If bucks leave for rut, do they come back to home base for second rut?

[Henry]

If bucks leave for rut, do they come back to home base for second rut? If not, then when do they return?

It seems like we suddenly have more bucks than I thought we did.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I think they return right after season

 

[Ski]

I find some of my summer bucks leave in early fall, new bucks show up for rut, then they leave and around new year another different bunch of bucks show up. Some stay all winter through summer and some leave at spring green up. I've never been able to peg an expectation for most bucks. They do something different every season. But sometimes I get a homebody who either sets up camp and stays, or consistently repeats major movements so I can predictably hunt them. Otherwise there's no rhyme or reason that I know for for where they go or which bucks will be around any given time.

 

[Andy S.]

I suspect some do, if they are not in someone's freezer by now. Traveling unknown territory with brain fog from the rut increases likelihood they will make a mistake, increasing likelihood of being shot. or at least shot at. So many factors to weigh throughout our loooong firearm season, just about any scenario can play out.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Unless you have a really large piece of land to keep tabs on them on, you may never see bucks return. Rare we get same bucks back. Perfect example was the young 9 point I passed on last year. Figured him as a 2.5 with incredible potential so I let him walk. Had pics of him on into late December. Thought it likely that he made it through. No sign of him this year at all.

 

[Mr.Bro]

I believe most bucks make their way back to home core area every 4 or 5 days. They may leave often but don't stay gone long.

 

[BSK]

In GPS-collar studies done by Auburn, those bucks that had a completely different range for the rut usually only stayed at the separate range for 5-6 weeks (peak of the rut), after which they returned to their original fall range.