Is it possible?

[S.T.Fanatic]

I have a couple of bucks on camera that could be giants if they make it through the year. One is a shooter right now and the other would be great to harvest in two years. The problem is both of the bucks spend the majority of their time on a neighboring property.

My question is what if anything can I do this off season to encourage them to move in to our property or at least spend a lot more time on it?

 

[MadMadHoosier]

 

[4wanderingeyes]

Find some really pretty, horny females, and some good food. At least that would work for me!

 

[Mortenson]

I don't think there's much that can be done in a short window like that. Big bucks like cover and seclusion. Best you can do is plant all available acres to corn and let it stand til winter, and stay out of the farm. The bucks who survive to maturity are the ones who can figure out how to lay low when they first start hearing gunshots in all directions, opening morning. Some can figure this out and others can't. Real good 3 and 4 year olds will still cut a hot doe's track and get into hostile land in the night during gun seasons. Odds aren't good, but there's always a few.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

What are the ages of the bucks? We have only ever had one 3.5 year old shift to our property for most of his time and stay there. I think when they get to 3.5 or older, it would take some major land changes to get them to shift their home range. By major land changes, I am thinking about something negative happening on their current home property. In our single case, I don't know why he changed but he went from never before seen to living almost entirely on our property. Many deer biologists have documented that their home range actually shrinks as they get older (making it less likely that you will get them as they get older). I don't believe any buck ages have been mentioned when talking about this behavior, but I am assuming it to be 6.5 or older, based on our observations of 4.5 and 5.5 year olds still cruising fairly large ranges.

 

[Bassattackr]

Late Season Food ..according to Lee Lakosky. Can pull them then, they may stay IF also have good cover. This assuming, you're already part of their range. So if you have photos on your property, even though at night, you may be in luck..

*Edit: Worth a shot. See more below.

 

[Bassattackr]

We have only ever had one 3.5 year old shift to our property for most of his time and stay there.

Happens more than one might think, I've had it both ways..

- Summer and fall range of a nice 9 point 2.5 / 3.5 was on a neighbors. Then we picked up his fall range this year (age 4.5) and he consistently bedded on us through the fall. Almost had a shot at him on Nov 4th, then killed by a rifle a week later.. Have been disciplined about sanctuary areas and access during / out of season. That + 4 more acres of food this year paid off.

- On the flip side, I had a giant 8 bed & range on us as a 4 year old. Then disappeared at age 5 from over 300 acres (ours + neighbor) last year. Another neighbor picked him up at age 5 to the north, and was shot via rifle that fall. He had just logged the area, so much better cover next door..

I only know because I keep buck inventories from year to year. I have a network of neighbors that I share game camera photos with that helps us all piece the puzzle together. One of our neighbors holds all the bucks in the summer, I hold all the does.. "factory" perhaps. Then I'm a net importer come fall. Works for me.

Doing more edge feathering this year to increase cover. Glut of late season food should help as well. Interesting animals no doubt..

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

The 2 bucks are age 2.5 and 5.5 The neighbors did a timber harvest two years ago so that has a strong bearing on why those deer are where they are. It just so happens that the side of their farm they did the logging was the side furthest away from our land. We will continue doing some TSI but a timber harvest isn't in the plan for a good 10 years.

I do have winter food so there is always that. I may just put both of the plots into corn on the one property that the older buck is closest to next spring.

 

[yoderjac]

I have a couple of bucks on camera that could be giants if they make it through the year. One is a shooter right now and the other would be great to harvest in two years. The problem is both of the bucks spend the majority of their time on a neighboring property.

My question is what if anything can I do this off season to encourage them to move in to our property or at least spend a lot more time on it?

Leave your property and buy the neighbor's kid an ATV

 

[No-Tox]

Bucks want 3 things.
Cover
Food
Breed

If you provide a combo of those, you have a good chance at getting them to move.

 

[yoderjac]

Bucks want 3 things.
Cover
Food
Breed

If you provide a combo of those, you have a good chance at getting them to move.

The best cover in the world will be abandon if human presence is abundant. Most of the year, they want security with food quality a second order. Only during a small part of the rut does the sex drive overpower the security instincts and again food quality is a second order.

 

[Bill]

Have you talked with the neighbor about it? We had a special deer last year. Heck he was 150” easy and easily identified by palmated antlers an stickers. We collectively decided to pass him to see if he would make it. My son passed him at 15 yards.

Neighbor killed him with a bow in September and he blew up. I’d post a pic but the neighbor doesn’t want that….

No doubt if we get a special one again that neighbor will sign right back up for passing it.

Other than that cross your fingers or go Madhoosiers route.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Have you talked with the neighbor about it? We had a special deer last year. Heck he was 150” easy and easily identified by palmated antlers an stickers. We collectively decided to pass him to see if he would make it. My son passed him at 15 yards.

Neighbor killed him with a bow in September and he blew up. I’d post a pic but the neighbor doesn’t want that….

No doubt if we get a special one again that neighbor will sign right back up for passing it.

Other than that cross your fingers or go Madhoosiers route.

The one land owner where the smaller buck spends most of his time is on board. My two uncles would shoot him. My oldest son passed him up at 22 yards last Saturday. The people that hunt the property to the east would shoot him. The people on the lease to the North have shot smaller bucks.

 

[PatinPA]

The one land owner where the smaller buck spends most of his time is on board. My two uncles would shoot him. My oldest son passed him up at 22 yards last Saturday. The people that hunt the property to the east would shoot him. The people on the lease to the North have shot smaller bucks.

It's tough. I have to talk my dad out of shooting 40" 6 points every year. That's 40" not 140". He's tough to break of the shoot the first legal buck that walks by mentality. Even though he's killed his two biggest buck over the last 5 years.

 

[SwampCat]

Can you bait/supplemental feed?

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Can you bait/supplemental feed?

No. CWD put an end to supplemental feeding. In Minnesota there was always a gray area there between bait and feed anyway.

 

[BenAllgood]

I'd be tempted to do like @Mortenson said and load up on standing corn.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

I'd be tempted to do like @Mortenson said and load up on standing corn.

I think that will be the first thing I try.

I only ran one camera this year. Starting early next season I will have a bunch of them out monitoring the one property that I think I have the best chance of crossing paths with him.