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Feb 12th, 2024
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 Best time of season to hunt trophies?
#529585
12/31/08 01:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 445
southtexascracker
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 445 |
I have my own thoughts, which have changed in recent years, but wondering what you guys think. What is the single best time to take a trophy buck on your place?
Early Season (pre-rut)
Rut
Late Season (Post-Rut & Second Rut)
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 Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: southtexascracker]
#529586
12/31/08 02:08 AM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 949
fitchjr
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 949 |
December in Uvalde Co. start seeing alot
more bucks towards the end of Dec.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: fitchjr]
#529587
12/31/08 02:17 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,200
dawaba
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,200 |
The rut always was my favorite time to hunt--usually around mid- November--and we see lots of big bucks with their tongues hanging out. Nowadays, however, I like the pre-rut around openning day. Rattling is more fun then, and best of all, I can set up for the big bucks I've been photographing all summer and fall on my game cams. These boys are usually still predictable then, but when the rut starts, they're gone. Right now post-Christmas, the surviving big boys are back in their home range posing for my cameras again, but with broken up antlers.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple.....and wrong." H. L. Mencken
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: dawaba]
#529588
12/31/08 04:11 AM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 620
DEERSTRANGLER
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 620 |
When I have time to get out to the ranch to hunt is the best time for me personally to kill a "trophy". I don't care if it's the opening day or the 3rd wednesday of the season if it's a Mature buck that I feel had reached his peak it's go time.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: DEERSTRANGLER]
#529589
12/31/08 06:13 AM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 155
buckmaster07
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 155 |
I'd say the optimal time would be seem to be pre-rut just because
A) The deer aren't as accustomed to dealing with hunters
B) The bucks come to horns
I said SEEM though. In reality many of the big deer I've seen killed are post-rut bucks. Doesn't really make since, but those are my facts.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: buckmaster07]
#529590
12/31/08 03:09 PM
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,709
huntandfish
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,709 |
I would think the best time is during the rut, bucks get a little crazy!! I hunt in Lavaca County and our rut is in October, so it's very nice to get to Bow hunt during the rut with no hunters in the field!!!!! I have some friends who have hunt on some nice places in South Texas and they don't go much until December(rut)!!
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: huntandfish]
#529591
12/31/08 03:29 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 445
southtexascracker
OP
Bird Dog
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OP
Bird Dog
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 445 |
My favorite used to be the rut in South Texas. Recently I've flip flopped and would much rather hunt before or after. The major pro of the pre-rut, in my mind, is patternability. Late Season or post rut, which for us is right now until end of season, is when some of our mature deer which are impossible to see during the pre rut or even rut start to get worn down and start looking for food sources. We see some huge bucks in Jan that we've never seen before, which is why its now my favorite!
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: southtexascracker]
#529592
01/11/09 08:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 11,250
Longhunter
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 11,250 |
Over the years around the full moon in November was prime time in my area, maybe because that is when I burned vacation time...In recent years late December early January seems best. This year I shot an 11 point the day before Xmas that I hadn't seen since opening weekend, and a 12 point 2 days after Xmas that hadn't been seen, go figure.I guess I will side with DEERSTRANGLER, I have never shot on e at the house.
Longhunter >>>-------> Make It Count!!!<><
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: Longhunter]
#529593
01/11/09 11:08 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 58
Cuatro Esquinas Clabam
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 58 |
I'd say pre rut... You can get them on a schedule and they will typically hang out in one area, once the rut comes, they are all over the place...
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: Cuatro Esquinas Clabam]
#529594
01/12/09 10:32 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 32,172
txtrophy85
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 32,172 |
at our place, deer dissapear during the rut, staying in the brush and not coming out much.
pre rut is a good time, but post rut the deer hit the feed hard and are pretty predictable.
For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: southtexascracker]
#529595
01/12/09 11:16 PM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,262
RICK O'SHAY
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,262 |
Man if it's deer season and i'm off... i'm there i've killed a good one opening weekend, mid season, and last day of season.
At our place i've never been able to tell when the rut is actually on. Out of 9 years on this lease i've seen one active scrape, and i've only seen one buck running around with his neck streached out sniffing the ground. I've seen a few following does but not actually chasing them.
DISCLAIMER
ATTENTION: Your decision should NEVER be based SOLELY upon my advice, recomendation, or opinion.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: RICK O'SHAY]
#529596
01/13/09 01:55 AM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,140
tkuehn5410
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,140 |
Only time our big bucks predictably show up is peak rut in North Texas, which is 11/20-12/1. Early season archery can be fun if you can pattern a deer as well.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: txtrophy85]
#529597
01/13/09 03:42 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,902
JJH
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,902 |
Quote:
at our place, deer dissapear during the rut, staying in the brush and not coming out much.
pre rut is a good time, but post rut the deer hit the feed hard and are pretty predictable.
Really? I thought during the rut was when the big boys finally came out of their hiding places during the daylight hours to chase the girls. Not disputing what you have seen, it's just differenct from what I have always been told, and have seen myself. Guess you just never can tell about them critters!
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: JJH]
#529598
01/21/09 12:50 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 248
thechad
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 248 |
This question can go both ways. Pre rut/post rut hunting in my opinion gives hunters the best chance to see normal deer patterns, and the same bucks on a regular basis. But on large ranches during the rut there is no telling what you will see. To me it depends on the size of the property you are hunting. Also, most of the post rut hunting I did this season I saw a ton of bucks with broken tines and a few with broke main beams. It all comes down the individual hunters preference. All of us are different, and that is what makes hunting such a great sport to discuss!
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: southtexascracker]
#529599
01/22/09 07:33 AM
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 244
redonthehead
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 244 |
We hunt in Val Verde Co., the rut gets started around thanksgiving week, but I don't get to hunt the following weeks because of work. I get to hunt after christmas and it seems that we see bigger bucks during this time than in november. They seem to respond to horns this time than others, maybe because of the secondary rut. We have bagged most of our big bucks during this time. Unfortunatly we have seen some of the biggest bucks during the late season doe hunts.
Your words and how you use them will expose your character
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: redonthehead]
#529600
01/22/09 08:35 PM
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 183
stdcrk17
Woodsman
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Woodsman
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 183 |
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: stdcrk17]
#529601
01/22/09 08:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 44,461
rifleman
Sparkly Pants
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Sparkly Pants
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 44,461 |
early season (first of Oct- mid Oct)...and then late season (Christmas time)... we have problems with out bucks going off to the riverbottoms where no one hunts when the rut starts to kick in and after its pretty much over, they come back home to the feeders.
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Re: Best time of season to hunt trophies?
[Re: southtexascracker]
#529602
01/23/09 01:19 AM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 256
JohnnyD
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 256 |
Quote:
My favorite used to be the rut in South Texas. Recently I've flip flopped and would much rather hunt before or after. The major pro of the pre-rut, in my mind, is patternability. Late Season or post rut, which for us is right now until end of season, is when some of our mature deer which are impossible to see during the pre rut or even rut start to get worn down and start looking for food sources. We see some huge bucks in Jan that we've never seen before, which is why its now my favorite!
 
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