Ambush style bush bucks 2021

[Smoky buck]

This year I have decided to share my process of ambush hunting bush bucks on public land. The wife and I will be the main ones hunting the locations I set up but will have my brother and 2 friends possibly join us for part of the season. This will not not be a quest for a 200 incher but instead me share how I enjoy to hunt and the process. This will share my methods as well as share what is hopefully a successful season

My method of hunting white tail involves scouting year round to set up a handful of ambush points in the bush to hunt during the rut. Even in the WMUs that open in September I won’t attempt a sit till the last week of October at the earliest. I choose to target the areas that most overlook or deem too thick to hunt. My starting point is always look for the pockets that I feel others are ignoring and if I feel others may hunt it I don’t even scout it. From my years of hunting this way I can tell you that even in the busiest places only a fraction of the bush is hunted. There is also way more deer then most hunters realize even in the areas you rarely see them.

I know there are others out there that hunt similar but it is less common. I am not say this is a better hunting method but it opens up the ability to hunt areas others don’t and bucks others don’t see in daylight. This is a good method for hunting close to home where you can invest time scouting but without scouting odds drop dramatically

I have recently set out 10 standard trail cams and 2 cell cams which are new to me. Already have decided these will be my last cell cams because most of my areas lack cell service. I will be cycling them around till I decide on my stand locations but I will keep looking for possible future locations even during the season

I will share some of my trail cam pics, some pics of the things I look for well scouting, how I pick my stand locations, and if all goes well some success pics

[Smoky buck]

Ok enough rambling for now lol

I have done my first cell cam check and lots of deer on cam so far in some locations. A lot of bucks that are early in antler growth stage. So far these are the two showing the most potential

The first buck is in a location I found last hunting season but I did not hunt it. It is one of those locations that it’s so stupid everyone drives past it lol. It was an extremely active scrape line last year. This area is looking promising

The second buck is in a location I found in march. This second location is thick mixed timber that was full of rubs and scrapes. This is an area where there is only small 40 yard openings where there are mature trees. A lot of the area is choked in do to younger growth and willow





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[roper1]

Gonna be an awesome thread SB, many thanks!!

[bucksnbears]

Looking forwards to the progress.

[Desert Eagle]

Awesome Smokey Buck!

I have found a handful of the same spots. Some so close and so overlooked. Pretty awesome things can be found if you put in the effort.

I hope you and your family have great success this year and will be looking forward to the updates.

[Smoky buck]

Hopefully at the minimum this thread will make people reconsider the bush near home that they ignore. I am a firm believer that you are better off investing time and money scouting close to home then traveling when it comes to white tail. A lot of people don’t realize what hides right under their noses

I originally grew up spot & stalk and still hunting in high pressure areas. The reason I adapted to this ambush style was to hunt deer living in bush that was too thick to still hunt or small areas. Basically I learned to hide like the deer do lol

Next time I am out I will take pics to help show how to identify and locate scrape lines from the past rut this time of year. It could be a helpful tool for someone still learning

Knowing my luck I will run this thread and get skunked

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Hopefully at the minimum this thread will make people reconsider the bush near home that they ignore. I am a firm believer that you are better off investing time and money scouting close to home then traveling when it comes to white tail. A lot of people don’t realize what hides right under their noses

I originally grew up spot & stalk and still hunting in high pressure areas. The reason I adapted to this ambush style was to hunt deer living in bush that was too thick to still hunt or small areas. Basically I learned to hide like the deer do lol

Next time I am out I will take pics to help show how to identify and locate scrape lines from the past rut this time of year. It could be a helpful tool for someone still learning

Knowing my luck I will run this thread and get skunked

My traditional hunting grounds are within 10 minutes or less of my house .
I have bevef had an issue taking a deer out of that area since the late 70's
Cat

[Smoky buck]

OK a couple scouting tips for finding scraps and rubs even right now in the summer

Finding rubs is from last rut is easier right now with the leaves. Bucks make lots of rubs often in the open, on pipelines, on oil leases and even the side of the road. Often they rub the side that is facing the bush because they make them coming out of the trial. Right now the long grass will often hide them

Right now they are easier to spot because the small tree often has no leaves. Not all rubs will be like this but a good portion will. This makes it easy to spot them from a distance when walking or driving

