Hunting bush bucks 2023 it never ends

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Hopefully they stick around come go time and ya get a poke at one.

Some I have enough history with I know they stick around or where they shift to. New bucks it’s more of a gamble and trying to read them which I can make a reasonable guess on from observation/sign/habitat.

A portion of theses bucks will shift to different areas and some areas will be visited by new bucks come November. Part of our locations we know only hold does and small bucks till November too. There is a lot going on that is not posted and plans/keying in on location is not just about the present season

Often they don’t go that far and over time I can usually key in on them if the bush allows it.

Out of the locations I have set so far I have confidence the real issue is being in the right stand at the right time. But that big tall buck I am thinking might shift on me especially if we get a good snow fall. I have a good guess where he might go though. Really considering leaving this area as a ground hunt this year so I can adjust as needed and use the stand in a different location

I will say with confidence every stand I set will have a worthwhile buck to target but if they are going to show up well I am on stand is another story

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Hopefully they stick around come go time and ya get a poke at one.

Nah, they migrate out of there the day the guns start going off, cross the river and hang out in my spot till I come along and scare them back.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Nah, they migrate out of there the day the guns start going off, cross the river and hang out in my spot till I come along and scare them back.

Luckily your timing for scaring them back is pretty well bang on for when I take holidays

It’s definitely appreciated lol

[Smoky buck]

One thing that is not really touched on is how much time I have invested into establishing the range of some of these deer

There is actually bucks that I have pinned out their range over a little over a 5km radius since I started working this area 4 years ago. I don’t just rush back to the same spot looking for a buck from a past season but instead spread out from there looking for other locations they frequent. I have had bucks on cam in multiple locations and you start to figure out what is there core area vs areas the visit occasionally

Some examples

Even roaming bucks have areas they visit more often depending on the time of year. Take the droptine in this thread he roams through different areas depending on the time of year. Early early season he stays on the higher ground traveling between the area my buddy hunts and a location I hunt. This how he was relocated so easily is I know his summer range. This years pics of the droptine are from a cam that was set in a location we don’t ever plan to hunt. That cam was set just to see if he is around. What was figured out after I filled my tag is the droptine moves down to the bottom of the trench in the evergreens with high doe numbers for November. I had him on cam over 20 times at my one stand location for 3 weeks of November last year but I was tagged out before I knew

He has seasonal locations spread out over a big range but from paying attention to where and when we find him his pattern is now fairly predictable. There is always wildcard factors on crown land though

Now take the buck at the bottom of post 51 with the kickers and split brow. I have history with this one over 3 years. He is a home body and has a defined core area. He has areas he visits a little more in the summer/early season. He also ventures a little farther during the rut and shows up at random at some of my locations close by. But he has an area he can be found in all year more often than anywhere else I have found him

He makes oddball visits to some locations locations but always has his main location

Some bucks I have posted pics of are bucks I have watched grow as well. I seen they had potential when they were younger and came back to the general area to see how they matured. I also pay attention to the genetics I see in an area too

It’s far more complicated then “hey look at this cam pic”

Majority of the bucks taken by those hunting directly with me or taken by my buddy from Calgary are bucks we knew of before we shot them

There is a little more then just hoping a buck sticks around at play but definitely I guess wrong at times too when trying to predict there movements

Sorry I won’t post marked sat photos of any buck’s movements but it’s definitely interesting when you mark known locations of a buck on a stat photo. You start to get a good idea how he moves through an area and why

[Smoky buck]

Can always tell when the wife and phone calls interrupt long posts lol

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Nah, they migrate out of there the day the guns start going off, cross the river and hang out in my spot till I come along and scare them back.

And then I am scooting down the gravel road and get a poke at him from the ditch on my way to my honey hole!




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[aragor764]

Great read SB!

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

And then I am scooting down the gravel road and get a poke at him from the ditch on my way to my honey hole!

Well there you go!

