Have a small piece of property I�m hunting (8 acres). I have several bucks and one big mature 8 point coming in regularly during the day on camera.I have hunted it 7 times since opening day and seen deer three sits but never any bucks. Killed 2 does. I want to give myself as many opportunities as possible to harvest the big 8 point but don�t want to run him out by overpressuring the area. After 7 sits, he is still showing up during the day but it�s once or twice a week. Do I go with the attitude of �you can�t kill him unless your in the woods� or limit my sits to limit pressure? Just giving something to you guys in the tree today to ponder. Here is a pic of him.

If I truly wanted to kill a buck, I surely wouldn't be shooting does there. I would give it a rest.

Yea, killing the does was kind of hard to avoid though when I�ve never had a bow kill and they presented me with shots. I understand your logic though.

Following this topic too. 55 acres with some very nice deer on it. They tend to turn into ghosts though.

I would let it rest.

Is he consistent about the times he is coming through in the daylight? Are you positive that you know where he is coming from and going to so that you make sure that your entrance and exit routes dont cross his path and that you know what wind to hunt it on? 7 hunts on just 8 acres, 16 days into the season is a whole lot of pressure. Especially since you killed 2 does off of it and probably scented it up tracking them and dragging them out. I'd let it rest unless you are 100% certain of the answers to questions 1 & 2 above. You dont need to shoot anymore does in there if you are seriously trying to kill him.

You need to let the does get comfortable; the buck will follow.
If you are there; try your best not to get busted by the does. Wait till they feed out at dark; if possible. If you have one stand; hunt it infrequently under best conditions till rut; then be there as much as possible

I would look at the days he is showing up and try to establish a pattern. If that wasn't possible, I would only hunt "good" days and ideal winds

I feel your pain. I have done the same thing I believe and have over hunted the same spot this year. I am taking about a week off and waiting for the better wind condition days.

I try not to hunt a stand more than twice and let it rest at least a week, preferably longer. The majority of big bucks I've killed have come from the first sit on a stand. Very few afterwards. Also, regardless of weather, I see fewer deer each sit in the same stand most of the time. If you want to understand why place trail cams on your trail that you walk in on. Watch how deer react when they cross your track or find where you've climbed a tree. Some of them will literally not come back that way, ever. They'll walk around or take another path.

Agree with the others, give the place a break and lay off the does. Also, if you're checking cameras too often, you're still putting unwanted pressure on the place.

x2

Stop shooting the does! If you can�t get him before rut, he ain�t gonna have a reason to stay with no ladies around

Make sure the wind is right when you do hunt.
Only hunt prime times. Bow, 1st week of gun, rut.

As long as you don�t leave any trace of being in there, I�d say you are good!

The answer is YES if your goal is to kill a mature buck. Now that you�ve killed a couple does, I would let it rest for several weeks.

With an area that small, you should be on the property enough to get the animals use to your scent. The deer will become comfortable with your scent over time.

Too much human scent and disturbance you can run them into the next county!

Yes.

Let it rest. Only hunt with a Ghilley suit from now on. Only hunt if wind is perfect and if it changes during the hunt back out. Good luck!

You have already over hunted it.

He said it was hard to avoid. Didn't you read that part?
I don't understand how it's hard to avoid, I mean just don't shoot, but hey I thought this whole thread was a joke.

Yes, hunting a spot too many times can hurt it. But, the reality is quality over quantity. Basically, hunting it 2 days in a row with bad conditions hurts it worse than hunting it 5 days in a row with good conditions. That is just general guidelines though.

If you�re killing multiple deer there and having to drag them out, you�re leaving a lot of scent.

Hard to avoid as in I�ve never killed one with a bow and it presented me with a shot.
Obviously I didn�t have to shoot her. Glad I could make you laugh though.

I�d let it rest a bit . Don�t go in unless conditions are perfect.

I love to Hunt but have learned that less is definitely more. Heck I don�t go nearly as much as I want to. That all changes when January rolls around, though.
If he�s cruising around now during the day I bet he will be going crazy during the rut. Good luck !

I believe in quality not quantity. I stay out of my best spots until it gets close to the rut. 8 acres is a really small area, and you've already put way more pressure on it than I would have, but if he's still active on the 8 acres during daylight, well he's begging to be killed and must not be skittish of human scent. Let it rest, and wait for the perfect wind and go in and sit all day. Chances are he knows when your coming and going, that's why your not seeing him while hunting. Can you see across the 8 acres? Hardwoods? Pines? You may need to choose a different access route. Tell us about the habitat? Is there a creek you could use to enter the property?

The property is about 2 acres wide. Only one access point and that�s from the bottom of the hill. The entire property is a walk uphill on the side of a huge ridge. The only flat area is the road you drive in on. You have to walk uphill roughly 100yds from the dirt road to get to my stand. Rock formations are abundant and pretty much all hardwoods and cedar trees. Pretty much open woods. No thick areas. I have permission to hunt all the way to the top of the ridge but I�m setup probably half way up where the majority of the trails are. Deer sign everywhere.

Is your camera where your stand is? What time is he coming thru?

Camera is 50 yds in front of my stand. Last two weeks he comes in between 5am-8am every 2-3 days.

Does it appear that he's always headed in the same direction?

I would go in there mid day and rake a trail to your stand, so you're walking on dirt only. Then I would sneak in and be setup, at least, 30 minutes before his earliest arrival time. The key is to not make any noise walking in or climbing.

This deer would already be dead.

Only time I had a buck that consistent showing up 2 or 3 days a week during the day I killed the first time I hunted him.

As far as advice i wouldn't leave the road you walked in on. don't disturb the ridge, don't cross his trail, don't make any noise getting in, and maybe he won't know your there. if I read correctly your only going up the ridge 100 yards to your stand and your camera is 50'yards from that so his trail should only be 50 or so yards from the road anyways

Yes I agree, he should already be dead because he was showing up more than 2-3 days before I killed the does. Dumb on my part killing the does but maybe I can get lucky and get a shot on him. He is always with 3 other bucks also. Smaller 8 point and 2 six points. Seems to always be walking from left to right across the ridge. The does have me figured out because I haven�t seen one on camera in two weeks. Maybe they haven�t told the boys about me yet. These deer haven�t been hunted or pressured until I stepped in the woods I don�t think. I know he has my scent because of the amount of times I have been up there but hopefully he doesn�t associate my scent with danger yet. Guess we will see.

You must be fairly green to deer hunting .The greatest impact on a deer is pressure and deer that hadn't been pressure before respond to it as good as any . Also if you really wonted the buck he shoulda been your first target . You have to have patients before you ever climb a tree . Let him calm down wait for conditions for him and yourself to get right . A little trick that may help have someone drop you off . Make sure they give you enough time to get settled and have them leave . Also had someone fallow me (real close) to my stand and walk back out hop in the truck and leave . When I new the buck could see me . Southeastern swamp goats pattern us . Not the other way around good luck

I am pretty green. Just really got into it serious last year.

Don't worry man, I understand. I am trying to make myself wait for a buck this year, but when the does are right there and you are still new to it all, it's hard to resist! I took a doe earlier this season, and will probably take another with my bow, but not on the same property.

Now that you have your first kill, congratulations btw, If you want to kill the buck, don't shoot his girlfriend. She is your bait.