I wish there was a short answer to the question. Its hard to put all that needs put into it, in a single post of a forum. I'll try to givea brief outline of the strategy Ive used for years, as it has proven very effective for older bucks in my area of timber and crop land mix.
Pick a spot- Got to have a good amount of doe, so choose the biggest best bedding of the entire area to key from. Heavy thick tangled mix of second stage timber growth or similarly type areas are excellent. Never enter the bedding in season, and stay back on placement far enough so as not to alert the deer.
Link it up- look for the nearest area that supports a good crop of mast, or better yet, if there happens to be another good bedding area nearby its always a gem. The bottom line is, you got to know what direction the deer are going to be entering and leaving the 1st choice major bed, and linking something to it that will dictate the travel of the herd, and thus the old bucks.
Find the funnel on the travel route- this can be tricky to explain because not all funnels are easy to spot. Anything that will narrow deer down either by force of topography or by preferred cover between the bedding and/or mast feed areas. Anyone can find forced funnels, and they are great to find but I'll leave them up to your common sense. Prefered cover funnels are easy to find if you once have your eyes opened to them. First base this off the most narrowed place between bed/mast. Then if there are no other obvious funneling features, look for thick long strings of tight sapplings or any thick heavy cover that forms a line going through the timber in the direction of the travel. Deer will associate with it. This is key,,,Try to stay closer to the bed. Its the best bet to see him in daylight, but not too close so you spook deer.
Paralleling bucks- many times bucks travel down wind of doe on their own trail. Watch for it even in funneled areas,,,dont set up on the wrong trails. Old bucks in search mode, may hit funnels exclusively saving time looking for hot doe's, bouncing from one tight funnel to the next. Be prepared to have one come in at a fast pace, and from an unsuspected direction. Do all you can to insure they will be in front of you.
Time it- Its a known fact bucks are heavily nocturnal. The older they get, the more they are so. The only time of year, that really ups your chances by any realistic amount is the rut and a few days leading up to the rut. Otherwise you run risk of not seeing him in daylight, which in turn educates him to your having been there and its game over. Consistently, best timing falls between Nov 1st-12th.
Surprise attack- Stay out of the area until timing is right, no matter the temptation. In the case of old bucks in any single area, hunting more means less chance of a shot. Prepare the area to hunt well ahead of season, and dont go back until timing is right (Nov 1-12). Most importantly remember the best chance to see him, is the very first time in to hunt. From then on, each visit degrades hunting quality from human invasion impact
Perfect winds- wait for winds to be correct. Often, topography will cause wind to react different then what you might expect. Only experience can allow you to know what winds will do on location. Also, a timber full of trees with thick green foilage, causes unstable winds. November brings leaves down, and steady winds.
No dummys- old deer are not dumb. They know how to survive around humans. Avoid any possible contamination ofthe area. No decoy placment, no walking out putting lures out, no dependancy on cover scents or descenting products, no walking out after a practice arrow shot from stand and in fact no arrow should be out there in the first place. One hint of your presence and its over.
Map your way- use a solid strategy to get to and from your spot. Getting a bit off coarse is devastating to your success. Mark it well. Think about your approach/exit, so as to use the route most unlikely for deer to discover you.
Multiple locations- if your best chance to kill an old buck is the first hunt, obviously we need lots of places to go. Not more stands on the same deer, but different deer all together. More you have, the more your chances are. It only takes 12 locations to get you through Nov 1-12, right? Chances are if all else is followed, you wont need them all if you shoot true.
No tykes- pass up the younger bucks. You will never see a patriarch, if your dragging out the first 3 yr old buck that comes by. You will learn a lot about deer, and esp bucks by passing up the younger deer, and build many more lasting memories at the same time .
Eve/morn- read the spot. If you can get on stand in the morning without spooking deer then fine. In the dark, they are liable to be anywhere so keep that in mind. Hopefully they are well away from the primary bedding you are hunting. Arrove EARLY. Evenings/day approach is normally a safer bet, with most deer being bedded down. Use your head and determine what time of day is the best per area.
Lunar influence- pay attention to peak moon times and periods. In a heavy covered funnel close to bed, and especially between beds, Ive witnessed many old bucks making shorter movements in the middle of the day. When the moon is straight up over head, or straight down under foot, the gravitational pull is peaking...and bucks are affected. Ive been scoffed at many times for this, and at first it seems weird taking stand at 11 a.m. to catch the peak at 1p.m. All I know is unless you've followed lunar timing, you wouldnt know.
Topic: Old Whitetails. (Read 734 times)
