Loading
Help me Kill "The Fridge" with Map
General Deer Topics
Messages posted to thread:
bumpinblaze4x4 06-Dec-15
MDcrazyman 06-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 07-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 07-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 07-Dec-15
BowSniper 07-Dec-15
MDcrazyman 07-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 07-Dec-15
Wayniac 07-Dec-15
SelwayArchery 07-Dec-15
Genesis 07-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 07-Dec-15
Genesis 07-Dec-15
sureshot 08-Dec-15
Big D 08-Dec-15
Fuzzy 08-Dec-15
XMan 08-Dec-15
tobinsghost 08-Dec-15
Fulldraw1972 08-Dec-15
Beendare 08-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 08-Dec-15
Genesis 08-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 08-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 08-Dec-15
stick33 08-Dec-15
Genesis 08-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 08-Dec-15
SouthernILbowhunter 09-Dec-15
pappy 09-Dec-15
Genesis 09-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 09-Dec-15
overbo 09-Dec-15
leo17 09-Dec-15
Surfbow 09-Dec-15
Mike Lawrence 09-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 09-Dec-15
Bake 09-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 09-Dec-15
Landshark Launcher 09-Dec-15
MDcrazyman 15-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 15-Dec-15
deerman406 15-Dec-15
MDcrazyman 15-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4 01-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 01-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 01-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 01-Feb-16
HUNT MAN 01-Feb-16
OFFHNTN 01-Feb-16
Jack Harris 01-Feb-16
Charlie Rehor 01-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 01-Feb-16
Butts 01-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 01-Feb-16
TREESTANDWOLF 01-Feb-16
Wapiti Chaser 01-Feb-16
Wapiti Chaser 01-Feb-16
deerman406 03-Feb-16
deerman406 03-Feb-16
tobywon 03-Feb-16
Tody 03-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 03-Feb-16
MDcrazyman 04-Feb-16
SouthernILbowhunter 05-Feb-16
XMan 06-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 06-Feb-16
leo17 06-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 06-Feb-16
bumpinblaze4x4 06-Feb-16


Date:06-Dec-15

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

While i'm hunting during a season i spend constant time thinking about what my plan the next season will be (to an extend but i focus on the current stand). I spend alot of time in stand planning for the next season. A link below will show you the buck i'm after as well.

I have done my best to make a detailed map of my current setup and the history with with buck, including where he was photographed, where he was seen (on the hoof during november of 2013 and 2015), the property layout, etc. This is private property and i am the only one that bowhunts; 3 family members gun hunt the property but have never seen the buck (to my knowledge). I understand that topography is not visible but i'm looking for any suggestions as i am beginning to look at this as doing a puzzle: the longer i stare at it and try to "complete" it, the more trouble i seem to have finding the missing piece.

The red arrow is key, it is the only two sightings that i have during this buck. Both were in mid november and he was traveling the same path on an afternoon hunt. Nearly all of the trailcam pictures that i have of this deer are at night aside from one trailcam picture of him that was taken this year near my existing treestand. I have other stands on this farm but they are not listed.

After seeing him 2 weeks ago i put a camera in the thin strip of timber that connects the north portion of woods to the south portion of woods (north is up in the map). This is the first year that there has been any significant sign in that strip including a couple rubs that appeared this november. The white square in the middle of the map is where i currently have a camera and i will be checking it at some point this week (it was put up 10 days ago after discovering the rubs). I'm debating on putting a stand on the east side of that strip of timber if the camera shows any evidence of the buck.

One key factor is that there are minimal sources of water in the north timber although this fall has been exceptionally wet. The main creek on the farm is in blue as keyed on the map. If that camera (or any others) do not show any evidence of this buck then i probably will not try to change anything or target him during the next few weeks, if it does then i will hang a stand in that narrow connecting strip of timber. Because he seems to be a homebody and have a somewhat small core area i am not planning on pressuring him this year without decent evidence of his pattern. I have a good relationship with the neighbors and of the several people that hunt the property to the east (and the several stands they have that are marked on the map) they do not seem to have seen this buck. Most are fair weather hunters and likely do not hunt much after the rut.

Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.

