By Alex Comstock
Hunting mature bucks is a way of life for most of us hardcore deer hunters. We obsess over mature bucks and are doing things every month of the year to figure out ways to send an arrow through one. For most of us, whitetail thoughts flow through our brain almost on a daily basis. Chasing these elusive creatures also probably contributes to more sleepless nights than we care to admit. Here's just a few reasons these animals keep us up at night.
Always Planning the Next Move
No matter the time of year, there is always something to do when it comes to hunting mature bucks. My mind is constantly racing about what's next. During the spring, there's scouting and shed hunting, and trying to figure out how deer use a property in preparation for the following fall. Then comes summer, and there is more scouting. Don't even mention how crazy glassing whitetails and running trail cameras can make you. I'll be up late at night planning where I want to run cameras, glass the next night, and staring at maps wondering how a buck might bed on a certain property. Planning the next move doesn't only involve the actual hunting season.
But when hunting season does roll around, everything is taken to a completely new level. Big bucks start running through your head, and everything is intensified. After every sit, plans formulate for the next sit, and what move is next in order to put yourself in front of a mature buck. There are more late nights staring at maps, and the cycle continues to repeat.
We Dream About "Those Moments"
As a mature buck hunter, it's hard not to dream about those ideal scenarios. Picture this scenario, and tell me with a straight face it doesn't cause you to lose at least some sleep. It's November 5th, and tomorrow you've finally got the wind you've been waiting for to hunt your best rut stand. You've been dreaming about hunting this stand since hanging it during the summer. I'd be willing to bet about every possible dream scenario will play out in your head about what could happen the following every day. I'd also be willing to bet you might lose a little sleep because of this as well!
Mature Bucks Never Fail to Surprise You
Just when you think you've got a mature buck figured out, he fools you. I've got over a thousand pictures of the main buck I'm after right now, and every time I think I've got him figured out, he schools me. Most times, I come home after hunting stumped, and it can lead to restless nights. Most of the time, bucks are surprising us, and seem to be one step ahead. The sleepless nights come from us obsessing over how we can turn the tables, and get one step ahead of that buck to get into position to send an arrow his way.
Conclusion
Mature bucks are fascinating animals to hunt. Their level of intelligence may frustrate us in to staying up at night, but it's part of what makes them so fun to hunt. Those sleepless nights, and hours spent consumed over the next move to make ultimately makes those moments of success so much sweeter.
