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Two mature bucks in the province with Canada’s lowest deer density isn’t luck—it’s a system. We sit down with Mike Mason to unpack how careful scouting, patient all-day sits, and a smart camera strategy can turn scarce deer woods into repeatable success. Mike hunts three different areas in Guysborough County, logs every mature buck’s daytime appearance, and focuses on transition lines where habitat types meet. That structure—plus the humility to pivot when a bear wrecks a set—led him to a heavy, dark-antlered 160-class buck known as Frank the Tank and a second, gnarly old warrior that finally slipped up on a frigid December evening.

We get tactical. Mike shares how he runs 12–16 cameras without burning time or fuel, why community scrapes are worth their weight in gold, and how he chooses stand locations for the winds he actually gets. We dig into seasonal shifts that break summer patterns by October, the value of south-facing winter slopes for learning deer behavior, and why note-taking over 15 years pointed him straight to late-November daylight windows. He also explains his battery and solar approach for remote sets and offers a balanced view on cell-cam ethics—where they help, where they don’t, and why patience still beats pings.

The conversation ranges beyond whitetails. Mike recounts a New Brunswick spring bear hunt that produced a giant boar and highlights what makes spring bear action so electric: boar fights, rut chaos, and true trophy opportunities. We touch Nova Scotia regulations, bonus tags, required courses, and the realities of ticks across the province, then celebrate a milestone as Mike helps his wife tag her first buck.

If you’re hunting big woods, low-density whitetails, you’ll walk away with clear tactics you can apply this season: scout transitions, test before you build, commit to the right wind, and be ready for an all-day sit when your notes say go. Enjoy the story, then subscribe, leave a quick review, and share your own hard-earned big woods tips with us.

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