How many of your good bucks came from chance or first encounter vs. you knew he was there and had a game plan in place?

A little bit of both. Most of my bigger bucks were killed the first time I hunted that stand that particular year. I generally see more bucks on fresh stands, but I'm not the type to sit in the same stand over and over and hope to see something different.

90%

I kill the majority of mine the first or second sit on a stand. After that I go somewhere else.

103.4%

100% luck thus far for me

Both

I've been very fortunate to have been able to kill lots of nice buck, but I can honestly say that only three were bucks I knew were in the area. All 3 were on our farm and was able to watch them grow antlers from start to finish. Got a large 7 pt I've been seeing the last 3 yrs and he keeps getting away from me. Had him dead to rites 2yrs ago and he had me so shook,I screwed the shot up. The field is almost 90 acres of soybeans. It about 350yds at its widest point and almost 3/4 mile long. Never see him at the same place twice. It's been a good battle so far but one day the stars will line up and I hope it's the day I'm on that field.

Most of mine were first encounters. But I don't run cameras religiously. I also, like everyone else, put myself in position stand wise where I expect to kill a mature buck at.

I guess what I'm saying is, I don't hang my stands in places and tell myself " Your not going to see anything here."

Probably 95%. I may know a good buck is there, but i don't have him named. I don't run camera's all over creation, like some folks. I own 1 camera. I put it out, and check it sparingly.

This^

I don't always move after that if I know there's a goodun close by.

Mostly first sits or just by chance, I've never killed a good one that I had trail cam pix of, don't know why, someone else always gets em.

All but one. The others were the first time I'd seen them.

I usually know there is a good one in the area but I dont always have a trail cam pic.

Like the others, it usually happens on the first or second sit. I dont do anything to potentially compromise my stands before I hunt. I dont allow trail cameras during the season or in-season scouting on my club.

A lot of people would rather be deer photographers and nature walkers than deer killers.

The first and only picture I need is a clear sight picture. I can take all I want when he's dead.

I've never killed a nice buck that I had pics of. The best buck I've ever killed was a 10 point that I shot back in 1992 as a guest on a piece of property I had never seen or been back to since. My buddy just pointed to a hollow and said find a tree to climb. I did what he said and at 5pm, the buck stepped out of a thicket about 30 yards away from me.

About 3 years ago I killed a basket rack buck with my bow that my buddy had pics of.

Last year I missed a nice buck that I had on camera. He popped up on the camera about a week later about 150 yards from where I shot.

Dr. B

Most have been luck. The only buck I killed last season got his picture taken in a scrape on Thursday morning. I checked my camera on Friday afternoon and saw his pic. It was the last weekend and I decided to hunt there the rest of the season. On Sunday morning he came through following a doe with 2 8 points.

Biggest Buck I've killed so far, I saw him while Bowhunting in Blue Springs. Too far for a shot. Went back about a Month later on a Rifle hunt and killed him.

2nd best 8, just got lucky.

My big one from last year was my first time to hunt that particular area that season. The good Lord sent him my way, no doubt about it!

I've killed some on the first sighting and others that I hunted three years.......

Me and you both. I'd say I'm bout 50-50.

Over the past 5- 7 years about 75% of the bucks we killed we had pics of. Some get killed with a game plan in place some get killed by chance, without a plan .