True or False.....
 

True or False...

The natural maturation process of a whitetail deer finds him (as he grow older) somewhere in the process of becoming completely nocturnal.

I'll let that statement stand on the caveat that we all realizea buck willlet down his guard during the rut. Even still....don't we think he does this less and less as hematures?

RE: True or False.....
 

It seems that way since you don't really see the bruisers unless dead in a pick-up or on trailcams.

RE: True or False.....
 

I don't think going nocturnal is necessarily the natural end result of maturity. IMO, it depends on how heavily the deer is pressured and how the humans that have hunted him have trained him.

RE: True or False.....
 

I completely agree.

RE: True or False.....
 

Yes and No to thissimply "MY" opinion ,sure as a buck get's older he get's wiser ,and depend's on his cover more and more ,but early season you can, and will find these buck's grazing in field's in daylight hr's ,espeacially early summer and just after the rut when they go to heavy feeding pattern's .As hunting pressure begin's ,these buck do all but disappear ,they depend on their instinct's and alway's wait till the last deer is in the field before they come out .

This is simply my opinion and my experience's .

nubo

RE: True or False.....
 

So, Arthur....in a state in which a mature whitetail is not pressured......he is just as easy topattern as a juvenile buck? In other words.....he'll show himself in daylight just as much as any other buck?

RE: True or False.....
 

Yup. He's a deer, ain't he? ;) If he's never been hunted, he has no reason to change his natural patterns.

RE: True or False.....
 

I vote true, for the most part....

RE: True or False.....
 

It would seem this is a true statement. "COMPLETELY" nocturnal...No , I don't believe so. A whitetail deer still needs to get up and feed every 4-6 hours. I believe mature bucks find a core/bedding area that allows them to get up to feed and stretch their legs in a very confined , protected spot that hunters don't go.
We've all seen mature bucks in the middle of the day in some unexpected place before the season opens.
During the first week of archery season,I see mature bucks. They seem to dissapear after that. I think it's related to hunter activity. Small game and turkey hunters move around without concern for deer. They just don't take chances.

RE: True or False.....
 

I agree, we ice fished off of lake Ontario there was a "deer farm" that did not remove antlers we would see massive bucks in daylight all the time. You remove predators and pressure and what would make them go nocturnal?

RE: True or False.....
 

So there is nothing "natural" about a whitetail buck resorting to complete nocturnal activity?

Is this assumption true or false?

RE: True or False.....
 

Mostly true,

In most areas, if the buck doesn't go mostly nocturnal, then he probably won't mature. :D

I also don't think that most big bucks go completely nocturnal. I think they find a core area they feel
comfortable with and greatly limit their movements during the day to that area.

RE: True or False.....
 

It's a good question. I'm sure somebody who has pen raised deer could tell you. Logic would
tell you that without pressure, the deer would just as soon graze in daylight as in the dark.

RE: True or False.....
 

It really depends on what you call an old deer. Deer will becoming in "hiddening" after they turn 4+years because of the three year olds become the dominate bucks and just want to fight. Pressure plays a lot on if a deer becomes naturnal as well. But in a perfect world as the deer ages he becomes dominate and will cruise around whenever he wants... as he ages to 4+ years the younger deer want to kick his ass and he becomes less and less active..... Deer during the cold months will sleep about 80% of the day. During the summer months they will sleep 50% of the day eating whenever possible to prepare for the rut.

RE: True or False.....
 

I'm starting to like this guy;)

RE: True or False.....
 

well said, I agree.

RE: True or False.....
 

I've read that as a buck matures, he doesn't need to always be feeding as much, therefore can layup much more during the daylight hours, making it seem like he is getting mroe nocturnal. Depends on whether I should believe that or not, I forget where I read/heard it.

Now from a pressure standpoint I thinkbucks learn REAL quickto only move after dark or be dead.

My own personal beliefs based on reading and observing are that a mature buck going nocturnal is 20% of his own doing and 80% of his surroundings(pressure).

RE: True or False.....
 

We have a power plant close buy and the land isabout3 miles long 2 miles wide and no one could hunt it. We would see big bucks at all times of the day driving around it. They sold the back 1/2 of the 3 mi part and now let a fewEdison workers hunt it and now we dont see half the deer and hardly ever seea big buck.

RE: True or False.....
 

i agree with they get wiser and it hass to do with how they have been taught

RE: True or False.....
 

If that were true, then there would never, ever be a mature buck taken exept during the rut. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.look at the record books.Are they more likely to be seen during daytime while in the rut, then yes. How many mature bucks have you seen in a field while still in velvet? Do they get more careless, and less nocturnally ordered as the rut progresses--yes. Completely--no. In some cases, as individuals, there are those that would, but not the sum total. Huting pressure would certainly affect it, but then after the pressure subsides, then they go back to theie core areas, which may or may not involve a great deal of nocturnal movement, but not solely.

RE: True or False.....
 

I don't see going nocturnal as being a way of maturing either. You can just as many pictures of the same buck showing up during the day and night. A friend of mine from North Dakota had tons of pictures of this buck that aged around 5 1/2 years old with a great 160 inch rack to boot. He showed up during the day and night and pretty much the same amount too. Mature bucks can go nocturnal because of hunting pressure or too much human precense in their area.

RE: True or False.....
 

Technically, deer, including mature bucks are biurnal--meaning they have 2 peak movement periods, dusk and dawn. We all know that this is generally true, due to so many other factors, such as hunting pressure, moon phase, rut phase, weather changes, food availability, etc. Does will go nocturnal on you if you pressure them as well. They all will vanish if pressured enough.

RE: True or False.....
 

That was totally my answer AP. You saved me some typing.:)

Honestly, if we were able to bust a buck it's whole life in the darkness, we would train that deer to only move during daylight.