1st time ever targeting a particular deer.

2819 Views 17 Replies 9 Participants Last post by delta dooler, Jan 30, 2015

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · Jan 28, 2015 (Edited)

I been kinda quiet for a while, several days ago, I had a stud come in on me but offered no shot, this deer is not huge by upper state standards , but for a coastal buck, he is a MAN.

Last year my wife shot the biggest buck I've ever seen (and many others) come out of the Pascagoula river swamp, again , it wasn't huge for many other areas, but for here, it was a mule.

The buck I seen the other day was every bit as wide (18"ish) but it's tine lengths were double of what the wife killed.

So needless to say, for the past 4 days, I've hunted before work, after work and now Im hunting today and Tommorow since I'm off. I've seen a couple small bucks and several does, I'm beginning to think I'm pissing against the wind waiting on the big one. Last year, the day before my wife killed the big one, I seen him and he busted me on the edge of a gum pond, the next day, the wife killed the same deer in the same place.

Do ya think I have a chance of seeing him again? He was obviously searching for a doe when I seen him (had head to the ground and was moving pretty good) I wonder how much of a "home range" they cover when rutting?

I'm gonna give him about 4 more hunts here, before I go ahead and hammer one of these smaller bucks to make limit for the season. So in the meantime, I'll be waiting on ol big nasty.

I put 3 cams out here a few days ago, I have a total of 480 pics to look at when I get home. Can't wait to see what they are.

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This is where I seen him, last bit of dry ground

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sureicanfish

· #2 · Jan 28, 2015

I bet you got some hog pictures. Post a pic of him if you got him in there.

hsiF deR

· #3 · Jan 28, 2015

Stick it out! You're the man when it comes to them river deer. I think that deer ought to be worried.

They are hands down some of the toughest to kill. How's yall's water level, rising or stable?

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 28, 2015

sure said:
I bet you got some hog pictures. Post a pic of him if you got him in there.

I would have figured that too, haven't seen any hog sign here since beginning of season. Not the 1st hog track in a while.

hsiF deR said:
Stick it out! You're the man when it comes to them river deer. I think that deer ought to be worried.

They are hands down some of the toughest to kill. How's yall's water level, rising or stable?

I get lucky every once in a while!

River crested yesterday, started dropping out today, should be back to normal in 7 days.

hsiF deR

· #5 · Jan 28, 2015

delta dooler said:
River crested yesterday, started dropping out today, should be back to normal in 7 days.

Sounds like your in prime time to catch him over the next few days! Let's see some pics. :thumbsup:

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 28, 2015

hsiF deR said:
Sounds like your in prime time to catch him over the next few days! Let's see some pics. :thumbsup:

I hope you're right! The owls are hootin!

Emerald Ghost

· #7 · Jan 28, 2015

First of all Dooler, we are all aware of your hunting prowess, and you are a deer killin machine.
For me, NOTHING is more exciting than targeting a specific deer and then collecting.
It gives me a special feeling. Go for him.

Reactions: 1

jspooney

· #8 · Jan 28, 2015

Dang. I just read this post as realized....the Owls are going crazy around me right now. Cool!

Reactions: 1

jspooney

· #9 · Jan 28, 2015

So are the squirrels

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 28, 2015

Emerald Ghost said:
First of all Dooler, we are all aware of your hunting prowess, and you are a deer killin machine.
For me, NOTHING is more exciting than targeting a specific deer and then collecting.
It gives me a special feeling. Go for him.

I'm gonna call BS on that one, but thanks for the boost of confidence anyway! If anyone spent as much time as I do in the woods , they'd get lucky too!

sureicanfish

· #11 · Jan 28, 2015

I'm not so sure about the owl thing. I hear them every time I'm in the swamp and dang near bumped into one last year, still haven't seen a buck.

Reactions: 2

Splittine

· #12 · Jan 28, 2015

Stay on him he will still be around. I try to pick a buck every year and hunt him till I get my shot. The feeling is 100x more rewarding, especially if he has some age to him. Go get him tomorrow and post a pic.

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jan 29, 2015

Seen Nothing but a spike today, I'll be back in the morning....

jcoss15

· #14 · Jan 29, 2015 (Edited)

I say stick with the area you seen him because there is a reason he is in there. With that being said in my experiences hunting the swamp, the deer move all over with no particular pattern or routine. They do have their core areas at times, but also love roam like crazy especially during the rut. They like using the river itself as a sort of a highway to travel up and down, covering large areas quickly searching out doe's.

We have a couple good pics of swamp bucks, but honestly we have no idea where they are...it can be quite frustrating.

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Try'n Hard

· #15 · Jan 29, 2015

Seen them roam as much as seven miles during rut. Including crossing rivers. Would say this is the worst time of year to target an individual animal. I have had a couple of big ghost ruin my seasons in years past - one sighting or picture is all it takes. I would say hunt and have fun and shoot his butt if you see him good luck!!

Reactions: 1

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 29, 2015 (Edited)

Back at it, Round 4! Did some thinking about this deer, ain't no telling where he's at now, gonna give it this last morning hunt and move on, kind of glad it's so late in the season, hopefully he'll make it and be around next year.

And as far as the trail cam pics, I had 3 different bucks and several does, not one pic during daylight hours, most have been between 10 pm to 3 am ....

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toma

· #17 · Jan 30, 2015

DeltaD,
Doesn't your season run through mid February this year?

delta dooler

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jan 30, 2015

toma said:
DeltaD,
Doesn't your season run through mid February this year?

Yes that's correct, went again this afternoon, decided to put on the waders and slip around through the flooded timber, made my way back to a slight ridge, walked up on 6 does bedded down, got within 30' of them before they decided to leave town, that was pretty cool.

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