2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

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oldrank
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2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby oldrank » Mon Jul 13, 2020 2:03 pm

Image

2019 buck

Image

I killed these bucks out of the same spot 20 years apart. Looking back there are a few things I have learned over the years that lead me back to that spot last November.

Let's go to the 1999 buck.

20 years ago I obviously did something right. I scouted the area, found sign and hunted it.......and hunted it and hunted it. I actually missed this buck a week before the gun opener then killed him opening morning of gun season. Awesome !!! I continued to hunt it and continued to see deer but no bucks. Soon I was seeing nothing and moved to other spots and never went back. I don't know why. A few years ago I started hunting the same section of woods again but still kinda never hunted that particular spot.

Now 2019

Honestly the spot never really left my mind. I knew it was there. I now understood why I killed that buck there 20 years ago. Could magic strike again? The end of October came and I was hunting the section and decided to spend a day with my stand on my back checking all of the areas in this block. So, that day went alot like this....people, people, people, no sign, no sign, people....and so on. I finally made my way to this area as it's the farthest little corner from all human access. Guess what, buck sign. I set up trying to cover the 4 heavy trails that crossed the river. Just at last light he came through right at 25 yards but caught me before I caught him. He froze with vitals covered then bounded off. I had him now.

Now here is the good part and the point to all of this rambling. I didn't just dive back in the next day. I waited for perfect conditions. Cold front with good wind. Just like clock work he chased a doe right down the same trail and that was that. Patience Daniel San.

So ironically as much as the two kills mirror each other in my mind that 1999 kill was a young motivated guy getting lucky at the right time but having little understanding of why. Then destroying the spot.

The 2019 kill was executed with a surgical precision. 2 hunts. Locate, in and out with a dead buck. Maybe I have learned something over the years.

Just thoughts.


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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby backstraps » Mon Jul 13, 2020 2:19 pm

Very cool 8-)

Living and learning! I like reading about those surgical executions :clap:

Good stuff oldrank
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Mon Jul 13, 2020 2:26 pm

That's very cool oldrank. We should all be learning through experience.

You looked different 20 years ago :lol:
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Mon Jul 13, 2020 2:49 pm

Good read Cut bait! I remember a similar situation although I will admit mine was blind luck but it did get me thinking. I Was about 2 years into keeping a mostly nonsense journal. Doe’s were just starting to smell sweet and we had an unusual wind for my area. I didn’t have anything in my for that wind. So I waited til daylight and marched around with a stand not even really knowing what I was looking for other than a tree with a friendly wind direction. While scratching my rear I see 2 bucks chase a doe 100 yards in front of me. Thought huh! This looks pretty sweet and set up downwind. Think I saw 3 or 4 bucks within a few hours later and whiffed on a nice 8 that would have been my biggest at the time. A few years passed and that same wind blew in within days of the few years b4. Figured why not give er a go I still didn’t have any other place to go for those conditions. Same dang thing happened but this time my arrow found its mark.

I believe historically good spots are good for a reason. You just gotta get the right conditions at the right time. For me the more rare the conditions the better, but the downside is they don’t come often.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby greenhorndave » Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:07 pm

Very cool OR. Liked the story.

Question: what were the characteristics of the spot that led it to be a good one?
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby Lockdown » Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:38 pm

Now that is a cool story. I’m also interested in a few details of the bedding/set itself.
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby Smitty » Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:34 pm

Great job putting that puzzle together.
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby oldrank » Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:49 pm

greenhorndave wrote:Very cool OR. Liked the story.

Question: what were the characteristics of the spot that led it to be a good one?


I'll post up a little map drawing.
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby oldrank » Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:58 pm

Lockdown wrote:Now that is a cool story. I’m also interested in a few details of the bedding/set itself.


Image

Here is a simple map. The bucks have security. They are protected by the river and the cattail swamp and that creates a safe little pocket. There are a few more little details that would just muddy the map up. The deer trail that crossed the river splits and one travels the ridge and one travels the lower flats. I access by splitting them at the human trail so as not to leave any human scent on the inner trails. They both cross the human trail. This again creates a track trap and I can check for buck tracks without ever having to burn the inner trails or crossing. It is a two mile hike in. This also deters most other guys.
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Jul 14, 2020 2:57 am

oldrank wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Now that is a cool story. I’m also interested in a few details of the bedding/set itself.