Existing thread on this deer http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/bgforums/thread-print.cfm? threadid=444091&forum=4

Date:06-Dec-15

I love this stuff. I tried to look at the deer but it would not come up. I would bet by where your cams have caught him at night he is bedding around the lower left leg of that creek as you look at that pic and then moving up towards the ag fields at night. He is skirting those edges but I could be totally off, if you put where you have all your cams and all of your stands that have never caught him that would help but it sure is fun. Knowing what is in those fields is important too because his movement will definitely change as the season does as I am sure you know since you kill monsters every year.

Date:07-Dec-15
bumpinblaze4x4's Supporting Link

Date:07-Dec-15

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Stand 2C was placed last year for this deer but he was not seen and there was no evidence of him. Stand 2C is a stand that nobody hunts because the neighbors have too many stands over there. Stand 9 is an early season food source stand when crops are still in.

The agricultural fields on our farm are all bean stubble this year; the farm to the east had its fields in corn but all their crop ground was disced under and offers little to no nutrition.

Date:07-Dec-15

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

This is my most recent picture of him; he is heading south along the power lines here. This is a common area to get pictures of him although they are always at night.

Date:07-Dec-15

I like area to the left of #8. Stream there and woods between several fields. He could be heading there each morning. Depending on wind, you could enter from either the 8 side or 6A side

Can you put several cams at 6A funnel, and also along the 8 stream to box that area in and see if he is coming and going?

Date:07-Dec-15

I would think by 5A or 5 C as this would give him the options to travel to all those locations if he was bedding in that area. Possibly by 7B in those drainages along the creeks. He is a monster man, good luck.

Date:07-Dec-15

Thanks guys. I know you can only guess (hell i can only guess and i hunt the property) but stand 1A is the only stand that he has been seen (on the hoof at). I missed him in 2013 with my shotgun and i saw him this november but he was out of range. Both times he was traveling a similar path (RED ARROW) in the same direction (in the afternoon). My gut tells me he beds somewhere in the 2A/4B region or just East of it.

I think that the neighbors high pressure tends to keep him in our timber and with no nutrients over there this winter i can mainly see him traveling north/south.

I'll be checking some cameras this weekend but i'm hoping to hunt friday-sunday afternoon and depending on what the cameras show i may hang a new stand.

Any thoughts on the area in the WHITE SQUARE? Common whitetail logic sure would make you think a mature buck would travel through a small corridor like that from one portion of timber to another.

Date:07-Dec-15

Good luck with this buck!

If your assumption of his bedding is correct, Id say get a stand somewhere between 1A and 9, 20-30 yards inside the woodline depending on prevailing wind, how/where you access, and how far apart they are...

Other choice would be the oxbow/pinchpoint near 1A where you had the pix and stand sighting...

Date:07-Dec-15

I kinda like the area east of 2b, get right in there, I like to get aggressive if that's where you think he's bedding, get as close as you can. Best of luck!

Date:07-Dec-15

"Any thoughts on the area in the WHITE SQUARE? Common whitetail logic sure would make you think a mature buck would travel through a small corridor like that from one portion of timber to another."

Actually not.Thats a funnel with two "hard" sides and mature bucks hate to be dictated to with that type of scenario.

Do like area 45 degrees NE to 6a just on east side of big bend in creek.

Good late rut area area with double perpendicular travel areas and lots of soft edge

Date:07-Dec-15

Learn something every day. Could you explain what a soft vs a hard edge are?

Date:07-Dec-15

Your "white box" represents a funnel with two abrupt changes in terrain or vegetation (hard edge).Linear movement north/south through that area represents a huge waste of mature buck energy.(Perpendicular movement bisects the area and the area is now scent checked)so one would have to pick the exact point of bisection and hope it is in range and upwind.......better odds in powerball.

Now when you go up 45 degrees northeast of the 6A stand it actually is a funnel of sorts not so much from map but from intersections of perpendicular movement through treelines. In that area we can use the nature of perpendicular travel against them.The funnel isn't linear like so many hunt but it is a collection of intersecting bisections of hard edge (treelines)Look at the different angles in which deer can enter the wood line perpendicularly and be in a hunting and killable position.

Too many guys get suckered into the obvious funnels when the obvious (white box) are against the very nature of mature "seeking" bucks.

If gun pressure is heavy and deer NEVER cut across fields then throw my advice out the window but in most (shotgun,muzzleloader and short rifle season states) you have raised your probability.

