Fair oak
5 year old buck +
Hey guys. For the guys that run lots of cameras on your deer hunting parcels, how do buck numbers usually compare year over year and has anyone else experienced a significant drop-off since Covid? Not looking for specifics just a general idea. Bear with me as this may get long winded…
I purchased my 120 acres in the western UP in January of 2020. I’m surrounded by other 80-160 acre parcels. I had scouted that particular area the previous couple years even forgoing opening days of hunting season to drive around to see where and how many guys were hunting, how many camps had people and just how hunter pressure was spread out. I walked my property several times before deciding it was the property I envisioned. Surrounding Hunting pressure was extremely light as most camps sat empty, some of them even looking run-down. Things would change with the Covid surge!
That 1st year was great. There was buck sign all over the property and we had 15 different bucks on camera. Nothing huge but a few respectable UP bucks nonetheless. I harvested my 1st buck from the property that 1st year, a heavy, dark racked 7 point that I was thrilled with. After I took care of my buck, I drove around to check out the area and scout some national forest close by. I could not believe how things changed in a years time. All the camps were full. Neighboring properties that hadn’t been hunted in close to 10 years according to the previous owner of my property. I couldn’t believe it. It’s great in the grand scheme of things and good for the local economies but what a change that I wasn’t prepared for!
Last year we ended up getting 8 different bucks on camera with only 2 being mature and my group got the big skunk. We go in way before daylight and don’t get back to camp until well after dark. The 1st 3-4 days are almost 12 hour sits.
Fast forward to this year and it’s looking even worse. 5 different bucks so far on camera and the biggest 2 are smallish 2.5 yo.
My questions mainly being, has anyone else noticed a drastic decline in bucks since Covid?
Are my food plots doing more harm than good? My 4 acres of plots are 2nd year plots but the bucks used them during daylight last year. We don’t hunt plots, just movement between them. We only had 1 failed plot the 1st year and I really didn’t do much work on the property.
I honestly don’t believe it’s anything we’ve done but possibly the mature animals don’t like all the activity during the spring and summer. I firmly believe the buck numbers have just plummeted from increased hunting pressure. It’s possible things will just go in cycles. I’m not trying to come off as jerk that thinks other people shouldn’t hunt their property or that they shouldn’t shoot smaller bucks. People can do whatever they choose as long as it’s legal. I will simply put myself in a better position to succeed in accomplishing my goals of being able to hunt mature bucks consistently. If that means selling and finding something that will help me accomplish my goals, so be it. Thanks!
I purchased my 120 acres in the western UP in January of 2020. I’m surrounded by other 80-160 acre parcels. I had scouted that particular area the previous couple years even forgoing opening days of hunting season to drive around to see where and how many guys were hunting, how many camps had people and just how hunter pressure was spread out. I walked my property several times before deciding it was the property I envisioned. Surrounding Hunting pressure was extremely light as most camps sat empty, some of them even looking run-down. Things would change with the Covid surge!
That 1st year was great. There was buck sign all over the property and we had 15 different bucks on camera. Nothing huge but a few respectable UP bucks nonetheless. I harvested my 1st buck from the property that 1st year, a heavy, dark racked 7 point that I was thrilled with. After I took care of my buck, I drove around to check out the area and scout some national forest close by. I could not believe how things changed in a years time. All the camps were full. Neighboring properties that hadn’t been hunted in close to 10 years according to the previous owner of my property. I couldn’t believe it. It’s great in the grand scheme of things and good for the local economies but what a change that I wasn’t prepared for!
Last year we ended up getting 8 different bucks on camera with only 2 being mature and my group got the big skunk. We go in way before daylight and don’t get back to camp until well after dark. The 1st 3-4 days are almost 12 hour sits.
Fast forward to this year and it’s looking even worse. 5 different bucks so far on camera and the biggest 2 are smallish 2.5 yo.
My questions mainly being, has anyone else noticed a drastic decline in bucks since Covid?
Are my food plots doing more harm than good? My 4 acres of plots are 2nd year plots but the bucks used them during daylight last year. We don’t hunt plots, just movement between them. We only had 1 failed plot the 1st year and I really didn’t do much work on the property.
I honestly don’t believe it’s anything we’ve done but possibly the mature animals don’t like all the activity during the spring and summer. I firmly believe the buck numbers have just plummeted from increased hunting pressure. It’s possible things will just go in cycles. I’m not trying to come off as jerk that thinks other people shouldn’t hunt their property or that they shouldn’t shoot smaller bucks. People can do whatever they choose as long as it’s legal. I will simply put myself in a better position to succeed in accomplishing my goals of being able to hunt mature bucks consistently. If that means selling and finding something that will help me accomplish my goals, so be it. Thanks!