Largest buck you ever seen on trail camera but never harvested

[Woodsman416]

Hemlock, What area is that 6 point located in. I killed a big 6 a few years back that could be it's twin. Mine was 5.5 years old.

[hemlock]

Hemlock, What area is that 6 point located in. I killed a big 6 a few years back that could be it's twin. Mine was 5.5 years old.

 

Highpoint area woodsman that's awesome you got a 6  at 5.5 years old

[JHbowhunter]

Pop's Driveway Camera 356.JPGI have a few more weeks to get it done! But, hope is fading. No one has seen him since mid-November. He's smart!  

 

 

Smart, or dead?

[JHbowhunter]

this post makes me realize I need to get off my ass and stop hunting all my usual familiar spots and find new areas in NJ to hunt.  I never get any camera pics in z5 of bucks larger than 120", and the only one I ever did I shot (avatar pic, 2011).  Most of my z5 bucks on the wall had nothing to do with cameras and/or bait (like this year's September 9pt).   My z2 spots, in 2015 and 2106 - I got a few larger class bucks up to 150" on cam, and missed the 150 in '16.    This season - nothing larger than 115" on cam in z2 entire fall season.

 

Hunting zone 5 for trophy bucks makes me really appreciate ohio.

[Tarhunt]

Smart, or dead?

I would of heard from the neighbors if the buck was shot legally. They are always calling me with updates. The buck has been around the area for at least 6 years so, I think that there is a good chance that he's still around. There is another buck that the next door neighbor spotted a few weeks ago that was even bigger. A 224 inch non-typical was shot about a mile away a few years ago during muzzle loader season. There's good deer genes down there.

[Nomad]

this post makes me realize I need to get off my ass and stop hunting all my usual familiar spots and find new areas in NJ to hunt.  I never get any camera pics in z5 of bucks larger than 120", and the only one I ever did I shot (avatar pic, 2011).  Most of my z5 bucks on the wall had nothing to do with cameras and/or bait (like this year's September 9pt).   My z2 spots, in 2015 and 2106 - I got a few larger class bucks up to 150" on cam, and missed the 150 in '16.    This season - nothing larger than 115" on cam in z2 entire fall season.

 

Hunting zone 5 for trophy bucks makes me really appreciate ohio.

Everything is relative.  120" buck in z5 is a trophy.  A 150" buck in Ohio is a trophy.  A 150" buck in NJ is once in a lifetime perhaps.

Edited December 20, 2017 by Nomad

[Woodsman416]

Highpoint area woodsman that's awesome you got a 6  at 5.5 years old

 

Killed him opening day of winter bow 2009. Heaviest deer I've ever had to move.

[Nomad]

Killed him opening day of winter bow 2009. Heaviest deer I've ever had to move.

HOW     HEAVY    WAS   HE?  

Edited December 20, 2017 by Nomad

[hemlock]

Killed him opening day of winter bow 2009. Heaviest deer I've ever had to move.

 

Wow that is nearly identical and that's a beauty.

[JHbowhunter]

Everything is relative.  120" buck in z5 is a trophy.  A 150" buck in Ohio is a trophy.  A 150" buck in NJ is once in a lifetime perhaps.

 

Agree- but it also could be indicative how pressured z5 is or at least by me.  After age 3.5, they just know to avoid cams and bait piles, as they are everywhere.  I actually believe that I have a better chance of killing a buck 125" or better by avoiding spots with bait and cams, than I do of ever capturing a picture of one (well at least this year proved that out, along with several other years.)  I keep saying "next year - put the cams away, and save the $$ on corn, and see how it goes"....   I just may do that. Checking cams is somewhat addicting, but the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result.   I keep getting pictures of the same 3.5 year old bucks now, as I did in September (minus a few dinks that got whacked most likely).  I keep expecting something bigger to show, but they never do.     Might be time to change methods, as much as try some new spots I have had access to for years, but never scouted or tried yet. It's just so convenient walking out the door to hunt rather than drive, and that's a habit I need to break.  I am actually avoiding my best spot because it routinely has the bucks I don't want to be tempted to shoot even though it also has most does, so I will hunt a different spot that is doe-only.

Edited December 20, 2017 by JHbowhunter

[Woodsman416]

Wow that is nearly identical and that's a beauty.

 

By the way. I killed it on Round Mountain in Stanton.

[Nomad]

Agree- but it also could be indicative how pressured z5 is or at least by me. 

It is indicative of how pressured it is!  That's why a 120" is a trophy.  

[Nomad]

  After age 3.5, they just know to avoid cams and bait piles, as they are everywhere.  I actually believe that I have a better chance of killing a buck 125" or better by avoiding spots with bait and cams, than I do of ever capturing a picture of one (well at least this year proved that out, along with several other years.)

Avoiding cams and bait piles entirely or just during the day?

[JHbowhunter]

Avoiding cams and bait piles entirely or just during the day?

 

Entirely....  I get reliable intel every season of some much bigger bucks than I capture on cam from my landscaper and others (always seen by a vehicle).  Where they were seen, were well within reason that they could have easily been on any of my cams -but never were...

I have them pretty well educated it seems, and probably they have me patterned.  I barely even hunted my local properties this year - missed October entirely which is best for my community scrape stand, then did Ohio, then just been too busy to hunt. Yet I do check cams and rebait them twice a week on average (with the quad).      They know. I will never claim to be smarter than a mature whitetail buck.

Edited December 20, 2017 by JHbowhunter

[Nomad]

You got that nice buck this year, just hunting buck sign in the oaks.