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I own a 5 acre plot of woods that is surrounded by around 90 acres of woods that then is separated by a road with hundreds of acres of state wildlife preserves. My issue is I have been scouting for months and have great bucks on camera during the day frequently but now all at night and some bucks are not even on camera anymore. how long does this last and what should I do the harvest one of those good bucks?

30-06 deerslayer

It happens every year and at least 1 hunter asks the same question at the same time of year. where did all my bucks I had on camera go to. 1st off all your bucks in velvet and shortly after are all together and feeding on just a few items. maybe on a bait pile you have near your camera if legal in your state. now Oct. comes along acorns start dropping, soy beans are up, apples are getting ripe, and so on. that is where your bucks are and you have to either sit in your tree stand and see nothing or adjust as the deer do.
they are still in your area just not pin pointed as you would like. I would move my cameras to new locations where the crops I mentioned are and you will find the deer again. they just don't go and hide in a hole some where because it is the so called October lull. or you could wait for the rut and hunt the does.did you notice I said hunt the does. I am not trying to be rude to you at all just telling you what happens in Oct. in the deer woods.

Kybuckhunter

No such thing as the October lull. The deer are still are around. They still eat and drink.

What happens is they change patterns. People always panic when they don't see all the deer on their cams, eating from the corn pile. The big secret to where deer go is....wait for it.....ACORNS !! Acorns are THE food to pack on the weight and gets the deer ready for rut.

It can be hard to find the deer because they don't have to travel far to eat. This year has an abundance of acorns so pinning them down can be tough but trust me...they are on the acorns.

By the way...killed my biggest bow kill ( 173 typical ) in mid Oct. going to acorns.

alleyyooper

Here in my area they are in the corn. what more could they want, cover, food and water.
Is a rare thing to see a deer in the wood lots unless it is beside a corn field or soy bean field.

Al

rockport

While deer love corn They would want a lot more. Corn doesn't supply the nutrition they need. They should be on acorns

Kybuckhunter

Apparently you don't have any white oaks dropping...

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The woods that I am in are basically all white oak trees and there are acorns all over the place. I guess just frustrated about all year having these deer basically every day on camera. now not at all . It is legal to bait where I am at.

iowa whitetail

The acorns are a little over rated I think. My thought is the bucks just don't move as much and kind of hang in one small area do to saving energy for the rut.if your not getting them on cam now just leave your cams out and check them starting Halloween and when you start getting them on cam again go after them.

ojibwa

you are in OH where it is legal to bait, just keep the feed out and sit all day, as stated they still have to eat... try some Buck Blitz it's awesome...

mj1967

I agree with Iowa Whitetail......I don't think bucks move as much in Mid-October....I think they are conserving as much energy as possible to get ready for the rut.....wait until the last couple of days in October....things should start to break loose!!!