Some Big Whities For Ya...

[Dash]

Go get 'em. I've always found lighter rattling to work better than being super aggressive but YMMV. Had a couple dinks sparring on camera last week and it was driving a nice 4 point juvenile buck mad. Every time they would start sparring he would come running over.

Interesting! I love how much of their behavior you've been able to capture! I'm hoping to get out mid week or next weekend so I'll definitely let you know how I make out!

[HighCountryBC]

Trying to keep this thread on track. This is actually a 6 y/o deer that just has awful genetics. This is the 4th year in a row I've had him around and he's never been much in the antler department.

[Wild one]

My experience is very different when it comes to rattling. Start of November I keep it light but come the 10th on I will go straight up crash and bash rattling beating trees, scrape the ground and stomp my feet at times. It is common for the branches to look stripped in my stand locations by the end of season.

As for calling mature bucks it can be finicky and they are no doubt different. Overall if they peg your location once well calling they will become wary of that calling style in that location. So give it a break and switch calling style or better yet location and call. Grunts for mature bucks are the most risky in my opinion and have blown out bucks with a grunt call many times. I still carry a grunt but I save it for aggressive bucks or ones that hang up and grunt themselves. Rattling is definitely not to be over done if you pound an area too often they get wise even young bucks. The two best tools for smart deer is estrus bleats and communication bleats. This is the least intrusive and in my opinion because it’s non confrontational they are more willing to sneak in for a look

Calling is not as simple as this works and this does not or young or old buck. All deer can be fooled at least once in my opinion but you need to find what what method of calling works for that buck. The old buck I was on today won’t acknowledge rattling but doe bleats he will sneak in for a peak. Biggest Whitetail I have ever seen was called in with highly aggressive rattling and grunts. This buck would come in so hard crashing it was unreal

Now if you are hunting a deaf buck calling is definitely a waste lol

This is my opinion and experience with calling. Definitely my favourite way to hunt whitetail and it makes it easier to sit all day

[Dash]

Interesting experience and point of view Wild one! I purchased a grunt tube (with adjustable depth/though I never know what one to use) and a doe bleat and now I'm wondering how many bucks I've probably scared by trying to use that grunt tube haha. I've never had a deer come to calling of any type and I'm sure I've probably scared a couple now that I think more about it..

HighCountry - I feel really dumb for asking this question but how are you and others able to so positively identify bucks year after year? Do their antlers just grow in such close formation to the year prior that you're able to identify them? I see experienced hunters do this all the time and I've always wondered how but been too chicken to ask haha. Also, how are you able to tell this buck is 6 years old?

[Ourea]

Interesting experience and point of view Wild one! I purchased a grunt tube (with adjustable depth/though I never know what one to use) and a doe bleat and now I'm wondering how many bucks I've probably scared by trying to use that grunt tube haha. I've never had a deer come to calling of any type and I'm sure I've probably scared a couple now that I think more about it..

HighCountry - I feel really dumb for asking this question but how are you and others able to so positively identify bucks year after year? Do their antlers just grow in such close formation to the year prior that you're able to identify them? I see experienced hunters do this all the time and I've always wondered how but been too chicken to ask haha. Also, how are you able to tell this buck is 6 years old?

Any hunter that can readily identify most bucks and bulls in the areas they hunt is from having a forensic understanding/knowledge of the inventory in a given area. This knowledge comes from time in the field, trail cam intel is another tremendous asset as you see the same customers yr after yr after yr.

If you read this thread from start to finish most, if not all of your questions will be answered.

Highcountrybc is the real deal as a hunter so his valued comments carry weight.

[Ourea]

There are lots of videos and pictures in this thread that address key questions such as where/why/when as well as field videos of the process and areas to focus on.

[HighCountryBC]

HighCountry - I feel really dumb for asking this question but how are you and others able to so positively identify bucks year after year? Do their antlers just grow in such close formation to the year prior that you're able to identify them? I see experienced hunters do this all the time and I've always wondered how but been too chicken to ask haha. Also, how are you able to tell this buck is 6 years old?

Ourea has detailed it in many threads over the years but as he said above, it all comes down to inventory. The way to gather inventory is through scouting ie. time in the field and trail cameras. I run a pile of cams for deer and elk (think 15+) and they stay out year round. It's an intensive process and a big investment of time. A very long time ago Ourea told me to "hunt for habitat" - figure out the who/what/when/where/why and that has stuck with me to this day. I can honestly say I think about that quote every time I am in the field.

Coming back to your question, that buck in the scrape video was pretty easy as I first got him as a 3 y/o and he returned every year since. He had all the classic tell tales of a young deer - long snout, sausage body etc. His antler growth has been minimal aside from adding split brow tines this year.

[HighCountryBC]

This site could really use some hunting content right now. Here's a buck I followed for 4 consecutive years in a place I no longer hunt. He was just getting warmed up...

[HarryToolips]

Nice buck for sure....so how big is he now, any recent pics or vids?

[jac]

I agree thanks for sharing. Nice buck