Baby-G
PMA Member
Thanksgiving is a awesome time to catch a "SUPER BUCK" cruising for those last doe's. No kidding, I normally see the huge mature bucks the week of Thanksgiving. I've shot a couple whoppers that week, and unfortunately a few years back. Missed the biggest buck I've ever shot at on Thanksgiving day at 11:00 am (hunt late, turkey taste the same cold or hot
, yucky!).
gocyclones
Member
Last year I shot a really nice buck on Thanksgiving morning. I plan on being out again this year. I can't sit all day but I will get a good morning hunt in before dinner. I hope most of the does have been bread so the bucks will be out searching again. I am tired of seeing bucks running does out on the open hillsides.
From what I have seen personally and heard from others. I would think a lot of the does should be bred by then. I watched a nice 130" buck and a doe just lay down in the middle of a large picked bean field this past weekend and they seemed pretty well stuck together. I have heard the same from others. For those of us who haven't bagged a buck yet hopefully we will really have something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving this year. Good luck!
Daver
PMA Member
Hunting Thanksgiving morning many years ago... I missed a real big buck with my bow that I still kick myself for. My memory has faded somewhat, but I honestly think that buck would have grossed right around Boone. (There was a big 185"-190" buck shot in that area the next year for what it is worth.)
I gagged on a point blank, less than 10 yard shot. (I think I looked too much at the antlers and lost focus.) Not only that I got a second shot at him too! That arrow hit a branch and stuck, I'll never forget that arrow bobbing on that limb, geesh!
At any rate, I am 99% certain that he got kicked up out of a CRP field that some pheasant hunters were combing that morning about 1/4 mile away from where I was. Although I did not see it happen I could hear the pheasant hunters and their dogs and shortly the buck came running my way, stopping every 50-75 yards to watch his back trail.
At any rate, in addition to any bucks on their feet rounding up the last of the hot does, consider escape routes that a big buck might take if he gets jumped by folks out for a family pheasant hunt.
I gagged on a point blank, less than 10 yard shot. (I think I looked too much at the antlers and lost focus.) Not only that I got a second shot at him too! That arrow hit a branch and stuck, I'll never forget that arrow bobbing on that limb, geesh!
At any rate, I am 99% certain that he got kicked up out of a CRP field that some pheasant hunters were combing that morning about 1/4 mile away from where I was. Although I did not see it happen I could hear the pheasant hunters and their dogs and shortly the buck came running my way, stopping every 50-75 yards to watch his back trail.
At any rate, in addition to any bucks on their feet rounding up the last of the hot does, consider escape routes that a big buck might take if he gets jumped by folks out for a family pheasant hunt.
Thanks guys, that is good too hear. i seen the biggest buck i have ever seen in the woods sunday morning and he was really after one doe,but they stayed in the field, for some reason all the bucks i seen chaseing does were in the fields. I think i'll leave my stands and wait for the big one's to walk through the timber.
Boonie Rat
New Member
hunting weds and thur for sure. ain't made up my mind yet about the weekend. don't like the idea of slugs flyin' while i'm tryin' to bowhunt. might be good, might be bad.
T
The Hood
Guest
tonight I did a stock up the Mo. River with a friend up river waiting, well I never made it to him
I saw a big down tine buck right off, so Needless to say I slowed down and seat more, Had one buck up the trail within 5 feet of me and when I draw, he blasted out in high gear
Then another one came walking but busted me early & Gone.
Then I saw 8 doe in the beans, so I just held up and right at dark a buck with more then a Hood can count came walking out of the thickets and headed to them and ran them doe's around,,,,Then it was dark and I had to go home
I'm hunting the thick woods the rest of the week.
hood
Then I saw 8 doe in the beans, so I just held up and right at dark a buck with more then a Hood can count came walking out of the thickets and headed to them and ran them doe's around,,,,Then it was dark and I had to go home
I'm hunting the thick woods the rest of the week.
hood
crash
New Member
Im huntin too, a buddy of mine lets me hunt a small farm he`s got , and no guns are allowed. so i figure its a good place to be, not alot of timber though. but its where ive saw the biggest buck of my life .Im gonna set up a buck decoy that barrowed from my brother-in-law. never done it before but he says its a blast. should i spray it down with scent free stuff, or dominate buck pee or what ? i don`t know, anybody got any good ideas that work.
Central Iowa
Life Member
Crash, get that buck decoy out there. Then get a road kill doe hide and drape it over your brother in law. have him put a little doe estrous behind the tail and then enjoy the show. I have a picture of from the last time he tried this. Priceless!
K
Kat
Guest
What about the week after Thanksgiving weekend up until the first shotgun season? Do you think that with the somewhat late rut this year the big boys will still be out crusing then?
(Provided of course that there are no doe gun hunters spooking them on Thanksgiving weekend...)
Ghost
Life Member
Kat...every area is a little different with regards to buck to doe ratios. But, I would say that as long as there are still does "trickling" into heat the big guys will still be out looking.
I would rather hunt when fewer does are available to breed rather than when the majority of them are in estrus.
With plenty of does in estrus this past week the mature buck movement really seemed to slack off for me. My gut feeling is that it is only going to get better as time wears on and fewer and fewer does are available to breed.
I shot this buck in 1996 at high noon on the first day of gun season in early December and he was grunting every step behind a doe and was not being pushed by hunting pressure.
Obviously, he was mature. Good luck Girl!
I would rather hunt when fewer does are available to breed rather than when the majority of them are in estrus.
With plenty of does in estrus this past week the mature buck movement really seemed to slack off for me. My gut feeling is that it is only going to get better as time wears on and fewer and fewer does are available to breed.
I shot this buck in 1996 at high noon on the first day of gun season in early December and he was grunting every step behind a doe and was not being pushed by hunting pressure.
Obviously, he was mature. Good luck Girl!