The big-buck hunter

Shooting a big whitetail buck with a bow isn't easy. If it was, everyone would be doing it.

First of all, unless a person hunts on a trophy deer ranch like many of those found around the state, it's difficult to shoot trophy bucks with any consistency on private property or state land. People who are purported to shoot huge bucks in the open range, year after year, are subjected to some close scrutiny.

There are a few really good deer hunters who hunt land where no one else can gain access, and such spots can produce really big bucks. Hunters who have such areas to hunt, and hunt them often for trophy bucks, have one thing in common.

Their desire is simple: to hunt only a big buck.

They have a particular mindset that allows them to focus only on a trophy buck. They never make a movement unless they know what the consequences of that action will be.

Almost every one of them know their bow better than they know the neighborhood they live in. They also know the country they hunt every bit as well as the bucks they hunt.

They know the early season can be a good time to waylay a big buck. They are long on preseason scouting, and are careful not to spook does or big bucks. They approach their scouting with the same degree of caution  and skill as they do when actually hunting.

They know where big bucks travel, and often have them pinpointed so well they know exactly what time the deer will move in specific areas. This mindset of theirs has no time for studying habits of small basket-rack bucks. They ignore the small bucks.

A big-buck hunter is almost always a loner. He is as silent as a ghost in the field, is never heard talking about his little honey-hole, and his mind is always thinking about a big buck. He doesn't allow himself to think about little bucks, does or fawns.

It's not that he ignores other deer but uses them and their actions to alert him to the presence of a larger animal. He knows that big bucks often do most of their chasing of does, and most of their breeding, in thick cover so that is where he will often hunt.

These hunters usually have one to three ways into and out of the area.

Early in the rut these sportsmen may hunt field edges because bucks are moving through such areas, eternally on the lookout for an estrus doe. He goes where the bucks will eventually come: to wherever the largest number of adult does are found. And that is usually near food sources.

The big-buck hunter eliminates those areas where mostly smaller bucks are found. These hunters are always looking for an edge, something that will tip the odds slightly in their favor.

They hunt with their eyes and ears, and often hear a big buck coming before it gets within bow range. They listen intently for a soft twig snap or any sound that could possibly be made by a trophy buck. Rather than looking at the cover, they try to look through it to spot a big rack.

They don't burden themselves with unnecessary equipment, and know where a buck will travel. They don't cut huge shooting lanes in several directions; instead they set up with one primary place to shoot, and they study the area for anything that could deflect an arrow.

They know they may, if very lucky, have only one shot at a trophy buck. They know that in order to succeed, they must be vigilant and ready for a shot at any time. Hanging a bow on a limb has saved many bucks lives.

They shoot once, shoot straight and never miss.

They’ve trained themselves to control their emotions. They don't get rattled when a trophy buck shows up; they come to full draw, aim carefully and shoot accurately. There are no excuses with big bucks; you shoot and kill them cleanly or grieve in silence.

Most big-buck hunters are loners. They don't need a crowd nearby, and they try to keep their hotspot hidden from others. They may walk a mile to enter the woods to be downwind of deer, and they travel noiselessly. They can erect a stand in absolute silence, and if that area doesn't feel right, they give up a night of hunting to keep from spooking a buck.

They are like secret lovers. They don't discuss the deer they shoot, never reveal their hunting locations, and are on red alert whenever they prepare for a hunt. Some watch for cars that may follow them, and will deliberately lead them astray.

There are few deer hunters with the necessary time available to invest in hunting one specific big buck. Those that do are close-mouthed about their hunting prowess, and that enables them to move among other hunters, listen to the gossip, and locate big bucks that other people have overlooked.

Hunting trophy bucks isn't easy. One must learn to pass up a nice buck, knowing it will be even bigger next year. They also know that to shoot a trophy whitetail buck is an accomplishment, and it's what makes them skilled at what they do.

They also know they may go a year or two or three between big bucks, but that is OK. The skill required and the chance to arrow a trophy buck doesn't come often, but when it does, they are ready. They know they will rarely get a second chance.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors