Hunting the mature buck takes the patience and the cunning of a supreme hunter
Every deer hunter loves to go after a buck, a male dear, for one, because they're more challenging then the female, and, two, they're unpredictable, especially the more mature ones. Of course, three, they also have antlers, a real prize to a deer hunter, almost as desirable as the meat. Let's look at our hunting prospects for tagging one of these bucks.
Are there enough of them out there? You bet. There are more than enough of them now. Deer is plentiful throughout North America, at all time highs. Public land is packed with them, and so is private land. Deer hunting on private land requires a skill outside a hunter's normal skills, people skills. Since deer is more plentiful on private lands, and about 77% of deer hunters pursuing the most hunted deer of all, the whitetails, tag their buck on private lands, you probably want to develop these people skills along with your aim. You just have to know how to ask. If you see a buck frequenting someone's property, walk right up to the owner's house and tell them what you're after. Look for no hunting posts as you scout out areas. No sense bothering someone who has already said no. Don't ignore these postings when deer hunting, since they could be there solely for the protection of people.
Actually finding the buck is no easy matter, but also part of the joy of deer hunting. The deer seek two things: they go where there is food and where there is cover. They love alfalfa and acorns. If you see these, that buck may be close by. Deer also incline towards dense woodlots where they can make their escape if needs be. Look where the brush is thick. Aerial photos and maps give you a good view of the valleys and ridge tops. Look at these to zero in on that buck. Look for mature woods, at their edges, where new woods are starting to grow. Look for hills, where they slope into valleys. Avoid forests with overbearing canopies, since these prevent the growth of brush the deer depends on for cover. Scout, looking for pellets (droppings), for hair scraped or rubbed on brush, for impressions in the grass where they may have bedded, and, of course, for hoof prints. Don't over-hunt an area: deer learn to avoid permanent stands within a year. By four, four and a half years of life, bucks seem to remember others being shot.
Deer hunting, especially a mature buck, means getting to know the buck. They defy all expectations, so you may have to stalk them several times. Mature bucks don't run, not even at the crack of gunfire. They hide. Oh, they may appear often enough, traveling with the wind even, but hiders, that buck could be right next to you, and unless you can smell it, you wouldn't know. The visible ones, however, are the ones that are most often tagged. You may have to track the same buck for several days before you finally catch him. Deer hunting is no slacker's game.
Remember, a mature buck shows intelligence. They know their terrain, probably better than you ever will. Each is different, so don't rely on typical patterns. Young buck are always more visible than the mature ones. The mature ones are smart, and you, deer hunter, have to think of them as individuals. Whatever you do, when deer hunting, don't let them know you're there.
So, here's you starting information. Get more by being the worthy predator and stalking that mature buck. If you get one of them, that makes you a hunter supreme. Good luck, because you may need it.
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