Got a different Buck than what you scouted?

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schoolhousegrizz

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How often have you guys gone into an area where you have scouted for a buck and are looking for him. However, you end up finding one just as good or better that you never found during scouting. Would love to hear your experience on this.
 
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I have that story in 2020. I was looking for a big non-typical. Scouted the area for many days, then archery hunted for 7 days I believe it was. Returned on the rifle and killed a 203 buck I'd never seen in there. I was blown away that I spent so much time in there and never saw that buck. I would've never thought a buck could have hidden like that.
 
Founder said:
I have that story in 2020. I was looking for a big non-typical. Scouted the area for many days, then archery hunted for 7 days I believe it was. Returned on the rifle and killed a 203 buck I'd never seen in there. I was blown away that I spent so much time in there and never saw that buck. I would've never thought a buck could have hidden like that.
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No possibility he moved in from a different area?
 
Founder said:
I have that story in 2020. I was looking for a big non-typical. Scouted the area for many days, then archery hunted for 7 days I believe it was. Returned on the rifle and killed a 203 buck I'd never seen in there. I was blown away that I spent so much time in there and never saw that buck. I would've never thought a buck could have hidden like that.
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I remember that!
 
Founder said:
I don't think so. I think he was there and I just didn't see him. It was a tough spot to hunt because of the wind and thick timber. I had a hell of a time getting looks at the buck I was after.
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I saw him 200 yards from were Fouder shot him at the end of July. He put on some impressive inches after I saw him. He had been hanging out in that spot for at least 3 years, but really added some size the year he got shot. I missed him 2 years before founder got him. I hesitated to long then decided to shoot. He was 27" 4x4 with no cheaters that year. Probably 180 ish.
 
Founder said:
I don't think so. I think he was there and I just didn't see him. It was a tough spot to hunt because of the wind and thick timber. I had a hell of a time getting looks at the buck I was after.
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My son and I were in the same area for three days prior to the rifle season and never saw that buck either. There was a LOT of hunters in that area the first couple days of the season. I'm guessing all the scouting pressure had him educated. It is always good thing when those smart old bucks make a mistake when you are in the right spot.
 
RoadlessHunter said:
I saw him 200 yards from were Fouder shot him at the end of July. He put on some impressive inches after I saw him. He had been hanging out in that spot for at least 3 years, but really added some size the year he got shot. I missed him 2 years before founder got him. I hesitated to long then decided to shoot. He was 27" 4x4 with no cheaters that year. Probably 180 ish.
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I believe he was in there the whole time I was scouting and bowhunting, he must've just smelled my stinky butt and knew I was coming everyday. I was impressed though that he avoided me laying eyes on him all that time. I would've never guessed I could spend that much time in a bucks house without catching a glimpse.
 
Several years ago my number 1 and number two buck lived in the same canyon. Opening morning I had my #1 in my crosshairs before legal shooting time. About 5 mins before legal shooting light, two guys walked right through the buck sending him packing. I grabbed my crap and ran as fast as I could to the top of the next ridge to hopefully catch him going up the other side. No dice. He disappeared. I sat down in disappointment and my brother said I can see a buck (with his naked eye at 650 yards). I put my binos on him and it was my #2. As much as I wanted to pass him up in hopes for the bigger one, I just couldn’t pass. He scored 193”. I think my #2 was over 200 but I never laid eyes on him again.
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marley said:
Several years ago my number 1 and number two buck lived in the same canyon. Opening morning I had my #1 in my crosshairs before legal shooting time. About 5 mins before legal shooting light, two guys walked right through the buck sending him packing. I grabbed my crap and ran as fast as I could to the top of the next ridge to hopefully catch him going up the other side. No dice. He disappeared. I sat down in disappointment and my brother said I can see a buck (with his naked eye at 650 yards). I put my binos on him and it was my #2. As much as I wanted to pass him up in hopes for the bigger one, I just couldn’t pass. He scored 193”. I think my #2 was over 200 but I never laid eyes on him again.
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Awesome, was that in a general unit with those 2 big bucks? If so what unit?😂😉
 
marley said:
Several years ago my number 1 and number two buck lived in the same canyon. Opening morning I had my #1 in my crosshairs before legal shooting time. About 5 mins before legal shooting light, two guys walked right through the buck sending him packing. I grabbed my crap and ran as fast as I could to the top of the next ridge to hopefully catch him going up the other side. No dice. He disappeared. I sat down in disappointment and my brother said I can see a buck (with his naked eye at 650 yards). I put my binos on him and it was my #2. As much as I wanted to pass him up in hopes for the bigger one, I just couldn’t pass. He scored 193”. I think my #2 was over 200 but I never laid eyes on him again.
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Don’t think anyone I know would pass on that buck. Unless a bigger buck was standing closer.
 
My best example of this topic is when I passed on a 30"+ 3x4 on opening day because I was looking for a 180"+ typical I had scouted a few weeks earlier. On the last day of the hunt, a friend of mine asked if he could go look for that 3x4, in which I had no problem with him going for it. He ended up killing a 226" non typical instead.
 
ridgetops said:
My best example of this topic is when I passed on a 30"+ 3x4 on opening day because I was looking for a 180"+ typical I had scouted a few weeks earlier. On the last day of the hunt, a friend of mine asked if he could go look for that 3x4, in which I had no problem with him going for it. He ended up killing a 226" non typical instead.
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Wow, very cool. I guess you may never really know what is hanging around. Scouting an area you probably have a pretty good idea when you're there in July and August but I'm sure there's some we never see.
 
My son and I once archery hunted a giant 3X4 for four years in a row. He was heavy, tall and every bit 32" wide. He always showed up in the same canyon during bow season and then would disappear after that. He became an obsession.
He always had companions and a couple of years he showed up with some equal or better quality bucks with him, but by then we just couldn't go after anything else.
He lived a charmed life and multiple times we got within easy bow range but something unexpected always messed it up for us. (A gust of wind blew the arrow off, a badger busted through scattering the group, a 2 point came over the hill and bumped them, etc, etc.)
The last year we saw him he had a limp and his face was turning white like an old dog. Ultimately we never got him but he will always be one of our favorites.
 
This mite not fit the topic, but a friend shot a 6x6 bull just to find out that a spike was standing in front of the bull with his head down, he sure packed easier .
 
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I had that happen with this buck. I was in an area hunting a 175-180” 4 point. As my dad and I were glassing to turn up the 4 point, we turned up this buck and quickly decided to go after this buck instead. as I dropped into a little draw stalking the non-typical buck, I jumped the 4 point and he actually stopped and gave me a 180 yard broadside shot, my dad said you better not even think about shooting that one. It definitely crossed my mind haha but as luck would have it , I kept after the non-typical buck and end up killing him. General season Utah buck
 
RoadHunter said:
View attachment 154707
I had that happen with this buck. I was in an area hunting a 175-180” 4 point. As my dad and I were glassing to turn up the 4 point, we turned up this buck and quickly decided to go after this buck instead. as I dropped into a little draw stalking the non-typical buck, I jumped the 4 point and he actually stopped and gave me a 180 yard broadside shot, my dad said you better not even think about shooting that one. It definitely crossed my mind haha but as luck would have it , I kept after the non-typical buck and end up killing him. General season Utah buck
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Love this story. How many times had you been in the area looking at the 4 point, without ever seeing this buck?
 

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