SD51555
5 year old buck +
I was off exploring over the weekend. For context, I'm in the big woods. These areas are big and uncut, and can go for miles in some directions. I got way back in the bush and ran into some pretty good deer sign, and I can only assume it was buck country, because it seemed like an awful place for a doe to try to feed a fawn or two, and there was no sign of humans making it that far back in a few years. It got me to thinking about where bucks live, where does live, and where they get together to do the club thing come rut time. Is it really this simple?
Doe zones
The high quality food spaces, higher human contact, decent bedding and browse.
Transition zones
The zones next to the doe zones, not so much human traffic, incomplete habitat for either browse or cover.
Buck zones
Poor quality food, no human traffic/very high security.
Reflecting on this, my property is set up as a doe zone. I'm out there too much to ever think a buck would bed on or near my land. However, just off my property is a really good transition zone, and behind that a buck zone, that place where no one ever goes, not even the does. I'm pinning my hopes on being able to pull bucks up into the transition zone towards halloween. I actually had a nice buck actually come into the food plot last year chasing does on October 31st. That was cool as hell.
Is there more to it, or is that a decent synopsis? I'm setting up some stands this weekend to hunt the edge where the transition zones meet the doe zones.
Doe zones
The high quality food spaces, higher human contact, decent bedding and browse.
Transition zones
The zones next to the doe zones, not so much human traffic, incomplete habitat for either browse or cover.
Buck zones
Poor quality food, no human traffic/very high security.
Reflecting on this, my property is set up as a doe zone. I'm out there too much to ever think a buck would bed on or near my land. However, just off my property is a really good transition zone, and behind that a buck zone, that place where no one ever goes, not even the does. I'm pinning my hopes on being able to pull bucks up into the transition zone towards halloween. I actually had a nice buck actually come into the food plot last year chasing does on October 31st. That was cool as hell.
Is there more to it, or is that a decent synopsis? I'm setting up some stands this weekend to hunt the edge where the transition zones meet the doe zones.