"Funnels" are grossly overrated (maps kinda are as well) if they are solitary and represent boundaries of hard edge...they are against principles of energy conservation and old bucks are energy savings misers.

My above statement are for solitary seeking bucks.A buck tending a doe will go where she goes.My stands try to address both those scenarios so no hard funnels for me.

Every non food source stand I set from when I know the rut has begun will have a perpendicular travel (energy conservation)appeal

Soft edges would be mild topo changes,grass/small woody plants,small blowdowns and shallow water sloughs/ditches ie. things that are easily escaped through

Date:08-Dec-15

Genesis, For a single post, that is probably the best information on mature buck movement I have read. It is quite obvious, after reading your post,why some "funnels" are more productive than others. I have a farm that I hunt which consists of several long narrow traditional funnel areas that have 2 "hard edges", I have spent many non productive hours hunting this area and after reading your post it is quite obvious why. Thanks

By: Big D
Date:08-Dec-15

Assuming the wind is out of the Northwest I like stand locations #8, #9 & #1B. Chances are that he is heading for the creek bottoms to bed down

By: Fuzzy
Date:08-Dec-15

Genesis, thanks. After over five decades of "brain hardening" it's tough for me to really learn anything anymore. I think I just did. Awesome insight.

By: XMan
Date:08-Dec-15

Ok, so I am going to give you a much simpler idea. All his sheds are in the 4a/4b area so he is comfortable there and likely spends a considerable amount of time in the northeast section of your property hitting late season food sources. The only late season food source is in your big field with the bean stubble and you know from seasons past where you found his sheds that he is going to be hitting that field hard and coming in at last night. I would setup a late season stand just south of 4a and 2a on the thicket edges 50 yards off that field where he is going to move to the beans. Good luck, super buck!

Date:08-Dec-15

If i ever have the need or desire to attack a small third world country, i'm bringing 4x4 and genesis with me!!

Date:08-Dec-15

Very informative post genesis.

Another thing to add is the open country in that area is hour glass shaped and appears to be low ground. It's easy for him to sneek across that field in that spot.

Good luck OP. Trying to figure out a big deer and then shooting him is very challenging and enjoyable.

Date:08-Dec-15

Any benefit to cutting a N-S trail just inside you property line away from the East side neighbor?

If that buck is traveling that N-S power line...give him something on your property

Date:08-Dec-15

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Genesis: Thank you for your input, clearly i'm not alone when it comes to learning something new. Based on this new photo what area are you talking about?

The area where blue/purple/white circles meet is somewhat of a swampy low area with very little deer sign.

1-2.5" south of the white circle consists of a very elevated timber area that is a core bedding area on the farm.

The area around the orange/red/white circle is also eleveated and forms a fairly steep gradient that is high to the north, low to the south and west. Again, minimal deer sign in that area in regards to rubs/scrapes/previous sightings of mature bucks over the years. I'm certainly not saying you're wrong, i'm just trying to clarify the area even more.

I've added core bedding areas to the map as well.

Date:08-Dec-15

Alrighty then so the place I like is devoid of sign.Is the timber open there?I'm visualizing it as a bowl with the rim to the north and maybe lots of hackberry/elm and fairly open.

Is the area used for access to other hunting spots with maybe more than usual foot traffic through it in a season?

Swampy low areas will usually have lots of light hitting the ground and be good deer spots from greenbrier coral berry and the like.....

I haven't giving up on it just yet.Have you hunting in there much or just haven't been too impressed with the sign so don't hunt it much?

10:00 -11:00 on the yellow circle is where I was talking about appealing to seeking bucks but boots on ground may yield gar hole...:)Yellow cirle is close to swampy area and topography change making it even more interesting

If activity is alot out the back of that metal building north then that may be a huge issue not allowing natural movement through those circled areas from the north

Date:08-Dec-15

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Ok, lets see here. The place you like tends to be fairly soft in regards to the ground (drainage and the creek bed). There is some underbrush and its still timber but its not very thick. We purchased the farm in 07 and first hunted it in 08. I have had several different stand locations in that area that is south of 3 and west of 6A; actually 4 different stands and we've never killed a mature buck there, i've only seen one or two go through that area.