Scrapes are a little tougher and most will be found in the timber on heavy trail or tight seismic lines. Yes the can be founding more open areas and pipelines but I find this often younger bucks

I most cases I find they choose the base of evergreens majority of times. In mixed timber it becomes noticeable. In areas dominated by popular I have seen it many times that the few evergreens in the mix will be targeted for a scrape

Right now you can still see them because the vegetation is more sparse

To confirm you just need to look at the branches above it around 3-4 1/2. They will show wear from nibbling and antlers


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[Smoky buck]

Obsessed1

Bucks definitely return to the same scrape lines unless the area is disrupted too much. I have had bucks abandoned scrape lines during the rut in the past by applying too much pressure. For this reason I seek out scrape lines in areas I feel will not be disturbed

This is a big part of the reason I avoid other hunters and will even abandon locations and move. The deer may not vacate the area but they charge their paths or go nocturnal if there is too much pressure. This is also why I run multiple locations

I will get into tips on how I pick locations as this thread goes. It’s really a matter of identifying pinch points and what funnels them into a pocket. This is where thick bush can be your friend and where too much open timber can screw you over

As someone who still hunts think about the game trail you have followed and the areas that create major intersections or funneled the trails through one small area

Your home turf question in my opinion there is two kinds of bucks home bodies and ones that roam. If you find a spot with does and a mature buck you might have found a home body that will stick around a fair amount. If you find a mature buck with very little does around come the rut he is on the move. In my opinion all bucks have some what of a home range but it can be large

[Smoky buck]

Oh and before that guy comes a long I am sharing my opinions on bush bucks and what works for me

I would not be surprised for one second if someone has had different experiences because in the end deer do what they want and there is always exceptions

[RayL42]

For many years my best whitetail spot was a tree stand set up in dense bush in a area which has high hunting pressure. My stand was set up on a pinch point created by two swamps. I had maintained trail so I could access the stand quietly. Every year I hunted it I had at least one chance at a mature buck and shot my second largest ever from that spot.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by RayL42

For many years my best whitetail spot was a tree stand set up in dense bush in a area which has high hunting pressure. My stand was set up on a pinch point created by two swamps. I had maintained trail so I could access the stand quietly. Every year I hunted it I had at least one chance at a mature buck and shot my second largest ever from that spot.

Land bridges are great spots

Unfortunately this year being so dry one of the areas that I know that is normally a land bridge is dry

[Red Bullets]

Great thread and much admiration and kudos to you Smoky Buck for putting in the effort. You are on the right track and your hunts will become more productive long term. I'm sure you will be rewarded with a handsome big buck this year.

Noticing the small tree rub in your pics. The more dominant bucks will be rubbing much bigger trees. The big bucks I have known tend to rub trees 3 to 5 inches in diameter. Watch for and note the bigger rubs. The major ground scrapes will be visited by most of the bucks in the area. Locating the major scrapes you will find buck beds on the prevailing downwind side of the scrapes. Use last years ground scrapes for indicators to help locate beds.

Just my 2 cents. I have hunting with the same idea of knowing your hunt land and animals and this has been my experience. I'm don't claim to be a great white hunter. I have only put in my time like Smokey plans to do.

In my experience the big boys are very solitary for much of the year. They are only interested in other deer when pre-rut and rut is on. They live alone and bed on good vantage points with good 360 degree escape routes. Big bucks can really like bedding in smaller evergreen trees for cover too. Where you would least expect. There might only be a handful of evergreens but it still attracts the bucks to bed. I've set up cams over major ground scrapes in October and had 5 different bucks visit in one night, 2 of which were bigger bucks and the one biggest boy in the area. And oddly I would sometimes see the bachelor bucks together but the biggest buck would never be with them. He was a loner.

I have found one of the best indicators of big bucks are the droppings. I watch for the big buck's loaves and not the doe pellets, year round. Mark and plot the places you see the buck loaves on a map and you can sometimes see the patterns of movement. Bucks will bed high in the morning and lower in the afternoon. Their beds will be close to water so they don't have to travel far. Usually within 50 yards. I know a bed that has been used generationally by the deer for many years. There is no way to approach that area without the buck in the bed knowing I am there. I still managed to get 2 nice bucks going to that same bed 10 years apart. The big bucks will use the most obscure trails that you might not even realize are a regularly used trail too so I don't focus on the well beaten deer trails.

