The zones of deer habitation?

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.
 
I think that is a decent synopsis for the type of habitat you described, but it's different where I live. There are no massive woods where humans seldom go. Dogs run loose everywhere and deer get disturbed more than they should. Wooded drainages and rough areas where people don't farm and mow are about the only cover, but a few bucks will make it to maturity - the smart ones or maybe just the lucky one - or maybe both....

But hunting the transition zone thing is spot on. Your does aren't likely to change their routines much as long as there is good food and cover. But the bucks will be changing and traveling to places they haven't been in a year.

The west side of my farm is the doe area you describe. The only picture you ever get of a mature buck on that side is during the rut. This is the side nearest civilization. The east side is the buck area you describe - not as remote as your description but the most remote part. Guess where I hunt.... Yes, in the middle between the two areas in that transition zone.
 
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I have absolutely no clue how to hunt where you are.

Transition areas seem to be consistent places to find bucks. In my farm lot, agricultural land, a transition is a cedar tree in high grass, six foot from timber.

In big woods maybe it’s a cedar tree in open timber six foot from saplings.

somewhere a deer can see and hear that is close to somewhere it can disappear seems consistent.

I’ll say it again, no clue how to hunt big woods. The deer seem to do things similarly, but how the hell do you get close enough to hunt them there?
 
I dont hunt but i plant alotta trees,foodplots , hinge a lotta timber and watch........

I am fascinated with deer behavior and agree with your read

Does bed close to my food sources and bucks hang where they are least likely to be f***ed with

In my area, this is any high area in uninhabitable swamps, slews , and creek bottoms

bill
 
I've had good luck intentionally creating a doe filled zone with as many does as possible. Every buck in the area knows where to find the females and they can't stay away during the rut. A couple of the bucks end up in the freezer. The nocturnal bucks that hate human pressure will show up at noon in a backyard if a local doe smells just right!

The key though is to have enough food to keep the does happy and on the property through the entire rut and gun seasons. If you run out of food early the does are gone before they have a chance to draw a buck past your stand.
 
As I've been getting my tonnage up, I've been seeing more bucks around my doe zone. It's still confined to that 14 window that straddles about November 4th it seems. I've got big tonnage this year, but it's not ideal forage. Next year, I'll have big tonnage and top draw for late october/early november. It's gonna be off the hook.
 
yeah, the downside to having a pile of does around is that they eat literally tons of food and they can clean you out the food supply before the rut comes. I've had good luck with brassicas since they can put on some serious tonnage and the deer don't mess with them too early.
 
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.

There is always more to it, but that is a good generalization. I would call the buck zones "mature buck zones" as young bucks act more similar to does. One thing to keep in mind is that doe zones become mature buck zones during the rut. If you have enough scale to do QDM you have to build doe zones to impact the herd. A good design always includes sanctuary as well. This becomes your buck zones.

If I was looking for a small property, I would look for a general area that contains doe zone habitat and buy an adjoining swamp land. Since with a small parcel I wouldn't have scale to do QDM, I would simply plant small food plots near the perimeter so I could have food when the adjoining ag is harvested. As you say, the key is pressure for mature bucks. If I did any habitat work, it would be a 1-shot deal, not an ongoing endeavor as it is with QDM or timber management.

The only other thing I'd add is that, like most of what we describe, we are describing the middle of a bell shaped curve of behavior and some deer will break all the generalizations and be outliers.

Thanks,

Jack
 
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