pope and young lead

B

bamaranger

New member
Incredibly, I just got a lead on a book class P&Y buck on public land near my home. Guy had deer cam photos and no reservations on sharing them and the location. Course, if he told me, he may have told others. But typically, I bowhunt the area harder than most guys.

The earliest the buck showed up was 8:40PM, way after dark. Still in velvet, and NO pressure. By Oct/Nov, this deer will be the DEFINITION of nocturnal.

If he survives gun hunts and vehicles 'till rut (Jan) maybe I'll see him.
 
Hope ya get a shot on him BR.

Here in Ohio, our 1st. pre-rut starts about the last week of Oct. and usually peaks towards the end of the second week of Nov.

Our bucks are currently still running together as I watched three last night browsing the clover field. I suppose they are getting less tolerant of each other as I watched one buck un-aggressively shove the other aside. But there was no question they were together.

Needless to say, I was out squirrel hunting/scouting the other day and came across a very fresh deer scrape already. :confused: The deer haven't even started rubbing yet.
It's a very large scrape under a tree that usually has a scrape every year. The prints in the scrape were about 1/4" wider then a shotgun shell. There was also a huge pile of (clumped) droppings at the edge. Lots of evidence of a very nice buck.
This is the earliest I can remember ever seeing a scrape. And again, have not even found a rub yet.

Been trying to figure this out and wondering if the fact that the last couple years, there have been many fawns dropped very late in the season has something to do with these particular does cycle. That, and we've had some unseasonably cool nights here.

Don't know but it seems strange.
 
rut

Hey shortwave.

Our full blown wide open rut starts to happen about Christmas. My best weeks have always been after the holidays, about 5Jan on. Too many guys in the woods during holidays.

Bucks can be seen chasing all Jan long. My best 3 deer have all been taken in Jan. Last year, we had a hard and fast rut about the second week of Jan. I saw more deer and more bucks in two days (13 and 15 Jan) than I saw all season. Missed one with a rifle (how did THAT happen) and had a dandy (110-120pts + P&Y) close with a grunt call, but no shot with a bow.

Lord help me, I love it so.
 
BR,

Just thought it very strange to see a scrape here so early and was trying to figure out why. Again, our deer haven't even started rubbing yet.

I've seen scrapes and rubs as much as 2-3 weeks early or a bit late but never this early.:confused:

Missed one with a rifle (how did THAT happen)
Click to expand...

Hey it happens... and I assure you that's from experience.;)

and had a dandy (110-120pts + P&Y) close with a grunt call, but no shot with a bow.
Click to expand...

This as well and a sign of a true hunter for not slinging that arrow. Kudo's to you.
 
alive

My hope is that deer is still alive. He came in to about 15 yds and I was set to draw as he passed broadside behind a large pine. But.....he came on my side of the pine and started to quarter in. At 12 yds he saw me, unmoving, in the tree. And the stare down began. He actually sunk to the ground against a bush......and stood there for what seemed an hour, but was likely 5 minutes, then he bolted. This was the day after a heavy gun hunt. I never saw him again. But I will be back.

I scouted the past two days, but did not get to check on the photo deer.
 
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