More useless data

[BSK]

I used the older buck camera event data from my "Time of Day" research to plot the dates on which I get the most buck camera events. Over 8 years (2014-2021), the graph by date (November through December) looks like the graph below. Interestingly, some "peaks" in buck photographs kept showing up on certain dates, and these dates correspond strongly with some of our tradition best days of hunting. Those dates are noted on the graph. What was even more interesting was what showed up when I reanalyzed the data using only good acorn years versus poor acorn years. The early peak of Nov. 2 is a product almost exclusively of good acorn years. The peak around Nov. 7 is a product of almost exclusively poor acorn years. The peak around Nov. 17 shows up in all years. I have no idea why acorn crops would produce these different peak dates early in November.

 

[Andy S.]

Good stuff, albeit I suspect it has a geographic specific component to it. Humphreys County?

 

[TheLBLman]

Some of decreased daily events could be attributed to a significant % of the area's bucks getting killed as November & December progress?

While the ups & downs may correlate with more roaming vs. actual breeding?

 

[BSK]

Good stuff, albeit I suspect it has a geographic specific component to it. Humphreys County?

Without question, data like this - peak buck photographs by date - is going to be EXTREMELY site-specific. Every property is going to have different peak breeding dates.

 

[TDW05]

My 2 biggest bucks to date were killed on November 10 and November 17! Less then 200-300 yards from each but different seasons.

 

[BSK]

Some of decreased daily events could be attributed to a significant % of the area's bucks getting killed as November & December progress?

That and the effects of cumulative hunting pressure on the property.

While the ups & downs may correlate with more roaming vs. actual breeding?

Absolutely. And for reference, peak breeding on this property generally falls somewhere around Nov. 15. Notice how around that date in the data is a "lull." Why? Because my camera locations aren't set up to catch chasing activity! Simply a matter of camera placement.

 

[BSK]

What I find so fascinating is why a couple of dates keep showing up year after year, but ONLY depending on acorn quality/volume.

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

What I find so fascinating is why a couple of dates keep showing up year after year, but ONLY depending on acorn quality/volume.

Just a thought, are the cameras in acorn areas only. So the bucks would frequent that area more for acorns in good years?

 

[Thelonegoose]

Just a thought, are the cameras in acorn areas only. So the bucks would frequent that area more for acorns in good years?

This is the question I have. As well as, any data on pictures in the "woods" vs. pictures overlooking food plots?

 

[BSK]

Just a thought, are the cameras in acorn areas only. So the bucks would frequent that area more for acorns in good years?

Nope. I try to cover a lot of bases. I am primarily running cameras to inventory the buck population, but I spread cameras across scrapes back in the woods, scrapes along field edges, cameras pointed into food plots, cameras on trails and old skidder roads, gaps in fences, habitat and terrain bottlenecks, anywhere that concentrates normal deer traffic.

 

[BSK]

This is the question I have. As well as, any data on pictures in the "woods" vs. pictures overlooking food plots?

I've got the data all broken down by camera set-up and even by the behavior the bucks are displaying in the images, but I haven't started analyzing the data on those criteria yet.

 

[BSK]

Below is the same graph broken down by good acorn years and poor acorn years (the orange line is good acorn years, green line poor acorn years). Each of those data sets has four years of data in it. Notice how several of the November peaks exclusively occur in poor acorn years, and a couple only in good acorn years. I also think it's interesting that this data confirms what we had strongly suspected, in that buck activity in December is much more muted in a poor acorn year. Considering that in the past the property's primary draw was acorns, in a poor acorn year, deer tend to leave the property post-rut (no acorns and the few small food plots are eaten to bare dirt by early December). We're hoping to mitigate that by massive habitat changes.

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

Nope. I try to cover a lot of bases. I am primarily running cameras to inventory the buck population, but I spread cameras across scrapes back in the woods, scrapes along field edges, cameras pointed into food plots, cameras on trails and old skidder roads, gaps in fences, habitat and terrain bottlenecks, anywhere that concentrates normal deer traffic.

Wow, how many cameras do you run typically.

And.... I'd hate to have your AA battery bill..... lol

 

[LA man]

I killed my biggest buck nov 30, my second biggest was nov 12 and third biggest nov 8 and a few other one in nov

 

[BSK]

Wow, how many cameras do you run typically.

And.... I'd hate to have your AA battery bill..... lol

No you do not want my AA battery bill, considering I only use lithium batteries. Generally it's about $250/year. Amazon.com is definitely my friend! I will look until I find bulk deals where Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAs can be had at around $1.60 each, and then buy a couple hundred dollars worth.

I've always tried to run 7 or 8 cameras on 500 acres. I've found I can get a very good buck inventory on a property if I can have one camera for every 80 acres, and the fluidity to move them frequently.

 

[redblood]

Bill Winke swears by Nov 7th

 

[huntncoach]

This is all good stuff and I appreciate you sharing your results. Makes me wonder what goes on my property and has given ne some ideas to try out with my camera set ups. Always learning on TNDeer!

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

No you do not want my AA battery bill, considering I only use lithium batteries. Generally it's about $250/year. Amazon.com is definitely my friend! I will look until I find bulk deals where Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAs can be had at around $1.60 each, and then buy a couple hundred dollars worth.

I've always tried to run 7 or 8 cameras on 500 acres. I've found I can get a very good buck inventory on a property if I can have one camera for every 80 acres, and the fluidity to move them frequently.

I hunt 135 acres. I usually put my cameras ( 5 total ) on 3 known good doe areas/trails and capture a fair amount of bucks on camera in those areas. The other 2 cameras I'll put on scrapes ( the scrapes that are always at the same spots every year ) when they open up. Do you think this gives me a fair account of bucks on my property? What other advice can you give for me to do?

