Vast Buck Migration ?
10-30-2009, 10:58 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Central IL
Posts: 55
Vast Buck Migration ?
quick question.....
last year I had some BEAUTIFUL bucks visiting my apple tree.....I counted at least 10 unique bucks (3 were 10pts, 1 was 11pts...and a few smaller ones...one was old and had non-typical 7 pts on one side and the other side broke off)
2008 pics:
http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../Trail_camera/
Now this year....my trail camera is only getting 2 different bucks...a smaller 8pt and a forkhorn.
now my apple crop was a lot smaller this year....but is that enough to move that many deer away????
or will this be a mystery for the ages?
last year I had some BEAUTIFUL bucks visiting my apple tree.....I counted at least 10 unique bucks (3 were 10pts, 1 was 11pts...and a few smaller ones...one was old and had non-typical 7 pts on one side and the other side broke off)
2008 pics:
http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../Trail_camera/
Now this year....my trail camera is only getting 2 different bucks...a smaller 8pt and a forkhorn.
now my apple crop was a lot smaller this year....but is that enough to move that many deer away????
or will this be a mystery for the ages?
10-30-2009, 12:50 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 79
How cool is that? It looks like you live right in town, or at least on a crowded street. I have a similar situation to yours except I dont have that size deer. I own 2 acres that lays against a large track of timber, and have had several nice bucks in my yard each year. This year I have only seen one branch antlered buck in my yard. I have no idea what has happened.
10-30-2009, 01:18 PM
#4
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Seagrove N.C. USA
Posts: 7,281
Deer and Deer Hunting, says, that when buck go in rut, they will travle to other land other than the land they live on, looking for hot does.
That might be whats going on there.
They will probbly be back.
Good Luck.
JMHO
That might be whats going on there.
They will probbly be back.
Good Luck.
JMHO
10-30-2009, 01:23 PM
#5
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 79
Hey jeep4x4greg what city and state do you live in? Im not asking to get info on your area. I only ask because I am curious. In fact you can just give me county and state, or just state if you are not OK with sharing info.
10-31-2009, 07:45 AM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 819
I have seen the same thing here. last year 11 different bucks, this year 2 so far. A lot of things in play here. territoriality, pecking orders, does chasing their underlings off to stem inbreeding etc. Food sources is another factor as is water etc.
Make the property as inviting as you can and let them figure out the rest. Cover is one of the single most important things to big mature bucks. Make sure you have a sanctuary for them that you never go in to.
Make the property as inviting as you can and let them figure out the rest. Cover is one of the single most important things to big mature bucks. Make sure you have a sanctuary for them that you never go in to.
10-31-2009, 08:07 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 1,462
In my backyard (where hunting isn't allowed) we usually see maybe one or two different bucks a year. We are right outside of Chicago so there is no hunting pressure, but this year we have seen at least 12 different bucks in my backyard. Its weird because there have been no new housing develpments at all, same small tracks of woods. All good bucks too, numerous 8 and 10s and a nice 14. Here is one of the big guys Ive been seeing:
14 yards from my back porch. My bow target is just to the left of the picture. Love this guy, matching stickers on his g2s.
Spike, do you have any standing corn in the area? I have a feeling since no crops are really coming out yet these bucks might all be hanging out in the corn still.
I also have a few apple trees in my yard. They seem to have not been eating the apples too much this year. Last night I did have a couple does come in around sunset for a few minutes. Watched them eat a couple apples then a nice 8 come running in and chase off one of the does. She was most likely hot, his nose never left the ground as he chased her.
14 yards from my back porch. My bow target is just to the left of the picture. Love this guy, matching stickers on his g2s.
Spike, do you have any standing corn in the area? I have a feeling since no crops are really coming out yet these bucks might all be hanging out in the corn still.
I also have a few apple trees in my yard. They seem to have not been eating the apples too much this year. Last night I did have a couple does come in around sunset for a few minutes. Watched them eat a couple apples then a nice 8 come running in and chase off one of the does. She was most likely hot, his nose never left the ground as he chased her.
Last edited by fastetti; 10-31-2009 at 08:10 AM.
10-31-2009, 12:23 PM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Central IL
Posts: 55
I'm in central Illinois..exact city is super secret, haha 
my property is two legal lots....my house and the neighbors house is in city limits...and the back half is outside of city limits. I hunt the back half and have permission from neighbors to hunt their adjoining land (i only bow hunt here...too dangerous with guns with all the houses). total land I can use is about 8 acres....which is fine for one stand. which gets used maybe once or twice a week........ its a very wooded area...hundreds of acres easy interrupted by a few streets and houses...
I have some food plots planted and the two mature apple tree. The apple crop is the big variable....i over pruned the trees last winter so my crop was tiny.....normally the ground is littered with them ,......its a late-bearing variety of apple too which normally drops them in mid to late Oct/Early Nov.....
my property is two legal lots....my house and the neighbors house is in city limits...and the back half is outside of city limits. I hunt the back half and have permission from neighbors to hunt their adjoining land (i only bow hunt here...too dangerous with guns with all the houses). total land I can use is about 8 acres....which is fine for one stand. which gets used maybe once or twice a week........ its a very wooded area...hundreds of acres easy interrupted by a few streets and houses...
I have some food plots planted and the two mature apple tree. The apple crop is the big variable....i over pruned the trees last winter so my crop was tiny.....normally the ground is littered with them ,......its a late-bearing variety of apple too which normally drops them in mid to late Oct/Early Nov.....
