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A small woods Buck question

I have been doing a lot of looking the last 2 months

And I found a nice 8 point that I would like to make my #1 choice on the hit list

BBBBBut there is 1 problem with this buck
I have been watching it with cameras
All the pictures I have gotten , show the buck leaving to feed after sunset and coming back before sunrise
Almost every picture I have gotten shows it after shooting light or before

It is beding in a small THICK woods , it was logged about 10 years back and I don't think you could see 10 yds
Not a tree more than 6" at the stump , so no place to hang a stand

Between the 2 trails exiting the woods , 3 weeks back I put a pop up ground blind in the edge and brushed it in good
The woods is only 150 yds X 250 yds , so not a lot of room to move around before I would bump the buck

So my question is

Any good ideas on how to get the buck to the edge with some shooting light left ?
A bait pile or feeder is not a idea , as the land owner ruled that out when he gave me permission to hunt

The only idea I have is to wait for the pre rut and try and call it out of the woods

John
 

angelzd28

Junior Member
I would wait till the rut to hunt this buck, as I would not want to bump him to early in the season. Then again he could get on a hot doe by then and be gone, hope you get a crack a him.
 

Strother23

Member
1,405
0
Columbus, OH
People have mixed reviews of these maybe try 1 of the drippers that only drip in day light hours only. Could make him curious enough to come out during the shooting hours or he thinks he has to defend his area. It could be just enough to get him out of the thick woods for you.
 
As the green stuff starts to brown he will start moving earlier in the evening and return later in the mornings since he will have to work for food. Find a good acorn tree nearby perhaps and set up off of one of his trails and hopefully he will make himself famous. As the rut gets closer he will be on his feet a bit more too. Good luck on him!
 

Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
I deal with this a quite a bit John. Is there any place other than where your camera is that he is using. Maybe he's consistent at your camera 5 days a week. Maybe a couple of those other days he is moving at a more advantageous time, that with a good wind, could give you a better chance of seeing him on his feet. And with crops coming down, just remember that he may be more likely to hit a fresh picked field a few minutes earlier than normal within the first day or so of it being harvested, which may allow you to get a crack at him
 
I deal with this a quite a bit John. Is there any place other than where your camera is that he is using. Maybe he's consistent at your camera 5 days a week. Maybe a couple of those other days he is moving at a more advantageous time, that with a good wind, could give you a better chance of seeing him on his feet. And with crops coming down, just remember that he may be more likely to hit a fresh picked field a few minutes earlier than normal within the first day or so of it being harvested, which may allow you to get a crack at him

Yes I have another camera along a corn field that borders a hay field
The buck likes to feed in the hay field , but never seems to enter the hay field in the same area 2 times in a row

So I plan on moving that camers to the woods side of the field and hope to see where he enters , there maybe a spot I could target him


And I had never thought about decoying
I know a friend that has a decoy
So I may try it some evening when the wind is right

I just need to keep working on hunting and not thinking about other problems in my life
As depression sucks bigtime and it makes hunting a lot harder

John
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Patience is the main objective here in my opinion John. He sounds like he's gotten mature because of this type of pattern and cover. I think you did the right thing with the blind on the edge but IMO, the only way your going to have an opportunity at this deer is to wait till he's on his feet in the daylight.
I'd just keep biding my time and just as soon as he starts moving later in the mornings and earlier in the evenings I'd slip in for the kill. I also believe that window could be small as he will be moving around a lot more looking for a doe but you definitely found his bedroom and he's quite comfy there for now it seems.
 
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