Huge Buck...need help...


Guest grandpabest

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Guest grandpabest

Hello,

This is my first post and I registered just to pick the brain of some of you mega expierienced , die hard whitetail hunters. Here goes...I have watched a particular buck for 3 years as he grew into , hands down the biggest thing I have ever seen or will ever hunt. I have picked up some of his sheds and watched him almost all year long. The last year he moved about 500 yard and took up residencey on some unhuntable property and has not come back!! I can see him almost every morning but he has not returned at all. Foot access is allowed on the bucks new property as long as you carry NO weapons. Heres my question.. How can I move this buck 500 yards to some huntable property? Can I lay down a Doe scent trail and get him to coming over with regularity? What about a artificial scrape line? I am open to ANY ideas. How long before the rut should I start trying these things? I would not go to so much trouble except for one thing. I will never see a bigger deer than this one , plain and simple. Thanks a Million.....Stanley

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You can sure try bait or a mineral lick (assuming it's legal and it's something you want to do), but if he's that old and wise, you may have a hard time getting him to show up during legal shooting hours. But the bait will pull in more does and during the pre-rut and rut, those are the best lures out there.

If it were me, I'd wait until I had the perfect conditions during the pre-rut, and then try rattling him in. I've had better success with that than just about anything else.

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If you are planning on hunting him prior to the rut I have something that will no doubt pull him to you if he is foraging.

If your interested then PM me your address and I'll get you a bottle.

Keep in mind that this is strictly a food attractant and you will need the prevailing wind to be going to him.

This is some powerful good stuff and private stock but you seem like the fella who could use it.

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Does are the best bait there is! Possible try a doe decoy during the rut too. How about rattling in your area? Is the buck to doe ratio balanced pretty good? A out of control balance and the bucks don't have to fight as much as there are plenty of does around and no need to fight. But if that big old boy owns that territory and hears the commotion he may come in to investigate. He will probably do it downwind of the action so scent control is the upmost in this situation. One bad smell and he could be long gone, he didn't get big being stupid.

All big bucks are huntable, they have to be because we see the mounts on the walls and pictures to show them. They mess up because they will think with the wrong head come rut time. Now is the time to get stands in the right areas according to the wind direction of your area.

Good luck Stanley and glad to have you on here.

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If archery, I agree with most of the others...I'd try to plant a new food source if possible, during the pre-rut and rut, try and rattle him in using a decoy.

If gun, and land is is permitted to be walked on, just no weapons...see if you can organize a few buddies to put on a deer drive and push for you...no weapons of course. Then stand on you land and wait.

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Guest Hold_em_Archery

Here's something to keep in mind. Deer drives aren't just for rifle season. Traditionally, that's what most people think of when they hear "deer drive", but some of the most successful "deer drives" I have seen were done by two or 3 guys and the deer are alomst never running. If you can get into the property right now, before the season, then get in there. Learn the lay of the land and find this big boys travel routes. Then in early season, before he gets a lot of hunting pressure, setup on the huntable property, where you think he would "escape" and send one or two guy into the other property. They shoudln't be loud and they shoudln'd run through it. Just simply walking slowly through the area. He will likely use an escapre route that he is familar with and he probably won't be moving quickly, he will try to sneak out nice and easy, but you'll be waiting for him.

Good luck.

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Guest doublelung45

All great ideas the only other input I can provide is to spend as much time in the woods as you can. More hours in the woods should better your odds of getting a chance if he does pass through your hunting area...just be careful to play the wind, take every scent precaution and plan your stand locations carefully. He didnt get that big by being dumb and and any sign you hunting him could drive him nocturnal or force him to leave the area totally. Good luck and keep us posted.

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There are a ton of things to do in this scenerio. Here are some suggestions. Remember that I don't know how much time you have to devote to all of these strategies, so act accordingly. First of all, congrats on seeing such a huge deer. It doesn't sound like you're taking it for granted at all!

Next, you obviously want to figure out what he liked about the area he was in before, and try to utilize it. If there is a fence that he's crossed to move to his new home, this is a trick to use. Take a piece of wire and tie the top two wired together on the fence, creating a shorter jump for him, and set it up right where you want him to cross. Deer are lazy sometimes, and will take the easiest way around, through, or over something. You can also check to see if there are any large tracks around the area you tie the fence during scouting. Another thing that you mentioned that could draw him back to your area is a mock scrape line. If you set it up starting somewhere close to where he is now and bring it to where you are able to hunt, it might get him pretty curious, especially if you use dominant buck urine. Also, if you can, lead him from bed to feed, or bed to water or anything like that would work into a natural pattern he could form.

Finally, you'll have to plan these things around the rut. All of the ideas that have been said by everyone are good ideas, but will only work in certain conditions. Rattling can easily scare deer away if it's done at the wrong time, and drives are a little touchy sometimes. If there is a lot of hunting pressure surrounding your area or his area, you might want to get going on these things before the pre-rut and rut stages, as those are the times when most people are out. This will assure you that there will be little outside disturbance to affect your plan.

I hope this helps, and you'll definitely have to let everyone know how it goes! Good luck to you.

Ryan

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