being miserable for a whole season like that. Not sure why I was so negative about it but I was, guess he just made me mad. Other than that I have chased a deer for a couple weeks here or there but either kill in that time period or fold my hand and move on. Moving on usually pays off for me.

Aren't you sitting on your tag the entire first part of the season to wait and pursue a buck that has your attention? what's your approach? Wait on him... Give him a couple weeks and move on??

I can't blame a guy for targeting a single buck. I can see how success would be INCREDIBLY rewarding. Some day I might be in those shoes... but it would have to be a monster that absolutely consumed me.

[tim]

yes I have. but im always willing to veer from that plan if an even bigger/better buck crosses my path. I do hunt more than my land . I hunt 3 counties and do have deer usually I would kill in at least 2 counties and sometimes more than 1 different buck in the same county but different properties. but there has been years its 1 specific deer,its gotta be real special.

[mag1]

I took "no". I don't run cameras, the areas I hunt have sign of goid bucks, which is good enough for me. Due to time constraints, it would be difficult to hone in on just one. Based on tracks, beds, and other sign, I have a good idea of what caliber deer are in my areas.

[SMS79]

I selected option 3 for several reasons. Last year, I had a #1 target buck that was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the deer I had any intel on. I'd say he was the primary target and I spent the most time chasing after him, but I wasn't 100% sold out on hunting only that buck. In GA we get 2 buck tags per season, so I wouldn't be in the position of being "tagged out" if I got a shot at a shooter other than my #1 target buck. Also, I have access to several properties that are spread out a good bit. The property that contains my #1 target buck is not big enough to sustain too much pressure without having a substantial impact on deer behavior so I have to mix in hunting opportunities elsewhere to keep from burning it out. Also, that same property has another buck on it that is a year older than my #1 target, and he is a home-body as well as a bully. He has a tendency to run off younger bucks that have a lot of potential, so it would be a major win to take him out even though he's not as impressive as the #1 target buck is. Btw, I didn't get either of these two bucks last season, they're both still around this year, both bigger this year (at 5.5 & 6.5 respectively), and they're currently running around together in the same bachelor group.

[JoeRE]

I missed a buck with my muzzleloader late season 2009. That made it personal for me in 2010 I chased him all year with my bow. Never got him, and really regret it because it wasn't worth basically being miserable for a whole season like that. Not sure why I was so negative about it but I was, guess he just made me mad. Other than that I have chased a deer for a couple weeks here or there but either kill in that time period or fold my hand and move on. Moving on usually pays off for me.

Aren't you sitting on your tag the entire first part of the season to wait and pursue a buck that has your attention? what's your approach? Wait on him... Give him a couple weeks and move on??

I can't blame a guy for targeting a single buck. I can see how success would be INCREDIBLY rewarding. Some day I might be in those shoes... but it would have to be a monster that absolutely consumed me.

Yep I am being dumb again this year

If I don't have any confirmed sightings of one of the two big bucks I am most interested in by late October its going to be very hard for me to keep waiting. They occasionally show up in October through peak rut, then late rut around Nov 18-thanksgiving they consistently spend time in a corner of public land where I can get at them.

Realistically I do want to hunt them, but its all about how bad you want something and I am not sure if I want it bad enough to stake my whole season on that. I went through the phase of trying to prove things (to myself and to others) years ago and am not going back to that mentality. Will see what else is around in October to temp me. There is a chance they will come over to the public more in October with the large acorn crop that is on right now, will see about that too.

Most of the deer I hunt spend most of their time on private just cuz Iowa has very few large blocks of public. That's usually the most frustrating part of the puzzle.

[mainebowhunter]

I missed a buck with my muzzleloader late season 2009. That made it personal for me in 2010 I chased him all year with my bow. Never got him, and really regret it because it wasn't worth basically being miserable for a whole season like that. Not sure why I was so negative about it but I was, guess he just made me mad. Other than that I have chased a deer for a couple weeks here or there but either kill in that time period or fold my hand and move on. Moving on usually pays off for me.

Aren't you sitting on your tag the entire first part of the season to wait and pursue a buck that has your attention? what's your approach? Wait on him... Give him a couple weeks and move on??

I can't blame a guy for targeting a single buck. I can see how success would be INCREDIBLY rewarding. Some day I might be in those shoes... but it would have to be a monster that absolutely consumed me.

Yep I am being dumb again this year

If I don't have any confirmed sightings of one of the two big bucks I am most interested in by late October its going to be very hard for me to keep waiting. They occasionally show up in October through peak rut, then late rut around Nov 18-thanksgiving they consistently spend time in a corner of public land where I can get at them.

Realistically I do want to hunt them, but its all about how bad you want something and I am not sure if I want it bad enough to stake my whole season on that. I went through the phase of trying to prove things (to myself and to others) years ago and am not going back to that mentality. Will see what else is around in October to temp me. There is a chance they will come over to the public more in October with the large acorn crop that is on right now, will see about that too.

Most of the deer I hunt spend most of their time on private just cuz Iowa has very few large blocks of public. That's usually the most frustrating part of the puzzle.

Good thing you have more than 1 tag Joe...unless your holding out for BOTH

I have never chased 1 buck exclusively, passing all others, hunting ONLY him EVEN when you have more than 1 tag.

I have a buck this year that has tempted me because a 150" buck is a heck/rare of a buck in Maine (believe he made the season). I have spent so much time on him in the last year and still don't have anything nailed down where I know my odds are great. Its new ground last year and just this piece is 3sq miles...part of it is public, part private. 100% timber...tons of cover. I believe I bumped him out of a bed 3 weeks ago (educated guess). Moved some cams into that area. Left cams on an area all season but people decided that I did not need to see the data and took the cards.

