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-   -   Large Bachelor Groups (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/46409-large-bachelor-groups.html)

dukedieter 12-16-2003 08:35 AM

Large Bachelor Groups
 
I am able to spend a lot of time in the woods because my camp is located just outside my work. Because of this I witnessed something that nobody else seems to ever seen before.
One night in the fall while riding 4-wheelers with some family and friends around midnight. We were climbing a hill into a open field and as we approached the crest of the hill, we smelled this very strong over powering urine musk smell. it was horrible smelling. When we broke the crest and entered the field, we all still swear that there were at least 75 to 80 deer in the field as our headlights shone on them. And to this day, we swear that each and everyone of them was bucks. We never told the story to anyone from fear of nobody believing this sighting. Well, one afternoon on my land, a few years later, I walked out back at lunch time to look around my treestand for buck sign, hadn't seen any up till this time. Standing under my treestand was 15 deer, all 15 were bucks. The next day, I started seeing buck rubs and scraps throughout the property. Because I never seen this before, and having the other experience on the 4-wheelers a few years before I felt I had seen something of nature that is very rare. One night I decided to share this experience in the local bar with some other local hunters from around here. As I expected, they all laughed, and most had never even heard of bachelor groups. The few that had heard of them, wasn't of this magnitude. Well standing nearby listening as I told the story and nodding his head as I spoke was the landowner of the field I spoke about. He approached the table and said that him and his wife had spotlighted that same field each season for years and over a ten year period, twice they had witness the same, with that many deer and all were bucks. This obviously slowed down the laughter. Now after years of studying rubs and when they start appearing, I'm convince that there is a certain day, one day, out of all the others, that the bucks meet, to determine the dominate buck, or as they say, the pecking order. Because I am in the woods 365 days a year, I was one of the few that was able to witness this act of nature. Has anybody else ever seen bachelor groups of this size? I read on groups of 6 to 8, hanging together, for periods of time, but we're talking 50 to 75 or more, meeting only one night in the fall, just before the start of the rut. Any input?

Tazman 12-16-2003 08:49 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
The most bucks I have ever seen together at once was 4, now that is only in person, I have seen some footage on TV of 10-12 bucks together, I can imagine this would be an occurence seen on the fenced in operations because bucks can not migrate to greener pastures. Out of curiousity where are you seeing this?

farmcntry 12-16-2003 08:51 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
I have seen as many as 13 bucks together in a very rural area and in a corn field in July or August. That's about it.

buckmine 12-16-2003 09:20 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
Duke what state are you from?

I had a neighbor tell me he saw 7 together in our feild.

Bowhunting I had five around me.

dukedieter 12-16-2003 09:20 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
I am in Steuben County in New York State. Steuben County has the largest reported deer take in the state. I am also in the town of Canisteo. The largest reported deer take town in that county. I think the figures last year was 5.8 bucks per square mile reported taken last year. Both these pieces of property are approximately 2 miles from each other. On top of the hills here at 2250' elevation. Steep ravines into the valleys surround us. Farmland and hardwoods. No, not fenced in ranch land.
We took nine bucks and 12 does on my 40 aces alone this year as of yesterday.
Today is the last day of muzzleloader and late bow.

PABowhntr 12-16-2003 09:37 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
Now I know where all the bucks go after the opening day of the season!!

:)

Sorry, I could not resist a little friendly ribbin'. :)

No, I have never seen that many bucks together at any one point that it would, seriously, explain why there is a decidedly small amount of bucks in any given area at one time or another during the year.

I think that I would feel like I was daydreaming.:)

NEB.BuckHunter 12-16-2003 09:42 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
The most bucks I have ever seen together has been 12-15. Most of these, though, were smaller bucks....racks of spikes to 3-4 pointers. Nothing bigger. I think that we all need to go to Pennsylvania to hunt. The way it sounds, nobdy needs fenced in areas there. Sorry, had to put that in.

dukedieter 12-16-2003 09:50 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
I'm 48 years old riding 4-wheelers. There was me and my wife on mine. My brother (who's older) and his wife on his. His daughter and her husband on theirs. And a friend and his wife from a nearby camp on theirs. We were hauling 12 packs visting other camps. Maybe that explains our sighting that night. But it doesn't explain the landowner and his wife's sightings twice and my own sighting during working hours at my own property. Hmmmm.. Maybe that explains why I only seen 15 bucks that day. I was working and not enjoying myself. LOL

Rickmur 12-16-2003 10:40 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
So whats the date of this observation?

kevin1 12-16-2003 10:44 AM

RE: Large Bachelor Groups
 
It sounds like your buck herd needs thinning .
Ican be reached by e-mail ... ;)


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