Image

Here is a simple map. The bucks have security. They are protected by the river and the cattail swamp and that creates a safe little pocket. There are a few more little details that would just muddy the map up. The deer trail that crossed the river splits and one travels the ridge and one travels the lower flats. I access by splitting them at the human trail so as not to leave any human scent on the inner trails. They both cross the human trail. This again creates a track trap and I can check for buck tracks without ever having to burn the inner trails or crossing. It is a two mile hike in. This also deters most other guys.

That helps a lot and is a really cool and creative setup. :clap:
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:03 am

Great thread thanks for posting
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Jul 14, 2020 3:03 am

Nice set up!
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:08 am

oldrank wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Now that is a cool story. I’m also interested in a few details of the bedding/set itself.


Image

Here is a simple map. The bucks have security. They are protected by the river and the cattail swamp and that creates a safe little pocket. There are a few more little details that would just muddy the map up. The deer trail that crossed the river splits and one travels the ridge and one travels the lower flats. I access by splitting them at the human trail so as not to leave any human scent on the inner trails. They both cross the human trail. This again creates a track trap and I can check for buck tracks without ever having to burn the inner trails or crossing. It is a two mile hike in. This also deters most other guys.


;) I remember having a conversation about “track traps” with you a couple years ago. When we first coined that term you were checking the gravel on the shoulder of the road.

It’s funny how I don’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday but can remember anything deer related :lol:


Thanks for the diagram... looks like a killer set up!
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:31 am

Lockdown wrote:
oldrank wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Now that is a cool story. I’m also interested in a few details of the bedding/set itself.


Image

Here is a simple map. The bucks have security. They are protected by the river and the cattail swamp and that creates a safe little pocket. There are a few more little details that would just muddy the map up. The deer trail that crossed the river splits and one travels the ridge and one travels the lower flats. I access by splitting them at the human trail so as not to leave any human scent on the inner trails. They both cross the human trail. This again creates a track trap and I can check for buck tracks without ever having to burn the inner trails or crossing. It is a two mile hike in. This also deters most other guys.


;) I remember having a conversation about “track traps” with you a couple years ago. When we first coined that term you were checking the gravel on the shoulder of the road.

It’s funny how I don’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday but can remember anything deer related :lol:


Thanks for the diagram... looks like a killer set up!



Yes sir, I rely on that tactic. Those little spots that show a good track are basically my cameras. The 2019 buck dressed at 190 lbs so he was leaving a nice track. Three bucks in 3 years fell by that same tactic.
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Re: 2 bucks 20 years apart. Hunting vs Understanding

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:39 am

oldrank wrote:
Lockdown wrote:
oldrank wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Now that is a cool story. I’m also interested in a few details of the bedding/set itself.


Image

Here is a simple map. The bucks have security. They are protected by the river and the cattail swamp and that creates a safe little pocket. There are a few more little details that would just muddy the map up. The deer trail that crossed the river splits and one travels the ridge and one travels the lower flats. I access by splitting them at the human trail so as not to leave any human scent on the inner trails. They both cross the human trail. This again creates a track trap and I can check for buck tracks without ever having to burn the inner trails or crossing. It is a two mile hike in. This also deters most other guys.


;) I remember having a conversation about “track traps” with you a couple years ago. When we first coined that term you were checking the gravel on the shoulder of the road.

It’s funny how I don’t remember what I ate for lunch yesterday but can remember anything deer related :lol:


Thanks for the diagram... looks like a killer set up!



Yes sir, I rely on that tactic. Those little spots that show a good track are basically my cameras. The 2019 buck dressed at 190 lbs so he was leaving a nice track. Three bucks in 3 years fell by that same tactic.

I like it.
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Sometimes when things get tough, weird or both, you just need to remember this...
https://youtu.be/d4tSE2w53ts


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