Interesting data and change in buck activity

[BSK]

Ever since I began playing around with trail cameras, I've tried to collect every piece of information I could from them. Most of the time, I never end up using the data for anything, but I still keep collecting it just in case. Recently I began playing around with data I've never looked closely at, and that is the number of unique older (2 1/2+) bucks photographed on my property each calendar day, over the years. I found several interesting things:

1) Traditional peak days exist. I found the number of older bucks photographed on the property peaks around certain dates year after year (probably being driven by those biological processes that are linked to specific dates, such as estrus timing).

2) These traditional peak dates often line up with traditional good hunting days and/or common dates for hunters to see older bucks chasing does.

3) Hunter experiences that have changed over time (when the most older bucks are seen) are represented in the trail-camera older bucks/day data.

Below is the data, broken down into the two periods of 2003-07, and 2008-14. The data was broken into these two periods because, after 2007, peak observations of older bucks by hunters shifted away from early gun season and towards early muzzleloader season. In the period 2003-07, it was common to see a sudden and dramatic surge in older buck activity in mid-October, generally around Oct. 12-15, then a lull, followed by scattered older bucks seen pestering does in late October and early November (into MZ season), followed by the main surge of rut-type activity around Nov. 17-22. Most estrus chases were observed around this late November time period. The data for that period shows those trends, with a big surge in mid-October, centered around Oct. 13, a secondary surge of activity in late October and early November, followed by another peak centered around Nov. 19.

Since 2007--although the mid-October and late November peaks are still evident--the pattern in older bucks photographed has changed so that what had been a secondary peak in late October into early November is now by far the primary period of older buck activity on the property, stretching from around October 18 through November 12. This late-October/early-November peak now far overshadows the previous two peaks of mid-October and late-November. Hunter observations have matched this change in patterns, as now the opening portion of MZ season is head and shoulders above the rest of the season for older buck sightings.

Interestingly, the total older buck population on the property between the two periods was similar, with the 2003-07 period actually having a slightly higher buck population. I believe the major difference in over-all number of buck pictures per day is due to the camera types used. From 2003-07, primarily white-flash cameras were used, requiring frequent moving to keep picture counts up. 2008 to present has primarily been black-flash cameras which can be left in one location for longer. Camera monitoring between the two periods was the same, with all camera checked weekly throughout the season.

 

[redhunterZ71]

Interesting I have noticed last few years on my trail cams that there's a big jump in older buck movement around end of October on my place too


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[BSK]

..and before anyone asks, these are trail-camera pictures at any time of the day or night. What I wanted to look at was the number of unique older bucks known to be actively on the property (photographed on the property) per day, across the primary part of the season (for my area, which has a mid-November peak breeding, and when we do the majority of our hunting).

 

[BSK]

...and another question I know is going to come up is camera placement. Throughout both graphed periods, most cameras are on food plots or bottlenecks up until the end of September. At that point, cameras begin being switched to scrapes. By late October, 2/3 of cameras will be on scrapes, and will stay there through the rest of the year. However, some of my favorite scrape locations are those in or directly adjacent to food plots, where I can point the camera across the scrape and out into the plot, allowing me to monitor activity in both locations--at the scrape and feeding in the plot.

 

[stickler]

Awesome data thanks for posting

 

[Deerbuster1996]

What state and region is your study based from. If northwest Tennessee my cameras have shown the same peaks in photos(mostly at night) and then another peak around mid-December.


Hunt just about everything

 

[BSK]

What state and region is your study based from. If northwest Tennessee my cameras have shown the same peaks in photos(mostly at night) and then another peak around mid-December.

Humphreys County, near Waverly, TN.

 

[Mike Belt]

Do you think by placing cameras over scrapes on/near/pointing into food plots you're biasing your results with nocturnal pictures? I bet you get more day time pictures on the interior of your hunting areas.

 

[BSK]

Do you think by placing cameras over scrapes on/near/pointing into food plots you're biasing your results with nocturnal pictures? I bet you get more day time pictures on the interior of your hunting areas.

Those are the minority of scrape cameras, but yes, those scrapes are heavily nocturnal. Although, the deep woods, old logging road scrapes don't see all that much more daylight activity. Honestly, the highest percentage daylight pics (of older bucks) are in habitat/terrain bottlenecks during the cruising phase of the rut--basically, catching that daylight cruising movement that occurs just prior to peak breeding.

