Hunting multiple properties near home means having extra potential to encounter more bucks. Simply put, choices are good. That’s why I pivoted away from my main hunting property earlier this week. In the hunting vernacular, heading west usually entails high adventure in backcountry states like Wyoming, Montana, or Utah. For me, it means crossing a whopping two county lines for a couple of sits in the north-central Texas hill country.
Why? After seeing multiple bucks on the main permission piece, it’s time for me to let it rest for a little while. Honestly, I don’t know if the October lull is a real thing or not but the mature buck movement sure slows down out there in the middle of October. Then, the pre-rut brings in new bucks – both familiar ones and true surprises.
While a lot of today’s hunters don’t like terms like target bucks or hitlist bucks, they, of course, like having them. I don’t mind naming deer either. Yeah, I’m one of those. It helps me keep them straight during the season and across years.
A Surprisingly Seamless Hunt on an Alternate Property
With that, there were, according to some trail camera images, a couple of potential shooters on a property 60 miles to the west. I headed there and, after a couple of sits, saw neither of them. It was the evening of day two that things got interesting. About 30-minutes before sundown, I noticed a doe running down a ridge about 300 yards out. Surprisingly, two mature bucks were on her tail. They eventually came in on a string and I ended the session by arrowing the biggest-bodied buck I’d ever taken in this part of the state. Bowhunting is rarely this seamless for me and I wish I could say I did everything right that evening. On the contrary, besides tending to the basics like scent management, I got a little lucky with this old buck – Largely, lucky that he was chasing a doe so vigorously on October 21st, days before any meaningful pre-rut activity is expected in this area.
I place this encounter and harvest firmly in the “I’ll take it” category.
Back to the Main Property
Now, it was time to head closer to home for a quick sit, followed by a trek back to the main property. By the way, there is a reason I consider this place to be the main property. For the most part, it has the best buck potential, perennially featuring a variety of bucks of varying ages. It also has minimal pressure and is in a favorable location – one that is a reasonable distance to the other parcels I hunt, as well as my home.
Luckily, this go-to piece has revealed a few mature target bucks – some of them I’m familiar with and a couple of surprises. “With one buck down, here are a few of the bucks I hope to chase between now and the end of the rut.
“Muley” has been an early season mainstay on the base property.
I’ve bee encountering “Skyscraper” since early 2019 when he was 3 years of age. I’ve yet to see him in 2021.
“Dirty Dozen”, a rare 6X6, hasn’t been seen since 2018.
“Hook” was a mainstay in 2019 and showed a few times in 2020.
All in all, the next few weeks cautiously and strategically hunting this property ought to be fun. With temperatures dropping and testosterone rising, I fully expect to be. Stay tuned.
