For those who aren't getting good pics right now?

[gjs4]

For those who aren't getting good pics right now.....How concerned about having "target" deer are you?

We have all heard from folks who approach this with the raising them from "fawn to full mount", and others that say "let someone else raise them" and "fall plots only to avoid doe factories".

Having a few properties I hunt on, own and/or "manage"...I am struggling this year. Finally bought some midwestern dirt this winter- nothing of interest present there, my piece here which is pretty amazing- nothing there, the family farm- nothing there. This is not whining, or an issue of escalated standards....its seems like wells I drink from are dry at the moment. Just wondering how you all view a lack of summer buck pics...

 

[SwampCat]

I am in the same boat. We have a decent buck move in after the first rut every now and then because of the draw of all our food - but that didnt happen last year. Both our big deer were killed last year and nothing has replaced them. I believe I have pictures of probably all the bucks on my place, now. Need something to move in.

 

[Telemark]

I don't worry about summer deer. Experience has taught me that on my place the bucks are in the open hardwoods in the summer and hidden back in the thick cover in fall. I flat-out quit putting trail cameras out in the summer because I kept getting disappointed by the great summer bucks disappearing after monitoring them all summer, only to find there were other bigger bucks back in the cedars in the fall.

 

[SwampCat]

I don't worry about summer deer. Experience has taught me that on my place the bucks are in the open hardwoods in the summer and hidden back in the thick cover in fall. I flat-out quit putting trail cameras out in the summer because I kept getting disappointed by the great summer bucks disappearing after monitoring them all summer, only to find there were other bigger bucks back in the cedars in the fall.

I do think the presence of a lot of bucks in the summer - and whether they stay - is very property dependent. I know quite a few folks who have big bachelor groups and then lose them come fall. I know a few who have almost no summer bucks and then gain bucks in the fall. In my area - bachelor groups focus on easy food - not so much cover. In the fall - once hunting season starts and regular temps fall below the 80’s - most of our bucks will be found near cover. Those of us who have both food and cover year round, also keep most of our bucks year round.

 

[Telemark]

I do think the presence of a lot of bucks in the summer - and whether they stay - is very property dependent. I know quite a few folks who have big bachelor groups and then lose them come fall. I know a few who have almost no summer bucks and then gain bucks in the fall. In my area - bachelor groups focus on easy food - not so much cover. In the fall - once hunting season starts and regular temps fall below the 80’s - most of our bucks will be found near cover. Those of us who have both food and cover year round, also keep most of our bucks year round.

I agree with you completely. My uncle used to hunt a property in Ohio that always had a single mature buck all year. The property seemed to be just big enough, with just the right mix of habitat to hold one big mature buck all year, according to the trail cams.

I was talking about my personal experience with bucks on a 300 acre Ontario property, purely to give my perspective and relate my experience.

 

[hillrunner]

I don't even run cameras until September. That's when the bucks start to move into their fall ranges here. Our season opens October 1 and I figure I know 95%+ by that time of what I'll have to hunt for the year.
I always love bumping a big one up this time of year but I really don't worry about what they are doing till they start to shed.

 

[Native Hunter]

Where I live, bucks prefer different habitat types for different times of the year. If you have diverse habitat that has all of the different features listed below, you will be more likely to see the bucks all year long. However, due to the typical range expansion during the breeding season, literally anything can happen that goes against conventional wisdom. And, in hill country, the military crest of a suitable point that has the correct wind is likely to be used about any time of the year.

Summer:
* Cool, open wood with mature timber where there is little or no threatening disturbance - preferably with a small stream nearby.
* Good food nearby such as a bean field or a summer food plot where you keep human disturbance to a minimum and check cams in an intelligent way.
* If he has the above things, he moves very little during the hot summer months.

Fall:
* Near does where breeding opportunities are a good possibility.
* Thick cover such as thickets or tall NWSG fields to move in to increase safety.
* Secluded spots to move in and out of the sunlight but still stay hidden if it is cold.
* Food is still important but less so. In good habitat, there is always something to eat (greenbrier, shrubby browse, standing corn, etc.__)

Post Rut:
* Wherever the best food and best security exist together.

 

[Bill]

No good ones on camera yet.
But I’m confident we’ll get at least one the hook this year.

 

[PrairieShadow]

I’ve got 2 pieces of ground a mile apart. One piece of ground always has a homebody on it. I’m talking doesn’t leave 80 acres for a month or better. If i haven’t killed my target buck on that piece by oct 20ish I panic. The other piece generally doesn’t have a good deer on it until oct 20 or so. 2 very very similar pieces of ground too but deer act very different between them. A side note, I never have the same deer going back and forth between the 2 properties either.

 

[SwampCat]

I agree with you completely. My uncle used to hunt a property in Ohio that always had a single mature buck all year. The property seemed to be just big enough, with just the right mix of habitat to hold one big mature buck all year, according to the trail cams.

I was talking about my personal experience with bucks on a 300 acre Ontario property, purely to give my perspective and relate my experience.

Yes, sir. I am totally in agreement with you

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

For those who aren't getting good pics right now.....How concerned about having "target" deer are you?

We have all heard from folks who approach this with the raising them from "fawn to full mount", and others that say "let someone else raise them" and "fall plots only to avoid doe factories".

Having a few properties I hunt on, own and/or "manage"...I am struggling this year. Finally bought some midwestern dirt this winter- nothing of interest present there, my piece here which is pretty amazing- nothing there, the family farm- nothing there. This is not whining, or an issue of escalated standards....its seems like wells I drink from are dry at the moment. Just wondering how you all view a lack of summer buck pics...

