where are they?
09-11-2007 | 09:57 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 53
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where are they?
I bowhunt on a private property ...about 250 acres...which is surrounded by even lots more properties of timber and creek bottoms...ideal hunting lands.
In the center of the property I hunt, there is a 40-50 acre field, which last year was planted with peanuts, and last year I got numerous pics of large bachelor groups of bucks with several really nice ones in and around the peanut field with my handheld SLR and trail cameras as well.
There are always lots of deer on this property and only 2-3 bucks are usually taken here on an average year.
Well, this year the field is planted in corn. Since early July, I have put out 2 digital cameras starting in the woods over mineral sites and shelled corn. Early on, mainly over one site, I got 400-500 pics which included two 8 points, and several small very young bucks and quiet a few does.
After getting pics of the same does and bucks over and over at this site, I moved my cameras to other sites, including trails coming into the cornfield, and ever since, have only gotten pics of one spike and the rest does, does, does and more does.
Now, my question is..I know there are good bucks on and around this property..there always have been, but why am I not getting pics over piles of shelled corn and from set ups on major trails leading into this huge field of standing corn of anything but all these does?? Where are they? I see where some folks pour corn on the ground and suddenly there are several big bucks there eating it, and you think corn's instant appeal to deer, including bucks large and small, would be all you need to get pics of a majority of bucks on the property this time of year, but it hasnt happened, with the exception of the 2 eights and the few smaller bucks.
I even actually pulled 40-50 ears and mixed them with shelled corn out IN the cornfield where there were lots of tracks and poured it out and set up a camera for a week...still got does.???
Surely with all these does, once the rut heats up, bucks from all over will appear, but why am I not getting any pics of any of them coming into or around this cornfield currently? There are no known other agriculural fields very close to this property, much less ones full of corn? The mystery continues.
Looks like bowseason this year will be open war on does.
Just curious.
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In the center of the property I hunt, there is a 40-50 acre field, which last year was planted with peanuts, and last year I got numerous pics of large bachelor groups of bucks with several really nice ones in and around the peanut field with my handheld SLR and trail cameras as well.
There are always lots of deer on this property and only 2-3 bucks are usually taken here on an average year.
Well, this year the field is planted in corn. Since early July, I have put out 2 digital cameras starting in the woods over mineral sites and shelled corn. Early on, mainly over one site, I got 400-500 pics which included two 8 points, and several small very young bucks and quiet a few does.
After getting pics of the same does and bucks over and over at this site, I moved my cameras to other sites, including trails coming into the cornfield, and ever since, have only gotten pics of one spike and the rest does, does, does and more does.
Now, my question is..I know there are good bucks on and around this property..there always have been, but why am I not getting pics over piles of shelled corn and from set ups on major trails leading into this huge field of standing corn of anything but all these does?? Where are they? I see where some folks pour corn on the ground and suddenly there are several big bucks there eating it, and you think corn's instant appeal to deer, including bucks large and small, would be all you need to get pics of a majority of bucks on the property this time of year, but it hasnt happened, with the exception of the 2 eights and the few smaller bucks.
I even actually pulled 40-50 ears and mixed them with shelled corn out IN the cornfield where there were lots of tracks and poured it out and set up a camera for a week...still got does.???
Surely with all these does, once the rut heats up, bucks from all over will appear, but why am I not getting any pics of any of them coming into or around this cornfield currently? There are no known other agriculural fields very close to this property, much less ones full of corn? The mystery continues.
Looks like bowseason this year will be open war on does.
Just curious.
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09-11-2007 | 10:08 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Joined: Oct 1998
Posts: 18,322
Likes: 0
From: Hughesville, PA USA
RE: where are they?
Like you said, if the does are there, the bucks will be. I understand a buck especially a mature buck can live a whole season inside a corn field and really never come out as long as there is rain for water. That size field your talking about isn't that huge however could sustain the bucks. That's hard to determine. It sounds like you have a great set up with that field in the middle of timber however with the baiting your changing the deers natural movement. You could also quite possibly be scenting up the area alarming the bucks to your presence.
Hang in there, it might sound like you need to take a couple does and then wait for the boys to show themselvs as the does come into estrous.
Hang in there, it might sound like you need to take a couple does and then wait for the boys to show themselvs as the does come into estrous.
