Range Question

[tnbucs1]

I have heard about summer ranges and fall rut ranges shifting dramatically. So I have a number of questions. What is the typical range in TN: Summer,Fall,Winter,Spring no outside factors(free range)&(free range rut)? What is the typical range on these animals condensed by outside factors such as limited habitat*(*agriculture mixed w/ some houses, neighborhoods,and scattered woodlands)same question as above (limited* range) & (limited* range rut)?

 

[BSK]

tnbucs1,

The problem with giving an "average" figure is that few bucks actually have a range size close to the average. In essence, the difference in range size between individual bucks is so large that only a few bucks have range sizes close to the average number. GPS collar studies of older bucks find annual ranges (the area a buck covers in an entire year) differ from less than 100 acres to over 18,000 acres.

Every buck is an individual and will display unique patterns. Some bucks shift around seasonally very little. Other bucks have completely separate seasonal ranges with no overlap (spend their summer in a completely different area than during the fall). Many unanswered questions exist about this behavior, as in why do some bucks have such different seasonal ranges and others in the same area don't? Why do a much higher percentage of bucks in some areas display seasonal shifting than bucks in other areas?

The only thing you can do is use trail-cameras from summer through fall and into early winter to find out what percent of bucks that use your property during hunting season are actual year-round "resident" bucks (or at least summer to fall resident bucks).

This information has important management implications. For example, if you find out that a high percentage of bucks using your property during hunting season do not use your property during the summer months, I would focus habitat management efforts on producing habitat that attracts hunting-pressure wary older bucks to your property, instead of spending a large amount of time and money on producing summer food sources. Why spend all your time/effort on producing summer food resources when the vast majority of the bucks you have to hunt in fall don't live or eat on your property during summer?

 

[diamond hunter]

In that,do you mean refuge??As in attracting pressured bucks?I have a section of a farm that I never go into,prob 20 acres and It was cut for timber 4 years ago. Should I go into that area and cut some more undesirables and make an effort to make it thicker,then just basically put a fence around it in my mind and never go in there??If its thick enough,is it ok to go around the edge but not the interior because its in the center of a property or should I try to make it an area next to my propertyline and never go around the outside of it?I do know I can completely control the inside area..

 

[BSK]

Exactly diamond hunter. If many of the bucks you have to hunt do not live on your property during summer, but only show up in fall or just around the rut, most of your habitat management efforts should be focused on making your property the best sanctuary around. And that means sections of thick cover and areas that are not hunted or entered by humans (and combining the two works best; i.e. the thick cover being the sanctuary).

As for making the area thicker, what is most important is visual distances. Can you see 50 yards in the area? That's not enough cover. It isn't good cover until you can't see more than 10-15 yards when standing in it.

 

[tnbucs1]

So this is my 2nd year being actively involved in QDM and habitat management. Range shift is interesting bc I have seen bucks that only show up in the Summer and some that show up only in the Fall. We planted Summer and Winter food plots at the lease I hunt in Humphreys(low ag area) The summer plots were good for trailcam pics and the winter plots are used but not as dramatic as the summer ones based on the trail cams. The 200 acres is more ag heavy with many food sources (bean fields, etc) close by.
From what I understand in a heavy ag area the focus should be habitat mgmt. In a low ag area supplemental food sources should be a primary focus 2ndary to habitat(if habitat provides cover, etc)
So per 400 acre we have 5 plots ranging from an acre to a half acre.
Sorry for the long description but here are my questions:
Do summer plots dramatically benefit and increase a hunter's chances of 'holding' deer and increasing odds outside of early season?
What is the ideal mix of hardwood(open woods) thicket(clear cut, cedar thickets, new growth, overgrown fields w/ natural grasses) and food plots per 100 acres?
To accurately survey deer how many trail cams would be needed per 100 acres?
That's a lot of questions and would appreciate any input. Please bill any time spent answering to jcdeerman

 

[diamond hunter]

On my place,I keep thinking of the rabbit that doesnt want to be thrown into the briar patch. I think the most food to maintain the herd and an equal amount of thickets and jungle so thick a squirrel cant crawl through. I dont know what else they would need,maybe water. As far as food,if there is plenty of summer beans and so forth,winter food sources need to be plentiful as well,prob planted by the hunter unfortunately unless theres wheat around.Fall food sources are also easily hard and soft mast,I like to think of groves of them,hunting groves so to speak not on top of the sanctuary. I like the scenario of a property of 100 acres(50 acres of sanctuary,then 10 acres of mast trees with water,then 40 acres of agriculture including summer and winter)Id just hunt the center where the deer would travel in between. Does this sound right??

 

[BSK]

tnbucs1,

If a property has or is surrounded by agriculture, I suggest more summer habitat work needs to be directed towards producing good fawning cover (brushy, overgrown areas and Native Warm-Season Grasses). Winter food sources are far more important for holding deer than summer food resources, so much of my emphasis on food plot work will be geared towards cool-season food sources. Although if no agriculture exists in the area at all, summer food plots certainly have their place. But I still try to produce as much "natural" summer foods as possible. Summer weeds can be almost as nutritious, and much easier to grow and maintain, than agricultural plants.

The "holding" ability of summer food plots is highly questionable, although much depends on the surrounding habitat. In a big hardwood area, any better habitat will be a real draw. But no matter what time of year, I believe good-quality cover is the best "deer-holding" habitat.

In an ideal situation, I would like to see 60% of a property in forest and 40% open. The 40% open would consist of agriculture, over-grown fields, and Native Warm-Season Grasses (NWSG). The timber would be primarily hardwoods, but I would want some pine plantations (or cedar thickets) mixed in.

For a summer baited census, you should be able to get away with one camera per quarter square mile (160 acres). However, for a season-long unbaited census, the more cameras the better. I feel pretty confident I can get a good season-long unbaited census at double the density of cameras used in a baited census (1 per 80 acres). But I can get good numbers with that few cameras by moving the cameras very frequently to new locations. I move some cameras weekly (although since I've moved to black-flash cameras, I find I need to move cameras less frequently, especially those over scrapes).

 

[JCDEERMAN]

:grin:

 

[Football Hunter]

I hope one "ranges" over from Alloutdoors place to mine!