Consistent early season success

[homegrownbucks]

I was thinking of posting something on this and saw mclovins comment in Steve b's thank you thread as well...so is anyone having consistent early season success on big bucks? If so what are you doing strategy and habitat-wise to do so?

 

[homegrownbucks]

We have done pretty good the past few years, I actually prefer it over the rut. I haven't made it outta sept the past 2 years and killed before the rut the year prior (October 13 I believe). The biggest keys IMO are waiting for relatively cool weather and preferably a good moon phase (but weather trumps moon). We have had our land since 88 so we have paid attention to historical big buck early season patterns, and set our spots based on these plus some habitat manipulation to enhance the set ups as much as possible. Food is important too, green soybeans are probly the best, winter peas are great if they don't get destroyed. I think a bigger feeding area is what they key in on early with some kind of legume (clover, alfalfa or bean). A small plot can work if positioned between bedding and a big feeding area.

Anywho using these tactics I have hunted 3 days last year, 1 day in 2013, and 3 days in 2012 to score on big bucks. My brother killed a big one early in 2011 as well and dad has seen a lot and passed a few using same tactics (all on the same land)

Here are my 2014 to 2012 bucks:




Brothers early pig:

Also my neighbor one block over has killed 2 nice bucks opening day the last two years using similar strategies: http://www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/consistent-early-season-whitetail-success/

 

[dipper]

I used to get on shooters when I was into big bucks more. I did a lot of scouting. I never thought temp was an issue when I had bucks patterned, but the moon sure impacted the pattern.
My oldest and widest 24 3/4" buck I watched in beans all summer. As they always do, he stopped showing up, but I napped him walking a pitch point, up in the oaks. I shot 2 bucks in that spot opening day, if I had the drive i should go back there...

 

[homegrownbucks]

So was this oaks adjacent to a bean field? How far off? Good acorns this year sounds like a winner.

 

[dipper]

I don't think the oaks were really the key with this spot. It was hilly terrain and a logging road that made easy walking. I used to kill a lot of my bucks on alfalfa. Lots of scouting

 

[MoLandOwner]

Early season success is fine, but I like the Rut in My area. I know during early season I could try and shoot a 130-140" buck pretty easy if I can hit them. But the Rut can bring in some whoppers from 5 miles away I would never have a chance at normally on a smaller size property. JMO

 

[Bill]

Early season is a great time to take a good one if you're sure you can. For the average Joe who bumbles around the woods it can be diasterious. Not average Joe's here! I mean the ones that believe the magazines.

I've smacked 2 mature bucks in the last 7 years on the first day I hunted in Sept.

Both cases where the same. Small hidden fields that I could observe from a distance. In both cases I saw the deer habitually using the field during daylight "pre dusk" all summer long, either in person or by camera. In both cases I waited until the wind was perfect based on their summer entrance to the field.

In those 7 years it's the only time I've hunted before Halloween. If I'm not 95% sure I'm going to kill a deer I've been watching, on my first sit, I'm not getting in a tree.

I may take an early stand next week because I want to film an up and comer from a tree. But I have no dilutions of killing a deer because I haven't seen one all summer that I'd shoot.

If you don't know for sure he's going to be there in September, well he's not. "Blind squirrel excluded"

Oh and I'm talking hunting the edge. I'd never walk more than 10 yards into the timber in September or worse October.

But I'm a nut job :).



Edit, and I'm talking farm land, mid west deer. No way this works on northern big timber deer. Heck, I couldn't kill a doe there.

 

[MN Slick]

I've got a pretty good early season set up on one of my farms but haven't capitalized yet....missed one that I later killed in the rut though. It's a small hidden clover field between bedding and 30 acre alfalfa field on the neighbors that is THE food source in the area. I let it go to weeds in 2012 and the bucks quit going through there in the early season so I fired it back up in 2014. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hunt early season last year and somebody swiped the cam from my camera so I'm not sure what was using it early but I'm back on track for this year.

I'm a believer in Murray's Moon Guide and time my early season hunts accordingly. The weekend of Sept 19th is prime so I'm hoping for cool weather.

 

[BJE80]

No bucks on camera. Not a single one. Just a bunch of old hags and their kids. Hard to kill them if they are not there.

My land is currently 94% heavily wooded and 6% open. If you are going to hunt. You are going into the woods.

Good luck to you early season hunters.

 

[BJE80]

You guys that are having early season success. You are shooting them in the evening right? I think bucks are generally speaking in their beds before light early season.

 

[bueller]

The couple good ones I had on cam have been no-shows for the last 3 weeks. Hopefully they will return shortly.

 

[BJE80]

It sucks when you don't get buck pics, I know. What I have found the last couple years here is that a number of bucks avoid my cams....big time. I really should go to one of the high end cams, but I'm too cheap :oops:

My land is about the same as yours...maybe closer to 90/10. I don't hunt my place except for one edge (along the dirt road that makes up my eastern boundary). I'll go more than 10 yards into the woods, but not much over 50 yards. Its tough to not go sit on the peninsula surrounded by swamp on 3 sides on my western boundary...I know the bucks use that area...but there's zero way for me to get in/out of there without letting every deer in the woods know I'm doing it.

The other thing you could do Stu if that is happening is to put your cams up high pointing down. Put them above their sight plane. They won't know they are there then. I know it is harder to check them but it may tell you something.

 

[BJE80]

Ya, I have one mounted like that now. Still don't get all the deer that I know travel through the area. Red IR spooks at least some deer at night...and IME the deer most likely to avoid the red blob are bucks over 1.5

How high do you have it? Is it over a plot?

 

[bat man]

The other thing you could do Stu if that is happening is to put your cams up high pointing down. .

I have seen deer stare up at high red IR cams, and I know they can hear many of the lesser cams fire up and trigger.

 

[BJE80]

I have seen deer stare up at high red IR cams, and I know they can hear many of the lesser cams fire up and trigger.

Most won't though. If you are spooking deer and don't want to buy new cams putting them up high has really helped me at least.

 

[bat man]

Biggest buck on my 240 this fall made an appearance at the neighbors year ago. Saw the Menards IR video trail cam 8 feet in the air one night, turned tail and bolted. He never got another pic of that buck that fall.

 

[MoLandOwner]

I think more hunters do more damage by checking their cameras too often, then the camera itself.

 

[j-bird]

I don't have early season success. I don't even hunt the early season unless I think there is a big weather system coming in that may produce a buck I want. I don't hold mature bucks so I wait until the rut puts the area bucks on their feet and I let the does on my place essentially act as bait for them. I won't hunt much until Halloween in most cases - it reduces me educating the does I am holding and it seems to be working. The ONLY exception to this is our youth hunt is the last weekend in September and I will take the kids anytime, anywhere after any deer they want for those 2 days.

As far as the cam thing is concerned - how often should you check it"? I check mine about once a month.

 

[kabic]

I think more hunters do more damage by checking their cameras too often, then the camera itself.

I'm guilty of this. This year I only have put my cameras in easy to access spots on my plots. No deep woods cameras this year.

 

[MoLandOwner]

I'm guilty of this. This year I only have put my cameras in easy to access spots on my plots. No deep woods cameras this year.

We all are!