Bachelor groups & age structure
 

I was reading a recent article in D&DH (I think) and it was talking about the makeup of bachelor groups. It was saying how certain age class deer feel more comfortable with "their own". For instance....you might see 1.5's running with 2.5's......and 2.5's running with 3.5's.....but it would be unusual to see a 1.5 running with mature deer.

I pulled out an old magazine (NAW - October 2005), this morning, and was reading an article in there.....where the author speaks of seeing a 2.5yr old with an older buck.....and how odd he felt that was.

Do you guys notice these things? Reason I ask.....I saw what might very well be the first bachelor group I've seen on the lands I hunt, last night. I think they were all 2.5's, though. It was REALLY cool....considering the lands I hunt....to see a group of racked bucks. Nothing huge....but they were all sporting 8 (or so) points....and they all looked like 2.5's (to me).

Do you typically find what these two different authors say is true to be factual where you hunt?

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

Yes. Normally the groups are of similar size. Especially now since the AR’s have been in place and we actually have older bucks common enough to form a group.
On a couple rare occasions I’ve seen a big buck with a smaller one, but that isn’t typical.

The greatest bachelor group I ever saw was a few years back that I called the ‘magnificent 7’. I guessed 6 of them went 120-140 with one slightly smaller buck around 110.

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

No, I see different age bucks traveling together, spikers with big bruisers!

Here is an example of all ages: I would say 1 year old to 4 year old!

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

I usually see the young ones hanging with 1 mature one.
Kind of like a hot chick always has one fat one with her. Makes her look even better.

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

For the most part but I've seen some giants that never join a group, if thay do its in small groups of2's or 3's.

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

Im not too sure about bachelor groups, but the largest buck that my hunting partner and I have been hunting have seen always seems to travel with a smaller buck. Both times i saw him, a spike walked down the trail about a minute before he showed up. My hunting partner saw the same thing when he has seen him.

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

I don't know about unusual as I've witnessed many mature deer running with younger deer over the years. But when I see this occurence.. it's always just 1 mature whitetail and 1 or 2 young deer.

As a matter of fact.. the whitetail I'm gonna try to chase this year is a 5 yr old or better and he runs with an awkward 2.5 yr old.

And I know that last year I was chsing a good 5 yr old who ran with a pair of 2.5 yr olds.

I'm not trying to dismiss the article.. but sometimes I believe biologists tend to over-think such issues.

Who a deer chooses to "hang" with is not really a science. Is it?

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

For the most part, bucks of similar size and age will form bachelor groups. A lot of the time, the biggest and most dominant bucks will not associate with bachelor groups, they are usually loners. However, during the fall, specifically early Nov., I have witnessed several mature bucks from 3 1/2 to 7 1/2 that have tolerated the company of a 1 1/2. In all cases the 1 1/2 was the first one on the scene. It was like the older buck was using the younger one as a sentry. This is a rare occurrence for me as I've only seen it 3-4 times.

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

It wasn't ONE author. It was 2 authors....two different magazines.....3 years apart.

As far as seeing them in a field.....I think thats a lot different than knowing they're running together. I dunno, though. We watched a bunch of 'em at Brandon's a couple weeks ago....and a the youngins came out first, together. Then later...what appeared to be an older deer or two appeared. While they shared the same field for a while.....they didn't arrive together, for sure.

What brought this up....lol....is my landowner last night....saying he'd seen a "Big" buck (you know the story....."at least a 10...maybe a 12" pointer). Anyways....he told me it was with a spike. Not being one to discount anything (no absolutes).....I thought it interesting, though, that these two articles crossed my path so close together....and with such timing.

Just thought it was interesting.

RE: Bachelor groups & age structure
 

From my experiences, this is the norm. I've seen as many as three different bachelor groups come out to feed in the same field. They came from different directions. At the end of the night just at dark, a huge, drop tined booner popped out. He jogged across the field, stopped at the edge of the woods and licked a branch and disappeared. All of the other bucks approached the licking branch, with tails tucked, to check it out. There was no doubt who was the boss.

This behavior may change depending on how close to velvet shedding the bucks are. I viewed this during the 2nd week of August. I don't scout fields until after the 10th of July. What happens before that, I don't know.