Bucks are gone
08-17-2017, 08:40 PM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
As long as you maintain your plot and mineral lick, they'll be back. I know it sucks when they seemingly vanish for weeks on end, but I've found that they'll typically come back after a while, especially if you're still retaining does.
08-20-2017, 06:12 AM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,715
It is not uncommon for buck (deer in general) to change their travel patterns come late summer. Also their need for using a mineral lick also decreases as does have stopped lactating and buck have just about stopped their antler growth and too have their natural food sources changed.
If you had bucks in the area they will come back most likely during the prerut or rut to check out the does that were/are in the area.
If you had bucks in the area they will come back most likely during the prerut or rut to check out the does that were/are in the area.
08-20-2017, 10:00 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
Food plots aren't everything, one reason I keep hedges and plots of tall weeds or forage going. Doe favor tall, thick easy to penetrate cover, especially when the fawns are young.
If Doe go into Estrus it will draw Bucks in from miles, they have really good noses. A horny Doe bleat can be heard for a long ways at night.
I keep my Doe numbers up, keep the landscape favorable for Doe and during the breeding season draw in most of my neighbors Bucks.
My lease is in an odd place, a lot of farming around, forage isn't often an issue.
Most Deer favor hedges along the border of a wood line, Tall forage crops like Corn, Topinambur, Sweet Sorghum or even Sun Flowers work well also. I plant in long 10 yard wide stripes, no large plots.
They favor spots with a good open view from cover and a back way out, most of the year. And thick fairly tall weed (or crop) plots when they have young fawns. If there is a lot of forage around offer them something else, like ideal Deer beding areas.
If Doe go into Estrus it will draw Bucks in from miles, they have really good noses. A horny Doe bleat can be heard for a long ways at night.
I keep my Doe numbers up, keep the landscape favorable for Doe and during the breeding season draw in most of my neighbors Bucks.
My lease is in an odd place, a lot of farming around, forage isn't often an issue.
Most Deer favor hedges along the border of a wood line, Tall forage crops like Corn, Topinambur, Sweet Sorghum or even Sun Flowers work well also. I plant in long 10 yard wide stripes, no large plots.
They favor spots with a good open view from cover and a back way out, most of the year. And thick fairly tall weed (or crop) plots when they have young fawns. If there is a lot of forage around offer them something else, like ideal Deer beding areas.
