How to archery hunt hard horned bucks ???

Have three days left and have struggled to find bucks once they went hard horned out here on the west desert.

Any suggestions on how to find them this time of year?

Cheers, Pete

Some of the older bucks completely change there habits once they've rubbed their velvet off..some go completely nocturnal especially in areas that have much human activity,. Some will go into heavily timbered or thick brushy canyons and check out the roughest crappiest areas on your unit and so on..they can definitely be tough to hunt thats why they made it through a few seasons heck you could write a whole book on hunting smart bucks (some fellers have tried)..get out super early and glass your country and also glass late in the evening till you can't see any more find your buck then try to figure him out from there...good luck

Unfortunately, there are only so many tactics we can use to kill deer. If the glassing late and early is no longer turning up those bucks for stalks, you may need to still hunt the nearby hidey holes... get the wind right, try and anticipate routes they may use and try to stay above where they may be... use your ears as much as your eyes.

One option that worked thrice in my Archery endeavors... a sort of deer drive. If you have a buddy, have him still hunt a bedding area (whether he has a bow or not) while you wait on an escape route. I've missed two great bucks this way and my BIL missed another I nudged to him.

Been trying to hunt these stands, but it's so thick in there that there would be no way shoot.

Another thing is they are pulling the cattle out and have shut off most if not all the water tanks. I'm sure they're in there somewhere, but there's no specific water to hunt around anymore.

Definitely been an interesting one. Hunted 20 days so far and not sure I could have done any more when it's been 100+ out every day.

May have to hire a bird dogger for the last two days. Good idea Jason !!!

Cheers, Pete

They often bed all day in an area that won’t get any/much direct sun. Check every little hole very carefully. If your area has any rock, especially near the upper 1/3 of the ridge, they like hiding in there. Good bucks are hard to find in thick/dense country. That’s how they grew to become good bucks.
Sometimes you can get lucky glassing near and Into the thick stuff very early and late and just catch them slipping into or out of bedding.

Check those rocky outcropping’s very carefully from different angles. A lot of folks will concentrate on the lush green cover while smart bucks will hide elsewhere.

C3. I hope you figure it and let me know. Cameras were huge for archery and that is gone now. Good luck and I hope you get it done

With the cowboy's push the cattle I'm thinking the deer are only moving at night early dawn is when you need to be high and glassing down into those area's. IMO

Thanks for all the suggestions. In the end I didn't get a buck, but had a great time trying in spite of the crazy weather this year.

It cooled off and rained the last few days and I was able to find lots of bucks finally after two weeks of seeing almost zero. Turned out the first three days and the last three days were where I had all my chances. Eight stalks in all on a bunch of different bucks. None of which were really big. The last two days I was 52, 59, 120 and 150 yards from ones I would have shot.

All the normal excuses why they didn't work and a few I would never have thought. How about Apache helicopters flying right at you and then sitting in a saddle a couple hundred yards away for 5 mins blowing up the whole mtn. Maybe another you've never seen, a flight of five F35 Lightnings at 300' just under mach speed to blow you and all the deer's ear drums out. And the best one a couple of moo cows that feed right between me and the biggest fork horn with cheaters I've ever seen in person when I was only 52 yards from him !!!

Needless to say my goal was accomplished to get out of the deer points game so I can get back to applying for elk and have some fun yipping it up along the way

Anyway, thanks again and if anyone wants info on the vernon, feel free to check in.

Cheers, Pete

All in all looks like you had an amazing time doing what you love! Great pics and write-up, thanks for sharing!