Different buck, different tactics

This buck is at a high lope in pursuit of a doe as it passes a hunting shack.

Sometimes those bucks that get away are remembered long after other bucks have been forgotten.

A few such deer come to mind during the winter months as I think back over this last and other seasons. There was that great huge buck that put the fatal hurt on two trophy bucks, a few years ago, and he's one I doubt I ever saw him. When spring broke that year. both dead bucks had been gored repeatedly. Each year two, three or four big buck skeletons show up around the state each year.

Many of these bucks are killed by larger and meaner animals during the rut Some of these rut-crazed deer are never seen unless they show up on a trail camera.

Some of these so-called “killer” bucks are never seen and die of old age.

Another buck that comes to mind was probably a 12-pointer with massive beams, long points, wide inside spread, and weighing somewhere close to 200 pounds. I saw this buck just once at about 45 yards through the wood, and he spooked when a neighbor started his tractor. That buck completely disappeared without a trace.

One of my friends saw a different buck in November that he felt would score about 220 points, and he should know. He has shot some massive bucks, and this animal was one that Ihe’d never seen in the past, and he’s never been seen again. Some of these bucks died during the rigors of winter without ever regaining weight lost during the rut..

Spotting bucks is, to some degree, a matter of luck. A buck may stay in one spot regularly, and is as regular as a dish of prunes. However, many things can cause a buck to change his travel routes to a temporary or permanent new residence.

I've watched bucks put in a daily appearance for two weeks, and then on the 15th day they drop out of sight as if the ground had swallowed them up. Patterning bucks is easy early in the season, but once the rut is underway, they become much more difficult to figure out. A doe may lead them on a merry chase, and it may be two or three days or as much as a week or two before that animal returns, which explains why some bucks seem to disappear..

Some bucks, because they are so predictable, are easy to shoot. A big buck can be extremely easy to pattern and can be shot on the first day. Bucks that have been shot at, or spotted a human movement or winded a hunter in a particular spot, can be most difficult to hunt.

Each trophy buck has his own peculiarities. Learn them and score.

Shooting a big buck can be difficult. A friend of mine took a photo of a very nice 11-point buck, and his antlers seemed a bit offset. The rack was slightly higher on one side than the other, and he saw that buck on two occasions while hunting only 300 yards from my stand. I've yet to see that critter.

I walked in to one of my stands, and was skirting some tag alders, when a big buck stepped out 75 yards away. He was upwind, and hadn't seen me, and began walking in my direction. I eased down to one knee, knocked an arrow, and watched him walk a direct line toward me.

He stopped at 45 yards, turned broadside and then put his tail toward me, and stood. He turned again to face me, started walking my way again, and at 25 yards he stepped into the tag alders and turned to go out the other side. He was a 150-class buck, and animals like him get my heart pumping.

The most fascinating thing about deer hunting, and going after big bucks, is that some animals are easy and others are most difficult to hunt. Some big-racked bucks seem to possess a high degree of suspicion that keeps them out of harm's way. They always seem to stand the wrong way for a high-percentage bow shot.

Others always seem to stop with their vitals behind some brush or tree limbs. Some, like the buck noted above, seem to come directly at a hunter only to turn at the last moment. Often, they don't know the hunter is there; they just seem to travel widely and trust to their instincts.

Other bucks, and this happened to me once this past year, just seem to avoid any and all tree stands or ground blinds, and they often seem to build in a buffer zone of 75 yards between them and a bow stand. They have moved a quarter-mile across a field, and headed straight to me, and about 75-80 yards away, they turn and veer away from my stand.

One thing: bucks do not tolerate hunter mistake. They just bolt.

It's not because they saw or smelled me. It's just a built-in warning system that some animals seem to have developed.

It's why I find deer hunting so exciting. Each and every buck is just a little bit different than the one before. For me, not knowing what a buck will do excites me. When they turn, and come within bow range, I'm a happy camper.

