How you beat a buck at his game.

I've been loosely hunting this nice 8-point that I saw early in the season and have decided it's time to get more serious in taking him. I've identified his preferred travel route through the wooded area where I've been hunting him, but suspect he's busted me a couple of times when I misjudged the wind. I'm going to go "Old School" on him and find a place on the ground to hide that's a little closer to his bedding area to catch him earlier on his way out. He's an older buck and I fear that him seeing a ground blind or other late addition to his core area might spook him.

What move or change in tactics did you take to beat an old buck at his game?

Hunt non prime hours 11-4

Years ago I was after a nice 8 point. I was trying to pattern him, but he patterned me. He was crossing a ROW at a place that he could see me without me getting a good look at him. I had found what I thought was his new trail and had found the big deep tracks. I got my folding stool and sat where I had never sat, and where I didn’t think he’d look. It was during the rut, so I knew he’d travel. Sure enough, as I sat motionless and downwind of where I thought he’d cross, here he came. Almost silent in the damp leaves, he almost lowcrawled into the ROW. Never once looked in my direction as I shot him. He was looking directly at where he expected me to be.

That same approach would have worked on an old mossy horned monster a year or two later, though as I turned on the stool to get the rifle in position it collapsed and dumped me in a puddle. The big guy snorted and I just lay there and laughed. I never got him.

In short, I do believe that the big old smart bucks know where you hunt. So, occasionally get the non-squeaking folding stool and ground hunt where they would not expect you to be. Be downwind and sit still and don’t even twitch. Don’t use the binocs. You are allowed to blink. Camo on everything including face and hands.

I don’t hunt like that anymore, but I shot a lot of big bucks doing it like that - being where they didn’t expect me to be.

This! Very good advice.

603Country has some good advice too!

Yes, his comments bring to mind my days of hunting wild turkeys with a shotgun. Close and personal.

I’ve been hunting this buck at from a stand that’s next to his fence crossing with the intention of catching approaching or leaving it. I’m going to pick a spot farther from the crossing where I will get more of a cross shot at him.

I can place him within a few yards of where he has smelled and busted me twice. I’m going to wait until the wind is right and catch him before he gets there. Or at least, that’s the plan.

With a stick....while he sleeps.

The buck I'm after...

I hope you get him Dan! He's dandy for sure. I love big 8's. Good luck!

Hunt the rut and catch him thinking with the wrong head

Thanks!

If I should outsmart him, I'll be sure to post a final photo.

I really hope you do,he's an amazing deer. He's for sure a good deer to hang a tag on!

I’d wait til I see him, then run him down. Never let a deer get past you.

I tried this tactic on my new place this weekend...sat in a ground blind morning and had deer come in behind the feeder and never give me a shot. SO thought I would set up in a chair closer tot he feeder and on their side but still down wind of where they have been coming in every time I sat at that set up....

Fast forward to 4:30, and a youngish 2.5 yo 8 pt comes in and is eating away at some hand corn I threw earlier. A little while later he leaves but eventually comes back. While he is chowing I see him get all straight and act like something is coming down wind...sure as shooting I see doe coming from the road I came in on, never seen any deer come from that direction before. The doe at first don't mind me or my scent. The buck circled around and went after one of them and chased one mama and fawn in the food plot right next to the ground blind. I would have had a perfect shot. But the buck didn't follow. He crossed my scent path and he stopped short. He didn't blow or anything but i think his reaction set off the older wiser doe. She came back and as I watched her, I was motionless, but she didn't like what was going down and left with a run. No blowing, no snorting, just ran off. her fawn took a while to follow her.

I was well back screened, wearing came from head to toe, I didn't move at all when she was there, but she knew I was there. Smell probably. Wind was blowing about 10-15 mph directly to where she caught my drift....

Gonna try similar thing this weekend when I get back out there. Just gonna try it at a different set up.

Find a vantage point on the ground, one that will allow you to shoot prone using a bipod. I do have a stand and a feeder, but when I really want to open up my options I have a few spots where this works great. Give yourself a 200 yard shot, any slight movements you may make may not be noticed at this range. Full camo, just trim grass and low limbs with pruning clippers or game shears. Find your spot, get it ready with as little impact as possible a few days ahead of time. Slip in in the dark a few days later and kill him.

Put in more seat time...........

Personally, I would stay out of his bedding area totally. Best way to get him to change his routine is to get too close to his bedding area. I would also stay off of the ground close to his travel route for the same reason. You don't want him to change his routine. Just find some place in a tree, tripod, climbing stand off the ground or what ever but not too close to trails and bedding areas. You want to keep him in that area where he is comfortable. Put in the time to hunt him, let him make the mistake.

Old school is always good. Its the only way I hunt. Myth is what you fear. Ground blinds are natural looking and smell natural. Fear not. The element of suprise is always more deadly. If you where an enemy soilder would you walk by a manned enemy tank out in the open kinda like a box blind?

Hay ground blind. If your scared tellit to the hoot owl watchin ya.

Looks like you should hunt close to that camera between 8 am and 11 am

The time on the camera was set before the end of DST but your point is extremely valid and well taken.

There's a fence just behind the buck in the photo with a small washout under it. On the second weekend of the season, I killed a doe after it and three other doe came through it on their way to oak flats on our property. Also earlier this season, I actually watched the buck run under the fence as if it wasn't there, antlers and all. I saw him coming and actually thought it was a lesser buck that I had seen earlier, but didn't realize it was a different and bigger buck until it was too late. Never seen a deer that big pass through a small hole with such ease. He literally never broke stride.

That’s always been my line of thinking. But I’m the first to admit I’m not the best deer hunter out there, so I always err towards the side of caution when it comes to encroaching on bedding/sanctuary areas.