Brantley: First “Cruising” Buck of the Year

Oct. 8: Yesterday I’d no more than nocked an arrow and hung my bow on the hanger when I looked across the picked beanfield I was hunting and spotted this young 8-pointer standing at the edge. It was 82 degrees and the sun was shining bright, but this guy was out walking and looking, seemingly with a purpose. He ultimately walked to within 30 yards of me, got downwind and caught my scent, but I enjoyed watching him. Check out the video.

Of course young bucks are notorious for such brazen behavior, and it’s a good bet that bucks of this size are responsible for some of the small scrapes and rubs I’m starting to see in the areas I’m hunting. But a cruising buck in October, small or not, is just confirmation that good things are on the horizon, maybe with the next cold snap.

What about in your area? Are you seeing any bucks on their feet at odd hours of the day yet, or are they still food-to-bed patterns?