 

[weatherby man]

I have a buck making thigh sized rubs every year. I have yet to get a good clear picture of him. I do not go into my sanctuary more than 20-30 yards for anything other than retrieval. I am going to put the cams out earlier next year in these areas and see if I can catch him. Any info on catching a picture of this guy will be appreciated. I used to keep overlays with all the sighting made in colored makers and would be able to see their gradual movement to the different areas they moved to from one season to another. I noticed the pattern never changed until logging. Was only keeping up with the site of the animal not his/her age. What type of organization method did you use? Something bought or your own? doesn't sound to hard but very time consuming. What criteria was used on determination of age?

 

[BSK]

I have a buck making thigh sized rubs every year. I have yet to get a good clear picture of him. I do not go into my sanctuary more than 20-30 yards for anything other than retrieval. I am going to put the cams out earlier next year in these areas and see if I can catch him. Any info on catching a picture of this guy will be appreciated.

This spring, try creating a couple of salt licks in the general area. About late July or early August, place trail-cameras over each lick. I would recommend black-flash cams, but I now you don't like those. White-flash or red-glow cams will work, but realize you will get far fewer pictures of any particular buck using visible flash cameras.

sometime I used to keep overlays with all the sighting made in colored makers and would be able to see their gradual movement to the different areas they moved to from one season to another. I noticed the pattern never changed until logging.

Very cool idea weatherby man. Before the easy availability of mapping software, I did the same sorts of things--on paper or transparent velum, and with colored pencils/markers. I have years and years of maps displaying every rub and scrape I found each year, all done in colored pencil.

As for your second point--about the logging--you're spot on. In my opinion seasonal shifts in range are driven by habitat. Individual deer will use different areas with each season as their needs change. They will concentrate on one type of food source during summer and a completely different food source in fall. If these two seasonal foods are in different locations, the deer will shift ranges as the seasons shift. Logging creates some very unique and different habitat compared to the previously forested area. That type of habitat change can produce profoundly different seasonal movements by the local deer.

Was only keeping up with the site of the animal not his/her age. What type of organization method did you use? Something bought or your own? doesn't sound to hard but very time consuming. What criteria was used on determination of age?

I'm an old guy who still uses old-school methods. I came out of college just as the "Computer Age" began. I went to work for the U.S. Census Bureau just as the first personal computers became available. I remember when they plopped the first dual-floppy drive (two 5 1/4" floppy drives, no hard drive) PC on my desk, and no one, including me, knew how to turn it on. I eventually became a self-taught programmer for the Bureau, and eventually the Systems Manager for one of their primary mega-computers. I learned to use and program all of the early spreadsheet and database software packages. However, that's where my learning curve ended, and I'm still using some of those old-school programs. In fact, I have to keep one of my PCs running old OS so I can still use those older programs. I keep most of my raw data in dBase relational databases, which I export for analysis to Excel spreadsheets. I do most of my graph production in PowerPoint. I do all of my mapping and spatial analysis in old versions of ArcView GIS. And yes, it is very time consuming. But when that is what you do for a living...

As for buck ages, I use field-judging using body conformation, a skill/art I've been perfecting as a profession wildlife manager for over 20 years. Take a look at the thread pinned to the top of the Quality Deer Management Forum, titled "New field-judging buck age examples," which are all TN examples--big differences in body conformation by age exist between different regions of the country.

 

[fairchaser]

Fascinating information! I was wondering if you have any insight on camera sightings vs the period of time out. In other words did the sightings increase after so many days and was there an optimal time for checking cameras like once a week or every two weeks etc. Were certain areas more sensitive to cameras than others. Were there better places for mature bucks? Did you always use bait salt or attractant to lure deer in front if the camera? I appreciate any insight.

 

[DMD]

GREAT INFORMATION! I appreciate so much you sharing this data with us. A lot of your data squares with my personal, anecdotal experience. I have noticed a shift in the last few years to most of my mature buck sightings being in Muzzleloader season. From 2005 - 2010 most of the ones I saw were in Rifle season.

Great stuff.

 

[BSK]

Fascinating information! I was wondering if you have any insight on camera sightings vs the period of time out. In other words did the sightings increase after so many days

That depended on the type of camera (type of flash). For white-flash and red-glow cameras, buck pictures declined dramatically after the first week a camera was in position, as deer began avoiding the camera location once they had been flashed. However, for black-flash cameras, pictures increased dramatically after the first week the camera was in place. I suspect this big increase is due to the deer becoming less wary of the camera box itself. When first installed, deer are very leery of the camera box itself. Most will come in to the set-up staring right at it, day or night. But after a few days of that "new thing on the tree" not doing anything threatening, the deer learn to ignore it, hence visits increase dramatically.

