How to get him?

[Bushleague]

I recently re-scouted a ridge I've left alone for some time, and found a very large buck in a bit of a unique situation. He's a timber deer, but he lives in a fairly good sized clump of live trees out in the middle of a large burned area. The patch of timber is large enough and has enough resident doe's that I don't think he leaves it, and as a result he seems to be far less transient than most big timber bucks. I think he can be patterned, but like any bush buck this guy is hella smart, and he knows his little forest like I know my back yard.

So just for kicks, how would you fellows go about trying to shoot such a buck, the situation I can see so far is this.... He seems to bed almost on the spine of the ridge most of the time, in the same area where there is almost a 100 foot sheer drop that gives him excellent visual and scent coverage of anything below him. Above him is a nearly impassably thick swampy area, and then the overgrown burn which is almost as bad. I think he feeds in the burn at night, but he also has a few small, old, cutblocks below him that he regularly visits. As well I've found some big beds on a knoll further down the ridge, I'm thinking maybe he beds lower during cold fronts?

For me this is a little different, since I usually don't bother trying to pattern individual timber bucks, and therefore don't get too worried about making a mistake and spooking them. I usually do best just trying to stay as tricky and nomadic as the critters I'm usually chasing. This guy is a whole different type of animal, but I really want to take a crack at getting him next fall.

[SageValleyOutdoors]

Kinda hard to strategize without knowing more and seeing the lay of the land - but if you want to hunt him without risking spoiling him out of the country and especially if you don’t worry about anyone else spooking him out of the country, i would say have patience and wait until the rut. Sneak in as close as you can to the patch of timber and try rattling him out. If that fails, get a few guys together and slowly push it out. If he’s a big old timber buck, better than one of you gets him than nobody.

[dmcbride]

Sounds like you need to get in between those spots where he regularly visits and where he beds. Closer to the rut he will be checking those spots before he beds in the morning. Trick is finding which route he takes with which wind direction.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

You sit and wait until the time comes to peel the hide off his face.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by SageValleyOutdoors

Kinda hard to strategize without knowing more and seeing the lay of the land - but if you want to hunt him without risking spoiling him out of the country and especially if you don’t worry about anyone else spooking him out of the country, i would say have patience and wait until the rut. Sneak in as close as you can to the patch of timber and try rattling him out. If that fails, get a few guys together and slowly push it out. If he’s a big old timber buck, better than one of you gets him than nobody.

Sorry, by chunk of bush I mean at least a few square miles, I don't think this guy can be pushed into the open. Lay of the land is a rugged ridge side running east to west, with many drainage ravines carving down the face. The wind usually comes out of the west, but it tends to swirl and eddy right up those drainage ravines either way. He has the burn up top and surrounding the bush for miles and miles (probably the reason he's become so atypically habitual), the little cuts and a pipeline lower down. There are a few quad trails through the area but since the fire most of them seem to have been forgotten.

I'm not much worried about someone else getting this buck, its tough country and a smart buck. I've been all around that bush and never found any sign of him until I actually bushwhacked into the heart of it two winters ago. Never made it back last hunting season, but this spring those big beds were still right where I found them 2 years ago. I bumped him off his bed last Thursday, never saw him but the tracks are huge, his stride is huge, the side to side offset is around 12". I've never seen him when he had his rack, but with a buck that big if I can get him in my sights I'll take him regardless of the headgear.

I'm kind of wondering whether it would be better to go after him before the rut while he's still following a routine, and try to get him coming down the face of that ridge to visit the cutblocks. Theres only a couple good routes up and down that ridge, but I'm betting he knows how to keep those thermals in his favor 99% of the time. In the rut I could see him roaming a bit more, but I might be able to rattle him in like you say.

[cowmanbob]

About a dozen trail cameras are needed. The swirling winds are a tough play. I'd go in after him during a light rain or shortly thereafter.

[SnipeHunter]

He's got sanctuary where he can play the wind...sure he's not an elk?

[bdub]

I would find a spot on that ridge with the right wind and a bit of visibility, a game trail and just park and wait. I would start after him in early November when those bush bucks will be travelling lots. He will be moving plenty during the day in November, either checking scrapes early on in the month or actively sniffing out does later on. Good luck.

[husky7mm]

I would go with your wife after the first snow fall and track him with the loop method.
First , Have your wife post where you first picked up his track. Then you start to follow the track and when he picks up that you are following him you keep dogging him and he will eventually make his way past your wife again. Every single wt I ever tracked went right past were it all started. Whats gonna work? Teamwork!

[bitterrootfly]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

I would go with your wife after the first snow fall and track him with the loop method.
First , Have your wife post where you first picked up his track. Then you start to follow the track and when he picks up that you are following him you keep dogging him and he will eventually make his way past your wife again. Every single wt I ever tracked went right past were it all started. Whats gonna work? Teamwork!