The white lines are common travel areas that the deer use (basically bed to feed and vice versa). Stand 13 is a very good pinch point stand as the deer often pass through that area when going from one bedding area to another or from agricultural field to bedding (and vice versa). I killed a mature buck in 2008 and in 2010 just south of stand 13 right on a creek crossing; a 3rd mature buck that i hunted for 2 years was found dead (EHD) in the same area so stand 3 and 13 are setup for that area but again, no sightings of him over there.

The orange squares are areas where i/we park in the morning and the orange arrows are morning travel routes we use to enter stands.

The red squares and arrows are the same as the orange but for afternoon hunts.

The property to the Southwest of us is our farm tenant that leases the crop ground. Great family, big hunter, etc. They have stands setup accordingly on their farm (as marked with black circles) but again, they have never seen the buck.

Date:08-Dec-15

In regards to your "bowl" concept. yes, the strip of timber that runs north south from stand 3 to stand 6 is a fairly low spot but is far lower on the east side where the creek runs. As you move west from the creek towards the agricultural fields the lay of the land continues to move slightly uphill until it gets far out in the field.

As i mentioned initially i am the only one that bowhunts this farm (well me and my wife) so until the gun season starts aroudn Nov 20th, we are the only pressure. We hunt very sparingly until halloween (basically field edges in the afternoon only) and then start hunting bedding areas and funnels during the rut. I will often sit all day in a bedding area where i can sneak in and out in the dark easily. Once gun season starts we now have 4 people hunting and pressure is higher although not exceedingly high by gun hunting standards.

Human pressure is minimal; the highway runs along the north boundary so vehicles are common and i do have a rifle range setup on the "driveway" that runs from the steel building in the middle NW to the highway. Its not used alot but there is more human pressure in that area (but i have killed a few real nice deer SW of the driveway in the area of stand 13 and 3).

The biggest oddity for me is that i've seen this buck twice in 3 years, both were after Nov 17th, the first sighting was nearly in december. If i'm hunting almost every day from Nov 1-Nov 16th (or so) during the peak pre rut and rut, how have i not seen this deer? This is what doesn't make sense to me and i can't figure it out. The neighbors to the east hunt alot and don't watch their winds so i dont think he would travel over there much during peak season but clearly he winters in that area as all of his sheds were found in a fairly small area.

Date:08-Dec-15

Draw a circle... top being 4B, the bottom 9B. Looks to be his core area. Daytime sighting, sheds found, multiple trail cam pics. I would focus on this area and move your cameras there.

I like the south creek area myself where the two creeks meet south of the north-south connecting timber. I think he would cruise parallel to the creek/ag fields scent-checking doe crossings. I would walk it and look for crossings. Hang a few cameras. If you don't pick up any sign of him there, head north where you know he beds in the 4A - 2C area during the winter and find out if that's his preferred hangout during the fall as well.

He's going to be bigger next year and you your bases pretty well covered. Keep scouting and narrowing his core until you feel confident enough to go in after him. He'll make a mistake eventually!

Date:08-Dec-15

"The biggest oddity for me is that i've seen this buck twice in 3 years, both were after Nov 17th, the first sighting was nearly in december. If i'm hunting almost every day from Nov 1-Nov 16th (or so) during the peak pre rut and rut, how have i not seen this deer? This is what doesn't make sense to me and i can't figure it out."

Not uncommon at all,I'd quit worrying about that specific buck.I've had some toads I see once in three years and never again....they can cover lots of country in Nov.....anyway I tried.

Date:08-Dec-15

Thanks guys.

Genesis: I've never actually actively hunted this buck for this very reason! I never see him and can't pattern him so for me its not worth going crazy or exhausting myself trying to kill him (and i'm not worried about it now). I rarely target specific deer but going into this season there were 4 deer i knew were shooters and 5 years old or older on our farm (he would rank 4th as a target buck simply because i was after other deer and i knew that if i killed him either last year or this year, it would be while hunting a different buck or not specifically hunting this deer). I'm very fortunate to have a great place to hunt and fortunate to have killed several great deer on this farm in the last 7 years. It would just be an added bonus to kill him; that being said i think i would miss finding his sheds!

