Adapting to deer going nocturnal.
 

I have a situation and I would like to hear what other guys would suggest as their way in overcoming a mature buck's tendency to become nocturnal just before the season opens.

Here is what I have going on...
Private land, surrounded by 300 acres to the west by land that cannot be hunted by anyone- country club, residences border the N side and private farm land surrounds the east with more residences bordering the south. Very little hunting pressure on the land I am hunting- just me on 75+ acres. I have food sources for the deer and up until a few weeks ago I had bucks and does coming into the food all hours of the day while very little activity at night. Now only doe during the day and the buck are now only coming in at night.

I think the deer are bedding right behind the houses to the north- a very thick lowland area leads from my stand to these houses. This is downhill from my stand in a bottleneck running along a soybean field.

Here is my plan... hunt 4 straight whole days 15 hours- 4am till dark during the first week. If I don't see the big boys during these 4 days I am going to stop hunting the area and wait until the rut kicks in. The doe should continue to stay in that area and feeding with their fawns in my plots as they are now 3 to 5 visits a day. I will use the doe as the bait during the rut.

I do not want to move any further into the thick stuff because I don't want to risk bumping the doe and especially not the bucks, I want to keep them at ease so they don't change the does' pattern or bump any of them out of the area. All of the deer are coming to my stand it's just the does during the day though.

Any advice? What have you guys done in these situations?

Hmmmmm, thats a very good question. If the bucks wont come out and the does are not there, use a decoy. I have even used my deer target as a decoy. But your saying the does are there. You will just have to hope the rut gets kicking in and the bucks come out from hiding. They will make a mistake. It might only be one or two days, but they will come out. I would think though, if there is no pressure, they wouldn't be spooked into only coming out at night.

I think it's a good plan. I've observed the same type of behavior in the bigger bucks around here. If you can't get them during the first week while they're still in their summer patterns, you'll only see them during the chasing phase of rut.

I agree with your plan, Don't pressure the deer all you will do is change their patterns and make it tougher for you. Obviously the country club is off limits and the deer will move there in a hurry.

Stick to your plan and hunt the first week then let it alone until the pre-rut kicks in. Hard to do but it is the smart thing to do. Good luck, it is hard to walk away from an area that you know have good bucks. Patience always wins in the end, at least at some point!

+1

Good luck, because this could turn into a very painful adventure, but hopefully it ends with nice deer at your feet!!

Hunt 4 straight days! Sounds like a huge amount of pressure to me.

Yes, I will hunt 4 straight days. I can access my stand by walking through very little of the property. The only wind I need to be concerned with is thermals. The deer are used to human scent being that they live right next to a country club and have experienced very little to fear from the humans they do encounter. I have squirrels within 10 feet of me at times when I check my cams, it's like a nature preserve. The reason I am going to try to hunt 4 days straight is this.... 1. I am going to have a greater chance of seeing these deer moving through there by hunting every second of daylight during the first few days of the season while the deer should be following their normal patterns 2. There will be more activity during the first few days of the season in the area around me where hunters do have access- they will be bumping deer going in at first light and leaving by 10 am as most hunters do then re-entering the woods 4 or 5 hours later to hunt the evenings. 3. I am extremely scent conscious and very meticulous in preparation, haven't been busted while in stand in many years. I do not wear the same gear two days in a row, I alternate between 3 sets of camo 4. I will be travelling in and out of the stand a total of 8 times in one week, compare that to the typical 4 times in one day hunting morning and evenings only. 5. I will be sitting in my stand all day not walking around the woods trying to stalk deer.

I understand your thought of overhunting a stand but I am not overly concerned with this.

I think the bucks are feeding in the crop fields lower to the houses during the days and coming up to my plots and mineral site at night. Once the crops are harvested I think things will change and they will rely more on the food sources I am providing.
Thanks guys for your input, I appreciate it!

Here is a pic of the one I am after.

I say go for it, i cant really find anything that you have planned to hurt you chances any..If they are coming into the crops thats all you can really do, besides set up close to a bedding area in the morning and hunt the food source in the evenings. I feel that 4 days straight might be pushing it but the fact that you are sitting all day helps you chances. But your plan of attack seems to be Great so Good Luck to you!

And the buck that your chasing looks worth chasing!!

You didn't mention if you were going after the one in the foreground or background of that picture. :biggrin: