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RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

somewhere else[8D]

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

In my area they start to feed pretty heavy on acorns this time of the year until they are gone. They still feed on crops but seem to mainly do sounder the safety ofdarkness.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

To Hunsuckers treestands....[8D]

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

To eat something else....somewhere else?

I think (Emphasis on "think") that they have multiple cores within their home range. What you're seeing is what I see here every year. Their summer core is different when the food source changes. I'm seeing it change, here, right now. they're getting off the beans and onto the mast crops....although the beans are greener than ever and plentiful. The acorns are falling, though. I heard them hitting all around me, last night.

I've said it before.....wher emy bucks, here, "summer" .....is different from where they "winter". It's a simple way of stating what I did before.

Find his next preferred food source....and you'll find his next core.

It's also getting time for them to think about splitting up.....so your chances of spotting him will go down...if he's a lone buck (in lieu of several).

Three seasons and this is my "theory". Take it with a grain of salt.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

I think GMMAT is pretty dead on. I know here in Illinois you can watch groups of bucks all summer feeding in beans, but once the beans start to dry up they move onto the next preferred food source.Also, once the velvet comes off and the bachelor groups break up, the bucks put a little space between themselves, so I guess you can say the core area expands at that point. We all know how far a buck will travel during the rut,so it only makes sense that the bucks will start expanding that area as soon as the bachelor groups break up. I am going thru this right now, I have been watching a group of six really good bucks all summer, but have not seen them with my eye are camera in the last two weeks.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

I wish I knew. ;)The real challenge in hunting is trying to pattern a big buck, and it's not an easy task. This year I set up blinds and stands at places where deer tracks were minimal at best, but when I can't find them in the prime spots I will be hunting those other locations.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

Getting more and more nocturnal as fall approaches.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

they like to hide along the river and down by the pond, through the swail and in the corn fields.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

... and trail camera savvy

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

BINGO! for my area anyway.....

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RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

If I knew the answer to that question I wouldn't be working here right now!!:D:D

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

I agree GMMAT hit this dead on. You have to remember too, that by the end of summer most natural browse (grasses and what not) are dry, coarse and have lost virtually all nutritional value.

It's like GMMAT said, they have multiple ranges in their core area. We hardly ever see mature bucks on property during the summer (with the exception of this summer, we got some good pics)because the majority of our property is on a south facing ridge and its simply too hott for a lot of deer during the summer. And this usedtoworrymebefore we decided that the inactivity, if you will, was due to the facing of our slope. We were always seeing nice bucks during the hunting season, but never during the springand summer. However, as it begins to cool, the acorns start to fall and the days shorten, the bucks gravitate their way back to our property.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

As others have said, they adjust their food source and there patterns start to change due to the upcoming events of fall. I see only small bucks together right now and less and less deer in the fields. The acrons are dropping everywhere around me and they seem to be into them pretty thick. Also, my stand by the river is pretty loaded as the bucks are starting to use the thickets and funnels in the river bottomas they start to become more territorial. Depends on the lay of your land, but i usually find the big boys in last place I look, so I have learned to switch my thinking and start from there.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

This is pretty accurate.

It's common sense where a whitetail goes.. but so many over-look it because we all think we are such an advanced civilization.. and we forget basic principles.

First.. remembering that whitetail have been on this earth for like 1 miilion years. Only over the last 100 years or so has man been cultivating the landscape and replacing woods with farmland.

It's natural instinct that a whitetail flocks to acorns this time of year. It is the main source of nutrition that will see them through winter. It was not long ago when bean and corn-fields did not spread rampant across the countryside.

Whitetail are just going where mother nature has intended them to go to for the last 100,000+ years.

Seek the acorns and you will find your deer.

I could elaborate further.. but I hate typing.:)

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

Bingo;)

98% time they do not go anywhere, they just move at night.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

This is true as well. But seeking your Oaks is your best bet.:D

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

Gary....believe me I'm not disputing what you say.....but "do not go anywhere" is a broad stroke. IfI only had the lands I have this year (and didn't have access to the lands I did, last year)....I'd be freaking out, right now. I watched 3 bucks enter a bean field corner EVERY time we got a west wind. I was tickled pink. But....I haven't seen one of them in those beans in over 3 weeks. I sat that corner on a west wind, Monday evening. Nothing. I saw a few does and fawns in the field above me.....but where I was....NOTHING (and the beans in that corner are decimated).

I know they're moving on.....and I know it isn't far away. That's a good thing. I'll get in that timber, soon. It's a long season.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

they are still there, watching you go to your stand. they didnt move far

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

Are your beans turning brown? If so they have moved to a differnet food source. They are still in there "Home range" The questions is How big is it? I don't know

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

Nope. Beans are greener than ever. But I know the acorns are already falling.....and that's what they've moved on to (for the most part).

Imagine if you had access to the beans.....but not the mast crops. That would suck. I've been in the position that's the opposite of that. My early seasons have sucked, because of it. This year....the way things worked out....the timing is perfect. They're already on the acorns. I have acorns!:)

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

In the mountains I hunt, there are no acorns or crop fields. The big bucks dont really go anywhere because this time of the year feed is EVERYWHERE.. they simply hole up and move much less during daylight hours. They have all the feed they need right in their corebedding areas. They will travel at night to get to a water source if need be this time of the year since its so hot.

If you want to kill a big buck here in the mountains during Sept you have to be set up within 100-200 yards of where hes bedded up during the day, have everything work in your favor as far as wind goes then hope he decided to come out before dark close enough to your set up. Pretty simple sounding, very difficult to pull off with how randomly a big buck can move through a general area.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

Bingo. They hide all day and play all night.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

That too!!

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

When hunters learn mature deer doe or buck are moving around them, well lets just say the light will come on:D

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

To use a phrase I read somewhere "Its not rocket science."

As has already been said several times in this thread, and several others - they become more nocturnal as hunting season approaches/begins.

Why? Because as hard as we try, we cannot enter the woods checking trail cams, hanging stands, scouting, hunting, etc. and go undetected and not leave traces of our intrusions (scent trail).

Could they have changed food sources? Heck, I don't know what deer do in your woods, but I know that our primary food sources have not changed, yet daytime deer sightings have gone way down and will continue to do so as we approach November (gun season).

We don't have many bowhunters but the gun hunters will start carousing their spots in October getting ready and the deer activity changes dramatically almost overnight.

I don't know if the average core area for our typical deer is 40 acres or 1000 acres, but I do know that one farm I hunt is 320 acres and the other is 640 acres and I continue to see the same deer on trail cams during the entire season, just maybe not at the same times (instead of 7:00 a.m. maybe it is now 5:00 a.m.)or as frequent.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

If you guys get D&DH magazine....or are REALLY interested in this topic.....go and buy the most recent issue. It addresses this topic to a T.

I just go tmine, last night, and skimmed through it.....but it's likely the best issue I've seen come from ANY such rag in quite some time.

RE: When a buck disappears- where does he go ?
 

So does Buckmasters. I hate the rag but do thumb through it. My wife got me a subscription that won't be renewed. Anyway, one of the articles is called something like," Where do the big bucks go?"