To be honest, i dont know that he will be bigger next year. Based on the previous thread he seems to be a 6.5 year old buck currently so i doubt he will grow much more. He has never had much mass but he is wide and tall. Regardless, he's a trophy in anyones eyes. I'm honestly curious to see if his right G2 is goofy again next year or if that was a development/injury issue this year.

I'll continue to update the thread should anything change.

Date:09-Dec-15

In no way am I putting you down....please dont think that. I admire your enthusiasm for a particular deer and the love of bow hunting. I used to be exactly like you, maps, and maps everywhere, trail cams, etc. But the more I stared at the info, the more confused I got, and the more it made hunting seem like "work." The day I threw technology out the window, is the day I started consistently killing mature deer. My suggestion to you.....step away from the information you have for a while, and start out with the basic map....forget about neighbors stands...you cant predict people. Just use common sense about food, covers and doe concentration, and start over....don't complicate it much, keep it simple. You seem like a motivated hunter, just be level headed. Good Luck

By: pappy
Date:09-Dec-15

x2 ...stop complicating your obsession of trying to harvest that animal. Use your brain and stop using or relying so much on technology in making your decisions. go back to basic`s as southernILbowhunter suggested ,and you will enjoy your quest more and be more successful in putting the puzzle together.

Date:09-Dec-15

To be honest when I first posted to this thread I didn't notice your trailcam map and my comments were directed as such.

I haven't hunted on land with a trailcam ...EVER and am not familiar with any changes in behavior.Pundits say their is none but usually I subscribe to for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction philosophy......

However,understanding what I said about perpendicular travel funnels and soft sided ones will put you in higher probability spots.

Lastly,don't get caught up in PATTERNING bucks.November is Pandora's box so hunt a bucks behavior/instinct and energy saving movements and doe areas.

It's alot simpler than we make it out to be

Hope you get him

Date:09-Dec-15

Thanks guys, no offense taken at all Southern.

As i mentioned early, i'm far from obsessing on this deer. I just thought it would be fund to "strategize" with others in regards to what i'm currently thinking about.

I only run a few cameras on our farm, the "camera map" is are just the orange areas where i have had a picture taken of him over the last 4 years.

Most of my hunting knowledge and scouting takes place during shed hunting in the later winter and early spring along with what i see during the season itself. I also do some bean field scouting in the summer but its more or less to just enjoy watching the deer, it doesn't effect how i hunt.

I wasn't trying to take the fun out of things so hopefully that wasn't the vibe i was giving out. I just wanted to get other hunters opinions, and i do appreciate everyone who has chimed in. I honestly don't expect to kill this buck which is why i'm far from obsessed with him or even actively hunting him but after 4 years of history, i simply wanted to share and get some more opinions.

thanks

By: overbo
Date:09-Dec-15

4a stand(if bedding area). Get a buddy to drive you out the field. Both get out the truck and walk to that stand and your buddy walk back to the truck and drive away. You sit and wait for the buck to return.

By: leo17
Date:09-Dec-15

this is awesome. keep us posted . i get the feeling that as he gets older he will shrink his territory and be more visible during shooting light. hopefully its your place that he decides to move into.

Date:09-Dec-15

You whitetail guys are fascinating...

Date:09-Dec-15

"The neighbors to the east hunt alot and don't watch their winds so i dont think he would travel over there much during peak season but clearly he winters in that area as all of his sheds were found in a fairly small area."

I am guessing his core area is to the East and he simply has your neighbors hunting patterns figured out very well. And he transitions to your property for the winter.

Date:09-Dec-15

"I am guessing his core area is to the East and he simply has your neighbors hunting patterns figured out very well. And he transitions to your property for the winter."

What you see in the pictures is all there is to the east of our property. While he may hangout in one of those little ditches/draws, the majority of the bedding areas are on our farm and there are nothing more than crop fields east of the area on this map; literally no timber for miles.

By: Bake
Date:09-Dec-15

My whitetail knowledge is far eclipsed by many on this site. And I'm terrible at aerials, I prefer topos

And I feel a little silly, because I know you've killed more and bigger deer than me :)

But one recommendation . . . . instead of placing trail cameras where you know you're going to get buck pictures but many times at night (like field edge scrapes), try dedicating some cameras to areas of the farm you usually don't hunt, that may seem good, but for a lack of sign. Leave those cameras up for the whole month of November.

