Midday Buck Movement in Summer

westonwhitetail

5 year old buck +
I have a new property this year and am seeing a ton of daylight buck activity this summer. This is not normal for me, at other places I've hunt its usually nighttime pics and hope they come back. Here there is a lot of pictures of multiple different bucks and they are mostly during daylight hours. There's a lot of movement between 10am-3pm (about 25% of buck pictures). They also move during the typical early morning and evening times, and not a ton of nighttime pictures (less than I'm used to). I think this means they are bedding on my property or close by. If they are getting up to browse midday and grab a drink at a water hole, that is likely somewhat close to their beds, correct? There is also lack of does on my cameras, besides near the thickest part of the property where they must be hiding their does this spring/summer.

What are you guys thoughts on these observations? Do I have good summer bedding for bucks on my property? Will they stick around this fall or at least travel back through in the rut? I know its impossible to say what they will do come fall, as their home ranges shift, but I'm wondering what others experience that have similar summer patterns.
 
Running out the door.quick reply would be.

I’d say their bedding there for sure. My experience with summer bucks is the same every year. They start vacationing mid October and don’t return until December if they live. Not saying they all disappear for good just periods of “vanished”.
Length of time depends on personality and social pressure. (I believe).

flat out best time to kill a summer buck is on a September afternoon if your season starts that early and you can see a pattern.
 
Ya they are definitely bedding there if they're there midday. You'll have to wait and see if they stick around. I hunt on a family friends property and I get pics of nice buck all summer long midday but about the end of September they are all gone. Might get some pass throughs in the rut. He finally had it timbered this summer so I'm hoping that changes with the added cover.
 
Based on that information, I'd say they're bedding within 100-150 yards max.

My neighbor in the bottoms gets a lot of bachelor groups that feed in his clover and alfalfa fields, and summer for me is a "doe factory". That all changes when they disperse in September..
 
They are probably in bachelor groups and are undisturbed. Summer time is for eating & sleeping for them. As we approach fall, and early rut, they will disband. What's on your property now, will likely change.

I see more bucks bedding in grassy areas than wooded. Typically small wooded areas like yours can be transitional cover travel corridors. Bucks bedding in wooded areas have an extreme advantage with their ears & eyesight.

Without does on your property, that may reduce the amount of scent checking movement by bucks during the rut phases. As the rut begins, bucks will move to where the does. Buck movement is also affected by food source changes & hunting/human pressure. As stated above, learning to pattern their movements takes time & patience. Patterns change as the season evolves.

Whether a buck will still call your property home, or continue to use it as a travel corridor, is entirely dependent on how much you disturb his area. The more you enter their area the more likely you are to push them out. A mature buck, 4+ years old, is the most wary and most likely to leave once disturbed.
 
Beyond bedding that is normal pattern for bucks that haven't been pressured into unnatural patterns. So many deer herds around the country behave like paranoid schizophrenic psychotic vampire deer because man has totally corrupted their natural behavior. Given their preferences there is a natural movement pattern midday including summer and surprisingly enough deer general DONT like the thickest cover possible as they would be more vulnerable to natural predators. Going back in history they were more of a savannah creature.
 
So they are bedding close, I would say on my ridge top or the neighbors to the south. This is good but I would also like them around this fall. I am expecting a shift in movement though like everyone has mentioned.

What's the formula to keep them around as much as possible after September? They need acorns, fall food source (corn, brassicas, rye, native browse), cover when the leaves drop, hot does, low hunting pressure... what things have helped you most?
 
So they are bedding close, I would say on my ridge top or the neighbors to the south. This is good but I would also like them around this fall. I am expecting a shift in movement though like everyone has mentioned.

What's the formula to keep them around as much as possible after September? They need acorns, fall food source (corn, brassicas, rye, native browse), cover when the leaves drop, hot does, low hunting pressure... what things have helped you most?
All of those things if possible. If not, then look around. Is your area lacking in one of those things? I was trying to shoot for the best cover because everything was pretty open around me but since I timbered my non hunting neighbor also did, so now there is going to be an unhunted 100 acres right next door with great cover.