Beginning to think the deer feel sorry for me

[Smoky buck]

Been busy with work, life, and a hunt I shall not post because I don’t want to listen to AO’s anti outfitter crowd(yes it was successful). So I have been slacking a bit on this thread

All stands are set and the main game plan is set for myself/wife and expected company. I will help my buddy from Calgary with his setups next week. I have been rushing each time setting stands so only took pics of one set up

This is the location with the really wide buck and a handful on good bucks have been visiting. This location may test my ability to hold out for one of the really nice bucks I have scouted because of the number/frequency some of these nicer bucks are showing up vs the wide buck. Between the doe/deer numbers and how active the communal scrape this location could really light up during the rut

These two are definitely the main visitors. No good pics of the wide buck this time just fuzzy maybe pics





A couple pics of the view. I will be overlooking the scrape and 5 busy trails that lead to it





Things are going as they should so far but only time will tell if any hiccups kick in along the way. The droptine buck has made his first appearance in the trench as I was predicting and that stand is set. If he follows his routine from last year he will increase his activity here as the rut kicks in


As I said pay attention to trends from previous years and think about the upcoming season not just the present



The big tall tined buck is still around but as I mentioned I am expecting a shift so I will target him a little from the ground this year. I don’t think he will go far but I don’t trust his movement enough to set a stand. As nice as he is I think I need more time to figure him out better



Lots of pictures of decent bucks but some cams I have not checked as I like to let locations settle after lane trimming. Things are starting to shift and I will see if some of the bucks I am gambling on appear closer to the end of the month

For those thinking of trying the WMUs that open early majority of the mature bucks on my cams are only around in the dark. I don’t expect that to start changing till last week of October. But most will stay that way till Nov


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[aragor764]

Thanks for the update Smoky! We have a good cold front coming tonight up in the North so I will be ready at first light tomorrow and hopefully see some movement, a nice fat doe would be nice, cheers

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by aragor764

Thanks for the update Smoky! We have a good cold front coming tonight up in the North so I will be ready at first light tomorrow and hopefully see some movement, a nice fat doe would be nice, cheers

Been colder here today and seen a reasonable amount of does well setting stands and checking a few cams. Even though the mature bucks have switched to nightshift lots of does and little bucks moving in daylight still. So still a good chance at a doe or meat buck right now

Moose are definitely active I was messing with two bulls today cow calling and they were covering ground talking back right away

[KazIce]

Love the update. That tall tined buck is a specimen. Can’t wait to see this unfold for you and your family.


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[Curtsyneil]

The tall tined buck is a beauty but is it just me or in the photo is he broke on his left side near the end of his main beam?

[fishnguy]

Good going there, Smoky. Good luck!

Originally Posted by Curtsyneil

The tall tined buck is a beauty but is it just me or in the photo is he broke on his left side near the end of his main beam?

Just the way the photo was taken. If you look closer, you would see the entire beam base to tip, going like this:

[Smoky buck]

As nice as that tall tined buck is I have more appreciation for the bucks I have history with and that is one of the factors that came into play when choosing stand locations too. Really the game is just starting with buck and I will learn more about this buck. But who knows I might get an opportunity off the ground and take him this season even

He lives in an area where I am confident he will survive unknown by other hunters(unless they are with me) so as long as he beats winter and natural predators the game won’t end this season

I know some won’t understand it bu I enjoy the pursuit and challenge more than inches of bone. No doubt I like bucks with big antlers and a big part of that is I know they are a challenge to find. For the same reason I am a sucker for unique character because I know it’s less common. Now when you combined history that is when I really develop true appreciation for a buck

You take the buck with the two kickers on one side and one set of split brow tines. I have 3 seasons of history with this buck and countless hours scouting his range keying in on him. I know this bucks range well and I have only ever seen him clearly in person once. Also I know he has age on him showing he has out smarted both hunters and predators to get. This is a buck that I hold respect for and would appreciate if I am lucky enough to take him

The droptine buck carries so much character odds are I will never find another buck like him. This is the second season with this buck and he has been a challenge to find a location that I could truly target him. The only reason I was able to key in on him was my buddy also having cams near by and making a guess from gathering knowledge of the area/deer in the area. This has involved a lot of hiking and failed guesses to figure him out. The velvet pic in this thread is about 3miles as the crow flies to where I have him on camera/stand set for him. He lives in nasty terrain that made him more challenging to hunt. I also like the fact that it drives my buddy crazy knowing the drop tine leaves his area and hangs out where I hunt for the season lol. This is another buck I respect and would be proud to take.

