ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
The studies suggest that core ares range from 20 to 150 acres with an average of 60 acres. Home range 300 to 1200 acres with an average of 600 acres.
Studies also suggest, bucks move frequently in daylight within there core but rarely venture out until after dark. Bucks do not always disperse but dispersal rates are high (90%). Bucks some times travel up to five miles during the rut and in some cases, relocate.
This is much more believable. Dispersal rates and home ranges I can agree with.
As a long time shedder.. I can tell you first hand how often I find sheds a mile or more apart. Trailcams of a buck 3/4 of a mile from where an antler lays in spring. It's just not plausable (in my own opinion) that a whitetail buck could have such a small home range... smaller yes... but not less than 200 acres.. and thats really really small.
Likely in terms of 700+ acres on a home range.
Roughly 5 miles as the crow flies is the farthest we have found a matched set apart.
Not unusual for some deer to travel 1 - 1.5miles every day to feed depending on crop rotation or in the winter.
I've killedtwo bucks 6 miles from where we have found their sheds. Both were 4.5 years old when I killed them. Both bucks werekilled 250 yardsfrom each other a year apart. Both sheds were foundwithin 400 - 500 yards a yearapart. They were 2.5 years old when they dropped their sheds that we found. We didn't find their sheds when they were 3.5 years old.
I killed another buck3 miles from where he shedded. " edited... " He was 3.5 years old when I killed him. The sheds werefound the year before.
We seequite a few 3 year oldbucks relocated in the springto different " core summer - fallareas" . Once they setup inthat area... they come back to it even if they move miles in the winter to better feeding areas or from hunting pressure.
We have 3 sets of sheds from one buck. All sheds where found within a200 yard area. His home range was small but still consisted of 400 acres. He was avery visible buck compared to most even at 6.5 years old. He had two major bedding areashe frequented1/4 mile apart at any giventime of the year.
Deer are not afraid to travel here. Core areas can consist of 100s of acres and home ranges very big with our terrain, crop rotation, perferred food at different times of the year,pressure and winter.
Tim