Big woods deer

[Dread]

Hi guys,

I would need help please, Where i hunt is, huge woods only meaning there are no food plots, no fields, just hardwoods, softwoods, swamps, beaver-damns,ect...

The rut kicks in only on the third week of november, our hunting season starts on Nov. 1st till Nov 14th. I think you all know that the region of Quebec is not the best place for White-tail deer, yes we have a good population of deer but not the right ratio, that being said we can eliminate rattling in big bucks, why? well because why would a buck leave up 9-10 does for 2 bucks fighting? yeah thats right 1 buck for 9 does
The big boys dont start scraping until the last few days of firearms season

The region i hunt has 45000 acres of woods this is a private hunting club,
in that region where i actually hunt has 900 acres meaning there is noone around to spook the deer, i am there alone. yeah it is big.

I cannot seem to find the last piece of the puzzle to actually tag a 3 1/2 -4 year old buck, i know they are there but just can hook up with one, i see alot of 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 inch wide deer tracks but what i dont see is the rubbing, scraps, ect....

you guys have any pointers for me?

[Tenpoint]

Tough question Dread. Sorry, I can't be of much help. I've never hunted big woods like that for deer. The dates you mentioned do sound a bit late for Quebec deer to be scraping though. I would think they will be starting any time now. Do you have any oportunity to scout there, or do you just go up for the hunt?

Tenpoint

[Dread]

I scouted today, along a spruce-ceder swamp and found to rubs thats it!

I can scout all i want TP, im trying to use the landscape to my advantage meaning creek bottoms, funnels, gullies, ect... no easy trying to cover all them woods, lol

Rut signs here are slow, there is no hurry for the bucks here since they have all the does they want.

[Kaiser Hirsch]

Tell me where you are hunting bud. I might be able to give you some pointers.
KH.

[Dread]

KH, its called St- Camille Quebec.

I dont know if that is much use to you. I do have a screen shot of the place from google but again i dont know if that will help you.

Ill PM you the picture i have.

TP thanks for the reply, I know what you mean it is not easy trying to figure out the best place to hunt in big northern woods

[Tenpoint]

The 2007 hunting (October?) issue of Ontario Out of doors has a good article on Big Woods Hunting. You may be able to find it at a library, or online.

Tenpoint

[Dread]

Yup seen it TP, thanks that helps alot Oct 29th we received 3-4 inches of snow, i can now see where the deer are headed and bed. ALOT of moving around made 4 mock scraps yesterday going to see them today
more to come later.

[cjg]

Here in Maine in the "Big Woods" deer aren't everywhere, their a pockets of does near a feed source like a 2 or 3 year old cutting and shelter. Bucks travel from pocket to pocket checking for receptive does, sometimes smaller bucks will hang with them but the big ones are on the move. It seems to work best to find a few of these pockets of does and hunt between them, not going in and spooking them out of the area.

[mainewhitetail]

Buy a topo of the area and look for funnel areas. like saddles and points off .ridges. Also i have had good luck in stands below beaver dams. which will also funnel deer around. aerial maps are a great tool also!

[mainewhitetail]

Another way to look at a large block of woods for deer hunting.is look for structure like you would if you was bass fishing on a lake.just reveres the open water for woods and the structure as deer hot spots like bass would use. this will narrow the large woods down to the best areas to deer hunt. hope this will help if your a bass fisherman.