Me and my neighboring hunting buddy have been talking the last couple of years, about howin the preseason, we see way more bucks than does. Trail cams, all bucks every now and then Ill have up to maybe 4 does. And I wonder maybe, If thats why my land doesnt Hold bucks very well when the season comes in? It's not pressured that badly, Im the only person that hunts it. Theyre just not there.
I think the bucks are finding does elsewhere, I just dont have the numbers. Anybody have any experience with a situation like this. Im trying my hardest to figure out WHERE the Bucks go in October. Now Im thinking Maybe I dont have ENOUGH does. Maybe thinking too hard...
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Yesterday was the past, Tomorrow is the future, but today is a Gift, that is why it's called the Present.
Well.... I have hay fields full of clover, some usually browse on whats left after the cut. I have borderingcorn fields that get cut, so nothing there. I have probably 10acres of woods TOTAL scatterd over 75acres of fields, that holds very few acorns. Theres really NOTHING around anywhere except what clover is left in the fields.
Dont get me wrong, I usually SEE deer but not like now.
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Yesterday was the past, Tomorrow is the future, but today is a Gift, that is why it's called the Present.
Its kind of reverse for me, from Oct 1 until around Halloween, all I see are mostly does, but around Halloween the bucks are everywhere, but I only catch glimpses of Big one's, it's usually the 120" and under that get within range.
It does seem does don't like bucks and were they bed doe's avoid. Most everybody hunts the doe's when the bucks are. I think your right and your lack of doe's for whatever reason is your problem.
Find them and you'll find your bucks is the way I'd go at it.
Here in N.W Ohio our limited area's are greatly affected by small changes. An area that was a bedding area for doe's can and does become a bedding area for bucks if and when that little area is cleaned out of deer and it doesn't take much to do it. If the area is left alone in an effort to hunt only the bucks that come through, it will pretty much remian the same. Little groups of does and fawns every year will feed in the feilds occasionaly getting hit on the roads. The bucks come from all around to find them.
I've hunted Va. You don't have a limited amount of deer like we do herebut I still think the principle above applies, find the doe's.
My little area has change twice form a doe area to a buck area. I shot the buck that ruled the roost here last year. Doe's wouldn't come here. This year I've seen signs of doe's again.
Another thing to remember is that in the summer, bucks tend torun together in bachelor groups. In the early fall, the bachelor groups break up. The bucks tend to disperse and find their own areas. That might be one reason why you see so many bucks in the summer but fewer during hunting season.
10 acres of woods is enough to hold alot of bucks during the summer time when they're all "friends". But once the pre-rut starts, and they become territorial and start fighting, 10 acres isn't enough to hold alot of bucks. They're probably just driving each other away.
How many of you see more Bucks than Does?
