Summer bachelor group
08-03-2005, 03:24 PM
#12
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Mid Missouri
Posts: 91
RE: Summer bachelor group
Hope at least one of them sticks around for you. I had a group of
five nice bucks hanging around one of my hunting spots all summer last year. But by the time season rolled around they had all split up and left.
five nice bucks hanging around one of my hunting spots all summer last year. But by the time season rolled around they had all split up and left.
08-03-2005, 03:39 PM
#14
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 56
RE: Summer bachelor group
rocket,
we've had the same "issues" the past 5 years. We're one of only two active farms left in a 4+ square mile area—so of course, we're the Olive Garden for our area in the Spring/Summer months.
Our biggest issue is that the properties surrounding us are off-limits to hunting. Now, that's been a major catch-22. The good side is that the deer typically move pretty well during daylight—at least the does and younger deer—and with little hunting in the area, bucks get a chance to reach maturity!
The downside is that the overall herd ratio has gotten really out of whack because of the lack of hunting. We've taken 6 does the past two seasons—and it hasn't even put a scratch on the doe numbers. We've not made a profit on our end of the lease for farming in over 3 years due to the number of deer hitting our crops. Anyway, our problem is, with so many does feeding in our fields each evening, and there being so many more does than bucks—competition, and the need to "seek" during the rut is "LOW!"
There are so many does, the bucks don't really have to compete for breeding rights. And, since most of the deer in the area "bed" on the non-hunted properties, they don't have a lot of traveling to do regardless. The bucks pretty well know that they can cruise our property after dark, and find as many does as they need in our plots and crop fields to keep them active during the rut.
Perfect example, last Thanksgiving, I was hunting about "mid-way" between that "exact" field edge and the next property line. Not 30 seconds after it was too dark to shoot and I lowered my bow, two massive bucks ran a doe directly under my stand and into our bean field!
Curse of the Irish I guess, LOL. Anyway, it's difficult with those conditions to catch up to the big boys during daylight.
My grandfather was issued "nuisance" tags this Summer to try and thin the does—hoping to maintain some sort of actual crop harvest this year—so that may help with leveling the herd sex ratio. I guess time will tell.
I figure our best bet at the big boys will be early season—while the beans are still in the fields. These guys came out about 45 minutes before dark, so if we don't get a good mast crop—they may very well continue hitting the soybeans in the evenings before harvest. At least that's what I'm hoping for.
Either way, there were two larger bucks in the same field the day before—and we have had a bachelor group we refer to as the "4 horses" in our crops the past four Summers that dwarf the fellas in the pics—so unless they've relocated, or died over the past year—we should have plenty of decent bucks come this Fall.
If we can just catch up to them!!!
we've had the same "issues" the past 5 years. We're one of only two active farms left in a 4+ square mile area—so of course, we're the Olive Garden for our area in the Spring/Summer months.
Our biggest issue is that the properties surrounding us are off-limits to hunting. Now, that's been a major catch-22. The good side is that the deer typically move pretty well during daylight—at least the does and younger deer—and with little hunting in the area, bucks get a chance to reach maturity!
The downside is that the overall herd ratio has gotten really out of whack because of the lack of hunting. We've taken 6 does the past two seasons—and it hasn't even put a scratch on the doe numbers. We've not made a profit on our end of the lease for farming in over 3 years due to the number of deer hitting our crops. Anyway, our problem is, with so many does feeding in our fields each evening, and there being so many more does than bucks—competition, and the need to "seek" during the rut is "LOW!"
There are so many does, the bucks don't really have to compete for breeding rights. And, since most of the deer in the area "bed" on the non-hunted properties, they don't have a lot of traveling to do regardless. The bucks pretty well know that they can cruise our property after dark, and find as many does as they need in our plots and crop fields to keep them active during the rut.
Perfect example, last Thanksgiving, I was hunting about "mid-way" between that "exact" field edge and the next property line. Not 30 seconds after it was too dark to shoot and I lowered my bow, two massive bucks ran a doe directly under my stand and into our bean field!
Curse of the Irish I guess, LOL. Anyway, it's difficult with those conditions to catch up to the big boys during daylight.
My grandfather was issued "nuisance" tags this Summer to try and thin the does—hoping to maintain some sort of actual crop harvest this year—so that may help with leveling the herd sex ratio. I guess time will tell.
I figure our best bet at the big boys will be early season—while the beans are still in the fields. These guys came out about 45 minutes before dark, so if we don't get a good mast crop—they may very well continue hitting the soybeans in the evenings before harvest. At least that's what I'm hoping for.
Either way, there were two larger bucks in the same field the day before—and we have had a bachelor group we refer to as the "4 horses" in our crops the past four Summers that dwarf the fellas in the pics—so unless they've relocated, or died over the past year—we should have plenty of decent bucks come this Fall.
If we can just catch up to them!!!
08-03-2005, 04:18 PM
#15
Join Date: May 2005
Location: georgia
Posts: 3,297
RE: Summer bachelor group
ORIGINAL: jmac220
RI—Been counting the days since Jan. 16th, lol.
Though he's only a mainframe 8—the one with the tall brow tines is going to get a Slick Trick if I can locate him this Fall. The other buck is also a mainframe 8—but has extremely short brow tines for the size of his overall rack. Another year might do miracles for him.
Truth is, I'd pass both of them for a shot at either of the two bigger bucks from the evening before. But, with two buck tags, I like the character of the one with long brow tines enough to take him back to the cabin this Fall, lol. We don't see many "tall" racks like that in our area—most typically look like the other buck—with wide sweeping racks.
Either way, less than 2 months til opening day—and I'm getting more impatient by the day!
RI—Been counting the days since Jan. 16th, lol.
Though he's only a mainframe 8—the one with the tall brow tines is going to get a Slick Trick if I can locate him this Fall. The other buck is also a mainframe 8—but has extremely short brow tines for the size of his overall rack. Another year might do miracles for him.
Truth is, I'd pass both of them for a shot at either of the two bigger bucks from the evening before. But, with two buck tags, I like the character of the one with long brow tines enough to take him back to the cabin this Fall, lol. We don't see many "tall" racks like that in our area—most typically look like the other buck—with wide sweeping racks.
Either way, less than 2 months til opening day—and I'm getting more impatient by the day!
