I have a few bucks that I have gotten on cam regularly over the last 2 or 3 years. This year I have a few new bucks showing up with the "regulars" in bachelor groups. Basically what I'm asking is once these groups break up, how far apart will these groups spread out. Obviously there is no exact answer, but more or less what a buck typically considers his home range. The reason I ask is the buck I want to target is one that is just now showing up and I only have 38 acres I can hunt in this area. Like I said I know it's a question that doesn't have an exact answer, just trying to learn a little bit about this subject.
Bachelor groups
- Thread starter cbcs1987
- Start date
Shed Hunter
Well-Known Member
Some people can give their guesses but I really doubt it will mean much. It varies on every single piece of land. You never know though, a few may stick around on your land. Then again all of them may leave. They may leave and a 200" buck decides to move in. If you have quite a few different bucks I have a feeling you will have a chance of one running back onto your land after a doe during the rut (seems to be what they do at my place)
lpo1981
Well-Known Member
Depends on the individual buck, some may use your peice of property during the summer and move off when the bachelor groups bust up. I have the exact same problem as you do with such a small tract. 36 acres is what I have to hunt, in my past expeirences I usually see different bucks after the bachelor groups bust up. Its been very seldom that I had a good mature buck that used my property stick around and I kill during the season. Happened twice in the last 8 years..
Truedouble
Well-Known Member
your best bet is to hunt him early before he moves out of their summer range. I've seen mature bucks that don't ever really move out of their summer range and then I've seen some that I got pics of almost every day during the summer and fall and then around Nov. I might get one or two more pics of them before the season is over.
Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
Different bucks have their own characteristics. If you just now have a buck moving into your territory that hasn't typically been in that area chances are he is shifting more towards his Fall range (unless he's been there all along and you just never saw him). If he has then your best chance is early in the season. Otherwise if he has shifted into your territory you may get a shot at him throughout the rut or better yet, the pre-rut. 38 acres isn't alot of land to place your hopes on but if it's a "prime" piece of property offering a buck seclusion you may see him at least passing through.
JGreg
Well-Known Member
I personally believe that if you keep food, not bait, and cover you have a chance st keeping them so long as human pressure doesn't run them off. Hunt smart early and good luck.
There is no pat answer. Much will depend on the food source. As the groups break up, usually mid to late Oct., the dominant buck will pick his somewhat core area. That will be based on both food source and doe availability. He may stick around or he may go somewhere else. He also may alow some or all of the otherbucks to stay in relative close proximity. It will depend on comptition.
Thirty-eight acres is plenty if it holds what he wants. If you have the preferred food source and the does, he has no need to go anywhere else but who knows what will happen in two months?
Thirty-eight acres is plenty if it holds what he wants. If you have the preferred food source and the does, he has no need to go anywhere else but who knows what will happen in two months?
gondo
Well-Known Member
cbcs1987 said:
IMO that ratio makes it a little harder to hold the bucks in the area they are in bachelor groups with fewer ladies around during the rut phases but i feel in turn that you get a lot more activity from the bucks in the area during rut phases with that ratio...
Columbia Scott
Well-Known Member
My experience has been that the largest buck in your bachelor group will likely stay in that range. The rest spread apart and will cross through that original summer range sporadically. I have killed the largest and intermediate sized bucks that I had on camera at one point or another. When they spread out I think it's generally not too far. We have a near 50/50 buck doe ratio I would guess.
BSK
Well-Known Member
cbcs1987,
As others have pointed out, that is an impossible question to answer. Every location is unique. Running trail-cams from August through January on different properties, I've seen small properties that see no turnover of bucks from summer to fall (what they get on trail-camera in summer is basical what they have to hunt in fall), and then I've seen small properties that see complete turnover from summer to fall (none of the bucks on the property during hunting season were photographed during summer). But one encouraging thing for those properties that see complete or nearly complete turnover from summer to fall is that the age structure of the two buck populations are usually quite similar. In essence, they don't lose a bunch of mature summer bucks and get back only young bucks in fall.
As others have pointed out, that is an impossible question to answer. Every location is unique. Running trail-cams from August through January on different properties, I've seen small properties that see no turnover of bucks from summer to fall (what they get on trail-camera in summer is basical what they have to hunt in fall), and then I've seen small properties that see complete turnover from summer to fall (none of the bucks on the property during hunting season were photographed during summer). But one encouraging thing for those properties that see complete or nearly complete turnover from summer to fall is that the age structure of the two buck populations are usually quite similar. In essence, they don't lose a bunch of mature summer bucks and get back only young bucks in fall.
Coach
Well-Known Member
Pretty much what BSK said is true for my properties...The bucks seem to cycle and if we don't hit the right cycle during the fall we are left with not much to choose from. If I see large bucks on my trailcams or while I'm on my tractor in the late summer I rarely see them during the season...and it's been that way for as long as I can remember...they have cycled in and out.
Update:
Checked my cam for the final time before the season and got bad news. I went from seeing them nearly every other day around 8:30 a.m. to none of them at all. They were last on cam Sept. 1. A few hogs have moved in and about a 450 pound bear. Really not as excited as I the last time I checked the camera. Still I will try and hunt hard. Only 1 more week!
Checked my cam for the final time before the season and got bad news. I went from seeing them nearly every other day around 8:30 a.m. to none of them at all. They were last on cam Sept. 1. A few hogs have moved in and about a 450 pound bear. Really not as excited as I the last time I checked the camera. Still I will try and hunt hard. Only 1 more week!
Winchester
Well-Known Member
Good luck. Deer are not territorial and several bucks even mature bucks will sometimes use the same area. They determine a pecking order early on and as long as thats not disrupted bucks will tolerate each other through the Fall.
BSK
Well-Known Member
cbcs1987 said:
cbcs1987,
I just checked my cams, and in my area, bachelor groups just broke up and bucks are moving to their fall range. In just the last few days, 5 new bucks, and some good older ones, suddenly showed up on cam that had not been there all during August. In addition, all of these bucks were in hard antler (except one, and he shed velvet the 9th).
BowGuy84
Well-Known Member
BSK said:
Where's the pics this year man? I've been missing seeing those great shots you get on your place every year!
BSK
Well-Known Member
BowGuy84 said:
So far, nothing really to "write home about." For whatever reason, we've had a hard time getting the really old bucks on cam this year. But it appears things are changing. Couldn't believe how many buck pictures I got over the last week. Probably more in one week than all of August.
JGreg
Well-Known Member
I know around my area the deer have started moving to the acorns already.... So maybe they haven't left just changed patterns. I have a 3 buck group that I lost 2 weeks ago that suddenly showed up on the other side of my 100 acres.