Getting nervous I suppose. Or maybe discouraged, but same page. Not getting anything to speak of. Last year I had bucks everywhere and I’m assuming it’s because I had beans. This year is corn and maybe that’s the reason it’s a bust, my neighbors with beans are holding them. 2 weeks ago I had a good week and hoped that maybe with the beans maturing I’d start getting some more bucks but turned out to be a flash in the pan cause I haven’t gotten any of these since. Not all shooters but at least horn.

 

[Telemark]

Getting nervous I suppose. Or maybe discouraged, but same page. Not getting anything to speak of. Last year I had bucks everywhere and I’m assuming it’s because I had beans. This year is corn and maybe that’s the reason it’s a bust, my neighbors with beans are holding them. 2 weeks ago I had a good week and hoped that maybe with the beans maturing I’d start getting some more bucks but turned out to be a flash in the pan cause I haven’t gotten any of these since. Not all shooters but at least horn.
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If you are really into beans, check out that "fall release" mix. I think it's from Grant Woods

 

[drycreek]

I don’t worry too much about what I see in the summer. It has been my experience that my summertime bucks may very well go somewhere else as soon as they are rubbed out and bucks I’ve never seen will take their place. This was especially true on the place I used to own, as well as my lease, and not quite as bad on the home place. I cut a bunch of pine timber on the home place a few years ago and it has grown up pretty thick. With only one half acre food plot, it’s almost like an 80 acre sanctuary. We definitely have more deer that bed on us now than we did five years ago. I don’t go back there much and when I do it’s in a golf cart or on my tractor. The tractor doesn’t seem to bother them much and neither does the golf cart.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

On the home farm that is surrounded by Ag, including our own, We historically get almost zero good velvet photos or videos. All of the Ag is in the valleys And then that is surrounded by timber. We used to get all wrapped up with not seeing any bucks, But that slowly fades once it gets late August or early September when they routinely start showing up again.

On the new farm I just purchased about 2 miles away, It has Ag but is mostly old pasture. There are bucks everywhere right now. This is the first year owning this farm so I am not sure how they are going to shift when the fall comes. For the time being it seems like they just like a lot of open country throughout the summer.

 

[willy]

Generally on one my farm that is part of large river bluff system, the 3, 4, 5 year old bucks don't show up until Sept/early Oct. On a couple other farms I know well, they are the oasis habitat areas/ best in a 3 to 4 mile radius, the best bucks are there all year long and on rare occasion something new shows up in Sept/Oct

 

[Bill]

On the home farm that is surrounded by Ag, including our own, We historically get almost zero good velvet photos or videos. All of the Ag is in the valleys And then that is surrounded by timber. We used to get all wrapped up with not seeing any bucks, But that slowly fades once it gets late August or early September when they routinely start showing up again.

On the new farm I just purchased about 2 miles away, It has Ag but is mostly old pasture. There are bucks everywhere right now. This is the first year owning this farm so I am not sure how they are going to shift when the fall comes. For the time being it seems like they just like a lot of open country throughout the summer.

I hope you do well there. I have a buddy over in Mercer county with 200 acres of overgrown pasture with a bit of ag. Surrounded by all ag. He sees 15 bucks on stand most days. The problem he has is once they age up, they move on. To much social stress dealing with a bunch of rutting teenagers is my theory. I keep telling him he needs a year with 15 youth hunters to thin out the 120 to 130 inchers. He doesn’t like my theory…..

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I hope you do well there. I have a buddy over in Mercer county with 200 acres of overgrown pasture with a bit of ag. Surrounded by all ag. He sees 15 bucks on stand most days. The problem he has is once they age up, they move on. To much social stress dealing with a bunch of rutting teenagers is my theory. I keep telling him he needs a year with 15 youth hunters to thin out the 120 to 130 inchers. He doesn’t like my theory…..

Thanks. Most of the hunting personalities out there seem to think dominant bucks choose the best areas and everything else picks up the scraps. Best may mean different things to some, but I would assume that has to do with some combination of food and security. I haven't hunted enough yet to have an informed opinion. I'll definitely keep what you say in mind, though.

 

[MN Slick]

I hope you do well there. I have a buddy over in Mercer county with 200 acres of overgrown pasture with a bit of ag. Surrounded by all ag. He sees 15 bucks on stand most days. The problem he has is once they age up, they move on. To much social stress dealing with a bunch of rutting teenagers is my theory. I keep telling him he needs a year with 15 youth hunters to thin out the 120 to 130 inchers. He doesn’t like my theory…..

Interesting. At what age does he see them leaving? One thing I've noticed in North MO is that the bucks are very nomadic, which doesn't seem to be the case a few miles north into Iowa.

 

[PatinPA]

My place is barren this time of the year. I don't even get too many doe pics. I occasionally get a pass through buck pic but I haven't even got a single pic of a buck in over a month. It's strange too. I thought the neighbors property would be a great place for them. It's hemlocks with nice shade, a small steam runs through for close water and a couple of brand new bean fields all around but nope. They do not stay there in the summer. It used to freak me out but now I know they'll all be back come October.

Another place I hunt is the exact opposite. He has all the bucks in the summer but only little dinks by the fall.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

However, due to the typical range expansion during the breeding season, literally anything can happen that goes against conventional wisdom.

I don’t worry too much about what I see in the summer. It has been my experience that my summertime bucks may very well go somewhere else as soon as they are rubbed out and bucks I’ve never seen will take their place.

We see the very same here. Big boys we have eating in our plots in summer disappear / disperse, and we have new bucks show up we haven't seen before. This is common every year on our mountain. We have miles of woods (oaks) & mountains, though, so they can roam for miles in search of OTHER does if they want. It's kind of rare to shoot a regular cam buck right around camp. Mid-September seems to see a shuffling of the deck.