...and was there an optimal time for checking cameras like once a week or every two weeks etc.

Personally, I like to check my cameras weekly, for two reasons. First, I don't have the patience to wait longer! Checking cameras is as good as Christmas morning! Second, I want to know if a new set-up is good or a bust, or if a previously hot set-up is going cold. That certainly happens as deer/bucks shift their attention to something new fairly rapidly as the seasons progress.

Were certain areas more sensitive to cameras than others.

Through years of trial and error, I've found that the fastest way to drive deer--and especially older bucks--away from a camera set-up is to walk to the camera. It isn't the camera itself, or the smell of the camera, that drives deer away. It is the scent trail we humans leave as we walk to and from a camera, just like all of the scent we leave walking to and from a stand that makes that stand lose effectiveness over time. Hence, my rule of thumb about camera set-ups is, if I can't drive my ATV right up to the camera, I don't put a camera there. I no longer use any camera set-ups that require walking to reach them. For whatever reason, deer never seem to get jumpy about the smell of where an ATV has driven through the woods, but they get VERY jumpy about where a person has walked through the woods, ESPECIALLY if a person walking through that section of woods only occurs during hunting season.

In addition, when checking cameras, I also usually wear a cheap plastic rain-suit to keep scent from rubbing off my clothes onto any branches/brush/grass that I might brush against as I'm riding to the camera.

Were there better places for mature bucks?

Easy answer--scrapes. And most interesting, I tend to get the oldest bucks I'm going to get on camera at scrapes I either created or freshened with my own urine. I don't know why this is so attractive to older bucks, but it is.

Did you always use bait salt or attractant to lure deer in front if the camera? I appreciate any insight.

I only use bait in summer. My census timing is bait through the month of August. Then move all cameras to non-baited set-ups the first of September, and run them unbaited through January. In September I use a lot of food-source set-ups, such as small food plots, edges of agricultural fields, and staging areas into feeding areas. I also use travel bottlenecks and trails in September. However, once scrapes start appearing in early October, I begin switching cameras to scrapes, with the scrapes along the edges of fields usually being the first, and transitioning to scrapes along trails and on preferred terrain features as the rut approaches. From late October through mid-December, I keep approximately two-thirds of cameras on scrapes, while the other third remain on food sources or travel routes/bottlenecks. I keep a few cameras on scrapes all the way until late January, but from mid-December until late January I move some back to food sources. Basically, my camera focus from September through January is food from early September to mid-October, the rut from mid-October to mid-December, and back to food from mid-December to the end of January. I have a mixture of food, movement, and rutting set-ups running at all times, but where the majority of cameras are located changes as the seasons change.

 

[BSK]

A lot of your data squares with my personal, anecdotal experience. I have noticed a shift in the last few years to most of my mature buck sightings being in Muzzleloader season.

I just wish I understood exactly WHY this timing shift has occurred. I've always thought this was driven by a shift in rut timing, but considering the peaks I used to see in the early 2000s still exist on the same dates, I'm not sure earlier breeding is the complete answer to this huge surge in older buck movement in late October and early November.

 

[Mike Belt]

Ain't it fun trying to figure out the whys! The first thing we concur on is the difference in cameras. The black flash/no flash added another dimension but the shift from film to cards has also helped...and better performing cameras.

Supposedly, a better age structured buck segment of the herd including more older age class bucks balanced against an equal or near equal population of does advances the rut timing. I don't know that I totally buy into that. It sounds like in your area it was pretty much a constant prior to 2007 and after so it's hard to guess just why your peak movement advanced in timing. Where I hunt you could always count on movement peaking just before Thanksgiving with full blown rutting following just afterwards. I still count on that but over the last several years I've talked to several of our guys that are seeing buck movement much earlier than that (not me personally). Yearly I'm seeing heavy scraping activity earlier in the season than I was when I counted on Thanksgiving Day being a great day to see movement with much of that activity seemingly going dead towards the end of October. Just why that scraping goes dead like that is a mystery to me. In the past I think I've given the deer too much credit for knowing the impending rut is close at hand and for laying low conserving energy for what's about to happen (October lull?) That doesn't really sound plausible. Why would they (bucks) have that major surge only for them to seemingly completely stop for a short period and then fire back up...unless they were pre-occupied with the first of the does entering estrous. And if there were just a handful of does doing so you would think that only a few bucks would be involved with the major portion of the rest still fired up and scraping like crazy. Maybe there are more does entering estrous earlier than we believe involving more of the buck population pulling them away from their scraping activity...or possibly more does going through that "false rut" a month prior to true estrous (just how long do they stay in that false rut mode). If any of this holds true then that may explain the shift in peak movement. On any account, I think the does hold the key rather than the bucks themselves.

