This photo was all I needed to know. There are fish in the pond worth pursuing. :)
The photo was taken the week my wife and I were in George and Tennessee on vacation. It's in the neck of a funnel leading into a 40 or so acre area of beaver ponds and other sanctuary. A 2.5 year 4x4 and 3x2, a 1.5 year 2x1 and one doe came through as well. It's interesting that both the 1.5 year old buck and doe came through during early, legal shooting hours; the others during the night.
I'm pulling the camera before heading to South Carolina on the 3rd. That will be the last time I set foot in this area. All my stands are located in three other funnels, all emptying into this one. I have a combination of tree stands and a couple ground blinds for special conditions.
It will be time to hunt when I return.
This fellow is beefed up pretty good and a dandy buck for the highly [firearms] pressured area I hunt. Since my aspiration level has been 2.5 years in this area, he might well be one of those younger bucks I've passed. Maybe he will provide me another opportunity. :)
I figure he is probably 4.5 years old based upon his body; the 3.5 year old bucks don't quite match his bulk in this area. It really doesn't matter since he will not live another year if he walks by me in decent range. :) What do you think?
(http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh338/spikeknife/big8.jpg)
He's a monster! :scared:
:thumbsup:
Good luck, Cliff!
All right!
He is a good one Cliff. Good luck in your pursuit!!!!
Big boy!
All the best to you!
.....Philip
Wow that's a brute Cliff! Good luck I hope you get a chance at him!
Go get him Cliff!
Sounds like a potentially productive spot. Good luck!
I think if you get the opportunity you should shoot him! :)
that a good buck for your sate is it not??
Go get him Cliff. Are you still shooting that St Joe Bow?
Billy
He is out there.
This is a nice deer for our area because of its age and body size, but it's antlers aren't exceptional. This area is a mixed bag of small acreages with heavy firearms pressure during the 90 days firearm season. Basically, if it's brown and has antlers, its down.
Louisiana does have large acreages in the delta parishes under various quality management programs that produce exceptional antlers and body size. Most all the Louisiana parishes have the potential to produce B&C class antlers if the bucks are allowed to live long enough.
Yes, I'm still shooting the St. Joe. My old Super Ghost is backing it up in the event something bad happens. :)
He looks like a beautiful buck, Cliff. I hope you get the opportunity to "lock horns" with him!
I imagine that as the does start getting interested in dating, there will be a real chance of seeing him moving around in daylight hours.
Good luck in your quest!
Daryl
Go get him.
Looks like a real good buck sir. I'd be proud to take him.
Charlie
"All I needed to know" simply means I've seen enough to give me the incentive to hunt hard and well. There will be other big boys cruising this funnel and the old boy on the camera may get killed five miles from there during the rut. So, I'm not hunting a specific buck, but hunting the areas that my odds are increased of having a close encounter with something with a couple years under it's belt or older. Having the evidence decent bucks are in the area makes it a whole lot easier getting up and getting after them.
The eighty acre tract that joins me on the south was leased and hunted hard prior to the current owner purchasing it and dividing it into parcels and putting them up for sell. This is the third hunting season there has been no hunting on this tract, which has certainly aided the buck population. The owner is a land/timber buyer and partners occasionally with one of my large wood suppliers, which is how I came to meet him several years back.
I was on the property yesterday and got to thinking that the north parcel joining me hadn't sold because there is a gas well right in the middle of it and another two hundred yards north, on the property I'm hunting. It would dove-tail well with what I was hunting and provide a buffer protecting the funnel that flows between the two gas wells. So.....I called him up and....yup, I just added[leased and will close next week] 38 critical acres to my set up. :)
There are a several bucks this size cruising through this funnel and I will take one of them if the opportunity presents it's self as well. I'm certainly not going to hold out for a bigger one with three buck tags. :)
(http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh338/spikeknife/8buck.jpg)
Hey Charlie, hope your season goes well.
Great buck! Looks like the right spot! Good luck!
Can't wait to see the success photo Cliff. Good luck
Here's better photos of the buck from the beginning of the thread. He's better than I thought. A really nice 5x5, 140+.
(http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh338/spikeknife/big1.jpg)
(http://i544.photobucket.com/albums/hh338/spikeknife/big2.jpg)
Now, where is he in the daytime?
Killdeer :bigsmyl:
Nice buck, Best of luck. :archer2: