Rory i totally agree

That answers your question... He wasnot familiar with the deer herds habits on that piece of land, he didn't know what areas bucks or does preferred.

Also, as I said in the other thread... Their homeranges do overlap in almost all cases.... In the midwest that I am familiar with there is no getting around it.

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Scott, while this is certainly true, I also don't think a deer will bed, or eat, in the same place day after day. Could I be wrong? Oh yeah. They may bed in the same general area, but I'm not sure they enter and exit viathe sameroute all the time. It's pretty rare that I see a deer do the same thing 2 days in a row. I THINK that's why funnels and travel corridors work so well. Where they may be going to could be a broad area, but they are going to come through this saddle at some point to get there.

If there is a preferred food source of course they will feed in the same place everyday, placessuch as bean, clover, corn fields, orchardsetc... They will also browse as agriculture isn't their only source of nutrition in farm land.

That is the beauty of hunting the terrain rather than sign You can be off on many things... Bedding sites, feeding destinations.... But if you are between A and B no matter their destination you may get a crack at them.
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Also, in much of these conversations here lately... I am not speaking in regards to 1.5 andsome 2.5 year old bucks.... They can and will frequent doe areas.

Oh yes they will! Numerous times I've passed on a specific 120" to 130" buck every time I hunted one particular stand. I had there ass's pegged. I knew when and where he was going to come through before I even got to the stand. Everyone of these bucks were 3.5 year old bucks. This didn't all happen in one year but its been my experiences through out the years that they are very predictable if they don't detect your presence and your in the perfect spot.

Sure. But here again, that's a fairly general area. Ag fields, generally, are pretty big. It's a rare day that I seea deer of any type enter/exit a 50 acre field in the same place every day, or at the same time. And if they do, they better not do it the third day or I'll kill it. I'm just saying that for me, and my style, funnels and hunting the terrain are going be much more productive. And I'm still learning. When I am able to zero in on specific bedding areas, and feeding areas, this philosophy may change. But for the time being, the only thing that is "predictable" is that, at some point, that deer is going to walk through this pinch point, no matter the destination.

1. Do you see does in the places you've killed your bucks? Yes

2. Are you trying to AVOID seeing does.....opting, instead, for more buck-friendly areas? NO, but I know some areas I will see less does than others yet I still feel I can kill a buck there.

3. How do you determine said areas (if No. 2's answer is "yes")? Experience/instinct

4. How do you determine #3 if you're not hunting "sign"? See above

5. If you do see does where you're killing your bucks...at what time of the year are you having your best luck seeing bucks? RUT

6. How would you describe the area you're seeing the bucks? (i.e. trail/destination food source/funnel/bedding areas/etc...) All. If we are talking all bucks, I will see them in oak stands, bedding areas, travel routes, field edges etc. If we are talking mature bucks, my best places to see themare as tight to a bedding area as I can get, or in a travel corridor/funnel.


I think if you want to shoot does early & often, do so in the places that will afford the least amount of impact. Fringes, and areas where it may be a little less likely to shoot one, but if you do shoot one there, you aren't going to mess anything up. For me its a trade off between going to a more sure shot, and not wanting to intrude too much.

I wasn't arguing this point... It is the view I have pushed here for years

I am only saying once you learn your propertywith the buck and does preferred areas..... You will really be at aserious PRE RUT advantage by hunting those said funnels in areas you KNOW bucks will use... Rather than hoping they will.