And I could be wrong but I will say that if a person is scouting an area year round let the deer see you and smell you. I always wear the same outwear too. As they get to know you they will not be so flighty. They will not see you as as much of threat and relax when you are around. I know from experience that this is very true with mulies and find whitetails react the same but remain more skiddish. I have had big mulies not even get up from their beds once they knew me. Even when I would walk within 10 to 20 yards of them. With whities if I see them in their beds I will skirt the area so as not to push or excite them out of their beds. I try not to affect their routines.

I've enjoyed hunting whities in central Alberta for 47 years but now have limitations so most of my hunting is all memories now. My biggest and best deer were all within minutes from home when I was on the farm. When scouting I made a point of covering the same ground at the same time of the day too to resemble a creature of habit. It made me more a part of the environment.

Once I learned the land I hunted the hunts became pure pleasure with consistent success. Once I knew my hunting area I never had to wait for last light or a food plot to shoot a nice buck. Usually shot the bucks between 9am and noon. Again, just my two cents. Hopefully we can inspire others to become part of the environment they hunt and not just show up during hunting season hoping.

Wishing you a great hunt this fall Smokey. Look forward to your updates and more pics.

This pic is just for fun, . To show that whitetails like tight bushy areas others overlook.

[djb1]

Well done!

[Smoky buck]

Checked cams yesterday half asleep after coming off night shift. Deer movement has slowed especially during the increased smoke. I fat fingered checking one of my most active cams half asleep hitting delete all instead of import all so don’t know what was on it other then number of pics

This guy is still around and seems to make an appearance around once a week. I am pretty confident he is the buck I found in this area last November. There is a good possibility between the fact there is good numbers of does, this area is a scrape line in the rut, this area is overloaded by hunters and he has made multiple appearances he will be around come November.

This is another buck in a new area I am scouting and honestly think I will likely pass on this area. This location has only been showing 3 different bucks but 0 does so far. Come November and likely before that these bucks will be gone. Now this is a WMU that opens in September so if I wanted to target these bucks I would make my play it would be in September. A common mistake people make scouting early is not looking at how the bucks priorities change through the season.

One thing I am finding that is nice to see lots of cow and calf moose. Unfortunately all opportunities are draw only so it’s a look no eat thing lol


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[Smoky buck]

Ok so I will touch base on something that I pay attention to with early season scouting and the bucks I am getting on cam. This also involves a opinion I have regarding two different buck personalities. In my opinion there is two different personalities with buck “home bodies” and “roamers”. Depending on what personalty the buck has will dictate if you will find him in the same area come November as you do early season. When it comes to bush bucks “home bodies” are less common but are easier to target

A “home body” is a buck that sticks to the same general area year round. This doesn’t mean he is in the same spot everyday but instead seems to have areas he regularly passes through at least once a week. These bucks are in areas that hold a good pocket of does. There is water near by and good year round food sources. They are almost always found in an pocket that sees little to no human activity. These are the bucks that often use small feeding areas in the bush and are not seen in open areas. They are often found in the same areas they make their scrape lines even in early season. You are basically looking for areas that provide a peaceful sanctuary with all the bucks needs being available

These bucks often stay put till near the end of November but once the does are bred they may start to roam

Will post on “roamers” shortly

[Smoky buck]

So a “Roamer” is a buck that changes his habits through out the season

This is a buck that adjusts his range depending on food, rut, seasonal pressure, and in mountain areas elevation do to snow level. These bucks are the ones that are on the move non stop during the rut. These are the same bucks that magically appear even though you have been watching an area all season. Early season theses bucks are often found away from the does. They seem more prone to pair up in bachelor groups but can be found solo. They my some seem to hold regular patterns in June - September related to food but some never stay in one location. I find if I find a buck/bucks in an area with little to no does or in a bachelor group in the early season they won’t be around come the rut or even October. Some keep enough of a pattern in September that you can target them easier then. If I find something real special keeping enough of a pattern in the WMU that opens early I might make a play on that buck in September. For the most part I seek out groups of does with a major travel route and scrape line to target these bucks. Basically relying on using the does as bait and past rut sign to show me I am on the right travel route

In my opinion when it comes to to bush bucks they don’t keep a dally route you can reliably pattern. Even a “home body” buck only keeps a loose pattern where you could sit in a location for a week before he passes through. For this reason when I am picking a location I try to find a spot where I am targeting both buck personalities. Ideally I will pick a location that has a “home body” buck in the area that interests me but focus on a funnel on a main travel route to catch the “roamers” that pass through his area seeking does during the rut. Because of how unreliable bush bucks are focusing on knowledge of areas that hold does combined with scrape lines is priority.

