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Baiting Mature Bucks.

OhioWhiteTails

Senior Member
Supporting Member
8,482
191
Flatlands
The mature deer that I have managed to pull into the plots and mineral site seem to have several bedding locations. I'm finding out that there is a window when the larger bucks are bedding nearly 200 yards away in a tiny thicket. They'll appear on camera for 1-3 days and then disappear for a week or so at a time. From running cameras and keeping a log of this activity, the beginning of antler development and pre-rut/rut are when they show consistency. Knowing the windows of opportunity are small I might invest in a cellular cam to get live picture feeds. It's almost guaranteed if I get early morning pictures around sunrise or after, he's back that evening. I kicked myself numerous times for missing those windows last year on a big nine point. I did have 3 encounters with him that never ended up in an arrow being flung, but had I been out there the other times I missed I'd be telling a different story.
 
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Sgt Fury

Sgt. Spellchecker
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Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Remember what I said about being able to control access to the area. Sometimes even if you're the only one hunting it you still can't control everything. The landowner had a family reunion this weekend, someone decided to go exploring and bumped the buck off the bait. We'll see how he reacts over the next few days.

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OhioWhiteTails

Senior Member
Supporting Member
8,482
191
Flatlands
I swear mature bucks have some kind of guardian angel from the deer heavens that protect them. I hope they weren't spooked too bad Joe.
 

giles

Cull buck specialist
Supporting Member
Honestly, hopefully that guy didn’t get to see the deer. I’ve known more then a couple of people that showed land owners TC pics and it ended up costing them the property. Because now the uncle/brother/son want to hunt it and blood runs deep. All the work and effort put in ends up in someone else’s hands...