Some of my "best" stands are in areas usually devoid of sign. I killed 4 and 5 year old bucks last year out of a stand that didn't have a rub or scrape within 300 yards. But they were using it during November, they just weren't slowing down enough to make rubs or scrapes. They were cruising through. I "found" that stand based on terrain features, but lacked the confidence to hang there until I placed a trail camera there two years in a row on an old logging road, and got enough daytime buck pics to tell me I needed a stand there. Even though there was and is no sign there.

I have a mental problem, and often lack the confidence to invest one of my rare November sits in an area that I think looks good terrain wise, but never has any sign, that I've never spent any time hunting. Trail cameras have helped me get past this mental block a time or two

Date:09-Dec-15

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Thanks, i do have certain areas tha ti would like to run cameras that i dont frequently hunt and every year i "puss out" because i dont want to go into an area and leave human scent where i dont need to be. Def. a plan next year.

Ok guys, i should've done this in the first place.

Topo map of the farm. Feel free to recommend any good areas on the map that you would def. have a stand, regardless of this bucks history. Thanks!

Date:09-Dec-15

Blaze4x4.sent you a Pm. On how to kill him..

Date:15-Dec-15

Hey Blazasauras, you said you had some cams out in that box area well what happened, you get any pics??????? What about an update man!!!! Hope its going well.

Date:15-Dec-15

MD: dropped the ball on that one! I pulled the card on the camera that i have running in that narrow strip of woods, there is one or two main trails going through there and in a two week period i only have half a dozen or so pictures (non of the target buck). So i didn't hang a stand at this point.

One new factor is that i did hang a camera in mid october just east of stand 7A (7A is on a ridge that drops off to the east and there is an area of 6-7 cedar trees that always has heavy rubs along the area and this is the first year i've ever hung a camera in that area. In nearly two months time (primarily from October 25th to Nov 25) i had nearly every mature buck on the property on camera, including The fridge who has never been seen in that area. There were only two pictures of him and they were at the same time but it does open his area a slight bit but at the same time it offers me to help in killing him.

Right now i have no expectations of seeing him again this year other than the possible picture but i'm hoping to recover his sheds and hopefully that will shed some more light on things.

Date:15-Dec-15

90 degrees straight acrossed from 6A in that little sliver of woods between the large and small field is where I would hang a stand. Shawn

Date:15-Dec-15

That sounds like a good start. Trail cams only pic up so much he could be going behind the tree instead of in front of it. Keep on it and you will have success. Keep us posted.

Date:01-Feb-16

Just thought i'd update this for those that are interested.

Saturday we were out shed hunting and found the carcass of "the fridge". It is tough to say how long he had been dead for but it wasn't too long; i had a picture of him right around christmas day in which he looked fairly healthy but his bones were picked clean as of two days ago (Jan 30th). It's a shame to find him this way but i guess i would rather find him now then try to set up to hunt him this fall now knowing he was dead.

It's tough to get an idea on his actual size based on these pictures (soon to come) but he taped right at 172" gross. His mass is average at best and he has short beams for a mature buck (21"). Still, a beautiful old buck.

Date:01-Feb-16

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Date:01-Feb-16

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Date:01-Feb-16

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

If you look at the second map from the top; we found him halfway between 12A and 2B.

Date:01-Feb-16

Bummer

Date:01-Feb-16

Oh geez that sucks! Sorry, but at least you have the rack.

Date:01-Feb-16

I hate these endings! He got in some sort of trouble they don't get that big by being stupid... My condolences

Date:01-Feb-16

This sort of ending happens most of the time. Big bucks die in so many different ways. Every year where I hunt we leave a big pack of great 3.5 and 4.5 year old deer at seasons end but few are there the next year. Tuff loss for sure!

Date:01-Feb-16

Charlie: Agreed.

It may sound silly but of the several deer i have my eyes on for next year, this is the one deer on the farm (and probably the highest scoring as of the 2015 season) that i honestly had the feeling i wouldn't get a chance at. As you can tell by the thread i had little to no idea on how to kill this deer. His 2 sightings in 4 years hardly coincide with where i found him and his sheds.

Certainly a bummer but it takes alot of 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 bucks just go make one or two 6.5 year olds.