[Smoky buck]

I checked/moved a few of my cams this morning. Some were moved because either I questioned how good of an ambush point it is or I wanted to check other locations with the cams that I feel have potential. Some locations I may return to if I feel they deserve a second look

Lots of bucks of this caliber kicking around


There is also this guy that has caught my attention and hope he can be found come hunting season. I will be keeping an eye on this area for other possible ambush points in case he doesn’t stick around. This is the first time I checked this cam but it’s one of those locations that you just get a good feeling about. This is an example of a semi open pocket in the middle of bush with too much undergrowth to hunt otherwise



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[Smoky buck]

Ok so here is an example of one of the things I keep an eye out for well scouting. Transitions in age class of timber can be a great area to catch those bucks that don’t come out in the open in daylight. In my open some bucks are hiding in young timber thickets especially poplar but the will come into the mature timber to mill around during daylight to feed.

Ambush points where the main trails come out of the young timber into the mature timber can be good. You also stand a chance of calling theses bucks out of young thick timber. I look for areas where theses transition points are a reasonable distance from the road that I believe others just drive past


These pics are from a translation I have a cam on


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[Smoky buck]

Nothing too special checking my last cams. I opted to move 2 to different pinch points in the area of the wide 10 point I posted earlier. I will be putting in some extra effort to figure that buck out but with only one appearance so far who knows if he was a one off to the area. Worst case odds are there is other bucks with his genetics around

I did get an interesting pic from bumping 2 bucks well checking a cam though



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[Smoky buck]

Did some scouting for new possible locations this morning. Checked out a bunch of potential locations with plenty of deer sign but only one ambush point I see that maybe worthwhile. The general area needs more exploring. Probably put in about 15km of hiking into a handful of pockets before heading home before the heat kicked in

So today’s scouting tip is why I like mixed timber with birch. When you find birch mixed in with larger poplar and evergreens there is a good chance you will be able to find small natural openings giving you a window to hunt timber that is too thick otherwise. This is because the way birch die, rot, and the top breaks off leaving just a dead trunk.




Hopefully some are finding this useful and I am not just rambling to myself lol


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[Prairiekid]

lol I’m reading. I enjoy looking at others trail cam pics. I have a few cameras soaking right now. There’s a nice buck that I’m hoping to find again, the last pic I have is from Nov 25. It was pretty deep in the bush but someone might have got him.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Prairiekid

lol I’m reading. I enjoy looking at others trail cam pics. I have a few cameras soaking right now. There’s a nice buck that I’m hoping to find again, the last pic I have is from Nov 25. It was pretty deep in the bush but someone might have got him.

Glad you enjoy it

I have only caught up with one of the bucks I wanted to find from last year. Unfortunately one I think may have become a wolf turd over winter. The area is full of old wolf sign and deer numbers seem down. Only started getting an OK amount of pics on my last cam check before I pulled that cam. I will revisit this spot later to see if the deer return or if they are gone. I have wolves and cougars impact the odds of refinding bucks far more then hunters

2 of the bucks I hope to refind I lack time with them so they could have been roamers passing through. If this is the case it is unlikely I will find them unless they come to seek out the does again

Good luck seeking out the buck you are looking for

[Bushrat]

Keep up the thread Smoky, interesting to me as you know it's one of the areas I hunt too.

[Desert Eagle]

It’s great to see you are continuing with this thread. For me, it’s something to catch up on after long outage and project focused days.

