Any who, I no longer have permission to hunt the farm that housed Stroker so figured I would tell the tale. Stroker got his name from the first time I pulled the card I was sitting in truck looking and a Charlie Daniels song called Stroker Ace was on the radio. I had 100s of pics of him so I knew I was in his area.
I got permission for this property after the season had already opened, so I just set a few cams out and hunted elsewhere for the year. This is first pic I saw of him in the 2015 season. Suspect he was 3.5
Scouted the property that post season and picked out a good tree or 2. Believe I hunted that place 4 or 5 times that season and never saw him. Was still getting pics, so it quickly became apparent he was on to me. Decided to put out more cams and start getting curious! Here he was that summer on a mineral lick @ 4.5
Found out how and why he was entering the property the way he did and also found out how he was leaving in the evening. Cameras inbetween also revealed a lot of day time movement on dang near everyday except the days I hunted it. Was mind boggling trying to figure out where this deer was setting up to catch me. He always entered the property well b4 daylight sometimes a hour sometimes 4 hours. The property was 2 big rolling hills which eventually petered out into a creek. Stroker would enter property from a low spot in a fence coming off a Milo field and drop down in the valley between the hills and make his way to his bed. Which at this time I couldn't locate to save my life. But if u were anywhere on that property when he dropped down into that valley b4 Dawn it was game over!
The following post season I scouted harder and found a few clues but still could not pin this suckers bedding down. The following early season I discovered the big 12 pt and put all my effort into him. When I passed Stroker he was a mile away from his usual haunts. I some what regret the pass now because Stroker was a special buck to me and it was the only time I ever saw him while hunting. But had I not missed the 7 yard shot I would have no regrets. Here he was at 6.5 Stroker Ace the old man. Didn't move around near as much inside his area as he did in his younger days despite the fact I never even hunted it that season.
Put in a lot of work that post season determined to crack the code on this sucker. I remember saying out loud to myself I have walked ever inch of this dang place 50 times and it just don't make sense! The only place I haven't walked is that junk pile of a NW corner. Lightbulb went off ding ding ding tell em what he won Bob.
The way that property set up to get into that Northwest corner u had to really want to. The property had a series of fenced goat pastures. So I would either have to had crossed 5 or 6 fences or walk all the way to the creek then all the way back up. There was a calapsed old barn in that corner as well as it was growed up just nasty with briars and sticker bushes. Once I took a look it was pretty obvious what was going on here. The only entry point to the property was about 60 yards away and most the beds were looking right at it. Doah!!
Put a plan together on how to get this sucker on the ground. Evenings were no good due to his exit and my one only entry point. Decided I was gonna slip in b4 daylight and get close to the creek to dump my scent in so he doesn't pick me off when he comes through the valley. Then at daylight tippy toe over to his exit area and wait him out. Sounded like a good plan to me, yet it never happened. Two days b4 the season opened I got a call that the property had been sold and I needed to get all my stuff out. What a kick in the teeth! Was fun while it lasted and taught me a lot. Major thing is leave no stone unturned. A over looked spot is not a spot u think about looking it's a spot that u have probably passed by 100 times.
I know I talk more about rut hunting cruisers than anything. But that's just how the majority of my small properties set up. I believe when it comes to small acerage u have got to know what u have and what your odds are. If your bed hunting on a small farm where no bucks bed, well... It's gonna be a long season. Just like in this bucks case granted I did see him once a mile away while he was on the move. But it was a freak accident. The high odds play on this particular buck and property was u had to get in close to his honeycomb hideout. IMO on small properties u have got to know what strategy puts the odds in your favor and what are the bucks using against u. Anyhow hope u enjoyed and possibly can relate a thing or 2 in future hunts.
