What do you think?
 

What do you think makes some bucks nocturnal to the max an some not? I know that hunting can do it, but what else,just jogging your thoughts.

RE: What do you think?
 

Here we go........

RE: What do you think?
 

aw, c'mon........ask the original question![:-]

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RE: What do you think?
 

My thoughts exactly ..... :D

RE: What do you think?
 

good question...... it is said to be that the big bucks are nocturnal because there alot smarter, on the other hand, most of the bigger bucks are taken during the day.... if its a true nocturnal buck then dam do something to get him out in the day.

RE: What do you think?
 

Way to much hunting pressure! Another 2 years and they will get call shy too! Everyone and there brother seems to be using these grunt calls in the woods, in no time they will be just like the elk out west if this keeps up!

RE: What do you think?
 

I do not think I used my call but maybe 3 times the whole season so far.

RE: What do you think?
 

I think because of sounds and sights they learn that there is less human activity at night for one, and also I think that mature bucks optimize their time so they only move at the necessary times, which for a deer peak movement is at night so it just works out....

RE: What do you think?
 

I believe that one of the reasons is they like tomove during the night time because it is cooler when the put on their winter coats.

RE: What do you think?
 

Why do bucks (mature) go more nocturnal?

Simple.. why would they have to move during daylight? No Reason! He can still eat and mingle at night.. can't he?

Ah haaa.. and then the first scent of estrous visits the air.. and more movement.. although unnecasary becomes apparent.

Unless there is reasoning behind it.. why would you forgo your sanctuary and your life?

RE: What do you think?
 

Unless he's pressured......I don't know why he wouldn't move in the daylight. Think about it.....if they ALL moved only at night....who'd ever kill one?;)

I have a lot of respect for the animals themselves......but I think the "mystique" surrounding these animals is perpetuated tremendously by us.

RE: What do you think?
 

Take a look at sunset time each day,does a deers time frame really change or does day light?;)

RE: What do you think?
 

There is no mystique Jeff.. I agree 100% with you there.

But a big mature buck will not move unless there is a desire to do so. He will simply wait til dark. If there is no reason he will not budge.. unless reason is apparent.

Whether that reason is female or food.. it must be clear to him that its okay to move now.

And when they do move, and are taken, they usually had either a girl or food in mind.

Remember.. there is no meaning of time to a whitetail. He has no watch. Nor comprehends the minute or the hour.

But make no mistake.. a mature bucks first goal (which is often confused for mystique) is survival.

RE: What do you think?
 

Touche', Duke.

But we (hunters)sure do kill a dang bunch of 'em!:)

RE: What do you think?
 

Are they really nocturnal or are they just that good at playing the game of survival.

RE: What do you think?
 

Sounds like what sinks most men as well .....;)

RE: What do you think?
 

I say this because I have been hunting a nice buck this year. I have had pics of him nearly every week since August during the darkness. I have only two picks of him in the daylight. He has had hunters all around him or in the area that he is in but no one has gotten him or seen him.

RE: What do you think?
 

Ya know....I think about this a LOT. What's the odds?????? I mean.....what's the odds that the one buck you're after.......decides to show himself during daylight hours? What's the odds he chooses (or is compelled) to do so on that certain day? And....what's the odds he chooses or is compelled to be in your general area (to be spotted)? What's the odds he would come into bow range? What's the odds he doesn't pick YOU off?

This blows my mind. We are SOOOOOO lucky (to take a deer......especially a mature deer.......and Doubly especially lucky to take "THE" deer). We're a helluva lot luckier than we are good.;)

RE: What do you think?
 

Bingo.....where 95% of people hunt there is some kind of human activity. Deer pattern themselves around this activity.......People moving during the daylight=deer moving at night.

Now, go to an unpressured area with very little human activity. They most definately are NOT nocturnal. How often do you look at the game tables on your GPS, in a magazine, or wherever. I can tell you that in an unpressured natural setting these tables are spot on 95% of the time.

This fall in Canada I would be sitting seeing nothing....look at the GPS and the "Best Times" for game movement......almost within 5 minutes of that time I would see deer. The best times that areduring daylight hours last for 2 hours.....and those 2 hours are magical.

So, why are deer more nocturnal where we hunt......we make them that way.

RE: What do you think?
 

A lot of it is the bucks individual personality. Some are naturally nocturnal and some aren't. The slightest amount of preaaure will cause alot that aren't nocturnal to become nocturnal.

RE: What do you think?
 

My thoughts:
Mature bucks realize the season is opening. They don't have calendars but they strongly associate the increased human traffic/scent in the woods with daytime danger. Mature bucksquickly learnthat night time is the safest and they revert to this routine as the season approaches. The only thing that might bring them out of this nocturnal routine is the rut. Even then, if the pressure is high enough, I believe some bucks revert to a schedule that keeps them in deep cover until late at night (~12AM-4AM).

I believe the old bucks understand that the leaves falling from the trees even makes daytime travel more exposed and dangerous for them.

The events of food location, rut, leaf falling andweather are different for all locations and everyone has to put these pieces together in a different order for all of the hunting literature/advice to make sense. For example, the leaves have only been off the trees here for two weeks but the primary rut was almost 2 months ago. The weather here is moderate thru mid November so I don't believe their light coats have the big impact that might occur in colder climates.

The only remedy I have found for this is to reserve the best stands for rut hunting and try to do all of the early season nannywhacking in peripheral spots.

RE: What do you think?
 

I believe that......even with a brain the size of a small pear......they realize when we're after them.....and they avoid us. If moving at night is the best way to achieve this (avoiding us)....then that's what they'll do.

According to 'Deer and Deer Hunting', they aren't going to avoid us by vacating their home turf.....so the best way to avois us is to avoid occupying the same space at the same time. Since we aren't out there at night......makes sense for them to move at that time.

Wouldn't it be interesting to see what would happen if there were a parks system or something that had people visiting ONLY at night. Do you think the deer would get up and move ONLY during the day.....to avoid people?????

Me, too;).

Deer are "completely" nocturnal (IMO).....because we make them that way.

RE: What do you think?
 

GM MAT,

That is what I am talking about. I wonder if they would move in the day time, if everyone moved at night.

RE: What do you think?
 

The whitetail deer is one of THE most adaptable creatures on earth.

They move at night because they think it's imperative to their survival. If their chief predator was hunting them ONLY at night.......what do YOU think they'd do?;)