 

[DMD]

A lot of your data squares with my personal, anecdotal experience. I have noticed a shift in the last few years to most of my mature buck sightings being in Muzzleloader season.

I just wish I understood exactly WHY this timing shift has occurred. I've always thought this was driven by a shift in rut timing, but considering the peaks I used to see in the early 2000s still exist on the same dates, I'm not sure earlier breeding is the complete answer to this huge surge in older buck movement in late October and early November.

It would be interesting to see the temperature differences over that time period. I know that would not be the only contributing factor - BUT, I wonder if we have had colder average temps in early November over the last 5 years. I do believe that warm temperatures coupled with deer having their winter coats is the primary cause of the "October Lull". One of the best times to hunt all year, imo, is if you have a real cold snap in October - especially late October.

I wonder if we have had some colder early Novembers over the last 5 years? This season, we had some early cold weather - and I saw several big bucks on their feet in ML season.

 

[BSK]

A lot of your data squares with my personal, anecdotal experience. I have noticed a shift in the last few years to most of my mature buck sightings being in Muzzleloader season.

I just wish I understood exactly WHY this timing shift has occurred. I've always thought this was driven by a shift in rut timing, but considering the peaks I used to see in the early 2000s still exist on the same dates, I'm not sure earlier breeding is the complete answer to this huge surge in older buck movement in late October and early November.

It would be interesting to see the temperature differences over that time period. I know that would not be the only contributing factor - BUT, I wonder if we have had colder average temps in early November over the last 5 years. I do believe that warm temperatures coupled with deer having their winter coats is the primary cause of the "October Lull". One of the best times to hunt all year, imo, is if you have a real cold snap in October - especially late October.

I wonder if we have had some colder early Novembers over the last 5 years? This season, we had some early cold weather - and I saw several big bucks on their feet in ML season.

pastorbmp,

Your theory has merit for hunting related sightings. Unquestionably warm spells in November can shut down daylight sightings of rutting older bucks, and cold snaps can increase their sightings. However, my camera data is 24 hour/day data. It catches all the night-time activity of bucks that are becoming nocturnal due to temperature changes.

 

[DMD]

Interesting stuff!

 

[fairchaser]

Fascinating information! I was wondering if you have any insight on camera sightings vs the period of time out. In other words did the sightings increase after so many days

That depended on the type of camera (type of flash). For white-flash and red-glow cameras, buck pictures declined dramatically after the first week a camera was in position, as deer began avoiding the camera location once they had been flashed. However, for black-flash cameras, pictures increased dramatically after the first week the camera was in place. I suspect this big increase is due to the deer becoming less wary of the camera box itself. When first installed, deer are very leery of the camera box itself. Most will come in to the set-up staring right at it, day or night. But after a few days of that "new thing on the tree" not doing anything threatening, the deer learn to ignore it, hence visits increase dramatically.

FC wrote Only use black flash now for the same reasons and also noticed an increase in activity after 3 days out. Thought that was more scent related but could also be the wariness of having a new decoration in the deer's living room.

...and was there an optimal time for checking cameras like once a week or every two weeks etc.

Personally, I like to check my cameras weekly, for two reasons. First, I don't have the patience to wait longer! Checking cameras is as good as Christmas morning! Second, I want to know if a new set-up is good or a bust, or if a previously hot set-up is going cold. That certainly happens as deer/bucks shift their attention to something new fairly rapidly as the seasons progress.

FCC wrote Since I use the cameras that transmit to the phone, try to wait two to three weeks. By then, I have a pretty good census and will move the camera to another location.

Were certain areas more sensitive to cameras than others.

Through years of trial and error, I've found that the fastest way to drive deer--and especially older bucks--away from a camera set-up is to walk to the camera. It isn't the camera itself, or the smell of the camera, that drives deer away. It is the scent trail we humans leave as we walk to and from a camera, just like all of the scent we leave walking to and from a stand that makes that stand lose effectiveness over time. Hence, my rule of thumb about camera set-ups is, if I can't drive my ATV right up to the camera, I don't put a camera there. I no longer use any camera set-ups that require walking to reach them. For whatever reason, deer never seem to get jumpy about the smell of where an ATV has driven through the woods, but they get VERY jumpy about where a person has walked through the woods, ESPECIALLY if a person walking through that section of woods only occurs during hunting season.

FC wrote. I wish I could do that but sadly I can't.

