Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum What is the smartest animal you ever hunted

Never really seen that smart of animal. I would say a panther, mountain lion, whatever folks see in SE US, could be one of them. To be able to live around folks, almost always move at night, and rarely be seen in the daytime, is astonishing. Seems they like they usually move mostly in the thickest areas and due to the soft padding on their feet are clever, silent stalkers. I use to travel rural areas at night to watch game, never seen one for years. Finally 30+ years later I finally seen one, only one in a lifetime. A glimpse on a road in at a wide area on a pitch black night. I came around a curve and caught the big cat running across the road about 40 feet in front of me. It's tail floating behind it. About six times larger than a housecat.
Sometimes the oldest doe's attract the biggest bucks. If you can figure out the doe's game and work around it can pay off. Ignore the blowing and try different tactics. Deer in certain areas blow, let them blow. A buck really don't exactly how far you are away. Not saying it works everytime, but if you can adapt to hunting around the old lady it can pay off. Some older bucks prefer them older ladies!

A couple of years ago I had a buck I was hunting in a little open bottom between some thick pines and a fairly large pasture. Had seen him on camera, and in the course of several hunts, I laid eyes on him exactly twice slipping through, always behind cover, and always avoiding me. One hunt, he came within about 40 yards and stopped in some brush, eyes dead on me. We cat and moused for about 45 minutes, neither of us moving, his eyes fixed right on me. He finally gave in, and walked out of the cover, and I had the 35 right on him. For a reason I still can't really explain, I didn't kill him. He was a pretty decent buck, especially for where we hunt. Thinking back, I hadn't had that much fun and excitement hunting in a while, maybe I didn't want it to end there. Anyway, someone else shot him a couple of weeks later.

WINNER

Long legged double breasted bed trashers.

Nothing super smart about those. All it takes to bag trophies of that species is $$$$. The more you have, the easier the hunt.

Leopard gets my vote.

FIFY

I can definitely agree with that statement.

A 26 point non-typical whitetail on our Mississippi farm on the Big Black River in Carroll County. I first saw him when I was 8. I hunted him constantly for 2-3 years. I never saw him when I had my shotgun or rifle. But saw him regularly when I didn't have a gun...riding my horse, dirtbike, in the truck/tractor with my dad or grandfather, etc. Knew his favorite bedding areas and travel routes. It was thrilling every time I hunted because I just knew it was going to be the day. Even resorted to parking a tractor and a grain trailer in various fields, but no luck.

Neighbor across the river got him I think in 1979 or 1980. MS Game and Fish published an article and photo of the deer. Still have a copy. I called him Ole Grandad. That deer had my #. I'll post a picture tomorrow.