Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting I Broke the Cardinal Rule

Good point, I've lost count of the times I've been at the right place at the wrong time......

But doesn't that make it the wrong place?

Agreed. Wholeheartedly.

Killed my first whitetail a looooong time ago still hunting.

Took off from the truck where I wanted to go, simply couldn't get the wind with me, so I went back, crossed the road and hunted in the direction I didnt want to go, just to keep the wind with me. Voila! Dead deer in very few minutes!

I don't see where anyone was bothered by it but we're all pleased-as-punch to know where you stand on this.

This lesson applies to those fine Wally World customers browsing the dozens of "scent control" products and not one single bottle of wind powder on the shelves....

I keep checking back, I don't want to miss the hero shots! Maybe I should just stay here?

So when you got the wind in your face, did it keep your matchlock burning brightly?

Oh you are gonna smoke a turd in hell for that one

Have hunted 19 days in a row not knowing if the buck was even still alive...he is and has resurfaced

Get on him

You must endeavor to persevere

Well, at least you know the drop tine buck is still alive and in your stand area.....hope you tag him...

I've done the same thing with gobblers. Never leave the one you roosted and started. I've left birds for what I thought were "hotter" ones. Only to have the first one holler at me from where I was sitting at first light. While the "hotter" bird walked off with his harem. Start em,and stay with em. At least until you are sure it's over.

He's screwing with me
22 days in a row of hunting and counting

That sucks but at least you know he's still alive. I'm pretty confident you'll get him before its all over. Good luck!

What you have there is a now nocturnal buck and a nearly nocturnal one back on opening day. Just look at those pictures time stamp. What you need is a fawn doe of the year coming into her first estrus about now to get him back on his feet during daylight hours. You have enough photographs of him in that area, so you know that he is pretty happy being there or he would have left or been on someone else's meat pole by now. You are not exactly invisible up on that stand of yours and you do make some noise getting in and out of that stand. Your deer didn't get that old by being ignorant and he probably has been counting the days that you have been there too. I had a big buck that made a new rub on a tree at night very close to where I had posted that day several days running, so he knew I was there. I went to a seminar once where a guy from the audience asked how do you hunt a nocturnal buck? The speaker said when you jump him up and he runs, then he isn't nocturnal anymore. The watch out is jumping him up and he gets shot by someone else. Been there and done that too many times. Maybe have a buddy jump him up for you with you on a stand. A friend of mine had a similar stand set up to yours and he put a manikin in a hunting suit in that stand so that the deer got use to seeing a person shape up there. Once a deer gets about 4.5 years old, about the only chink in their armor is the rut because they do not feel comfortable walking around during the daylight.

He knows when you are there and when you aren't.

Horse crap to all that pucky....he's not bedding on the property I have permission to hunt so jumping him isn't an option
Waiting for him to make a mistake or not is the only choice
He was nocturnal before the season started he was either bumped or after a doe opening day and yes need a doe to come in late to draw him out in light
Had my chance weather he gives another is doubtful but I'll be there if he does
He doesn't see me in the stand because he's not moving when I'm in the stand
And yes thats why I'm so successful killing big buck during archery season the rut is the best chance of them slipping up

With 22 days under your belt, you sure get high marks for determination. You have an entire rooting section here hoping that you get him, but we sense your frustration. That saying: "If you always do what you've done, you'll always get what you've got" comes to mind. If you have a good idea of where he beds during the day and an estrus doe is not helping you get him moving into where you can hunt him, have you tried putting out estrus scent yourself when you have the right wind direction? It is probably real late in the season to be putting up another stand closer to where he beds, but you might catch him at first or last light that way. Maybe a mock scrape with some buck in rut tarsal gland. That deer needs to think that another boss buck is in the area. Post rut they get real hard to hunt because they don't move much. From the pictures it sure looks like he has plenty of brouse to feed on, so post rut you might catch him in a feeding pattern when winter sets in. It looks like NY is getting snow now, so after a storm front everything on four feet is out there moving and feeding. He can pattern you and probably faster than you can pattern him. I've had a big one make a 180 degree turn and leave when he came to my boot track. Security is job one once they get big like that outside of the rut. Good hunting.

I FULLY understand your pain. I've had similar experiences and I still dream about it 20 years after it happened. Try to forget. It will be less painful.

You can only cover what you can cover. Can't worry about the rest. I hunt for enjoyment. If I think I'd be enjoying myself in another spot, I go hunt that spot.

-Jake