SOOO...This year, put cams up higher so that no one can mess with them. Should have done that last year. I just was so far back from everything did not think it necessary. But the data I did get showed the latter part of the season was smoking in there from 11.24 to mid dec season close. Came so close on another old buck but just could not see him all that well. Got daylight pics of this buck on 12.8 on a ground scrape.

The good thing is its urban. I have a tag here that lasts from sept to dec.

[JoeRE]

Yea Maine, it sounds weird but I'm not even thinking about my landowner bow tag this year. I will buy probably buy one, but mostly for if I see a crippled deer back there or something like that. I don't really want to kill another buck there, they are turning into pets.

Hunting down a mature buck on public or any shared access land for that matter consumes me. Killing a big buck in my backyard surrounded by managed properties means nothing to me at this point. I actually felt bad after I shot my buck there last year, and that's a stupid feeling to have after you kill an animal.

I would rather just watch them. I know some just won't get it, I don't ask for understanding just that we all respect each other's rights to make our own decisions....so don't expect me to fill that tag this fall.

What if a world class deer showed up? Well everyone has a price for which they will sell their soul including me.

Good luck to all who are after a deer this fall

[mainebowhunter]

Yea Maine, it sounds weird but I'm not even thinking about my landowner bow tag this year. I will buy probably buy one, but mostly for if I see a crippled deer back there or something like that. I don't really want to kill another buck there, they are turning into pets.

Hunting down a mature buck on public or any shared access land for that matter consumes me. Killing a big buck in my backyard surrounded by managed properties means nothing to me at this point. I actually felt bad after I shot my buck there last year, and that's a stupid feeling to have after you kill an animal.

I would rather just watch them. I know some just won't get it, I don't ask for understanding just that we all respect each other's rights to make our own decisions....so don't expect me to fill that tag this fall.

What if a world class deer showed up? Well everyone has a price for which they will sell their soul including me.

Good luck to all who are after a deer this fall

So you still get 2 without the landowner tag right?

[JoeRE]

Yea Maine, it sounds weird but I'm not even thinking about my landowner bow tag this year. I will buy probably buy one, but mostly for if I see a crippled deer back there or something like that. I don't really want to kill another buck there, they are turning into pets.

Hunting down a mature buck on public or any shared access land for that matter consumes me. Killing a big buck in my backyard surrounded by managed properties means nothing to me at this point. I actually felt bad after I shot my buck there last year, and that's a stupid feeling to have after you kill an animal.

I would rather just watch them. I know some just won't get it, I don't ask for understanding just that we all respect each other's rights to make our own decisions....so don't expect me to fill that tag this fall.

What if a world class deer showed up? Well everyone has a price for which they will sell their soul including me.

Good luck to all who are after a deer this fall

So you still get 2 without the landowner tag right?

Yea 2 either sex tags for the year one bow one gun. I get a late muzzleloader tag good for Mid-December thru Jan 10th. Archery tag is good from Oct 1- Jan 10th outside of shotgun season first 2 weeks of December. So yea, in my posts "all year" I was thinking about October and November bowhunting before gun season, not late season. I admit I can hit restart around the holidays when everyone else is about done hunting

[mainebowhunter]

Yea Maine, it sounds weird but I'm not even thinking about my landowner bow tag this year. I will buy probably buy one, but mostly for if I see a crippled deer back there or something like that. I don't really want to kill another buck there, they are turning into pets.

Hunting down a mature buck on public or any shared access land for that matter consumes me. Killing a big buck in my backyard surrounded by managed properties means nothing to me at this point. I actually felt bad after I shot my buck there last year, and that's a stupid feeling to have after you kill an animal.

I would rather just watch them. I know some just won't get it, I don't ask for understanding just that we all respect each other's rights to make our own decisions....so don't expect me to fill that tag this fall.

What if a world class deer showed up? Well everyone has a price for which they will sell their soul including me.

Good luck to all who are after a deer this fall

So you still get 2 without the landowner tag right?

Yea 2 either sex tags for the year one bow one gun. I get a late muzzleloader tag good for Mid-December thru Jan 10th. Archery tag is good from Oct 1- Jan 10th outside of shotgun season first 2 weeks of December. So yea, in my posts "all year" I was thinking about October and November bowhunting before gun season, not late season. I admit I can hit restart around the holidays when everyone else is about done hunting

At some point, it just becomes not about the killing anymore. Quality of the hunt means more than the outcome.

[JoeRE]

At some point, it just becomes not about the killing anymore. Quality of the hunt means more than the outcome.

Yes, it definitely does.

[Boogieman1]

At some point, it just becomes not about the killing anymore. Quality of the hunt means more than the outcome.

Yes, it definitely does.

I agree with this. But I've witnessed more people saying it then actually meaning it. I run into guys around here all the time who snipe a giant 400 yards away every year. Then hear them talking at coffee shop about there's just no challenge and next year there getting it done with a bow only to see them pick up the rifle again middle of season and do the same thing again. Quality of the hunt is each hunters opinion, some get the satisfaction from rubbing elbows and getting a pressured kill, some by finding out of the way spots and others making a kill on the back 40. A wild animal is a wild animal as long as it's not in a cage. A trapper who catches a coyote in the creek behind his house didn't catch the family pet in my opinion. Think he used just as much skill as any other trapper.

[swampyak]

I have one time. If I did it again I would have been more aggressive. Not sure I would become quite so absessed with a deer again