Wonder if he will be around next year?, Nice Rubs!

[Bugle M In]

Oh, he could be a big three which is why he has got some age. Got one like that here figure he is maybe 6 1/2 or7. Thinking back first time I saw a big three in same place.

the predators are hard on the young..not usually mature deer. So you can have older class animals that persist for a fair while until old age and odds catch up... deal is with no recruitment numbers eventually collapse.

He is older then two and half..so he must be doing somthing right. Way I see it you got any better place to be?

Nope, not really any other place to be.
Did do some driving around, but wasn't impressed.
1 or 2 areas that I want to check out still, as well as some new areas to try, but I will be back for sure, and sooner.

As for if it is a 3 point, who knows??
But impressive rubs that I hadn't seen in a long time up there.
Thinking he is a mature buck, with at least some "weight" on him, not just antler.
Once, I did see a buck the ripped up a couple of trees that when he was done, looked more like bull moose was done with it.
A 6x6, that I watched, but he was several hours of hike time to get there.
Never found him, never found rubs like that again either??
These are about the best I can expect these days it seems.

[elknut]

Are you finding any hoof prints..That will usually tell the story..Big feet usually big buck..In my area I had two big guys..One really large and still pointed ...the other big and blunt...shorter...In the past have killed 246 lb hanging deer ..Head ...hide and guts gone ..Hanging like beef..a few others 226 and 231lbs ...As for your gun ...right on ...Its used and like your right arm ..might not be an expensive pretty one but it works..I've got a model 950 CIL 7mm mag I bought in 1965 at Woodwards for $125.00..Its never let me down ..My checkering from refinishing is just about all gone also..I look for large prints and then try to pattern where I find his tracks..This year was a real challenge as it was like summer ...Very little snow ..Found rubs with bark on top of snow so could age the timing of some rubs ..A very interesting phenomenon that I have found with lots of shits near timber..The big bucks are bedding close to entrance and exit spots from the timber by the does..He's Johnny on the spot when they come out..I really search for funnels as they are killing spots..Also found that using google earth and plotting spots really shows you patterns..Very repetitive year after year..As long as no new logging or intrusions every year they like the same areas..My area consists of a cross roads that divide the area in 4 quarters..With snow you know which quarter the deer are in ..No snow and its a big bush to try and find him in..Sounds like you are in sidehill country ...I'm in realatively flat area ..Old selective logging of pine and fir ..Lots of big mature fir 4-6 ft trees and regen..Also unlogged surrounding mature..Is your area hunted and pressured by lots of guys?..Thats my number 1 thing ..An area that no one goes in the bush ..I basically have it all to myself..A few guys drive the road but never venture in..If you have pressure that will really throw a curve ball ..Big bucks don't like lots of pressure..Good luck and hope you find a quiet spot..There always are big mature bucks around if there are lots of does.......Dennis

[Bugle M In]

Hard to know if it gets much pressure, although not like the "main areas" close by.
Some Roads leading to there are getting overgrown, but there is a "back route" many don't use, except for
some "local" I suspect.
Although ATV's are banned now, someone did roar around there with one and elsewhere thru the entire countryside
in the vicinity (maybe rancher?, maybe FN??)
But, looks to me like logging is "coming in".
Sad, because its one of the last areas to still hold mature growth, and in the prime winter range.
That area is getting kicked hard with logging, and has been for years.
So desperate to log everything it seems in the area, and I think is one of the main reasons that I don't see the sign of big boys like we used to, long before wolves came on the seen, fyi.
Again, biggest problem has been the lack of snow on the main plateau, another big difference from say 15 years ago,
if not more, so the deer are much more scattered, high and low, and not being "pushed down" into the groups they
once did, and less concentrated, imo. (sound familiar!!)
As for "Deep Prints", good point!, yes I noticed some prints that were deep, heavy looking prints.
On the Remembrance day long weekend, we had little snow, but did run into one decent track, but at the time, didn't get into this area where I found the rubs weeks later.
Decent tracks, but I have seen one once that was huge, wish I had pictures of that track, and the week later, my friends dad did take that buck, well into the 200's, and wide!
Let see if I can dig up those tracks from the other week?, deer and dog.

[Bugle M In]

This was one of the tracks I found, but could have been any buck, although we were only running into little 2 ptr's,
5 of them, all different, but not much in the way of decent buck tracks.
Hunting season is over, so what the hell, might as well just posts some pics, what else is there to do for now?
Dog below that:

[elknut]

I would post up some pictures but they are on my phone and HBC isn't picture friendly...Are you in a migration area or a resident area..With all the logging it has created many habitable areas that keep deer year round .The deer used to come from way back and migrate to the hwy and the river valleys..Now they stay where they are..Im in a resident area ..The deer live here all year ..We see the bucks in the summer ..All the logging has created many new resident areas that hold deer year round ..All the log blocks of the 80's and 90's are prime holding areas..I like swamps and meadows in the timber .You hit it on the nail when you said we don't have the number of deer like in the past..Also way milder conditions ..Years ago it got cold and snowy and they had to feed most of the day ...Now they still have green grass and easy pickings ..They seemed to be more nocturnal now also ...Very first light and last light ...then hit the timber..Good luck on your hunt next year ..Dennis....Oh one last observation ..Found large deer shit piles ..Only big animals make ..Its a good indicator of deer size I find..Also the bucks are feeding lots during the rut ..Years ago when we had a large concentration of deer we had lots and lots of rubs ..Now not so many as there is less competition...Less bucks ...As you say we could be almost in the same area..LOL..Try find an older area with selective logging but has old growth also and unlogged mature fir and pine ..Less traffic and you never know ..If you find it tell no one ...Dennis

[elknut]

The rubs I find start around the last week of Oct..Then up to the 10th of Nov..Then a closure till Nov 20th..Found fresh rubs after the 20th...How do I know....Because after a very light dusting of snow then finding the rubbed fir bark on top of the snow..Found random rubs after the reopening of Nov 21st ..Hunt those core areas but watch the wind...Also one thing I used to have lots off years ago was the tarsal glands of the last years buck...Don't have that now ..It really made a difference..So what my observation is is that they don't just rub at one time then forget it ...They rub as they are turned on or are frustrated by circumstances.....Best time In my area from the reopening Nov 21 st till Nov 30th...End Oct can also be a very good time if you can hunt it ...During the actual rut they can be with a doe in their deep dark hard to access bush..This is when you will see immature fawns running around and no mature doe with them..This is some of my observations hunting muley bucks...Dennis.

[Bugle M In]

Dennis, I will pm you later (when I have more time) on the area.
Cheers

[rageous]

Would you believe me if I said I know where those rubs are and my brother killed a monster buck there?

[Bugle M In]

Would you believe me if I said I know where those rubs are and my brother killed a monster buck there?

I'm sure I am not the only ever been there.
Matter of fact, the odd guy does hit the area, but more so in the past.
Not much these days from the both trips we made.
Some snow around, but no sign of others.
Do I believe, not sure, maybe just pulling my leg? maybe not.

[mod7rem]

Would you believe me if I said I know where those rubs are and my brother killed a monster buck there?

Rageous,
I tried to send you a PM but your inbox is full.