big buck tendancies

[wingmaster]

been hunting around kamloops for 4 days now for a 4pt and the last two days have found an area with tonnes of sign in a wintering range, last night and today we hit a nice section of timber midway up the hill and came across a bunch of does and does with fawns as well as countless dinky little two points and spikes as well as bedding areas,

we know weve found a solid pocket of deer but there are no signs of any big buck activity, are they around and just outsmarting or should we be looking in the timber near the tops of the ridges for the big guys instead of the middle or valleys? muleys arent our usual target so are there any usual hiding places where we should be looking for the big guys?

thanks for any help and good luck to everyone else out there chasing these guys

[leadpillproductions]

If it was me id head up to the ridges up higher

[Jelvis]

I'd say get out and ready in a nice spot on a ridge real early. Climb up in the dark even.
Then get yourself ready for first light coming on, the bigger bucks go into cover at first light.
You have twenty minutes to half an hour. Use call if you see a buck aways a way.
If he turns and comes don't call loud or at it, turn and muffle the call and he will come closer.
Once it's real light, hit the ridges and look down from near the top, don't skyline yourself.
Keep still if a deer is spotted, don't move until you know what the deer is doing.
Jel .. Mule deer tactics

[warnniklz]

Big boys are the last to come out in the open just before dark and the first to hit the timber at dawn. There's gotta be one hanging around them does. Hopefully you get some fresh snow and check out the tracks to see if there is indeed one hanging out with them. Then figure out where they're going to and from and set-up/hunt accordingly.

Best I can do for you without seeing the area.

[horshur]

if most folks told the truth about getting their big buck it would be contrary to common wisdom.....I am not kidding.

[hunter1993ap]

if most folks told the truth about getting their big buck it would be contrary to common wisdom.....I am not kidding.

isn't that the truth, most people who get lucky and shoot big deer get them from driving around. lol. there are a few that have it figured out tho...

[604redneck]

Most people I know that continuously shoot big deer have sheds and pics of the deer for a few years

[M.Dean]

Holy Cow!!! If I knew where there was a pile of Does with a few small Bucks hanging around, I'd shoot the Big 4x4 that's standing not far from them, looking at you! No Kidding! The "Rut's" on!!! If you find the Does, that's 90 percent of the battle! What I'd do is try to find the herd again, and when you do, find a real good place to get the best view possible of the surrounding area, then, take the Bino's from around your neck,which you never, ever go hunting without, and with your "Loaded" Rifle across your lap, start to glass every bloody inch of the area around them Does! I've taken some decent Buck's by doing just that! And, believe it or not, 2 of my biggest Bucks were standing pretty well in the middle of the Does, looking directly at me! And, 9 times out of 10, if that big Buck does run one way, and the Does the other, keep watching exactly where the Does went, because 9 and a 1/2 times out of ten, that big guys going to forget all about you and your "Loaded" Rifle, and try to follow the sent trail the Does in heat are leaving! So, in a nut shell, send me your phone number, I'll give you a wake up call at 4:thirty tomorrow morning, get up, make a quick lunch, a thermos of real hot coffee, and get your ass back to the same area where you seen the Does!!! Take a good camera, take lots of photo's, and maybe mention me in the story you sell to "Big Buck Magazine"!!! Good Luck!!!

[wingmaster]

Im not looking for a big monster deer, just something that has 4 spikes up top

I always figured if you find the does this time of year the bucks wont be far off, I had a group of five does across a small valley at 200 yards, i was undetected with a perfect wind and watched them for over an hour with the spotting scope and finally a big 2pt who would have taken a nap had it been open showed up and they took off, i stayed a while to see if anything got up to follow but all was quiet, all the other small bucks had been by themselves

Id started to wonder whether it was the fact that we were at the midway point of the hill instead of near the top that the lesser bucks were being kept down lower and the big guy was staying up top and that the does were just roaming at will not being followed too far down

[wingmaster]

Also since I've seen so many does with fawns it got me wondering whether this was a kind of nursery ground which would also explain the lack of decent bucks and just the dinkys. But I know almost nothing of mule deer tendancies so I could be totally lost in this reasoning

time for bed, really-dark-O'Clock comes way too early

[sdurango41]

Definitely stay in the vicinity of the does. They must be in heat or very close. We have definitely found that the big boys are up higher on the mountains and ridges. As suggested try and get up to the tops. Very good chance one of the big boys already has a doe he is onto and is just waiting for "the moment" to take care of business. Once that is done he will cast her aside and head down to the herd to go for round two!! They are not far off!!!

[Looking_4_Jerky]

At this time of year, a mature buck will not stay way up away on a ridge top while the does do their thing down below. If there was a mature buck in the vicinity and any of those does we're in heat (chances are good one would be right now) he'd be there in amongst them. Not every group of does will have a 4 pt in amongst them to breed, particularly when buck:doe ratios are skewed. So in short, just because you've found a pod of 5 does doesn't mean you're tagging out in 4 pt season. Does are often bred by non-legal bucks like that big 2pt you were talking about, especially if nothing bigger is around. One might even be around, but be busy with his own temporary harem in which case he won't leave does in estrus - he can only be at one place at a time and why would he chance another buck sneaking in while he's gone to go off to find something uncertain?

As for the nursery ground theory: at this time of year, finding does is important. That doesn't mean finding one group of 5. That means after you determine that group has no legal buck with them, on to find another group (or single). Then another.

Observe those young bucks. If they're engaging in serious courtship (mounting, lip-curl, shadowing nose to butt on does), no bigger buck is going to be around waiting in the wings. He'd be there, unless he's busy with another doe. Don't give up though, as bucks do a lot if moving around this time of year. If one isn't around today, it could be tomorrow.

[CamoChris30-30]

Id say if its a hevely hunted area if theres a 4 point around he will have alredy been picked off. Watch them then move on to the next group.

[Quantafer]

I would tend not to agree with you Camo. Four points don't have to be very old or big up top. There are lots of them out there. I successfully called in a 3x4 mule in the last week off October. I didn't even realize it was a 4 point until after the shot.

I was always a little skeptical of using calls but I have experimented with them a lot this year. What my experiences has lead me to believe is that they can be a very effective tool if used correctly and at the right time.

[adriaticum]

Most people I know that continuously shoot big deer have sheds and pics of the deer for a few years

This is a gold nugget and it's hard to find even if you are panning for it.
Thanks for that!!