Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

..........for me......

Read an interesting article that makes a lot of sense. It stated that in high herd densities......mature bucks travel less during the rut. Makes perfect sense, to me. Why would he travel?

Also.....if we take into account the fact that older bucks travel less and less as they get older......(or that their home range gets smaller and smaller).....if you know you have a good deer density.....and you know that land holds bucks (obviously all lands that hold deer hold bucks)......the chances go up for you to encounter one (or....more if you have a great spot).

This makes my method of hunting the does seem like a sound plan. Sooner or later.....they're gonna get together. And...in higher deer density areas.....the bucks will travel less.

I'll admit.....The fact that older deer travel less was a shocker to me a while back. But knowing that, now......a lot of things made sense when I read this.

It's a numbers game, it seems. I have good numbers.....and even though I'm working on balancing the herd,more........they're working in my favor, currently.

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Not all land that holds deer holds bucks.. Jeff.

And.. many adult does go to the bucks.

So your plan is solid.. to a point. I used to hunt the same way. I don't anymore.. I learned to go to the bucks.. and hunt them where they are in daylight and not where they may go eventually during daylight.

I think the key to shooting a mature buck is getting to them in daylight. Patience.. attention to detail.. and a good shot.

But.. just my opinion.

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

There are a lot of right places to Kill a bruiser Buck.

You just gotta be there at the right time!;)

Like my Grand Dad always said "Deer don't read Books"

Dan

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

It's not really my plan. It's what I have found to be successful. I never planned to hunt this way. it just happened.;) I CAN NOT go to the bucks.;)

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Your opinion is right. Assumptions shouldnt be made without Years andYEARS of experience IMO

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Maybe I'm not reading this right, or just plain misunderstood it.....but........If you are in a place w/ high deer numbers, and the bucks travel LESS because of that (which does make perfect sense, btw).......Wouldn't your chances go DOWN that you will encounter one? Maybe it's just the way I hunt too, I honestly don't know....But it seems to me if the deer are traveling less, you stand less chance of seeing them.

Another thought. Does high deer density necessarily mean there are more bucks on that same ground? My first thought it was yeah, duh...There has to be......But does there?Maybe they disperse and scatter, coming back to a central locale during the rut, where the does are?? I dunno, just something I thought about.

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Well. MO......They're saying a mture buck's home range gets smaller as he ages. BUT....that same range expands during the rut. If the ground you'r ehunting holds a/some mature bucks.....and your deer density is high.....the chances of him wandering ELSEWHERE go down. So....he's still going to cruise his home range. And....if you have access to that range....your chances go UP. At least that's how I take it.

I don't think deer density means there's MORE mature bucks. Not at all. As 1/5 and 1/5yr olds.....their range is pretty huge. They may take up residence anywhere before they reach maturity. Where a buck is born wouldn't have too much influence on where his adult home range was I wouldn't think (to a point).

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Also take into account that as a buck matures, he will most likely move into an area with better hiding places or less pressured areas. And to go along with that, so will most of the mature does. Less danger equals safer home area.

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Jeff, a doe will eventually push their button bucks away, out of the does home range. Its natures way of preventing interbreeding. That being said, unless the mother is shot or killed in another manner before she kicks out the button, the button will have to travel and find another area to call home. This might be close by, or it could be miles away depending on the habitat.

My take on deer densities would be similiar to Mobow's. I feel that in areas such as mine ( Jeff, our areas seem very similiar, lots of deer with an out of balance buck to doe ratio) bucks just dont need to travel much to find their girls. Due to the out of balance, rattleing hardly ever works for me. I can get a buck to look in my direction when i hit the horns, but thats about it. Grunting also only turns a buck every so often. I have so many does in my area that a buck doesnt have to move much at all to find one. Bucks here often have very small "home" ranges. Due to this overabundance of deer, i have to either get lucky on a specific buck in the early season on feeding patterns ( these patterns arent constant cause im hunting backyard bucks) or hope that a hot doe will bring him by me during the daylight hours of the rut. Mature bucks here hardly move during the day ( where i hunt atleast) cause there is no need for them too. I feel that the large deer density hurts my ability to see more mature animals during the day. Thats a major reason i try to take out a large number of does each season.

RE: Location - A key to killing a mature buck
 

Good points!

I think the key here is harvesting does. This MAKES the bucks more active.

I think some keys are:

-Shoot does
-Hunt the wind
-Hunt the land
-Let the little ones walk!