Buck sink?

[Bayou Buck]

So we all have heard how a property can become a doe sink, but is it possible for it to become a buck sink?

The past few seasons on my farm we have seen more bucks than does. This year we killed 7 bucks and one doe on the farm. Well I just pulled some camera cards for a basic post season survey and I probably have about 20 different bucks using these sites and only about 10 does counting female fawns.

Being in unit L I know some of the neighbors may be targeting a bunch of does but my farm and adjacent lease should be large enough to not be affected by their harvest numbers. I guess this is a good problem to have but I am a little worried about the doe numbers.

 

[BSK]

So we all have heard how a property can become a doe sink, but is it possible for it to become a buck sink?

The past few seasons on my farm we have seen more bucks than does. This year we killed 7 bucks and one doe on the farm. Well I just pulled some camera cards for a basic post season survey and I probably have about 20 different bucks using these sites and only about 10 does counting female fawns.

Being in unit L I know some of the neighbors may be targeting a bunch of does but my farm and adjacent lease should be large enough to not be affected by their harvest numbers. I guess this is a good problem to have but I am a little worried about the doe numbers.

Yes, it is very possible. In fact, my property has become that as well. You did the right thing by not shooting many does this year. What I would watch carefully is your fawn recruitment rate. Usually, properties that become buck sinks have a few common traits, and one of them is low fawn production/survival.

 

[BSK]

In fact, here's my property's calculated deer population over the last 10 years. We've been running more bucks than does every since the '07 EHD outbreak, and the disparity between the sexes has been increasing over time.

 

[Bayou Buck]

Thanks for the info BSK. I have noticed a huge population boom in Perry county over the last two years of both bucks and does but for some reason its only bucks in my area. It could be because of the amount of cover on my farm and adjacent lease. It will be interesting to see if when fawning begins, the does come back and run off some of these bucks. My property adjoins 1200 acres of over mature hardwoods so I should have the best fawning habitat on my place.

 

[Good time Charlie]

I think my place is just the opposite ,it seems all the doe in the area come out on my end to fawn.
Then a drastic change happens just before the rut....I caught like a dozen different Bucks ...some at the same licking branch.
And very few doe unless a buck was pestering it.
But now it is taking that doe swing again.The other night I had to stop just before I got home ,about 15 deer came out running some behind me some in front .I was waiting for one to jump in the truck.I work second shift so this was about midnight.
We have had a 2 year no acorn crop this has to hurt the mortality rate through the cold months.

 

[BSK]

Good time Charlie,

It is fairly common for the best habitat in any area to be dominated by fawn-rearing does during the summer months. This is the one time deer are truly territorial, and during this time does with their newborn fawns are dominant over bucks, with those does chasing the bucks out of the best areas and forcing them into the poorest habitat. However, once fawn-rearing time is over (just about the same time as buck bachelor groups break up in late summer), both sexes filter back into the same good-habitat areas.

 

[Football Hunter]

Hmm,Id like to turn my place into a Buck sink.Have way more does than bucks.

 

[catman529]

Hmm,Id like to turn my place into a Buck sink.Have way more does than bucks.

ditto, or at least at this time of year. From bow season thru post rut there are bucks, and rubs everywhere. Now my trail cam only gets does. Maybe the horns are in there but I just haven't got any pics yet. Oh well I do like does and love sticking em with arrows. And I'd rather have pics of does than no deer at all. Been a lot of fawns too, population is in good shape, maybe not sex ratio but like I said the bucks come in after the does during the rut.

 

[bowriter]

I have said for many years that when you have prominent buck sink, the mature bucks often eat the fawns. It is called sharkisis prominentsik deerasoris.

 

[BSK]

I have said for many years that when you have prominent buck sink, the mature bucks often eat the fawns. It is called sharkisis prominentsik deerasoris.

Daaaannnng. So that's where all my fawns are going....

 

[brmaster]

I saw a lot of doe and fawn on my place and place behind me
then about OCtober most all went away from site only seeing them occasionally, During bow season saw a few doe with fawns and few without fawns,,,,Then during Muzzel load, I was out on the average of 3 days a week hunting, only saw couple does
during gun, didnt see much of anything for the most part, then toward end of season started seeing more movement,
so where did they all go, I have 7 acres, place I was hunting has 80 plus acres,

 

[Good time Charlie]

brmaster.
They are there you just do not see them after dark.
One good thing you lean about trail cams ...when the bucks are pressured they go nocturnal.And that is not much pressure.
Sometimes I think they are just accustomed to going nocturnal at this time of year.
I would much rather see plenty of Doe right now then buck..on my place.