Best way to hunt these January "ghost bucks"?

I hunt in Central/SE Heard county. What is the best way to catch a buck coming through this time of the season?

They are bunched up in groups in Burke Co. Killed this bruiser today walking with 2 other bucks with wind howling thru a power line right-of-way - headed toward a food plot. They are looking to put on weight lost during the rut.

Wow! Great buck!!

Buckaroo93 said:

I hunt in Central/SE Heard county. What is the best way to catch a buck coming through this time of the season?

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I like to hunt behind my permanent stands. Get back behind them about 50 to 100 yards or hunt the opposite end of a lane by jacking up a tree, something you don't typically do in your hunting area. Hunt your usual areas but hunt them in places that you don't typically sit in. They are looking for food and will stay near your areas if you have a foodplot or feed station, but they will walk around your permanent stands to make sure your not in them before they come into the feeding area, therefore, if you are jacked up in a tree behind the stand or you're in a ground blind tucked into the tree line halfway down your foodplot, then you have a chance of seeing him while he's looking for you.

Another tip is use your binoculars. Now that the greenery is down in most woods you can see much more through the woods which allows you to catch bucks wandering around in areas he typically thinks he can't be seen in. Use your binos heavily now and watch around your usual sight lines to see if you can catch a bruiser walking around you. Had a hunting buddy last week that was sitting in my box stand and said he saw many bucks but not in the lanes, he saw them walking around them and caught them behind and to the left in what is typically pretty heavy underbrush, but again, the greenery was thin and he was using his binoculars to catch the movement around the stand and feeding area.

Hope these help you get that late season bruiser!! Good luck!!

releehweoj said:

They are bunched up in groups in Burke Co. Killed this bruiser today walking with 2 other bucks with wind howling thru a power line right-of-way - headed toward a food plot. They are looking to put on weight lost during the rut.

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Great buck!! By the color of those antlers I would say he wasn't going to be holding on to those a whole lot longer!!

shdw633 said:

Great buck!! By the color of those antlers I would say he wasn't going to be holding on to those a whole lot longer!!

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Antler color is not an indicator of whether they are going to drop or not. Once the velvet is off the antlers are "dead".

Food, Food and cover..

Dbender said:

Antler color is not an indicator of whether they are going to drop or not. Once the velvet is off the antlers are "dead".

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That's true; however, low levels of testosterone in a deer is what cause them to fall off. As the antlers appear to have that bleached look to them with only the bases having a tan coloring, it would give the indication that the buck is spending alot of time in the sun, most likely bedding in direct sunlight and not doing activities that typically stain the antlers giving them color, like rubbing trees, fighting or looking for does throughout the shaded woods and the OP stated the buck was running with three other bucks, both of which are indicators of a buck with lower levels of testosterone in him. We already have bucks dropping antlers on our property, which is early as compared to other years.

We've been seeing lots of deer on our plots in Meriwether County, one of our members caught this guy in a Big n Beasty plot yesterday afternoon.

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davidhelmly said:

We've been seeing lots of deer on our plots in Meriwether County, one of our members caught this guy in a Big n Beasty plot yesterday afternoon.

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Nice!! Cold coupled with the availability of food can be a deadly cocktail for big bucks!!!

Congratulations to your member on the last chance buck...I always think of late season bucks as really special especially with a bow for some reason! Hopin for the same next weekend...

Congratulations again!

Nice bucks. We have one working scrapes regularly Ven at this late date. It ain't over til it's over.

South GA Dawg said:

Nice bucks. We have one working scrapes regularly Ven at this late date. It ain't over til it's over.

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Hunted the morning after taking that buck. On the way out saw 2 fresh scrapes.

shdw633 said:

Great buck!! By the color of those antlers I would say he wasn't going to be holding on to those a whole lot longer!!

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Can’t say why but most of the mature bucks on this property have very bright horns past the first 6-8” where they get darkened up with tree sap and other stuff from rubbing. Been that way for the 6 years I’ve hunted it. Another member and I drug him ~150 yds by the horns without them coming off.

Having a place that has a good late season plot coupled with low hunting pressure should result in lots of deer. David, nice buck from your place.

releehweoj said:

They are bunched up in groups in Burke Co. Killed this bruiser today walking with 2 other bucks with wind howling thru a power line right-of-way - headed toward a food plot. They are looking to put on weight lost during the rut.

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Handsome!

I agree on food sources right now, just not right on them. I want to be on a trail going to/from the food source.

Their in the thick stuff conserving energy and looking for food. Its best to set up a way to sneak in during the summer.
I saw a niceun late December slipping out of a hedge thicket headed for food but I was tagged out. Had him at 20 yds. Never knew the old man was in town. Saving him for next year.

Love that chain link fence!

I had access to a similar kind of area and hunted it once - had 3 mature bucks on film. Opening day comes and I look down between my legs - under the stand - and there is the biggest buck standing there looking straight up at me!

releehweoj said:

Can’t say why but most of the mature bucks on this property have very bright horns past the first 6-8” where they get darkened up with tree sap and other stuff from rubbing. Been that way for the 6 years I’ve hunted it. Another member and I drug him ~150 yds by the horns without them coming off.

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They are bedding in a clearcut or similar area where there racks get lots of sunlight bleaching them white.

Hunt food. Find a field with greens in it and sit on it in the evening. Wild radish will grown in cut bean or cotton fields. Deer will be on them hard this time of year.