Hunting mature whitetail.

Admittedly haven't hunted a lot lately. Thought dad was having heart problems so we had a heart cath done and some blood work. His heart is fine. We think it's his blood pressure medicine.

Anyhow got back out here this morning after the huge storm that hit the delta last night. Have seen four of the same does I always see and a wide scraggly 8-point. Thinking I'm going to hunt till 11 or so it's overcast and they're moving from being bed up all day yesterday.

I agree on the does that's why I won't fire a rifle in this spot because I have about 7 does that feed morning and night here with no stress what so ever.

Here's three crossing me at 100yds
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We're in post rut here so I'm told. Monday and Tuesday morning are looking prime. 28F and 25F. I'll be hitting it hard then.

As far as meat and tags goes there isn't any worry. We don't have tags (that I know of) in MS and I have a designated section of farmland primarily for does. Hell they've devastated our bean crop the last four years out there. Meat is a non issue which is why I'm saving this place. Though I'm getting a little impatient and just want to get a deer to get it off my shoulder.

I'm very fortunate that we have ample places to hunt with no regulations other than state law. We have probably total 700acres of hunting ground. Most of it is farm that butts up to CRP. But about half is CRP that my dad's side owns. It truly is a gem too. Rabbit, deer, quail, and now we have turkey's out there. Poachers are a problem but I think the wildlife manages. Though we're also members of two hunting clubs across the levee they're basically for a bad year on the farm so we can sell out and collect some fast cash if needed. They both have too many restrictions to even really think about hunting. So much that it's ruined them.
 
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In their natural habitat and with normal hunting pressure, mature bucks are generally a different animal than immature bucks and does. They grow old only because they got lucky in youth and learned from their mistakes. BUT........take a mature buck on private property where it is fed and allowed to mature regardless of the mistakes it continues to make and it can be easier to hunt than a forkhorn on public land. There is a certain amount of "dumbing down" happening to the deer herd because of management practices meant for growing horn. While folks are producing "quality" bucks, they are also promoting deer to identify humans with food and safety. Look at urban deer. They feed at all times of the day and many times, one see's mature bucks laying next the basketball hoop in the driveway. Instead of running away, they watch folks in the backyard, in hopes they're refilling the bird feeder. That said, Big bucks in normal conditions, expose themselves very seldom. They know where humans hunt and what time of day they hunt. They know that every slam of a truck door or crunch of bootsteps means they are in danger and act appropriately. To bag them you have to vary the way you hunt so they do not pattern you and you have to make fewer mistakes than they do.
 
I haven't wanted to ruin the spot but there are too very old bucks neither have a rack really. One is a scraggly wide 8 and the other is a semi-tall 8 with some decent mass. He was tellig me they're likely the dominant buck in the area due to age and muscle mass. If I see them I need to kill them both. I did see one of them this morning I think.
 
BLACKOPS_2
didn't know where my 260 was shooting and didn't want to chance a standing offhand shot. So I declined to shoot.
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That Sir.......Was an EXTREMELY respectable thing to do. Just off of that I'd say your a far more serious hunter than you give yourself credit for. I can always tip my hat to someone that will pass on a trophy rather than risk an unknown or bad shot.

Mature Bucks? Watch the wind VERY carefully and plan every detail.
 
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Well it was 26F saw this in the woodline and thought it was him. Of course it's not he's a youngin. Hell I go back to Starkville next week and the seasons almost over. Though I feel bad about shooting him. Two more years he would've been nice. Heart was pounding like it was my first deer. Glad I checked my 260 both him and the doe I got with my sako have been DRT with 130gr triple shocks.
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Eh, live and learn. You got a rack for the wall and meat for the freezer. No use fretting over what might have been. Those other big bucks will make up for him in spreading the genes around.
 
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