Seeing A New Buck Is A Thrill

I often hunt alone, and it can be a great deal of fun. Hunting by myself removes some of the burden of having other people around. There is no need to consider where anyone else will sit; I choose where I'll sit, and go there.

I sat in one of my rifle coops just to see where the bucks were roaming a few nights ago. This stand sits up on a knob overlooking a deep ravine, and in some places after the leaf-drop occurs, I can see 300 yards. Mind you, seeing that far and shooting that distance through reasonably thick woods isn't why I chose this spot.

It's simply a great place to see bucks and to watch where they enter and leave nearby feeding fields. It allows me to more accurately plan where to hunt in the future, and such late-season scouting often pays off.

Spend  time each week studying deer.

I like to spend at least one night each week just watching for deer from different vantage points because it gives me some ides on where I'll sit or place another hunter. But hunting alone is fun knowing that I have my choice of blinds, and can sit on the ground or up in a tree.

My mood a few nights ago, because it was cold, was to sit on the ground with a small catalytic heater. The spot I chose is always a great place to spot nice bucks, and the most fascinating event happened that night

It's not a common occurance, but it's like Christmas gifts to a little kid when it happens to me. I saw a wide-framed 9-pointer at about 150 yards, one that I have never seen before. Judging by its size, and the antler mass through my Zwarovski binoculars, this buck was at least 4 1/2 or even 5 1/2 years old.

This buck was big and a long way off.

Massive whitish beams curled around forward, and the G-2s and G-3s were thick and tall. Over many years I've had the great good fortune to study some really big whitetail bucks, both alive and on the ground, and that gives me the knowhow to determine this buck's approximate size.

I didn't have my camera with me, and the buck shown above is not the one I saw, but after 15 minutes of concentration and study, I estimated this 9-pointer at 150 Boone & Crockett points.

However, the buck was far enough away that it was impossible to tell if one point had been broken off. I couldn't tell, but a 9-pointer that would score that high is an amazing animal whenever one is seen.

It's very possible that this guy could have 10 points next year and reach that magical 170-class but first he must make it through this winter. He also could wind up being a 9-pointer again, and it's a question no one will know until next year if or when I may see him again.

Two bucks seen but one had shed his antlers.

He was one of rwo bucks seen that evening, and the other had already dropped his antlers. I've seen some bucks shed their antlers in early December, and have seen a couple that kept their rack intact until early March. This guy had red spotss where the antlers had been. I hope no one shoots him, thinking it is a doe. He'd be a nice buck next season.

It is a bit unusual to see antlered bucks in February or March in Michigan, but it seems more common in southern states with a long and dragged-out rut. This is just one of the things about whitetail deer that makes the study of them so rewarding. Many deer are as individual as fingerprints or the retina in your eyes, and many of these animals have characteristics totally different from other bucks.

Being the only person to see that big 9-pointer seems a shame, but it may take more cold weather to get him up and moving around during the daylight hours. I'll continue to watch for him, and other new (to me) bucks in the future. The odds of seeing the same animal again can be high because of the quantity of standing corn everywhere this year. The deer are holding up in or very close to the corn, and they aren't moving much because they've turned mostly nocturnal.

Truly big bucks show up rarely, but it's always a special treat when a new buck is seen. I couldn't share that special moment with anyone else that night, so decided to share it with you tonight.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors