What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

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mheichelbech
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What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Wed Aug 16, 2017 6:50 am

Wondering what is learned in seeing bucks that you wouldn't shoot (small, not mature or mature but not the one you want, whatever). Do you put any credence into their movements...when you are seeing them but not the one you want?

What if you saw them together with yours in summer bachelor groups but then didn't see yours in season but felt like he was around?


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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:15 am

Can't reply on just bucks, most of them die in front of me, but deer in general, I could add something too...
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby tgreeno » Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:24 am

I'm not sure what you can learn from them, but I enjoy watching deer in general.

How they react to smells, sounds & movement is probably the biggest thing you can learn. What will they tolerate? This will most likely be different with a mature buck. But everything you can learn about your adversary, helps you become a more effective killer!
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Jhand » Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:54 am

Depending on how your setup and what the wind and thermals are doing you can see exactly where and when they will catch your wind and ground scent. Also how they react to it.You can see how much movement you can get away with without them picking you out. Just seeing how a mature buck moves through an area is always good information. I learn a lot about deer behavior by just watching the ones I let walk by.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:48 am

When I see a mature do something I expect another mature to do the same thing. Examples: the same bed, where he jumped low spot in fence, how he used terrain but there is also plenty of cases that don't really give u much to work with. But in general I find big bucks do things for a reason.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby SplitG2 » Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:32 am

Boogieman1 wrote:When I see a mature do something I expect another mature to do the same thing. Examples: the same bed, where he jumped low spot in fence, how he used terrain but there is also plenty of cases that don't really give u much to work with. But in general I find big bucks do things for a reason.


Spot on with Boogieman's last sentence. Thats what I am always doing.

Otherwise, I am hoping and praying to god that some old matriarch doe doesn't come by and somehow pick me out in "my perfect spot" and blow 9,000 times to let everyone know I'm there
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Whitetailaddict » Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:25 am

You can observe what they're feeding on and you can pay attention to their body language to tell you if another mature buck is in the area. Also just watching how they use the terrain.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:57 pm

I learn the spots where I'll need to sit the next year.

If a bucks been their before a buck will be their again! Bucks follow the same habits as other bucks most of the time.

It is good to see what trails they took on what winds. Time they came through. Very little about 2 year olds and older is random.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:59 pm

I cannot shoot a great one if I shoot a good one :D
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby cbay » Wed Aug 16, 2017 3:06 pm

I always take note of where they come from how they travel and where they go. Many times i've seen bucks use the same travel routes. All part of trying to put pieces of the puzzle together. The exception for me is the 1.5 yo bucks, they seem to go just about anywhere as the season goes on.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:26 pm

Every deer I see teaches me something even the younger ones. In early years many hunters immediately go into kill mode with every single deer they see. I was guilty of that myself. Once I started letting deer walk and dedicated myself to observing more than killing is when I began learning their habits and how they react in certain circumstances. We can read and listen to others but there is no better teacher than the deer themselves.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Ack » Wed Aug 16, 2017 5:53 pm

I like to watch how they use the terrain to their advantage, which is huge when you're hunting flat ground.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Crazy4bucks » Thu Aug 17, 2017 1:23 am

I try to learn something from every deer encounter I have. I think of three things. Where did the deer come from and why? Why did it travel though my hunting spot the way it did? Where is it going and why? Some of my best experiences in the woods have been when I didn't shoot a deer.
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby Mibowfreak » Thu Aug 17, 2017 1:33 am

Ack wrote:I like to watch how they use the terrain to their advantage, which is huge when you're hunting flat ground.



Exactly!!!!
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Re: What do you learn from seeing bucks you wouldn't shoot?

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Thu Aug 17, 2017 3:26 am

Inventory for the next season or two to come. Hard to judge behavior of a young buck against that of an older buck. Different animal all together in my opinion. It's enjoyable to watch, and see if they make it and what potential they have, but I don't put much stock into how they react move etc. A mature doe on the other hand is something all can learn from. But then again, completely different type of animal from that of a younger doe.


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