treeinwalker

Find the trails leading out. Set the stand there. DOn't get inthe bedding area.

Our deer do not enter estrous (in general terms "the rut") until the first week of Nov. in NC. This is a 2-year old deer and he was very well fed, thus the healthy, large body. Where do you hunt?

We started doing a scent control routine 4 years ago now. In that time, we have seen more BUCKS (not just deer, but bucks) than in all the years previous to that combined!!!! The acuteness of a deer's sense of smell is nearly inconcievable to us as humans, but imagine that a deer can smell as much better than us as we can see better than a mole. As far as what spooks a deer, well this is a whole subject unto itself that I will try to briefly touch the surface of here. Everyone knows that deer have the ability to LEARN. They learn to associate humans with danger because we are trying to kill them, which in many cases (myself excluded of course;)) winds up in the hunter mearly scaring the deer. If a deer is shot at, missed and startled by a bow and got a big whiff of cigar smoke just before that, then they are plenty intelligent enough to remember the next time they smell cigar smoke "hey something scared the crap out of me last time I smelled that, so I know it's something dangerous". This is the same reason that I am positively certain that relying on rubber boots to control odor is purposterous. If you whiff an arrow by a big buck and scare him and he smelled those rubber boots just before hand, or directly afterwards, guess what-the smell of rubber boots now means danger to that deer. Anyone who doesn't think rubber boots have an odor, just throw them in the floor board of your truck for a few days, especially when they warm up. I promise, the rubber smell is much more noticable than any kind of stank your nasty dogs can put in them. It doesn't matter if a buck smells your feet or your boots. What matters is which smells he has learned to associate with danger. The short and long of it is this-deer live or die by their noses. I've had deer that I thought had picked me out stare straight at me for 20 minutes and never spook, but if they had smelled me, they would have been gone in a flash. A deer will doubt its eyes-it will NEVER doubt its nose and if you or someone else has taught it that a whiff of Skoal, the rubbery smell from a pair of rubber boots or a whiff of alligator fart for that matter means "something bad is about to happen", they WILL trust their noses and bug out as soon as they smell it.

:clap::clap::clap::clap: :clap::clap::clap::clap:

baby deer!

woooohooo! I'm a spike now. Please give me a few more years before you shoot me...:bang:

by the way, the wind down't make a dang bit of difference whe the rut is on. If the wind ever stopped us, we'd have lost opportunities at some dandy's.

NC hunters got it all wrong... I don't know who you are or exactly where you live either, but I'm in NC too. Lots of good ol' boys think our rut occurs the week of thanksgiving. Without getting too much into the dynamics of a deer herd, I can tell you that that information is completely wrong. Our rut happens from about Nov.1-Nov.12. By that I mean, some does in some places are in the rut around the first and in some places around the state as late as the 12th. Other than that, you're hunting pre & post-rut and tactics should be adjusted accordingly. Also, understand that because your buddy in New Hanover County saw 6 bucks chasing 2 does on Oct. 4th. doesn't mean the rut is happening a the same time in Sampson County. The dates are rough estimates of the extreme beginnings and ends of the rut for our area. Also, due to our mismanaged herd dynamics and huge doe to buck ratio, there will be lots of does in one day, then the next, then the next and so on through this period. There are so many does that they cannot all possibly come into estrous on the same day or even week. There might be a few does on your proprty in estrous today and the group of does that hang out in the bean field 3 miles away might not come in for 3 more days. The reason the good ol' boys think the rut is during Thanksgiving is because that is the time when they are all off of work for the week. This is when they get to spend the most time in the woods and therefore, this is the time of the hunting season when they see the most deer. So, they natually assume the rut is on, not to mention they refuse to read or believe anything about actual deer biology. They get most of thier deer biology by the woodstove at the corner store when they come out of the woods for breakfast an hour after sun up. The good news is that we have soooooooo many does in our state (o.k. I'm getting into the herd dynamics just a little) that not all the does can possibly be bred at the same time. The doe-to-buck ratio is so high that there simply aren't enough bucks to breed them all. So, about 22-28 days later-we're right back in a rut, though somewhat smaller. This keeps happening until most are bred. This maintains high testosterone levels in bucks through Jan. & Feb., which is exactly why we see bucks that still have antlers arond here on the first day of March! Their testosterone levels don't fall low enough to shed their antlers when they find another doe in heat and the levels spike again. When they haven't found receptive does in a couple of months, the levels drop deep enough for them to loose thier antlers. It's also the reason why some fawns still have spots in October. The daddy just didn't have time for the mommy until late winter. Hunt your big boys during the rut. Take care not to do anything to spook them. Remember, keep your bucks close, and keep your does closer. Keep the does happy on your hunting spot. Don't thin them until the last 2 or 3 weeks of the season. Keep the around, well fed and happy. Then, hunt as much as you can from Nov. 1-12th or 15th if you don't hunt at all the rest of the season. Stay on the stand longer in the mornings, until at least 11:00 or lunch. Go back early and get in the stand around 2:00. This is primetime monster buck time. During our rut, they will show up with the does, any time of day the does want to show up, and if they're red-hot in the chase, they will not let them rest all day! Keep up with your does on your property. Lots of times, if a doe is being harrassed by a buck, you'll see them during times you never saw deer there before because he keeps her moving. Keep a close eye on them during these 2 weeks and one day, you'll catch one or some of them in the rut, with their boyfriends in-tow during shooting hours.