I’ve been soaking some cams for about a mont or a bit more. Picked up 2 of the SD cards last night and certainly have some animals, but only one buck with some size to him…. Not big by any means, but great to see. I have 2 more that just recently got placed, and a few more I need to pull cards from. Seems like the areas I have found that show sign are certainly looking like there is some action, which is great. I’m pumped for the cold and snow to be able to do some good buck chasing.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Keep up the thread Smoky, interesting to me as you know it's one of the areas I hunt too.

I will definitely be spending part of my efforts in that area in some old and new spots. The wife is stealing the spot I shot my buck last year. I am also focusing part of my efforts closer to town too

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

Hopefully some are finding this useful and I am not just rambling to myself lol

Haha. You aren’t. I am sure people are reading. They just prefer posting elsewhere or not at all. Just how it is. It’s a great thread, imo. Keep it going. Something to reflect on for yourself later even, if nothing else. Some will surely post at the end of the season for sure with a few comments here and there in between.

P. S. Set up the correct time and date on your cameras, lol.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

Haha. You aren’t. I am sure people are reading. They just prefer posting elsewhere or not at all. Just how it is. It’s a great thread, imo. Keep it going. Something to reflect on for yourself later even, if nothing else. Some will surely post at the end of the season for sure with a few comments here and there in between.

P. S. Set up the correct time and date on your cameras, lol.

I plan to ride it out till the end either way glad you’re enjoying the thread

My buddy bugs me about the time and date on my cams all the time it drives his OCD crazy. Between being in a hurry and knowing it bugs him is why I don’t set the time and date. Maybe I will fix one or two by the end of the season

[Smoky buck]

Well I am getting to the stage where I will be checking some cams less as I am coming closer to choosing my locations. I will still be shifting some cams and revisiting some locations as I expect a shift in activity for the fall in some spots

I have 3 locations I am thinking I will be setting up but I will not set a stand till late September/early October just in case I see a fall shift. The three locations all have good past rut sign, good year round feed, peaceful areas that will likely not be impacted by hunters, good doe numbers, and a buck that could be a “home body” I will slowly cut shooting lanes so I don’t make a large impact all at once. I have been wrong before and had bucks shift on me in the fall

Good news the wide 10pt has returned and after some extra scouting in his surrounding area he seems on be a lone buck surrounded by does in an area that offers all his needs. Add in a great ambush point and things look good. Conditions are looking good but only time will tell if he sticks around. I will be checking this cam less now


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[Smoky buck]

Is it all about the rubs, the scrape or is it that overlooked licking stick that should be acknowledged

So in some of the threads I have seen posts saying how rubs or scrapes are more valuable. In my opinion it’s a little more complicated then that and there is something that many hunters seem to overlook

Rubs are great for locating deer bucks because they are made in abundance. This is makes it easy to tell you are in the right area and are often put in areas they are easily found. They are a great starting point and show a buck/bucks will patrol they area. But they are seasonal and are often scattered in abundance. They are basically ignored outside of the rut

Scrapes are a lot more complicated and are not of equal value. Some are only of value during the rut and these can be made by bucks passing through. Young bucks can get excited and scatter them throughout an area during the rut. A mature buck passing through to challenge the buck in the area. These will still get attention during the rut as they are scent markers. These are often smaller and more commonly found. Still valuable but seasonal

Then there are scrapes that are actively visited year round. During the rut theses are often much larger. These will be acknowledged by almost all deer that pass through all year even though the ground is not heavily pawed outside of the rut. Bucks will actively visit these over other scrapes because they are the community scent marker for the deer in the area. Yes during the rut some deer will pee on the ground and paw it but the ground is not the year round community scent marker

The licking stick just doesn’t get the love and respect it should. This is the year round scent marker that bucks/does rub their orbital glands on to mark it all year. This is basically the community message board. Yes small seasonal scrapes will have a licking stick but it won’t see the same activity. If you can find the community licking stick/scrape this is one of the most reliable locations for a buck to stop because it’s marked by everyone. A lot of deer won’t pee on the ground but all mark the licking stick

So don’t put your deer pee on the stick you are just covering up natural communal deer scent that is far more valuable. Put your pee on the ground where it belongs. I have never seen deer aim their **** up into the trees lol

Here is a couple trail cam pics showing deer visiting community licking stick/scrapes I have cams on. Theses two locations see heavy deer activity and I get pics of deer marking/checking the licking stick all the time. Way more common then peeing in the scrape it self





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