Tonight I watched a 160 inch buck walking through the woods without using deer trails. He was simply moving from one area to another and had zero interest in doing so by walking on established deer trails. I've witnessed this behavior before with mature bucks. It's extremely smart and difficult identify a bucks location in the woods when they're not using defined trails.
Has anyone else seen this behavior? Do you believe that bucks who use this tactic have realized that danger exists to them by walking on deer trails?
He's cruising looking for hot does, in my opinion. There may be other guys that disagree, but that is my opinion. Did you happen to notice the wind direction? I would be willing to bet he was walking into it to smell does in the area.
Jake
I believe that is common. Also I've heard they will parallel to the trails on the down wind side checking for does.
Absolutely! The big bucks of any given area will rarely use the easily seen trails, but rather skirt said trails and scent check them, especially this time of the year...
Their trails can be identified but are much more subtle then the blatant trails used by does... That is one of the "secrets" to year in year out harvesting of mature bucks... IMO...
With experience one finds these things out... Most set up on the blatant trails and are tempted with does and lesser bucks that actually use these trails... If and when a mature buck is encountered they are in "their" trails and don't present themselves classically... One needs to find the subtle trails around the blatant trails and set up on them rather then the blatant trails...
If you are after meat, setup on the blatant trails... You will have better luck getting "a" deer, but if you are after a mature buck find the trails within the trails and give yourself the best chance at that mature buck!
I see it all the time this time of year. Walking with nose to the ground with no plan on where they are going. Until they smell, hear or see something that interest them
QuoteOriginally posted by Jake Scott:
He's cruising looking for hot does, in my opinion. There may be other guys that disagree, but that is my opinion. Did you happen to notice the wind direction? I would be willing to bet he was walking into it to smell does in the area.
Jake
Thanks to all for your insights. Believe it or not, he was traveling in the same direction the wind was blowing. Crazy!
QuoteThanks to all for your insights. Believe it or not, he was traveling in the same direction the wind was blowing. Crazy! [/QB]
He's actually doing what these guys do all the time. They rely on the wind at their backs to keep them informed on what's behind them, while watching downwind to spot anything lying in wait or approaching from that direction.
Every time I find one of those oh-so-faint pathways off the beaten track, I smile at this – it's one of the many ways they get to be "mature".
QuoteOriginally posted by eidsvolling:
QuoteThanks to all for your insights. Believe it or not, he was traveling in the same direction the wind was blowing. Crazy! [/b]
He's actually doing what these guys do all the time. They rely on the wind at their backs to keep them informed on what's behind them, while watching downwind to spot anything lying in wait or approaching from that direction.
Every time I find one of those oh-so-faint pathways off the beaten track, I smile at this – it's one of the many ways they get to be "mature". [/QB]
^This
Jake
The Wensels talked about it in their first book. Roger Rothhaarr did as well.
Will attempt to position setups that afford lethal shot opportunities to the main trail, yet am focused on the more subtle parallel trail.
Due note: with the rut coming on, my focus would be on the doe concentrations in those locations.
What I found is that larger more mature bucks walk across deer trails to pick up receptive does. Most of the year mature bucks do their own thing and seldom walk doe trails or bed where does bed.... just my observation where I've hunted
No rhyme or reason this time of year. Funnels and scrape lines go to them.
They cut across trails going to different bedding areas looking for does. They smell the trails as they cross them and cover ground this way. Lay a scent drag and watch out.
I have seen this.
QuoteOriginally posted by Friend:
Will attempt to position setups that afford lethal shot opportunities to the main trail, yet am focused on the more subtle parallel trail.
Due note: with the rut coming on, my focus would be on the doe concentrations in those locations.
Friend,
You nailed it! Doe trails kill big bucks during rut. As far as subtle trails, that's a great point. Watching terrain and trails help to identify bucks trails.
As far as buck walking downwind to smell their back trail while they use their eyes to to watch for danger, I've never seen or heard of this. Mature bucks, while on the move almost always use prevailing winds to alert them of danger. I've heard of mature bucks bedding with their backs to the wind to smell their backwind while they watch their downwind side.
QuoteOriginally posted by Overspined:
They cut across trails going to different bedding areas looking for does. They smell the trails as they cross them and cover ground this way. Lay a scent drag and watch out.
Absolutely. One buck has long since died of old age, but I watched him for two years. I hunted a heavy doe trail, and he always made an appearance or two about 30 yards downwind of the main run.