No killing time. Constantly glassing and watching. I hunt 99% of the time. The other 1%, I'm thinking about where and how to hunt the other place....too crazy....must deer hunt... summer fever overload....cannot stop thinking about hunting........must be in the woods at all times....8 hours behind this computer making me innnnnnsssssaaaaaunnnnnnneeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

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Bible belt = VA, NC, SC, GA, mostly through the central parts of each state.

don't come to NC on Sunday...except for church There is NO hunting on Sundays in NC. NCWRC tried to get a change in the regulation this year that would allow bow-hunt only on Sundays, but the folks wouldn't have it. Now it has to go before the general assembly to get passed, and if so, won't take effect until 2010-2011 season.

same deer

I bet you could get a pretty penny for those g.p.s. coordinants. Good job guys!

I don't really care about the score either. I just want them to be grwon and edible and for everyone else to at least let them reach 80% of their potential.

155 all day long.

Toilet crytals in a 50-100yard perimeter work very well and they come with a nifty built-in hanger, but I wouldn't know about how well they work personally, just what I've heard... That's totally inconsiderate taking your spot. He deserves to meet "crystal".

I'd just like to say that this is a fine example of how deer get bigger with age and how 2 & 3 year olds should be left alone. If everyone in the woods had the patience that guys like you and I have everyone could go right out every deer season and kill a 160" deer. I had a guy tell me the other day that a 2 year old deer that I have been watching would still only be a 6-point this year because whatever they have when they are 2 is all they will ever have. :laser: I run into this ignorant crapola all the time out here in NC where idiots would rather believe what they here by the wood stove at the corner store than to read an article from Whitetail Journal written by a wildlife biologist. It drives me insane, but I have learned not to argue with these folks, especially the older ones who wouldn't even read an article about antler growth if you showed it to them. You should be commended for your documentation of the development of this buck over the past 3 years. I can tell you beyond a doubt that he would not have made it through the 2007 season in NC if he had walked out past 99.99999% of the hunters in this state. This is EXACTLY why I would LOVE to have the state pass antler limits and "earn-a-buck" regulations. I'm certain we could increase the number of record-book entries and get on par with the mid-west and western states if we could just stop morons like that from shooting Bambi because they think a 1-year old cowhorn is a 5 year old that should be "weeded-out". Of all the pics this guy had of himself with deer, not a sinlge one was over 110" and his reasoning on antler growth, which is so prevelant in this area, is the reason why. He also had a pic of himself with what he called a "feral pig" that he had shot a few weeks prior. The NCWRC does not regulate feral pigs and so with permission form the county sherriff's office they can be taken year-round. What he doesn't know is that what he actually shot is a wild boar (which is regulated). Also, he shot him at night. On top of all this, he thinks a white tailed buck tops out at 2 years of age. :hammer1: I think you should start a new thread with "antler progresssion" as the topic. I'm sure there are a few on here that can't tell the difference between a feral pig and a wild boar and could really benfit from the information. Good work being patient!!! 160+