 

[BSK]

I hunt 135 acres. I usually put my cameras ( 5 total ) on 3 known good doe areas/trails and capture a fair amount of bucks on camera in those areas. The other 2 cameras I'll put on scrapes ( the scrapes that are always at the same spots every year ) when they open up. Do you think this gives me a fair account of bucks on my property? What other advice can you give for me to do?

I think that sounds good. You can't beat traditional scrapes for inventorying the local buck population. I don't know how "new" bucks to the area find these scrapes so quickly, but they do.

I also think monitoring some "doe" areas is a good idea. There are some bucks I ONLY get on food plots at night. Not one picture/video of them on scrapes. Why that is, I have no idea.

 

[TheLBLman]

There are some bucks I ONLY get on food plots at night. Not one picture/video of them on scrapes.

What about bucks you ONLY get on scrapes, but not one of them on food plots at night?

 

[BSK]

What about bucks you ONLY get on scrapes, but not one of them on food plots at night?

Much higher percentage of those. I would have to go year by year, but I bet 30% of the annual buck inventory are never photographed in food plots.

 

[Ski]

What I find so fascinating is why a couple of dates keep showing up year after year

Seems to give scientific credence to the "same place same time" theory. And that is NOT useless data. Two of the biggest bucks on my wall were taken using that tactic. I've noticed it's not necessarily applicable to individual bucks. I have one spot where I almost always see a mature buck on the afternoon of Oct. 30. It seems to be more site specific than buck specific.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Seems to give scientific credence to the "same place same time" theory. And that is NOT useless data. Two of the biggest bucks on my wall were taken using that tactic. I've noticed it's not necessarily applicable to individual bucks. I have one spot where I almost always see a mature buck on the afternoon of Oct. 30. It seems to be more site specific than buck specific.

I've studied this theory and find it fascinating....one article says if you get a picture of a mature buck in the daylight...mark that day....hunt 3 days before and 3 days after that day the following year and your odds will go up significantly.....so after reading this article I looked back through three years worth of pics and did see that there may be something to this....but at the same time I also noticed it was more site specific than buck specific....so I'm still chewing on it.....but again.... fascinating conversation and I agree....this type of data is very useful.

 

[Thelonegoose]

I am just waiting on BSK to publish a book that includes all of his data. It would probably be the first TNDeer best seller.

 

[Ski]

I've studied this theory and find it fascinating....one article says if you get a picture of a mature buck in the daylight...mark that day....hunt 3 days before and 3 days after that day the following year and your odds will go up significantly.....so after reading this article I looked back through three years worth of pics and did see that there may be something to this....but at the same time I also noticed it was more site specific than buck specific....so I'm still chewing on it.....but again.... fascinating conversation and I agree....this type of data is very useful.

Yes I do find it to be more site/date specific. That depends on the deer I think. If the deer is still alive, chances are good he'll be there same time same place. If not, I've noticed another buck will take his place. I've had this tactic work 3 times in the last 2yrs, and actuallykilled two of the bucks. The third was just out of bow range but sure enough showed up nonetheless. All three times it was same day, no more than 2hrs difference. It feels like cheating.

 

[Ski]

I am just waiting on BSK to publish a book that includes all of his data. It would probably be the first TNDeer best seller.

I'd buy a copy or two

 

[BSK]

I definitely don't want anyone to think the data for my place applies to other places. It is highly site specific. What I'm trying to point out by posting it is the value of data collection. So often I get asked, "Why do you collect all that data? What good is it?" Well, I'm trying to show that. Detailed data collected over a number of years can display patterns in local deer behavior, that if noticed and capitalized on, can make someone a more successful hunter. I can promise you, if my time to hunt were limited, I would be focusing on hunting around those dates where peaks in activity keep showing up year after year. That's just common sense.

 

[BSK]

I am just waiting on BSK to publish a book that includes all of his data. It would probably be the first TNDeer best seller.

I've certainly mulled that over.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Yes I do find it to be more site/date specific. That depends on the deer I think. If the deer is still alive, chances are good he'll be there same time same place. If not, I've noticed another buck will take his place. I've had this tactic work 3 times in the last 2yrs, and actuallykilled two of the bucks. The third was just out of bow range but sure enough showed up nonetheless. All three times it was same day, no more than 2hrs difference. It feels like cheating.

Again...fascinating...you mention site and day specific...I agree....of the three years worth of pics I reviewed there were a couple of days in the first week of November that seem to be the first "daylight pic days" that I'd capture a mature buck at a particular site...then last year I looked back at the days in November where we actually killed a buck....and there's zero doubt over the years there are some days that are more successful or repeatable than others....and also there is no doubt the bell curve peaks toward the end of the second week November on our property...for daytime pictures collected as well as kills.....with that said....if someone was plotting my usage of vacation days at work over the last ten years....they would absolutely see a pattern of vacation days used in the first two weeks of November....with a few used in third week as well. :)

 

[Ski]

I definitely don't want anyone to think the data for my place applies to other places. It is highly site specific.

Why not? Deer in your area are still whitetails, and while your dates and stand sites differ from other properties, the general tendency of the species remains.

Point being, deer at your place fall into a macro, long term pattern. Who knows why? Could be photoperiod, estrous dates, learned behavior, etc. Regardless, the pattern of behavior, if mirrored in other places, indicates a species wide trend.

Highlighting the trend could be the missing piece of the puzzle a hunter needs to pin a buck down. Some folks enjoy sitting in nature, waiting to capitalize on a chance encounter. But some of us like playing the game of chess and actively tighten the noose on a specific buck until we have him on the ground. Info like you posted is likely relative to any whitetail woods, albeit varying specifics.