If I could like a comment I’d like this one ten times

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by SnipeHunter

He's got sanctuary where he can play the wind...sure he's not an elk?

100% sure he is not an elk. The first time I picked up his tracks I had a hard time figuring out whether it was a big deer or a small moose just because of the track size and the conditions. He had worn toes and too wide a stance to be a calf moose though, and eventually I found his poop, that setteled it.

[MooseRiverTrapper]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

100% sure he is not an elk. The first time I picked up his tracks I had a hard time figuring out whether it was a big deer or a small moose just because of the track size and the conditions. He had worn toes and too wide a stance to be a calf moose though, and eventually I found his poop, that setteled it.

Big Louie!!

[Red Bullets]

Pinpoint the hard to hunt buck's bed. If you know where his bed is... during rut walk a straight line (*without stopping), crosswind to the buck's bed... 100 - 300 yards upwind side the bed. As you go along the line drop a few drops of doe in heat urine on the brush. Over the course of walking 100 yards drip a bottle of doe urine. So the scent wafts towards his bed. Continue walking another several yards further to a vantage point of the scent trail, turn around and get ready. I've had a hard to hunt buck come to the scent trail within minutes. When he stopped and dropped his nose to the scent trail I layed down he was perfectly broadside at 100 yards and thus his demise.

[Big Lou]

The November advice is sound. I really like the tracking play. Rattling could work as you know his kitchen and could really evoke a solid reaction in your favour.

If I was going to try and kill him early, you’ve got a great opportunity again; knowing where the bedroom is. If he’s travelling up and down those cuts there will be a spot or two where trails are going horizontal to his vertical travel. A series of mock scrapes along such trail and close to his bedroom would definitely get him investigating. Might only be nocturnal visits but it would play okay for you. Case each scrape with a cam. Note wind direction in relation to how he approaches. This will work on more flat ground as well. Just think of it in ways to get him making angular switches in travel in your favour but he still gets his nose. When he’s visited a few or perhaps all, look for your ambush above the trail he’s using to get there. You’ll still be giving him his nose to get to where he wants but has to make that turn to get there. Which is where you are but on the downwind. The coupe de gras will be pre rut and harvesting a scrape from a totally different area. Licking branch and all. Rubber boots/gloves. Plastic pail that is scent free. Dump that dirt and hang the branch on that scrape you want to kill him on his way to visit. I’ve enjoyed some pretty crazy action near scrapes utilizing this play. You can manicure a less than primo set into one that works in your favour in a big way. Might only be one wind direction but as long as it is the wind that he wants, all good. The sudden smells of several different interlopers in a mature bucks stronghold will absolutely cause him to investigate.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

I would go with your wife after the first snow fall and track him with the loop method.
First , Have your wife post where you first picked up his track. Then you start to follow the track and when he picks up that you are following him you keep dogging him and he will eventually make his way past your wife again. Every single wt I ever tracked went right past were it all started. Whats gonna work? Teamwork!

See, this is the type of thing I would usually try. Having tracked a few bucks in this type of terrain before however, I hesitate to attempt it. If I start dogging him, I think he will most likely head out into the burn, and tracking deer through that type of crap has never worked well for me. I like tracking deer, but in my experience its best suited to large tracts that are mostly forested. Once deer get used to using overgrown cuts they get pretty hard to track. If all else fails however, I will try tracking him.

[Salavee]

Making sense of scents .. An interesting read .. or a bunch of BS ?

You be the judge...


http://www.jamesvalleycompany.com/v/...structions.PDF

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

See, this is the type of thing I would usually try. Having tracked a few bucks in this type of terrain before however, I hesitate to attempt it. If I start dogging him, I think he will most likely head out into the burn, and tracking deer through that type of crap has never worked well for me. I like tracking deer, but in my experience its best suited to large tracts that are mostly forested. Once deer get used to using overgrown cuts they get pretty hard to track. If all else fails however, I will try tracking him.

Its almost impossible to successfully track in that crap, its more of a grinding push to your poster. If you have indeed identified his little niche area he will likely be very reluctant to leave it. There is a high probability you and him will just go round and round..... right past your poster.

Any stories coming about your mulie canoe hunt?

[3blade]

Push him around and he’ll go nocturnal. If you can access the little knoll without him winding you, that might be your best spot. One way to do this is to cut yourself a trail narrow and clear the ground of sticks. Just leave some bush between your trail starting point and your parking spot to keep everyone else out.

The other option is to set up opposite and cross wind to that drop somewhere and snipe him. High shoulder shot to anchor him, unless there’s snow, because he’d have a long head start.