These two bucks are really an example of why I do what I do. This is what motivates my scouting more than inches of antler. They only reason a tape ever ends up on my bucks is because others are curious

Yes I set a stand for the wide buck and I have pictures of him last year but he has really just started to catch my interest this year. Of course I would be happy to take this buck but I won’t lie there is part of me who would also be happy if I get to chase him again next season. He is really at the stage where he is becoming an amazing buck and I am starting to understand his area

I will never pass on a big stranger buck and really I make my choice to pull the trigger when an opportunity happens but I definitely have more respect for bucks I have history with

[58thecat]

Get your butt in the stand or I will

[Smoky buck]

Here are 2 bucks I hope to cross paths with that have not shown up yet

I actually passed on this buck in 2021 because he broke off one of his big long tines. I don’t know where he hangs out most of the year but I know where he likes to roam come the rut. He may not be as big as some of the others but he is a warrior. The buck I shot last year had the same torn ear and that was part of the reason I pulled the trigger on that buck when I couldn’t get a good judge of his rack. He is another buck I hold respect for and would be happy to take. I likely won’t get a pic of him until November if he still exists.


This buck first appeared early last year on my buddies cam and ghosted till he appeared on my cam at the bottom of trench in November 2 times. Between the two of us we have covered so much ground trying to locate him last year and this year with out luck. This buck is a true phantom that has stumped us both so far. Plain and simple this buck has beat us so far. I would be happy to even see him in person as he is a mystery. I hope just to get a picture to know he is alive still





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[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Get your butt in the stand or I will

Not time yet patients. No point in burning out locations well they are moving at night

You don’t want to sit in any of my stands they are just full of spikes and flat tops

[Smoky buck]

It’s been a while since I have done an update. Tapntalk screwed up last time I tried to add some pictures. Nothing too crazy on cams and have avoided checking a portion too

Unfortunately it looks like my buddy from BC won’t make it due to unexpected vehicle repairs. The wife’s cousin is likely out due to his wife experiencing health issues and he has used up vacation time to help her. It looks like there will be some empty stands and less hunters than expected

But it’s getting closer to game time

If Tapntalk works I will drop some random pictures

[Smoky buck]

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[KazIce]

Looking good!


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[aragor764]

Nice, most of em are on their feet early afternoon too, good sign.


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[Smoky buck]

Oh there is lots of nighttime/poor quality pictures I didn’t post too

But I am looking forward to November because that tall tined buck likes to move in daylight more than anything so that is my starting point. The WMU he is in doesn’t open till November 1st so I am stuck waiting regardless of his schedule

The other bucks I am personally after are still on nightshift

Still waiting to see if some of the roaming bucks from previous years appear too

[Smoky buck]

Let the games begin!!

Starting the season off with a ground sit in attempt at the tall tined buck. I will actually be packing my childhood rifle a paddle stock Ruger 30-06 vs my 30-30 for a change. This location is a hill top with open timber providing some shooting lanes where I can reach out much farther than my normal 50 yards or less with my other locations

[58thecat]

Good luck

[Smoky buck]

Sitting waiting for light now

Cam shows the tall tine buck is around still but unfortunately so are the wolves. Mostly nighttime pics too.

Well crossing my fingers and let’s see how it goes

[Smoky buck]

Off to a good start one little buck and a nice buck I might regret passing on

[aragor764]

Keep us updated! I am bored at my office job!!

[Smoky buck]

F just got busted by the tall tine buck

[aragor764]

FFFFFF! did you rattle or call him in? Or was he just hot on a doe?