By: Butts
Date:01-Feb-16

Bummer, good thread. Is the yellow zip tie a DOW item?

Date:01-Feb-16

DOW? Not sure of that acronym but its a salvage tag given in illinois by DNR. Technically the carcass should not be moved until tagged which is certainly a pain but legal is legal.

Date:01-Feb-16

Great thread, wish you had the chance to arrow him, but, I believe many have read and learned here, me included.

I really liked Genesis's post, made a few things click.

Im sure " Fridge" has some offspring in the area!

Date:01-Feb-16

Department of Wildlife

Date:01-Feb-16

Or Division of Wildlife here we have the DEC Department of Environmental Conservation

Date:03-Feb-16

There are 3 pinch points in strips of timber that you have no stands. I would put a stand in each of them. I really think you have to set up in those little piece connecting the bigger blocks of timber ecsp during the rut. If you really need help I will come and give it a shot!(LOL!) Shawn

Date:03-Feb-16

I agree with the post about technology. Boots on the ground and knowing the lay of the land by walking it and actually studying what the deer do is what kills deer. Have Fun! Shawn

Date:03-Feb-16

Great deer and thread to go along with it. The rut can be very tough on a mature buck. Constant running, limited time eating and taking in nutrition, sparring, fighting, cold weather, etc. can take their toll. If they don't die from the rut directly, they can be weakened enough to make it easier for predators. Any idea of actual age, were teeth very worn, etc. Maybe send a tooth in for aging.

By: Tody
Date:03-Feb-16

Nice thread. So where on the map did you find the carcass? Was anyone close to where to find him?

Date:03-Feb-16

He was found halfway between 12a and 2c. I have teeth to send in, I believe he is a 6 year old

Date:04-Feb-16

It was cool while it lasted. That should make room for another to come in and take his place. Good luck, that was a good post, at least you won't have to wonder anymore!!!

Date:05-Feb-16

Sorry to hear that, Glad at least you found it. Wish we could have seen a pic of you this November with his rack and a freezer full of deer sausage. Good luck....don't know you, but with your enthusiasm ive seen here....you will find another one! Wish I could get the enthusiasm back myself, been kinda blah, about deer hunting here last couple of years. Not sure whats going on, wish I knew. Good luck

By: XMan
Date:06-Feb-16

Darn, that's a bummer. At least you know and can focus on a different deer next season. I am sure you have a few already in mind and will be battling wits against another giant.

Date:06-Feb-16

Thanks for the words guys.

I dont want this comment to make me sound like i'm spoiled, etc. but if i had to find any mature deer on our farm (this buck is probably one of the oldest currently but i'm talking about any 4+ year old buck) dead, this one probably would upset me the least.

I love to hunt, i love the outdoors, i love all the time that goes into hunting and its fun to follow a buck year after year but THIS DEER HAD ME BEAT! It would have touched me more had i had many encounters with him and just been unable to close the deal but i had 4 years of history with this buck between trail cam pictures and sheds yet i only saw him twice; yes twice! I only hope he died quickly and without too much suffering because he was clearly a smart, old warrior.

Props to "the fridge" for avoiding me for so many years and then dying right in the center of his small core area where i had most of his history yet no encounters.

Closure is certainly the next best thing to success when it comes to killing an old buck. It's very difficult to learn from a mature deer when they simply disappear.

Thanks again guys, i hope i didn't come off as an entitled Jack@$$ because i know how blessed i am to even see deer like this.

By: leo17
Date:06-Feb-16

Hey Buddy, I seem to remember that you killed a giant that was posted on another thread. can't seem to find the thread. was that the same farm, post a pic if you can. Congrats.

Date:06-Feb-16

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

Yes, I've solely hunted the same farm since 2008 when my family it and I've been fortunate to kill a 155 in 2008, 163 8pt in 2010, 186 in 2011, 169 and 163 in 2012, 150 in 2014, and a 174 in 2015. Here's my 2011

Date:06-Feb-16

bumpinblaze4x4's embedded Photo

2015 174", I had a thread about this old boy this year


Bowsite.com DeerBuilder on FacebookYouTube Channel Contact DeerBuilder
Registration
Facebook Page
YouTube Channel
Advertise
Bowsite.com
Copyright © 2012 Bowsite.com. No duplication without prior consent.