The Hunting Beast

Thinking back on my best and oldest bucks, the spots they were bedding and staging in were spots other people would over look. I know I have said this before, but the point I am trying to make is not that you should "also" check the odd spots, its more that the odd spots are the 1st place you should expect the biggest bucks... I have gotten a lot of good bucks by looking at land features, classic funnels, islands, etc. But the bucks that were older than 4, the best scoring bucks, all seem to come from those spots that "to me" are the classic spots, but to others are odd spots that they would hope there friends don't see them hunting there...

So what kind of spots am I talking about?

The spot where I took my 180's 15 pointer was a bed under a bent over willow limb out in an otherwise open pasture with just that lone tree... Everyone else just walked right by heading to the woods...

The spot where I got the "400 pound slob" was right next to a main parking lot that was overlooked because it was right next to the road, and across water.

The spot where I shot my biggest typical was a clump of redbrush out in the middle of an open field. I snuck up and shot him as he busted from the bed.

The spot where I shot the big typical I arrowed last year is just a line of brush everyone just walks right past...

I could go on, but getting to the point, heading straight to the woods where everyone else goes is not how your going to consistently take the biggest and oldest bucks in your area, in my opinion.

I think that is one of the most important things I have learned from Dan and this site. I scouted alot this past spring and took a look at some spots that I don't think anyone would hunt because of what they are. Or maybe because of what they are not. Some of the sign I found was, well simply put....incredible. I will certainly be looking for the days I can sneak into them and hunt. I think I might feel a bit silly at first, but you need to be where you need to be.

How about this spot ?

Dreamin that is incredible!! Are those your pics?

rochester coops wrote:Dreamin that is incredible!! Are those your pics?

Lol..... no, i wish they were... someone else posted those on here once before, & I saved them..... is'nt that something ? I wish i new the story behind them...

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Excellent topic and information...

Dan: But the bucks that were older than 4, the best scoring bucks, all seem to come from those spots that "to me" are the classic spots, but to others are odd spots that they would hope there friends don't see them hunting there...

I have more than one stand I will be hunting this year where I hope no one see's me...

But when it comes right down to it, the buck is there for a reason so I am going to make my play, emabarassing or not!

Full story here:

http://www.robertsohiowhitetails.com/fi ... _Bucks.pdf

This is a behavior that I find really interesting, not to pull this too far off topic...enjoy these pics:

I found a spot the other day that I know I have overlooked for 10+ years. It looks like a WAR path in there. Im seeing what your preaching, its hard to find big bucks in this area but theres a few decent ones.

Wow it might be time to throw up some tiny log cabins in my hunting woods for the deer to bed in.

Mike wrote:Full story here:

http://www.robertsohiowhitetails.com/fi ... _Bucks.pdf

Thanks for the story Mike, very cool !

[quote="Mike"]This is a behavior that I find really interesting, not to pull this too far off topic...enjoy these pics:

The Property I hunt in Illinois has an old barn that is pretty run down set way back in the corner of the property right on the edge of the woods, anyway, there was a whole bunch of deer tracks in side it where they would cut through the front door and out the back, they were everywhere in that whole barn I thought it was strange, and not just doe tracks, found some good buck tracks in there also.......

I was scouting a new piece of public in April for turkey season. It was a bust for turkeys, but I found evidence of at least one whopper buck. I also found what I think are his beds in a swamp less than 200 yards from the road. This chunk doesn't get hunted much, and those that do totally ignore this little honey hole.

there use to be an old barn on some public i hunted that was always full of tracks. there was also a small apple orchard which had trails running from tree to tree. this was back when i was young and didnt ever hunt it but i remember how cool the old barn was with all the deer tracks in it. we just did a job last week in pardeeville and the deer liked to bed right under the guys deck in the shade during the day, also watched a does bed down on a point that was surrounded by water. she layed there the entire day with the wind blowing in from the water.

here is a very odd bedding area i found last year as i was glassing . its odd to me because it goes against every rule for hill country. most of the time there bedding of points in thermal tunnels, there is no point here , i cant figure out why he likes it here but it has something he likes or needs to survive. ....a nice buck came out of this old broken down farm house and barn area.......i didnt believe he was bedding in there until the next day when i went walking in there and sure enough busted him out of his bed and caught a good look at him as he ripped through the corn...i studied the bed and put a plain together but was never able to hunt it with little to no trees around...if he is back this year im going to move in on him some way some how