John's Journal...

To Hunt a Legendary Buck Deer

Day 3: Go Get That Legendary Buck

Editor’s Note: Some sly, ole bucks fool so-many hunters and live so long they become legends. Hunting one of these trophies is a supreme challenge. A buck deer with a reputation may require a hunter with a reputation to take him.

Click for Larger ViewOne of the tactics that has produced legends is what I call going-in after deer. Since a trophy deer only will travel in thick cover during daylight hours, most of his moving time probably will be just at dawn and at dusk. Click for Larger ViewOnce the hunter knows the thick cover that a legend uses to travel through to reach food, water or his bed, then the sportsman has a chance to bag his trophy. However, a common mistake made by novice hunters is to sit on the edge of cover and hope to take a quick shot as the buck enters or leaves the thick places. Since a trophy buck knows that he is the most vulnerable on the edge of the thicket, all of his senses will be keenly tuned then. He will look, smell and listen for danger. He will spend a lot of time hunting the hunter. And, if the deer finds the hunter, he may retreat back into the thicket or choose another route out. Even if he doesn’t sense the hunter, he often still will move quickly and quietly and use whatever cover remains to cross a sparsely-vegetated area, giving the sportsman perhaps only a glimpse of himself.

Click for Larger ViewThe woods-wise hunter will take a different approach to the legend. Instead of waiting for the buck to come-out of the thicket, the veteran will go into the thicket with the deer. In a thick place, there will be trails where the animal travels. Often the trophy hunter only may have 5 to 15 yards field of view. He may have to sit in briars or a cramped position for many hours or days. But he realizes that the deer feels comfortable in the thicket. Click for Larger ViewTherefore the trophy won’t be as wary as he will be on the edge of the thicket. The animal will move slowly through the cover and present a better target. Although the outdoorsman knows that his chances are at least 50% - 60% better in the thicket than on the outer edge of the cover, he still will use a scent disguise, wear camouflage and most importantly, sit as motionless as possible for as long as is required to kill the legend.

Tomorrow: The Overnight Hunter - Going After a Legendary Buck

 


Check back each day this week for more about "To Hunt a Legendary Buck Deer "

Day 1: How Legends about Bucks Get Started
Day 2: Researching a Buck Legend
Day 3: Go Get That Legendary Buck
Day 4: The Overnight Hunter - Going After a Legendary Buck
Day 5: The Tree Sitter’s Challenge

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Entry 649, Day 4