Some big bucks finally on the move..Whats your strategy?

[bosca]

Well In the past two weeks I have managed to find a couple nice bucks and yesterday sitting in the shade at the base of rock outcropping in the middle of the day way out in middle of grassy bench lands I saw my motivation for the rest of this season...Even from 2 or 3 KMs way I could see this muley was very big and had extremely long and symmetrical antlers. Now my hope is that this guy will at least stay in the same general area until opening day when I will go up, spot him ,put the stalk on him and get a nice clean shot....Ya right I know better!!:razz:
Over the years I have managed a few times to find my buck in the pre season and go out and get him in the first week out but they were always young bucks (when we used to have 'any buck' from the start) I have never managed to find a big guy in the pre season and go out and get him opening week...
Has anyone here managed to do this on a regular basis and if so what is your strategy for opening day?...If you don't mind sharing....

[Brambles]

Good luck, persistance will pay off, if you go up and he's not there don't get discouraged. He might be in the exact spot, a different spot nearby or he might be moving on a circuit and might take him a few days or a week to make a full round. Finding one is half the battle.

The usually stay near the same country but will use the country different depending on the time of the season, food/water and weather. Might be on the ridge or in the timber or anywhere inbetween.

[hunter1993ap]

are you gong after him on saturday or waiting till the tenth? sounds promising at least you know of a shooter to keep you buisy for the season!

[Jelvis]

Somebody else has seen him too, lots of hunters pre-scout Kamloops bucks from atv's and a little walk around.
Sounds like towards Red Lake and that's where most hunters go early up a little higher, cooler, windier for the bugs to hang around, lush feed and water. Or up Wentworth is good early about ten k up. Or finally up Cherry Creek on the Greenstone Mountain road. Hike down the rock bluffs at 11 km and see some mules.
Get out early and late, investigate. Deer are creatures of habit also, like humans are. They go to the same area and back everyday. Different times and approach but close to a pattern until October 9th then start to think migration and rut. This changes their daily routine and makes them less predictable to the hunters. They move to a different area from summer to winter range before the rut which estrus starts October 23rd in Kamloops area for mule deer.

[bosca]

Somebody else has seen him too, lots of hunters pre-scout Kamloops bucks from atv's and a little walk around.
Sounds like towards Red Lake and that's where most hunters go early up a little higher, cooler, windier for the bugs to hang around, lush feed and water. Or up Wentworth is good early about ten k up. Or finally up Cherry Creek on the Greenstone Mountain road. Hike down the rock bluffs at 11 km and see some mules.
Get out early and late, investigate. Deer are creatures of habit also, like humans are. They go to the same area and back everyday. Different times and approach but close to a pattern until October 9th then start to think migration and rut. This changes their daily routine and makes them less predictable to the hunters. They move to a different area from summer to winter range before the rut which estrus starts October 23rd in Kamloops area for mule deer.
The area is on private land so I am hoping that the traffic is not quite as heavy. Too boot the area is so wide open that most would drive by thinking they can see what needs to be seen...if you get what I mean. I hope to get out some more to spend some time exploring his range before I go out for 'real'.

[Brambles]

Somebody else has seen him too, lots of hunters pre-scout Kamloops bucks from atv's and a little walk around.
Sounds like towards Red Lake and that's where most hunters go early up a little higher, cooler, windier for the bugs to hang around, lush feed and water. Or up Wentworth is good early about ten k up. Or finally up Cherry Creek on the Greenstone Mountain road. Hike down the rock bluffs at 11 km and see some mules.
Get out early and late, investigate. Deer are creatures of habit also, like humans are. They go to the same area and back everyday. Different times and approach but close to a pattern until October 9th then start to think migration and rut. This changes their daily routine and makes them less predictable to the hunters. They move to a different area from summer to winter range before the rut which estrus starts October 23rd in Kamloops area for mule deer.

Who cares where he seen it Jelvis, you start shotgunning the area and I'm sure you'll happen to mention the spot he's in, what does it matter. You the kind of guy who's gotta be the one to guess his spot.....get a life.

[Jelvis]

If it's on private land it changes a lot of things, so yah go get it bosca. And put pictures on here for us to see that cranker buck in Kamloops, everyone loves Kamloops bucks and antlerless, hey the meat is a real treat if you know the tricks to get up close downwind and drawn back all the way, snap, projectile sent on it's merry way.
Jel (bosca) another deer hunting Kamloops future buck buster busy bustin bucks .. mules and whitetails around the Loops.
Good luck Kamloopsian Kamloops T'See in -- Tight lines and straight shooting pardner .. Kammy double whammy --

[bosca]

Who cares where he seen it Jelvis, you start shotgunning the area and I'm sure you'll happen to mention the spot he's in, what does it matter. You the kind of guy who's gotta be the one to guess his spot.....get a life.
Its all good Brambles...I've never been one to be super gaurded about the areas that I hunt anywho...Not going to post it for the world to see but I really feel, as I believe you have said, there are plenty of deer around but its the work you put in to get to know an area well that gets the deer.
I gotta say that things look really good out their right now...I think its going to be good season for all.