Increase chances for a P&Y buck
Pennsylvania
What would you say is the best single thing to do to increase your chances at a P&Y buck in your area.
I have my own answer, just want to see how many would say what I'm thinking.
For me it would be to find a new area. :)
If you're into attracting bucks, I have a friend that started doing this in Bedford County last week - http://www.brothersofthebow.com/html/wickedwicks.html
He has game camera photos of bucks licking the rope and the bucks have started making scrapes where the ropes are hanging.
Single best thing? For me, it would be a complete change in values.
Hunt every minute you can when you find one. Worked for me twice.
Don't shoot the first buck that comes past your stand.
Pass up every buck that isn't a P & Y buck.
Justin, I'm not being condescending. I answered his question as honestly and directly as I could. You could have done likewise, instead of again looking for ill intent where there isn't any.
I expect many of the answers that will accumulate in this thread would fall into place if in fact my hunting values were altered to focus on bucks that would surpass the P&Y minimum. But I declared changing my values as the 'single best thing' I could do because the methods, changes in gear choices, hunting areas, vacation timing and amount, time, timing, and focus of scouting efforts, and other practical factors would have to happen... FOLLOWING a shift in my values. Without that change first, the others simply wouldn't happen and the chance of me killing such a deer remains quite random... which is how I'd prefer it.
I was being honest and introspective about how MY values relate to this topic... not weighing them against or transposing them onto anyone else's. Haven't we been through this before?
Trophy buck come in all sizes.....but the best way that increases your chances at one of those upper end P&Y buck is by allowing the smaller legal a free walking pass when he comes by your stand. As well as allowing even more doe the same free pass.
From: Alwayslearning ........ ....... Date: 28-Jul-14
What would you say is the best single thing to do to increase your chances at a P&Y buck in your area. I have my own answer, just want to see how many would say what I'm thinking.
MOVE TO IOWA! ;-)
If you have the option, wait for ideal conditions to hunt certain stands. A little bit of hunting in a good setup will yield better results than allot of time in bad setups.
I've never gone out with the goal of killing a P&Y buck. I have spent considerable time and passed on many bucks looking a for one of the better bucks in the a area I hunt. I don't really follow someone's arbitrary numbering system.
Don't kill small bucks, get neighbors to practice QDM with you and kill more Does
Bill V
Bob McArther ^ Ditto!
Hey I was Expecting Jeff to say such..nothing wrong with Jeff. :)
I've been busy. I need to make arrows!!
Stick', maybe the Amish folks already know that a button buck in their local herd will disperse many miles away when he reaches his first year......Just sayin', that's how it actually works. :)
Back to the original question.....Like Phil, I don't judge a buck based on the criteria of a club, but I do hunt older ones, and have been successful doing it. Your best bet, obviously, is the first week and the rut. During the first week you'll pretty much have to know if one is in your area and learn his routine, then set up to intercept him traveling to and fro'. Most guys can do this, but where they make the mistake is in not hunting in accordance to the wind. Get sloppy here, even a little, and your done.....It is that simple.
The rut is a totally different ball game. Here, a buck will travel miles, not yards, to reach his goal, and that ain't food or cover, but it is estrous does. Topography becomes the focal point - you gotta look for likely places to intercept them crossing one big block of woods to another. Funnels or "pinch points" become my focus now. Another good bet is the downwind side of known doe bedding areas.
It's always a gamble any way you look at it, and IMHO, it should be. I don't happen to rely on QDM, plots, cameras and the like, but some do and that's fine too......I'd just rather be surprised. :) Best of luck this fall.
You may get MORE meat for your tag, but it won't be as GOOD :^)
There are biologically sound, and even other completely practical reasons to kill young deer, but I wouldn't expect anyone here, 'cept Ed, to know of or value the latter.
Stick', that's only if we all agree that "the doe"/mother is primarily responsible for driving that 1st yr buck from the area. And that I know of that's just guesswork on our part. Any actual study I've ever read showed that it's almost a certainty they will disperse.....Nature's way of thwarting inbreeding, for sure. Anyway, my point is that for it to work, you'd have to convince virtually everyone in the state not to shoot bb's and that ain't happening. And as Jeff alludes, we're the deer's primary source of predation and we do need to kill some.
To each, their own. I couldn't care less if a buck is a P&Y or not, it's just not my thing. If you're consumed with taking a Book buck, have at it and best of luck to you. It all boils down to what makes it fun for the individual.
