How many mature buck encounters did you have this year?

Unread postby **Tempy** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:48 am

While in stand during 2017 season. I'm assuming in the woods within eye sight/just out of range, being able to tell it is a mature buck with naked eye. As opposed to glassing/observing across a huge field.

How does this compare to previous years? Why more or less than usual?

Curious as to how many mature bucks you guys actually get onto during a season . Obviously if you kill early that will skew results some. No real reasoning behind the quantities, sort of random.

Unread postby **Whitetailaddict** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 5:58 am

I assumed 3+ to be mature for this question. I had 8-9 this year which was way more than usual. I had one good day this year in the rut where I had 4 mature bucks go by due to a hot doe in the area. I'm learning more about the areas I'm hunting and honing my skills. I also hunted two different states which allowed more opportunities.

Unread postby **justdirtyfun** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:39 am

I'm seeing progress with mature bucks. And I am happy with only drawing on one the whole season. Without this awesome BEAST community I probably would have seen zero.

Unread postby **Primetime41** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:47 am

7, and I still couldn't get it done. :oops:

Unread postby **Dewey** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:49 am

4 mature bucks in shooting range and I didn’t kill any of them. 3 of them were 12 yards or less! :doh:

Unread postby **MN_DeerHunter** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:53 am

Only saw 1 and shot it on the second night of season. After that, in MN I hunted probably another 7-8 times (for does) and another 7-8 times in WI with nothing more than 1.5 yr old sightings

Unread postby **Jonny** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:55 am

1 during gun season dogging a doe. Stopped him 5-6 times and it was always behind a tree. Would've been one of the biggest bucks shot by my family in 50+ years.

Probably 60-70 yards away

Unread postby **BradC36** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:18 am

2 between NY and PA, but another dozen that were 2.5 by my guess.

Unread postby **ghoasthunter** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:21 am

saw same p&y buck three times bed hunting marsh early season September. passed a good one October 1 in mountains that I killed November 15 going to bed in morning on j hook. saw a big one mid October leaving bed of point in swamp lands in observation stand last weak of October saw 2 shooter on primary scrape on swamp point no clear shot. had monster 8 at 60 yards hooking brush behind does November 2. missed a giant 12 on ledges in mountain November 10th walking in a windstorm. jumped a giant 10 out of his bed scouting second day of muzzleloader but got his sheds from year before thank you! passed a good 8 December 6 still hunting had dead to rights laying in bed but I wanted a bigger one than the last buck I killed. 2 days ago my target buck came threw at 20 yards without antlers. now I just relocated the huge marsh buck from beginning of season and will spend rest of month trying to kill him.

Unread postby **ghoasthunter** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:30 am

ghoasthunter wrote:saw same p&y buck three times bed hunting marsh early season September. passed a good one October 1 in mountains that I killed November 15 going to bed in morning on j hook. saw a big one mid October leaving bed of point in swamp lands in observation stand last weak of October saw 2 shooter on primary scrape on swamp point no clear shot. had monster 8 at 60 yards hooking brush behind does November 2. missed a giant 12 on ledges in mountain November 10th walking in a windstorm. jumped a giant 10 out of his bed scouting second day of muzzleloader but got his sheds from year before thank you! passed a good 8 December 6 still hunting had dead to rights laying in bed but I wanted a bigger one than the last buck I killed. 2 days ago my target buck came threw at 20 yards without antlers. now I just relocated the huge marsh buck from beginning of season and will spend rest of month trying to kill him.

I want to add my work is seasonal and I get 2 weeks of vacation and cant take off any day I want with a couple hours notice so I can hunt almost every day of season.

Unread postby **Tim H** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:34 am

I saw only one mature buck. He was about 60 yards to me.

Unread postby **Edcyclopedia** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:46 am

Let me spell it...
Zero

Unread postby **Dewey** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:03 am

Edcyclopedia wrote:Let me spell it...
Zero

Look in the mirror buddy.....you will see a mature stud buck.

Unread postby **PK_** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:33 am

I may have skewed the poll. Idk what to consider mature. I just classify shooter and non shooter. Shooter is what I hope to be 3year+ but could very well be 2yo. Telling exact age in the field can be next to inpossible on southern deer without history. Even some very mature bucks down here just do not get the big chest, sway back and saggy belly.

So having said that idk how many shooters I have been within 50 yards of this year, probably close to 20 and still counting...

That is much higher than normal because I did a lot of spot and stalk early in the year.

Unread postby **<DK>** » Wed Jan 10, 2018 8:40 am

10 Outings - 3 bucks - 3+ years old

My observations are not complete compared to normal years so I chose 3-5. I had a really hard time getting out this season, less days than planned but a whole lot of luck on my side.