Nocturnal Bucks

I would suggest putting a few miles on your boots.
If the buck won't come to you, you have to go to the buck. Still hunting will produce a lot more sightings for you, but you will have to be quick to shoulder your rifle, as your likely going to move your target.
A good tracking snow will tip the scales in your favor, you can pick the track you want to spend time on.
My favorite condisions are a steady light rain. There are a lot less people in the woods, and if you cross a track on bare ground that mashes down to bedrock your in the game.

 

Go out NOW, and find the bedding areas. Where deer are living now are where they have moved to when the Fall food sources change.
Look for lots of rubs (on trees) in a small area. Then set up just outside that area next November.

 

I have had my best luck with bucks early in the season and I'll tell you how I got most of them.
First, I knew the area well and had a good idea from scouting and past hunting experiences where the big bucks liked to bed down.
Like LJ, I pick my days and I agree with him, a misty rain with heavy air works well. I can smell a deer.
Still hunting - real still hunting! Cover almost no ground in an hours time but I scan the terrain looking for anything that could resemble any part of a deer.
I have shot many bucks just as they got up out of their beds - some so close to me it scared the bejeepers out of me.
Other than that, for those nocturnal bucks, get a BIG flashlight! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Steve, do a bit of walking and find out where they are now. Bucks and Does will bed near each other. Find the rubs, mark it on your TOPO map/GPS. Mark where you find deer in January/February on your map/GPS.

Next Fall, hunt the Bucks bedroom area(s) early and hunt the Doe area(s) late season. Try this occassionally throughout the season between your normal hunting.

 

Don't forget, I get 15% of the shed antlers you find! heh heh...

 

Big deer are hard critters to kill........
You need to forget the field deer tactics and think like a swamp buck. Big deer in the north woods don't expose themselves to fields or big cuts. they feed and sleep and mate in cover. Use the does to find the travel lanes...watch the cover areas and wait in ambush. Grunt calls pull bucks and bleats make them curious for does. Use real and false scrapes to time the periods of movement "your" buck is using. Trail Timers are great....place them "to" and "from" to time the movements.