145

not luck I'm not going to sit here and say to anyone that luck doesn't have a little something to do with the amount of success we have in the woods. However, the other guy is right. Something has change. It's the time of year. You should be baiting with something besides the mineral block, like apples, corn, etc. If that's leagl in your area. On that note, it may be legal to bait for the camera in your area as long as you're not hunting over the spot. You'll have to check with your local officer on that, but they need something new get get there attention again. I have found that even corn will not make the same deer come back every single day. They may hit it everyday for a week, then take a week off somewhere else. However, they will rmember where it is and may come back when they get in the mood for it again. It's like us eating at McDonald's every night. After a night or two, you want some Taco Bell.

agreed I was thinking the same thing. This buck is 2 years or under. Remember, genetics is only a small part of the equation in antler growth. This deer could have been sick earlier in the year and or not have eaten as well as he should have. Also, because he is probably not the dominant buck in the area may not have had access to the right food supply due to others getting there first, eating it all up and or running him off. Deer have a pecking order. They all know the other deer in the area. If he's around larger, more dominant bucks, they get to eat what they want while he has to take what he can find that they leave or don't want. There are deer the age of this one that are far more impressive, but as stated, he could have a better year (nutrionally and health-wise) next year and really come around. There are a number of things that could cause him to be behind this year, but I would bet overcoming an illness or poor diet earlier in the year would be to blame. As for management, no deer should be culled based on their antler growth until they are at least 4 years of age. If they are 4 years old and still not the champion they should be, then they should definitely be culled. Give this buck at least 1 more year. If he shows improvement next year, I would consider giving him one more after that. If he's still lagging behind the other bucks in your area, even the younger ones, then take him out. If he doesn't improve much next year, take him out next year. I DO NOT like to take bucks under 4, unless they are already in the 140's-150's. If not, I let them walk and hope they make it 'til next year. In the wild, it takes 3-4 years to make a trophy rack and 5-7 to make a record rack.

129 gross

I want a T/C Omega .50 cal. s.s., Camo stock or pref. wood stock, will take black stock if price is right, but it MUST have a thumbhole. Aslo, I will take the all-camo version as long as it has a thumbhole. There are 2 version of the camo: one has S.S. barrel, the other is all camo. Both are acceptable as long a they have a thumbhole stock. send e-mail to [email protected] or call 910-512-5564. I will pay for shipping.

I agree. 4.5-5 years old. AT LEAST 155. I have seen a lot of 140 deer. This guy is well past that. Put him on the ground and let us know.

tuffy Dang man, that's a tuffy. I'm looking into ladder stands now. There's a big pawn shop about 30 min. from me in the middle of our hunting district and they have lots of great deals on ladder stands. If I were your size, I think I would go with the buddy bow-stand. I bought one used a while back. It looks just like a ladder stand with a shooting rail, but has an extra-long foot platform about the size of a shipping pallet. It has a large platform so you can tflip the shooting rail back and stand up and shoot a bow. I don't bow hunt, but I like this stand because its super-roomy. I'm 195, but I like having the extra bench and foot platform so I have more room to put my stuff and don't feel like I'm always on the edge of an 18-foot drop. Regular buddy stands have a small foot platform that doesn't even go under the seat, so you have to put all your stuff right beside you on the bench. Also, your feet are always right on the edge of the little 10" wide platform. With the big buddy/bow stand, you can put your stuff under your seat, stand up to stretch, turn around what ever, I thin kyou would love this stand. As for building one, it takes a Saturday to build and put up. My ladder buddy stand is heavier than a normal buddy stand, but snaps together and goes up in a few minutes with help from a friend and hoist from an ATV. We hook a rop to it and throw it over a limb and hoist it up. You can buy an umbrella/roof that straps to the tree over top of it if you like. Building with wood will take all day to build, move and setup, plus you'll have to do some of the work in the field. A steel ladder stand lasts much longer also. It would be hard for me to ignore the wood lying around if I already had it and it was paid for, but I would probably use it for a less complicated stand that didn't require as much time to assemble. I'd go with the steel buddy/bow stand. By the way, mine came new from Wally World, but Cabelas has them too.