Targeting a mature buck

Hey guys, I’ve had a certain buck on our farm for many years now. I’m guessing that he’s either 8 or 9, and am wondering how I should go about taking him. Last year, he showed up occasionally and was very nocturnal. This year, he’s showing up quite a bit, and in daylight too. I’m hoping that his home range is shrinking and that I might have a chance at him this year. I think that my best times to hunt him will be opening weekend while he’s still on his summer pattern, or maybe early/mid rut? Do you think that he will stick around for rut, or disappear like younger deer do? Thoughts? Thanks!

I like to set up a string of, mock scrapes, where you want them to visit. A couple of weeks ahead.. Put drippers above them, with doe scent .When the rut is starting , switch to doe in heat scent. . When you expect he is in the area. put a drag rag on your boot, with doe in heat scent, walk across a couple of deer trails, ending where you hope to get a shot , not necessarily your regular stand, he may have you patterned. Hang the drag rag on a low limb. Keep your eyes open. I have taken a few bucks, this way. . Good Luck. old243

8 year old buck is going to run himself ragged in rut. They lose some wariness but locations are hard to predict. The one square mile theory can get tossed out the window. If you have a particular deer you want to shoot before or after rut is lots easier. I bet at least 90% of the big bucks killed during rut is because the hunter was lucky that one walked in shooting range. Not because the hunter was hunting that particular animal. Most of those bucks are very nocturnal outside of rut. Its a big factor in how they live long enough to get big antlers. Putting yourself in the right spot right at dawn or dusk, without the buck knowing your there is key. Wind is your enemy/friend along with the setting/rising sun. Sometimes the weatherman will get wind direction right helping you choose your spot. Just like calling coyotes how you get in to your spot is critical Going in to a hideyhole is when you get detected more often than not.

get as many doe in the area ya can.

You don't hear much about it anymore but stalking is an effective way to hunt also. Today the "experts" all say not to bump one in its bedding area. I agree. The goal is to kill it in its bedding area. On a day with a nice steady wind of 15 plus miles an hour keep the wind in your face. Be patient. Be patient. Be patient. One or two steps and stop for 30 seconds or so. Look carefully ahead and around you even though you just did that two steps behind you. Move when the wind is blowing so there is lots of movement of limbs and stuff. I have never caught one sleeping but I have shot several still on the ground in this fashion. Be patient. Should take every bit of an hour to cover a hundred yards. I'm talking about hunting thick cover. Not an open hay meadow or prairie.

I think you have the right thought process, opening weekend can give you a chance to target normal travel patterns, I prefer staging areas where big bucks browse on the way from bedding to food sources, I personally would never hunt a bedding area- I prefer to target intercept points. I believe that if you kick a mature buck out of a bedding area, he responds with his normal escape route and will return, if you hunt a bedding area- you will have one chance so make it count. The pre-rut is your second opportunity, the seek phase, using a drip scraper or mock scrapes as mentioned, will increase your chance of daylight sightings. Full rut is about being in the right place at the right time. The majority of the P&Y bucks we've taken have never been on our trail cameras- I'm sure someone else has nice photos.

When is your opening day? Hopefully it’s early so you can get him while he’s still on his summer pattern.

How big is your land? Do your neighbors have crops/food/bedding? Do your neighbors hunt?

If he is not taken busted or harassed opening weekend the key will be deer deer and more deer. During pre rut he will be establishing territory and seeking out does. When the rut begins the alpha doe will go to him not the other way around. So be patient. He will pin her down in the thickest stuff he can find till she is ready. Meanwhile the juniors are chasing everything in sight. So then there is competition and he should start to move. Lots of does and young bucks will increase tour chances of an encounter. Play the wind. Remember it is not the deer you see it is the ones that see you and smell you that count. Get busted and game over unless you can pinpoint him. Set up multiple stands for different wind. No matter how tempting do not hunt a swirling or bad wind. Make sure your approach to each stand is quiet and down wind. Abandon the stand you have used repeatedly for now. That doesn't mean move across the field. Just move 10 to 20 yards or a little further back into cover. Make sure you blend as best as possible even with hunter orange break your outline. Scent can be a plus especially early. Lot's of good info on this thread.

Thanks for all the replies! Jurassic park, the neighbors do hunt, but not right where I am at. On this particular place, there are many places he could bed, and I can’t pinpoint exactly where. There’s going to be lots of beans, and a few patches corn in the fields this year. I doubt he’s the dominant buck anymore, as he took a really good beating last year during November. I didn’t think he’d live to see this season, but he did. Thanks again guys I appreciate it!

I got this sent to me, I thought it was funny.

Find his rub line leading into thick cover and get their early, I'm talking 3 A.M. Stalking SLOW may be an option also if you can pinpoint his core. Hunting the big boys is a whole different ball game than hunting 1 and 2 year olds..

Ive got no actual advice. But maybe this will give you some confidence. Few years ago i read a story built over many years of hunting particularly old bucks. The conclusion was that the middle ages 4 -5 were the most difficult due to nocturnal behavior. As they get even older, the author found a tendancy to revert to a very visible lifestyle. You might have one of those on your hands. Good luck.

I would say be alert at all times, it seems they have a ha bit of showing up when you least expect it, and make you look like an idiot.

I know everyone has a different approach but in my past this is the opposite of how I target mature bucks. I slip in just at daylight and ONLY USE LADDER stands. No climbers as they make too much noise. 2 of my 3 biggest ones were killed on the slip into my stand. Plus it may not be legal to get into the woods that early. In Ky it is 30 minutes before sun rise.
As for old deer staying put My biggest ever 191 7/8 was only using a small clearing and one single thicket for almost 2 years. They aged him at 7 1/2. It was in the middle of a grown up farm that the only traffic ALL year was me putting up ladder stands First week end of oct. Season opens 2nd Sat of Nov. I had 7-10 cams scattered thru out this farm and he was only ever on 1 that covered a trail going into this thicket. PLUS I never walked to check my cameras. ALWAYS drove right up to them in my truck and was in and out fast. If you can afford it get one that sends to your phone. Or the kind that daisy chain off each other and have one next to the rode to read the rest.
As mentioned watch the wind. My last mature buck I had to wait 5 days for the wind to change but I killed him 7 minutes after I walked in front of my camera next to my stand . Oh yea he was standing in front of it when I shot him....... Good luck and remember every time you are in there your chances go down of killing him .....................

Ok I know some are tired of seeing them but got to show the top three

...look up Dan Infalt

..nice bucks jbyrd

Oh yes stay ALL DAY !! The 191 was shot at 11.04 am

Lone whiteoak
Lone apple tree
Primary scrape
Heavy cover leading to or around these destination areas

My biggest fault was the way I entered and exited my hunting areas..it's over looked