October 21st - November 20th - mature buck pictures, let’s discuss

[alldaysit]

Where are you getting your mature buck pictures now?

I decided to continue on with the thread I started about mature buck pictures from September 1 - October 20th.

I am now getting mature buck pictures over food plots. As the does begin to enter estrous the bucks on camera have grown from spikes and forks to more mature bucks like the following that meet our goals for my small(ish) properties, “3 or older”. Last year the buck I shot seemed to make his temporary rut core area the doe bedding sanctuary of 9 acres his home. The following 8 has put on some length and width this year and I hope we get a shot at him in the next week or two.

I don’t typically hunt for better spots for my cameras now as I don’t want to be to intrusive on my property. I keep my cameras on the outside of the property, in the funnels developed by blockading, for easy access when the correct wind comes along. Sometimes its a month in between chip pulls.


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[Tree Spud]

This late in the season ... I stop checking my cameras. The ones you are after are there because they have not identified you.

Hunt based on doe gathering/feeding points from their bedding.

Regardless of how you have manipulated your property, if you disperse the does, the bucks will be gone.

 

[Bill]

Kinda like Spud I don't move cams for the rut. My approach could be all wet but I leave them in the same place all year. Mainly food plots but some in pinch points.

I figure you can't pattern a rutty buck so why try. Funny opposite of you, my plot bucks all got small. Once in a while a toad strolls out. Doe pics have plummeted also. Their starting to get pestered so their in the timber.

I'll still hunt plots or close to them because the "any given moment" is going to be in full swing soon.

 

[Mortenson]

Same thinking. Avoiding the temptation to check all my good cams, going on 6 wks now. I'm sure the batteries are dead LOL. I check the cams in low impact spots whenever I can, usually only before a rain though. Almost all mine are on rubbing posts, some of those are rubbing posts in plots. Next chance I get I'll create a "work disturbance", chainsaw noise, loud voice, tractor noise, etc, and use that time to check all cams and make sure opening gun season blinds check out. It'll probably change some years down the road, but as of now I still like having a feel for what my best shooter options are.

 

[g squared 23]

Dont really have anything I'd call "mature" this year. One of the worst trail cam years I've ever seen, so far.


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[John-W-WI]

Our "worst ever" year is turning around, but not by much. I believe my theory of lack of beans in the neighborhood was correct. I didn't plant any, and just by luck there wasn't any within a mile or two of my farm. Now that all of our beans are picked, a few bucks are showing up. But it's still really rare. The exact opposite of last year.

The next few days will tell the truth!

-John

 

[Lee Haakenson]

Our "worst ever" year is turning around, but not by much. I believe my theory of lack of beans in the neighborhood was correct. I didn't plant any, and just by luck there wasn't any within a mile or two of my farm. Now that all of our beans are picked, a few bucks are showing up. But it's still really rare. The exact opposite of last year.

The next few days will tell the truth!

-John

I am noticing a difference this year in Dunn county. We usually have some good bucks on camera by mid to late Oct, but I dont have anything yet this year.

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[trampledbyturtles]

Looks like im not the only one,

Although I will attribute some of it to crop rotation, last yr was surrounded by 3 qtrs. of corn that changed to beans.
Assuming a lot of deer made the 1/2 mile journey to the corn forest. Although that is falling by the day as we speak. So I am hoping to see an influx of critters in the coming weeks.

But the overall lack of mature deer is drastic compared to last year.
zero mature deer on cam the past month
last year had 3 shooters, and 4 other nice deer using the ground in late Oct

2 other factors I think are playing a role.
- 3 bucks were harvested off the qrt last year.
- But I think the overall factor in the reduced deer numbers, was human pressure, I logged over 180 hrs in the field last year working compared to about 20 the year before.

Taking the gamble an betting on the future vs short term.

 

[Tree Spud]

Our "worst ever" year is turning around, but not by much. I believe my theory of lack of beans in the neighborhood was correct. I didn't plant any, and just by luck there wasn't any within a mile or two of my farm. Now that all of our beans are picked, a few bucks are showing up. But it's still really rare. The exact opposite of last year.

The next few days will tell the truth!

-John

I am noticing a difference this year in Dunn county. We usually have some good bucks on camera by mid to late Oct, but I dont have anything yet this year.

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I didn't have what I would consider a true target buck (4.5 & > 140") on camera all summer, normally I will see 2-3. In the last 4-6 weeks I have at least 2 with multiple appearances on camera.

At the end of the day, the Nov 1st to the 11th period where the bucks get horny and stupid means anything can happen anywhere. The most important factor for success is to be in a tree ...

 

[alldaysit]

Just put eyes on him but he walked the other way!!!!

Oh it burns! The only deer I seen tonight and he checked the downwind side of the doe bedding area.

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[S.T.Fanatic]

I only have one 4 year old on camera and its at 3 in the morning. I know they are out there but its going to take a hot doe to bring one into me in daylight. They must be bedding on the neighbors. I think that the lack of rubs and the high amount of scrapes on our property is an indication that there isn't a resident mature buck. I'm surrounded by good land though so hopefully with the firearm season starting on Saturday it will push some of them my way. The chasing Wed. morning was crazy. I'm taking Friday off and will be in two different stands for the majority of legal hunting hours. I'm still hoping to be able to bank on my sugar beets and other brassica plot to bring them in late season. Lac of cover and good access will make the SB plot difficult to hunt over though. I don't plot for harvest though so NBD.

 

[alldaysit]

Oh he is good..... I was on the other side of the bedding area with the correct wind.


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[Bowsnbucks]

All of our big bucks have gone nocturnal. The only bucks any of our members have seen in daylight are smaller ones hoping to get lucky by cruising. No patterning mature bucks in the rut here. Wherever the does are is where the big boys will be. One could come running on a doe's butt any time, at any place right now. Big boys we've seen on cams all summer & early fall may be 3 or 4 miles away right now laying pipe.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Saw my first does this morning for the first time in several sits. Unfortunately no big boys with them. I saw 2 yearling bucks 1 what looked like a 2 y/o and one mature buck. I was able to stop the mature buck with some grunts and a snort wheeze but he had some place else to be. That's the first mature buck I've seen since the 31st.