medium sized 8 point

[kabic]

Moultrie M80 is still working good. We seem to see a few deer that get to this size, but never seem to see them the next year.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Same thing on our property in Pa. We see some good ones, get 'em on cams, gone the next year. Not shot locally either. I guess they just naturally disperse.

 

[Red]

The Minneapolis Metro area that I bow hunt is the same way. Very rare to get pictures of bucks 3 years or older. I'm guessing they disperse to better habitat when they are more dominant. I just don't have access to that better habitat :)

 

[phil@thesidehill]

the farm i used to hunt was the same way. I lived there and hunted there for 4 yrs. Each summer a new group of bucks showed up...no previous history...and then once they shed their antlers...they never came back...well most of them anyway.

 

[Bill]

Kabic,
If I ignore the deer in the picture and look at the background it screams "ripe for hinge cuts."

Maybe you have other areas that are thick and nasty and this isn't the best spot for that.

 

[kabic]

Kabic,
If I ignore the deer in the picture and look at the background it screams "ripe for hinge cuts."

Maybe you have other areas that are thick and nasty and this isn't the best spot for that.

Not my woods so no hinge cutting going to happen soon. It's my hunch my father-in-law will be have some of this logged after he retires for some extra income. There is another spot that was cut a few years ago that is much thicker. Another issue we have is there is a lot of conifers on the surrounding properties so they have much better thermal cover there.

 

[kabic]

Maybe the neighbors dont have as much thermal cover as I thought. I spent some time on one of the neighbors land (with them) helping track a deer. I walked through the pines and it was much more open then I thought it would be. Self pruning I guess.

 

[wiscwhip]

Maybe the neighbors dont have as much thermal cover as I thought. I spent some time on one of the neighbors land (with them) helping track a deer. I walked through the pines and it was much more open then I thought it would be. Self pruning I guess.

Aging red pine plantations are pretty much worthless when it comes to anything for deer. Sometimes the outside rows will keep their lower limbs, so at least they'll provide a bit of a windbreak. Problem is...there's nothing growing in the understory

Spot on stu! What you are looking at here is the Sahara of deer habitat.