And always low hunting pressure.
 
It has been my experience that deer prefer more open woods and/or ag dominated areas in the summer than they do during the rut. I assume it is related to relief from the bugs, but who knows. During the rut we have the best luck around thick areas that the bucks generally leave alone in the summer. It is entirely possible thought that their open summer bedding areas are relatively close to the thick areas they prefer in the fall. If that's the case the bucks could stick around all year.
 
Running out the door.quick reply would be.

I’d say their bedding there for sure. My experience with summer bucks is the same every year. They start vacationing mid October and don’t return until December if they live. Not saying they all disappear for good just periods of “vanished”.
Length of time depends on personality and social pressure. (I believe).

flat out best time to kill a summer buck is on a September afternoon if your season starts that early and you can see a pattern.
I am hoping they stick around for an opportunity to hunt mid late September. WI bow opens on the 18th
 
It has been my experience that deer prefer more open woods and/or ag dominated areas in the summer than they do during the rut. I assume it is related to relief from the bugs, but who knows. During the rut we have the best luck around thick areas that the bucks generally leave alone in the summer. It is entirely possible thought that their open summer bedding areas are relatively close to the thick areas they prefer in the fall. If that's the case the bucks could stick around all year.
I’ve thought about adding NWSG to my 15 acre field for added cover later in the season and rut. Lickcreks thread on that has me inspired
 
Beyond bedding that is normal pattern for bucks that haven't been pressured into unnatural patterns. So many deer herds around the country behave like paranoid schizophrenic psychotic vampire deer because man has totally corrupted their natural behavior. Given their preferences there is a natural movement pattern midday including summer and surprisingly enough deer general DONT like the thickest cover possible as they would be more vulnerable to natural predators. Going back in history they were more of a savannah creature.
This is interesting, at least they must feel comfortable on my land during the summer then. We’ll see this fall, it’ll be my first full season
 
Would the 15 acres grow decent corn? That could possibly satisfy later season cover and it's really hard to beat the drawing power of corn. Wouldn't need to keep it all.
 
They are probably in bachelor groups and are undisturbed. Summer time is for eating & sleeping for them. As we approach fall, and early rut, they will disband. What's on your property now, will likely change.

I see more bucks bedding in grassy areas than wooded. Typically small wooded areas like yours can be transitional cover travel corridors. Bucks bedding in wooded areas have an extreme advantage with their ears & eyesight.

Without does on your property, that may reduce the amount of scent checking movement by bucks during the rut phases. As the rut begins, bucks will move to where the does. Buck movement is also affected by food source changes & hunting/human pressure. As stated above, learning to pattern their movements takes time & patience. Patterns change as the season evolves.

Whether a buck will still call your property home, or continue to use it as a travel corridor, is entirely dependent on how much you disturb his area. The more you enter their area the more likely you are to push them out. A mature buck, 4+ years old, is the most wary and most likely to leave once disturbed.
The nearest corn field to some of the bigger woods around is on mine, so hopefully that’ll pull some more does to me during the rut
 
Would the 15 acres grow decent corn? That could possibly satisfy later season cover and it's really hard to beat the drawing power of corn. Wouldn't need to keep it all.
Yeah that field is in corn this year, so we’ll see how that effects movement when it becomes the preferred food source. Maybe it’ll help hold them
 
I am hoping they stick around for an opportunity to hunt mid late September. WI bow opens on the 18th

my best buck to date was killed around Sept 22. I’ve killed several good bucks in September. Always the same scenario. Afternoon, (don’t blow a spot early season in the morning) weather break. Temp drop, thunderstorms anything that causes a temperature drop. Be on their favorite food with the the right wind.
It takes the alignment of the stars but when it happens..it usually happens.