As I changed stand locations in the area, I also saw rubs on trees paralleling the main runs, but way off to the sides.
I have one trail that has been used only by mature bucks coming out of the creek bottom/slough to feed in my hayfield. Over the last ten years of watching that field I have never seen a doe enter the field there. They do enter that part of the field at times, but not on that trail. Some years, nothing uses it. But when they do they are usually nice bucks.
I assume for some reason they feel secure coming out there, just at dusk. Predominate wind direction and a very secure area behind them I am guessing.
One might consider setting up 40 or so yards off of a main trail to the downwind side.
God bless and good hunting, Steve
Iv' seen where mature bucks will use their own trails year round or seasonal depending on food sources and of coarse the rut. Different bucks will have their own chosen trails sometimes as well, that normally only they use.
I've seen this a lot with BlacKtail bucks..... For years i had a trail through a very dense section of wild blackberries that i kept trimmed up so the deer would use it. Deer will NOT go though blackberry patches if there is another way around it.
In this case even the mature bucks were using this trail i had blazed, but only at night after dark. One day i was coming down it heading for home and jumped 3 very nice bucks that were bedded down just off nmy trail. two of them were only 2-3 year old deer, and they ran ahead of me to where the trail came right out on the road by my house, then ran right down the road to the next spot into the timber. The mature buck stopped at the road and wouldn't go out onto the pavement. I couldn't see them.... but i could hear the hoofs on the pavement as they came out on the road....i only counted two deer and there were 3.... So i knew right then the big boy was going to hunker down and try to sneak back by me rather that go out into the road.... these mature bucks are smart... very smart.
But.... i knew what he was doing, and there was only one other trail through those briars to get past me. He knew i was there, he could smell me i know... but i waited patiently for 15 minutes and watched an opening to the other trail..... When he came into it he was literally crawling on his knees and keeping his head low..... i whistled softly at him to get him to freeze, then i took him....
Look at the size of this guy.... 300 pound black tail here.
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u301/kirkll/Hunting%20pics/muzzleloaderhunt08020.jpg) (http://s171.photobucket.com/user/kirkll/media/Hunting%20pics/muzzleloaderhunt08020.jpg.html)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u301/kirkll/Hunting%20pics/muzzleloaderhunt08019.jpg) (http://s171.photobucket.com/user/kirkll/media/Hunting%20pics/muzzleloaderhunt08019.jpg.html)
look at the size of the back straps on this monster...
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u301/kirkll/Hunting%20pics/ErniesBow002-1.jpg) (http://s171.photobucket.com/user/kirkll/media/Hunting%20pics/ErniesBow002-1.jpg.html)
I've definitely noticed this behavior before, thought about why it seems like all the mature bucks stop using the doe trails as fall progresses. My feeling is that it's all about mature buck being lazy and wanting easy women. We have all seen young bucks chasing does that aren't ready, the ladies want none of it and high tail out of there and the buck chases and wastes time and energy. The mature bucks learn from their younger days and wasted calories. So they hang back, they check the does from a distance, they don't pressure them before they are ready, when the time is right the move in on a doe and sweep her off her hooves. She's ready, she's not tired from running and she's not annoyed from running away. This time of year look for the does, and I garuntee a mature buck or three is within scent distance keeping a nose on those ladies.
Defiantely right Dennis. As a matter of fact I have never seen bigger bucks follow paths unless it was in a swamp where they are forced to.
I'm no expert but when I have had success on old bucks its been off of trails downwind of known bedding areas.
Mature bucks move downwind a lot. My sightings and trail camera pics/videos have confirmed this. I killed the buck in my avitar as he quartered downwind. Bucks know where the does bed. They will often go from one bedding area to the next checking trails as they go and will often check the actual bedding areas from downwind.
Have you ever noticed how there is often a trail just inside from a field edge that parallels the edge? Normally 10 to 30 yards in from the edge? Regaurdless of wind direction a buck can cruise down this trail and scent check each and every perpendicular trail leading from the fields. When he smells something he likes he can simply follow it right to the doe. I'm talking morning movement here.
I had one area I hunted years ago in hilly terrain. There was a huge ridge that ran north and south. The sides of the ridge were open hardwoods but the top was thick and nasty. The does would bed on top of the ridge in the thicker stuff. During the rut when there was a westerly wind, the bucks would walk the side of the ridge about 1/3 down from the top. They could smell any does up in the bedding area, they could easily see in the bottoms, and walking 1/3 down from the top also kept them from being skylined.
Interesting stuff, everyone! Thanks!