Closest thing to a buck I've seen...

[HICKMAN]

My family has 60 or so acres down in Martin County. Most of it is soy/corn fields, but there are a little bit of woods around it. I've tried to learn where they bed and how they move, seen TONS of tracks and "sign", but rarely many deer, a few does here and there, but nothing I can ever get close to during the day.

I started look around for scrapes and rubs and ran across this:

Problem is, we just never see the bucks moving during legal hours. My cousin that lives on the property has seen a good size buck, but only late at night in his headlights.

Maybe I'll get lucky one of these days...

 

[CountryBoy19]

The bucks that grow big and old aren't stupid. The odds of seeing them up an moving during the daylight are very slim. It takes a lot of time, patience, and luck to get one.

I've been seeing the same sort of thing where I hunt in Lawrence county. Several large rubs, a couple scrapes, but deer. I see a lot of fresh tracks when I go out there, but no deer.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Try a Claymore?

 

[jmiller676]

My family has 60 or so acres down in Martin County. Most of it is soy/corn fields, but there are a little bit of woods around it. I've tried to learn where they bed and how they move, seen TONS of tracks and "sign", but rarely many deer, a few does here and there, but nothing I can ever get close to during the day.

I started look around for scrapes and rubs and ran across this:

Problem is, we just never see the bucks moving during legal hours. My cousin that lives on the property has seen a good size buck, but only late at night in his headlights.

Maybe I'll get lucky one of these days...

Yeah as stated above old mature bucks are pretty aware of gun season right now. They could still be chasing does but, will be in the dark hours for the most part. Your best bet is to get out in late December during the post rut once a lot of the hunters have left the woods and hunt for does. If you hunt for does at that time you'll find a nice buck.

 

[HICKMAN]

The bucks that grow big and old aren't stupid. The odds of seeing them up an moving during the daylight are very slim. It takes a lot of time, patience, and luck to get one.

I've been seeing the same sort of thing where I hunt in Lawrence county. Several large rubs, a couple scrapes, but deer. I see a lot of fresh tracks when I go out there, but no deer.

Yup, exactly what I've been experiencing.

BNL grad?

 

[HICKMAN]

Yeah as stated above old mature bucks are pretty aware of gun season right now. They could still be chasing does but, will be in the dark hours for the most part. Your best bet is to get out in late December during the post rut once a lot of the hunters have left the woods and hunt for does. If you hunt for does at that time you'll find a nice buck.

Good point, I was thinking about avoiding this area until ML season and spending shotgun season in a couple other public land spots I have.