Either way you need to find an ambush spot that allows undetected access, a clear shot - and then sit and wait.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

Its almost impossible to successfully track in that crap, its more of a grinding push to your poster. If you have indeed identified his little niche area he will likely be very reluctant to leave it. There is a high probability you and him will just go round and round..... right past your poster.

Any stories coming about your mulie canoe hunt?

Probably wont do a write up about it. Was a lively little river, and beautiful scenery. I didn't have the snow I wanted, just super loud cornflakes. I never saw a MD down by the river, saw some elk but never did get a good shot at one.

I tracked and shot a good sized whitetail with relatively small antlers early in November on my home turf. Went back to the river the last weekend of the season and shot a smallish "eater" MD stilhunting along the tops of the breaks. Also got up really close on a fisher on that trip, as close as I've ever been to a live one. Funny because that country didn't look like anywhere I would ever think of setting a fisher box.

I'm planning to draw a moose tag and do the same trip the second week of October this year, you want in?

[buckman]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I recently re-scouted a ridge I've left alone for some time, and found a very large buck in a bit of a unique situation. He's a timber deer, but he lives in a fairly good sized clump of live trees out in the middle of a large burned area. The patch of timber is large enough and has enough resident doe's that I don't think he leaves it, and as a result he seems to be far less transient than most big timber bucks. I think he can be patterned, but like any bush buck this guy is hella smart, and he knows his little forest like I know my back yard.

So just for kicks, how would you fellows go about trying to shoot such a buck, the situation I can see so far is this.... He seems to bed almost on the spine of the ridge most of the time, in the same area where there is almost a 100 foot sheer drop that gives him excellent visual and scent coverage of anything below him. Above him is a nearly impassably thick swampy area, and then the overgrown burn which is almost as bad. I think he feeds in the burn at night, but he also has a few small, old, cutblocks below him that he regularly visits. As well I've found some big beds on a knoll further down the ridge, I'm thinking maybe he beds lower during cold fronts?

For me this is a little different, since I usually don't bother trying to pattern individual timber bucks, and therefore don't get too worried about making a mistake and spooking them. I usually do best just trying to stay as tricky and nomadic as the critters I'm usually chasing. This guy is a whole different type of animal, but I really want to take a crack at getting him next fall.

Have you actually seen this ghost buck yet?

[buckbrushoutdoors]

Find his scrapes now and this fall when they start to open up again in late oct sit on them after any rain or snow. He will get up to work them and freshen them up. Invest in a climbing stand. I’ve had the best action in the big bush doing this short of the rut

[calgarychef]

Don’t let your heart take your head over so don’t overhunt him. Sneak in during the rut, get up a tree, call rattle and all that stuff and wait. Big deer are ghosts but there’s a couple of days during the rut where they lose all caution. Try and be there those days.

[buckkiller321]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

I would go with your wife after the first snow fall and track him with the loop method.
First , Have your wife post where you first picked up his track. Then you start to follow the track and when he picks up that you are following him you keep dogging him and he will eventually make his way past your wife again. Every single wt I ever tracked went right past were it all started. Whats gonna work? Teamwork!

X2!!

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I recently re-scouted a ridge I've left alone for some time, and found a very large buck in a bit of a unique situation. He's a timber deer, but he lives in a fairly good sized clump of live trees out in the middle of a large burned area. The patch of timber is large enough and has enough resident doe's that I don't think he leaves it, and as a result he seems to be far less transient than most big timber bucks. I think he can be patterned, but like any bush buck this guy is hella smart, and he knows his little forest like I know my back yard.

So just for kicks, how would you fellows go about trying to shoot such a buck, the situation I can see so far is this.... He seems to bed almost on the spine of the ridge most of the time, in the same area where there is almost a 100 foot sheer drop that gives him excellent visual and scent coverage of anything below him. Above him is a nearly impassably thick swampy area, and then the overgrown burn which is almost as bad. I think he feeds in the burn at night, but he also has a few small, old, cutblocks below him that he regularly visits. As well I've found some big beds on a knoll further down the ridge, I'm thinking maybe he beds lower during cold fronts?

For me this is a little different, since I usually don't bother trying to pattern individual timber bucks, and therefore don't get too worried about making a mistake and spooking them. I usually do best just trying to stay as tricky and nomadic as the critters I'm usually chasing. This guy is a whole different type of animal, but I really want to take a crack at getting him next fall.

100% cutblock and get up high.

[husky7mm]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Probably wont do a write up about it. Was a lively little river, and beautiful scenery. I didn't have the snow I wanted, just super loud cornflakes. I never saw a MD down by the river, saw some elk but never did get a good shot at one.

I tracked and shot a good sized whitetail with relatively small antlers early in November on my home turf. Went back to the river the last weekend of the season and shot a smallish "eater" MD stilhunting along the tops of the breaks. Also got up really close on a fisher on that trip, as close as I've ever been to a live one. Funny because that country didn't look like anywhere I would ever think of setting a fisher box.