I'm also happy when they turn 70 yards away, for whatever reason, and move away. Trying to figure them out is difficult, and that is what makes big-buck hunting so exciting. Hunters earn every big buck they ever shoot.

Shooter Versus Hunter

Hunting deer with a bow, someone once said, is the most fun you can have while wearing camouflage clothing.

If bow hunting is so much fun, is it any wonder that it is the fastest growing segment of deer hunting today? And if that is true, how do we tell the difference between a deer shooter and a deer hunter?

It's really quite simple. Hunters, like trout fishermen, go through three stages. They want to shoot deer on a regular basis; then they want to shoot the biggest buck possible; and the third stage is one of trying to outwit a deer in a one-on-one challenge of skills and keen instincts.

This is not a good shot and a true hunter would wait for the deer to turn.

The deer shooter doesn't understand the intricate sense of balance between them, the deer and the environment. They belong to that old and outdated group of hunter who subscribe to that awful philosophy: "If it's brown, it's down."

The hunter views the hunt as a wonderful event in nature where they can learn about deer, study the animals as they breed, feed, hide and roam at will. They have come to understand that the more they know about whitetail deer, the more successful they will become. And after a time, they progress to the third stage where the hunt becomes a very large and difficult challenge, one they know they will probably lose.

The shooter seeks the shortest distance between two points. There is no need for study because they know what a deer looks like. "Show me a buck and I'll shoot it" becomes their motto.

The hunter might complain about two days of east wind, but they are grateful for the opportunity to be afield and to hunt from a ground blind or tree stand. They know that many countries do not allow private ownership of firearms, and they see hunting as a privilege.

The shooter complains about everything: too much east wind, too much high pressure centers; too many bugs early in the season; not enough bucks; too many does; and they blame others for their misfortunate of missing a decent buck. They are into immediate gratification, and a dead deer is the only thing that gives it to them. To them, hunting is a God-given right, a thought that is not true.

Most shooters complain about everything, and blame others when something goes wrong.

The hunter studies the rut, knows that all bucks are not stupid during the breeding season, and they are wise enough to know that if you can fool the doe, the buck trailing behind is easy... if they decide to shoot.

The shooter seldom thinks about the doe but focuses solely on the buck. If they forget about the doe, and make any mistake, there will be no shots at the buck. They are impatient while hunters must be patient.

The hunter, thinking always of giving a buck an even chance, will pass up a marginal shot. He will remain still and silent, and allow a good buck to ease through if he is not 100 percent certain of his bow shot.

The shooter is a firm believer in the "Hail Mary" shot that may or may not make it into the vitals. They take a shot, often a low-percentage shot that only wounds the animal and often allows it to get away only to die in some secluded thicket. These deer have been wasted.

The hunter delights in a well-placed shot and shows the deepest respect for the animal they take. They are keenly aware of having killed an animal, and many may shed a silent tear for that  deer's death. They treat it with the utmost respect, even in death, and pay their final tribute to a beautiful creature by having it mounted.

A nice buck in the snow can be an easy shot in open terrain.

The shooter, if he scores, whoops it up and disgraces his killing act by talking about "happiness is a warm gut pile." The buck becomes nothing more than an ego stroke, a dead critter that grants them bragging rights over their buddies.

The hunter recalls each hunt, whether they are successful or not, with pleasure. They enjoy nature, marvel at beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and worship the areas where whitetail deer live.

The shooter recalls only the kill, and occasionally the miss, and could care less about the weather, the color of the autumn leaves and everything else about the hunt. For them, the kill is all they care about, and all that matters to them is a messy blood trail with a hair-covered corpse at the end of it.

There must be more to hunting than what the shooter sees. Hunters take in and thoroughly understand the magic of the hunt, where that outing with bow in hand becomes far more important than the kill.

Sadly, shooters seldom advance past that first level. They miss all that is fine and wonderful about the hunt, and revel only in a dead animal.

How sad!

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors