Buck numbers

[ZachMarkus]

I'm not sure what has changed around my place but I'm getting 3x as many bucks on camera this year than ever before.

One area where I run a camera every year I usually have a bachelor group of 3 or 4 bucks there but this year i'm getting pics of over 10 different bucks at that spot. 2 mature bucks and a couple of really nice 3 year olds.

It's not only that spot but on all of my cameras I'm getting a lot more bucks than I usually do.

Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?


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[megalomaniac]

Overall same numbers of buck... we always have a ton of bucks simply because we don't kill very many.

I'm seeing exactly what I expected to see on camera. The mature bucks we passed on last year are still around. However, the 3.5 y/o class last year was nonexistent, so I don't have any new 4.5 y/o's this year. Getting lots of nice up and coming 3.5 y/o's this year, however. Average number of 2.5 and 1.5 y/o's.

so this year will be terrible for trophy potential. Still will have ample opportunities at low scoring mature bucks this year. Next year should be a banner year for 135-155"ers if the 3.5 y/o's don't get shot this year.

 

[Grnwing]

I am seeing a lot more bucks this year on my farm but my fawn numbers seem to be way down. Last year I had several does(4) with twins and this year I have only seen 2 fawns on cameras. However, I have seen 12 different bucks whereas last year I had only 4 different bucks coming through over the summer census. I do have coyotes around but wonder if something else is causing the switch from seeing more does to more bucks.

 

[Jmed]

Ive got a farm In KY that is slowly but surely recovering from EHD in '12. its been that way for a couple years, especially through the summer. We get 10 buck pics for every doe. I will say this year we have way more fawns and does than we have the past few years. Ive always felt like some areas become "Doe sinks" and others are "buck sinks" and it has more to do with the local habitat and predator population.

Another thing to keep in mind, we are getting close to mast drop and a major transition period so things can change on a dime in the next few weeks.