I'm planning to draw a moose tag and do the same trip the second week of October this year, you want in?

That is a great offer. One day I would love to go too. This yr I can’t as most of my holidays have been used up by a surprise trip to Cabo and a brother in law getting married. Its gonna be hard to find the me time this yr again.

[husky7mm]

Do bucks use the same bed often? In the area I hunt I am not really seeing this. It is relatively flat. There is not a lot of site advantages for the deer in my area that I hunt in. Even the trails are kind of faint. They us them sometimes but often just walk anywhere.
4 yrs in the area, no real pattern developed.

[Salavee]

Find the Does and he won't be far away. Push him around and he will show you how to disappear.

[JD848]

I have hunted bush buck 99 percent of my life,i won't hunt on no ones land or shoot some barn yard buck.I avoid all hunters or where humans hang around at all costs,period.

Fine out where he beds and he will have more than one,his nose keeps him alive so he sleeps depending where the wind is from.

My best odds when hunting an area like this is finding where he drinks and feeds,but when all the small ponds freeze up where is the largest body of water.

Don't go running around in there and contaminate the area,he will move,but when water is in demand he will need to drink,specially in the rut.

When all the small drinking holes freeze up and the last geese are still around they are in these larger bodies of water,so in the morning listen from a distance to the noise from the geese.Most of the time they stay put for deer and moose so now you know if this happens something is down there.He has to come back to his bed or check his trot line for does.

If you study from google earth all his pinch points and bottle necks and trails along this areas you may be able to pin point where he is.Where I live I hunt thermals and if I know where he is resting or going to rest because many of these bucks are nocturnal and rest and run all night and rest, so I don't go to where he sleeps,i wait for him to move around 10am to 2pm during the rut due the temp rising and falling,from the thermals rising and falling which they live by.

Some days the weather is all messed up so going back to the drinking hole is important.Where I live there's large lakes so once the smaller ones freeze I head for bigger water and look for there trails or trot line.My boots are always masked with some sort of doe urine along with my vest ,I keep all my clothing in a tight sealed bag and get dressed close to my hunting spots.None of that clothing is ever inside my house out of the bag,be careful with garages with all kinda smells in them they can sneak into your clothing bag.

If I have good idea where he is and I get a good strong proper wind I just walk right on in at a decent pace ,not like elephant running ,but a nice careful pace always stopping for a second if it's an open area to check it out.If he's not spooky he may give you enough time to do your thing.

If you can get a good vantage place to sit and wait over looking your pinch points and exits this is good also,but don't contaminate your area.Take your same route to these watching spots and scent up your boots .

If you have a good vantage point and can sneak in and out once pour a whole bottle of urine or spray or some gel stuff estrous onthe edge of a trail you can watch.Plus I use a drag line if it's good going soaked really well with doe scent going in and out from my vantage points and let his nose drag him out.

I hunt the most where they drink or feed,but feeding can be hard to pin point in heavy bush,but the water is always there and they use lotsa times there same routes depending on which way the wind is blowing.

Beat his nose and hearing and go to what he needs to survive,there is many other ways,but these are just a few.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by husky7mm

Do bucks use the same bed often? In the area I hunt I am not really seeing this. It is relatively flat. There is not a lot of site advantages for the deer in my area that I hunt in. Even the trails are kind of faint. They us them sometimes but often just walk anywhere.
4 yrs in the area, no real pattern developed.

The timber bucks that I usually chase do not pattern very well, and IMO they don't use the same bed on a regular basis. They might bed in the same area, but to a timber buck his "bedding area" might be a few square kilometers, rather than a few hundred yards like a farm buck. IMO agricultural bucks do often use the same bed.

I find timber bucks in rugged country to be far more predictable than in flat country. They don't pattern like farm deer, but the country channels their movements in predictable ways. Plus, once you hunt enough ridges you can get to the point where you can spot productive areas at great distance, even cruising at 100 kmph down a highway I can pick out areas many kilometers off that often prove to be productive once I hunt them... if you remember that buck my wife shot last year... http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...t=bush+hunting
that was one of those instances. I saw the ridge while cruising a road from a long ways off and knew there was a good chance it would be productive, first time we set foot on that ridge she got a nice buck. I cant do this with any regularity in flat country, and IMO the biggest trick to timber hunting is being able to cross off all the mediocre bush and concentrate on the best areas.

IMO, the only reason that this buck is "patterning" is because the majority of his range got burned, with just enough bush left to keep him from striking out into new country. Confined to a relatively small area he's become more habitual than is usual, IMO.

[husky7mm]

Ya, I dig it. Just the right kinda scenario to hopefully capitalize on. Just need couple cams in there to confirm and really motivate.