"What would you say is the best single thing to do to increase your chances at a P&Y buck in your area."
Not having the luxury of a lot of scouting time, etc. due to being out of state, I'd become Dale Hajas' shadow during the season. The guy's an absolute killing machine I'll tell ya. :^)
Not a big fan of the P&Y Club either. They only chase the dollar. First with compounds, then with let off percentages and now partnering with crossbow manufacturers. Their scoring system does allow one to form a mental picture, however. If someone tells you they killed 160" buck you can visualize it at least. As far as killing deer; to each their own. No reason to put your values onto another hunter. If someone choses to hunt big bucks have it. If you want to shoot the first fawn that walks by good for you. As long as it's legal why pass judgment? Just hunt!
"and now partnering with crossbow manufacturers."
Please explain. Do you mean bow manufacturers that also produce crossbows or something else?
Yea their corporate sponsors. Seems like they're all for um now. It won't be long and they'll be in the book too. They'll continue to chase the dollar.
Mathews Makes a crossbow Bohning Makes a crossbow and crossbow quiver Muzzy Makes a crossbow broadhead Rage Makes a crossbow broadhead Sportsmen Guide Sells crossbows Lancaster Sells crossbows
Yep, it's all one big conspiracy. I say the insurance companies are behind it all.
Alwayslearning, Alot of things going on in the timber between 10:00am and 2:00pm.
So doing some of those all day hunts from the stand would increase anyones chances at a P&Y buck.
The most successful headhunter I know would tell you 'you have to hunt where there are a large number of book quality bucks. And, he says you need to spend a LOT of time there. If you don't have them taken care of, your success will be greatly limited no matter what other methods or gear you try to employ.
Yeah, passing smaller bucks is necessary, but will help only a little if you can't do the above.
I've known him for many years, and he's always taken ALL of his vacation time to hunt trophy bucks... always in other states. He hasn't bought a license here in Pa for years. In the years before he retired, that meant up to 6 weeks out of state hunting. Mostly Ohio, but he killed some bucks in other states too. Now retired a dozen years, he spends his falls in Ohio.
Gear? He would tell you that compounds, crossbows, trail cameras, scentlok, and such are completely unnecessary, perhaps even gets in the way, and how could we argue with him. The quanity and quality of the heads on his walls are proof that what he does works very well. Almost all his deer were killed with recurves, though some of the last few were taken with osage selfbows he made himself. I suppose I may have had a little something to do with that :^)
"Headhunter" LOL I like that nickname!
Yea Jeff, the most successful headhunter I know did it in similar fashion with mega time involved and Ohio hunts. Seemed like he would almost jeopardize his health doing it. (We've probably all done that a little). Weapon was not classified as a bow though. :(
You know how I feel about trophy hunting/antler envy, and even though I eventually found it too hard to spend time in that camp because of it, I respect him for his level and longevity of dedication and sacrifice. We're really good friends... just different core hunting values.
Everyone hunts for a different reason. If your goal is a P&Y animal then first you need to find one and make sure he will spend time on a property you hunt. You don't hunt a property if there isn't a P&y buck to hunt just because you always hunted it in the past. You need to move to a property that holds P&y deer. Then you need to be able to pass on deer that don't make p&y min. In pa this usually means lots of bucks that are under 125 net. You might hunt all season and pass on 30-40 bucks for one opportunity at a P&y deer. Just not tons around. Even on the best properties.
Shot what makes you happy... For me it's age!
Best single thing I could do in my area to kill a mature buck is to sit in a funnel or pinch point with confidence all day long any day from about Oct 28 till Nov 22nd and stay mentally prepared for anything that could happen.
Mike
Though I have not killed a P&Y buck I have to agree with Treerat. as much time spent in pinch points during the "love" phase is always a solid plan.
P & Y Buck?
What's that have to do with hunting and eating deer meat?
Ya some kind of horn hunter, are ya?
What do you know about eating deer meat? Must be someone elses deer. LOL
You haven't killed one with a bow in years buddy! :)
I just cut your string in half.. :)
LOL, I'll get you those numbers tomorrow, I forgot!
Alright, Who woke up RC ?
Why would I ever PAY to hunt whitetails anywhere? We have Pope and Young bucks in Pa. if you know where to look AND pass up smaller ones.
The single most important thing I did was not over hunt my stands early in the season. When the rut was kicking in I snuck next to the bedding area and called this guy in.35 years of "practice" all came together.