I like the corn idea for cover. But mow
Some of it mid October before the rut.
Corn on the ground attracts Does. That’s like Blood in the water.
 
From what I’ve seen, does and fawns setup shop near the best food and bucks hang out on the fringes during summer. This time of year, bucks like open north facing woods or grass. We don’t hold a lot of bucks this time of year because we have food (does) and a lot of thick cover. That starts to change right about now as the velvet comes off and the bachelor groups break up. I’d rather have the bucks during hunting season than during the summer. I’m guessing that you could still see these bucks this fall though. Number 1, you need to hunt smart and make sure they don’t feel the pressure. Get yourself work done now and get out until the conditions are right. Food and does will help as we get closer to the rut. Food and lack of pressure is king after the rut. Just make sure that you don’t burn the property out by then. Good luck on the new property this fall! It sounds like it’s already been a good upgrade from where you hunted before. Add some good improvements while hunting smart and you should be successful!
 
I have seen several posts here about bucks bedding in more open woods in the summer. My experience has been opposite of that. The bigger bucks will bed right off the food in thick brush that’s around the plot edges. Smaller bucks will bed anywhere but usually within 50 yards of food. There never was an issue with the doe I would get buck pictures around 10-11 AM and 2-4 PM. Doe would be on a different schedule. It’s very nerve racking checking plot cameras and stuff knowing you’re blowing them out but, what can you do. They mostly stayed around. Once it gets into October they bed away from the plots. As much as 200-300 yards at times And day pictures became less and less until the rut. Doe had their well established bedding year round And day pictures stayed constant under low pressure. I should mention this only applied to older bucks. Yearlings were seen at all times of the day or night on camera. They just seem to want to be around and not miss anything. LOL.
 
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From what I’ve seen, does and fawns setup shop near the best food and bucks hang out on the fringes during summer. This time of year, bucks like open north facing woods or grass. We don’t hold a lot of bucks this time of year because we have food (does) and a lot of thick cover. That starts to change right about now as the velvet comes off and the bachelor groups break up. I’d rather have the bucks during hunting season than during the summer. I’m guessing that you could still see these bucks this fall though. Number 1, you need to hunt smart and make sure they don’t feel the pressure. Get yourself work done now and get out until the conditions are right. Food and does will help as we get closer to the rut. Food and lack of pressure is king after the rut. Just make sure that you don’t burn the property out by then. Good luck on the new property this fall! It sounds like it’s already been a good upgrade from where you hunted before. Add some good improvements while hunting smart and you should be successful!
Yes thank you this new property has made for an exciting summer, with good bucks hanging around, I just hope that continue into the fall! The north facing slopes comment may hold true as the area I'm getting a lot of the pictures is off a north facing point.
 
Here's a little more detail for you guys on the location I've been getting a lot of these pictures and my early season hunting strategy.. let me know how you'd hunt it

I have one buck I am focused on, but many other good one's I would be happy taking too. A map is shown below of the property I am getting the daylight pictures. I get most pictures of my target buck near the Stand 1 and Stand 2 locations. Typically the wind is SW to W when I get pictures. Stand 2 is a a slight point but the topography rises another 50'-60' to the south of it, where I think he may be bedding this summer on the ridge top. I get pictures of him coming up and down the hill near stand 2. I also get pictures of him near a water hole by Stand 1. I think he may run the wooded hillside or edge of the corn field out to the soybeans to the west. (he would have the wind advantage traveling that route).

I was planning to save Stand 2 until the rut as it is a bit more intrusive to get to, but I think I could get there with the leaves still on without spooking deer off the ridgetop. I would hunt there on a good SW/W/NW wind when the timing is right (cold front). Hopefully mid to late September before the bucks start roaming. I will also hunt Stand 1 with a SE wind, this is a pretty easy stand to get to so it won't hurt anything when the wind is right. Stand 3 might be good too into October as there were tons of scrapes at the corner of the corn field there.

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