sureshot
The Hunt Never Ends....
AJ's Return; TrophyPursuit.com (Pic Update At Bottom)
Have any of you ever had a 'camera shy' deer living on farms you hunt? That's exactly what I've had the last two years with a buck at we call 'AJ' (short of Adidas Junior).
AJ originally showed up back in the summer of 2011. At first glance, I thought he was a buck that I called Adidas, however, after a close call with him in November of 2011, I immediately knew that there had been a case of mistaken identity and that the buck that I thought was Adidas was actually just a similar looking whitetail, hence the name AJ. So, now lets fast forward to July 7th of this year;
Wilkerson, Everly, and myself headed out to put up cameras, as we do every year around this time. We had our spots already picked out, and upon walking to the 7th camera location kicked up a large buck, that I immediately recognized as AJ. We put the camera up nearby, and I figured that the next time we checked the card that AJ would show up.
Well, he showed up, but barely. What I mean by barely is that he was in the very back of the frame of many of the pictures. It was evident that AJ was camera shy and that he wanted nothing to do with the flash.
I decided to leave the camera there and hoped that he would get comfortable with it within the next week. A week went by and once again, AJ showed up, but never came close to the camera. This time I decided that it was time to try something different. Below, Aj is in the back left of the picture.
I grabbed my elimatree, an infrared Truth Cam, and set up on the opposite side of the field where I knew AJ was coming from. The plan worked, and AJ showed back up. He is an absolute stud at 5.5 years old, with long G2s and an unique looking frame. I feel that with his shy and weary demeanor that he will be a tougher buck to kill, but I also feel that if I hunt him smart that it can be done.
The past three weeks of watching AJ has really reinforced something to me; Every whitetail has it's own personality. Some are shy, some are not.....some don't mind 'unnatural' activity while others will steer clear of the first twig that's out of place. By utilizing your trail cameras, and really analyzing your pictures, you can often times dissect a bucks 'personality' and understand the best approach to hunting him. For instance, with AJ being a shy and seemingly weary whitetail, I'm going to be very cautious and much more laid back (less aggressive), then I will be with certain other bucks on the farm. If possible, use their personality to your advantage, and take advantage of the opportunity when it's presented.
To watch a short clip about AJ, including a close call from last year, as well as see a few other giants that were on the cams this week, simply click on the link below (you will be directed to TrophyPursuit.com).
http://trophypursuit.com/chris/2012/07/30/ajs-return-camera-shy-bucks/
The season is only 2 months away fellas.....It'll be here before ya know it :way:
Have any of you ever had a 'camera shy' deer living on farms you hunt? That's exactly what I've had the last two years with a buck at we call 'AJ' (short of Adidas Junior).
AJ originally showed up back in the summer of 2011. At first glance, I thought he was a buck that I called Adidas, however, after a close call with him in November of 2011, I immediately knew that there had been a case of mistaken identity and that the buck that I thought was Adidas was actually just a similar looking whitetail, hence the name AJ. So, now lets fast forward to July 7th of this year;
Wilkerson, Everly, and myself headed out to put up cameras, as we do every year around this time. We had our spots already picked out, and upon walking to the 7th camera location kicked up a large buck, that I immediately recognized as AJ. We put the camera up nearby, and I figured that the next time we checked the card that AJ would show up.
Well, he showed up, but barely. What I mean by barely is that he was in the very back of the frame of many of the pictures. It was evident that AJ was camera shy and that he wanted nothing to do with the flash.
I decided to leave the camera there and hoped that he would get comfortable with it within the next week. A week went by and once again, AJ showed up, but never came close to the camera. This time I decided that it was time to try something different. Below, Aj is in the back left of the picture.
I grabbed my elimatree, an infrared Truth Cam, and set up on the opposite side of the field where I knew AJ was coming from. The plan worked, and AJ showed back up. He is an absolute stud at 5.5 years old, with long G2s and an unique looking frame. I feel that with his shy and weary demeanor that he will be a tougher buck to kill, but I also feel that if I hunt him smart that it can be done.
The past three weeks of watching AJ has really reinforced something to me; Every whitetail has it's own personality. Some are shy, some are not.....some don't mind 'unnatural' activity while others will steer clear of the first twig that's out of place. By utilizing your trail cameras, and really analyzing your pictures, you can often times dissect a bucks 'personality' and understand the best approach to hunting him. For instance, with AJ being a shy and seemingly weary whitetail, I'm going to be very cautious and much more laid back (less aggressive), then I will be with certain other bucks on the farm. If possible, use their personality to your advantage, and take advantage of the opportunity when it's presented.
To watch a short clip about AJ, including a close call from last year, as well as see a few other giants that were on the cams this week, simply click on the link below (you will be directed to TrophyPursuit.com).
http://trophypursuit.com/chris/2012/07/30/ajs-return-camera-shy-bucks/
The season is only 2 months away fellas.....It'll be here before ya know it :way:
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