In addition, when checking cameras, I also usually wear a cheap plastic rain-suit to keep scent from rubbing off my clothes onto any branches/brush/grass that I might brush against as I'm riding to the camera.

FC wrote.I could do that but don't. Too lazy. Good tip though.

Were there better places for mature bucks?

Easy answer--scrapes. And most interesting, I tend to get the oldest bucks I'm going to get on camera at scrapes I either created or freshened with my own urine. I don't know why this is so attractive to older bucks, but it is.

Did you always use bait salt or attractant to lure deer in front if the camera? I appreciate any insight.

I only use bait in summer. My census timing is bait through the month of August. Then move all cameras to non-baited set-ups the first of September, and run them unbaited through January. In September I use a lot of food-source set-ups, such as small food plots, edges of agricultural fields, and staging areas into feeding areas. I also use travel bottlenecks and trails in September. However, once scrapes start appearing in early October, I begin switching cameras to scrapes, with the scrapes along the edges of fields usually being the first, and transitioning to scrapes along trails and on preferred terrain features as the rut approaches. From late October through mid-December, I keep approximately two-thirds of cameras on scrapes, while the other third remain on food sources or travel routes/bottlenecks. I keep a few cameras on scrapes all the way until late January, but from mid-December until late January I move some back to food sources. Basically, my camera focus from September through January is food from early September to mid-October, the rut from mid-October to mid-December, and back to food from mid-December to the end of January. I have a mixture of food, movement, and rutting set-ups running at all times, but where the majority of cameras are located changes as the seasons change.

FC wrote. Excellent information BSK thanks. I can't use any bait or attractant but will focus on some scrapes but prefer rub runways during the rut.

 

[BSK]

Since I use the cameras that transmit to the phone, try to wait two to three weeks. By then, I have a pretty good census and will move the camera to another location.

EXCELLENT reason to use cell cameras. The reason I don't are three-fold: 1) many cell-phone transmissions require downsizing the images, and I need full-size images to see details of antlers; 2) with the number of cameras I'm running on my and clients' properties, all those cell plans would get expensive; and 3) I often run cameras in areas that do not get any cell signal.

But if you can get cell signal, and you're not running too many cameras, I think the cell idea has real merit. Anything that can reduce your time around the cameras yet still get the needed pictures is a great idea.

I can't use any bait or attractant but will focus on some scrapes but prefer rub runways during the rut.

I just find that the frequency of visits is so much less on rub lines. I usually get multiple bucks per night on a good scrape, especially late October through mid-November.

 

[fairchaser]

Since I use the cameras that transmit to the phone, try to wait two to three weeks. By then, I have a pretty good census and will move the camera to another location.

EXCELLENT reason to use cell cameras. The reason I don't are three-fold: 1) many cell-phone transmissions require downsizing the images, and I need full-size images to see details of antlers; 2) with the number of cameras I'm running on my and clients' properties, all those cell plans would get expensive; and 3) I often run cameras in areas that do not get any cell signal.

But if you can get cell signal, and you're not running too many cameras, I think the cell idea has real merit. Anything that can reduce your time around the cameras yet still get the needed pictures is a great idea.

I can't use any bait or attractant but will focus on some scrapes but prefer rub runways during the rut.

I just find that the frequency of visits is so much less on rub lines. I usually get multiple bucks per night on a good scrape, especially late October through mid-November.

It just goes to show how bucks on different properties have different behavior. There are so many scrapes that it is hard to choose which ones to focus on especially when you are trying to target mature bucks. With rubs, you can tell somewhat what you are dealing with. Also, with the cell phone cameras, I highly recommend the booster antenna unless you can get a really good signal otherwise. Also, you can choose the megapixels up to 12 and have the pics sent to email as well as text message FYI.

 

[BSK]

I can't use any bait or attractant but will focus on some scrapes but prefer rub runways during the rut.

I just find that the frequency of visits is so much less on rub lines. I usually get multiple bucks per night on a good scrape, especially late October through mid-November.

It just goes to show how bucks on different properties have different behavior. There are so many scrapes that it is hard to choose which ones to focus on especially when you are trying to target mature bucks. With rubs, you can tell somewhat what you are dealing with.

Some of scrape choice is trial and error, and some is knowing what to look for in a "traditional" scrape (which are usually used by every buck in the area). Of course, history with the property helps too. By the second or third year of working with a property, traditional scrapes are much more obvious. But the fact that some of scrape choice for cameras is trial and error, especially the first year of monitoring a property, is why I check cameras weekly. If a scrape is a bust after the first week, at least I'm right there to move the camera and not waste more weeks on a bum scrape.