I am very fortunate to get to hunt a 165 acre farm in west tn. Generally it is planted in beans. The adjacent tracts of land around the property a bit larger farms planted in milo corn and beans. Over the past several years we have set out cameras to help with scouting but every year seem to pull cards with mature does fawns and the occasional 1.5 4-6pt buck, as well as coyotes big ones. Our doe population is very healthy and it's not uncommon to have 15-30 in the field at a time in early early fall and post rut. During the rut the property reminds me of some make believe hunting show bucks are literall going crazy.... bucks we have never seen. Last year I had 3 8pts get run off by a monster 6pt at 2pm when the wind was blowing @27mph and it was 70degrees (in November) it was nuts. But these deer seem to vanish in January and don't return in mid October. I'm curious as to why some don't stick around as there are thickets on out property full of browse and mast. Any ideas on how to keep them around? I have always liked the idea of managing a deer pop to help encourage the growth of larger bucks but when they aren't on the property to manage its kind of hard.
Resident Buck Population?
- Thread starter grolfesst
- Start date
Land Between the Lakes
Well-Known Member
If you practice logging on a portion of the land it could really help create way more second growth and bedding habitat. Also the deer may vanish do to hunting pressure, or other local farms having more food or habitat or less hunting pressure. The Bucks may live on surrounding farms most of the year, and only come to your farm for the rut.
I would look at logging, creating ponds/water sources, planting trees that produce food deer eat etc as possible solutions for the future. With these possible solutions you may not see results right away it could take a few years.
I would look at logging, creating ponds/water sources, planting trees that produce food deer eat etc as possible solutions for the future. With these possible solutions you may not see results right away it could take a few years.
diamond hunter
Well-Known Member
trap those coyotes to reduce pressure
TN Whitetail Freak
Well-Known Member
Go out there with a spotlight (shining technique) no weapons on you and do a survey of the bucks in the beans....switch it up and go out there at 10 pm 1am 3 am eTC just change it up each time you go....this is a good way to gauge the type of bucks on the farm aND great scouting method.
Tennessee Lead
Well-Known Member
Last I knew it was.Jmed":3ivyhvsi said:
May have changed and I didn't know it.
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Os2 Outdoors
Well-Known Member
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So you do this in Tennessee?TN Whitetail Freak":1o39fg5m said:
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TN Whitetail Freak
Well-Known Member
It's not illegal entirely permission from a landowner and be off a public roadway no weapons and it's legal
ImThere
Well-Known Member
Harassing wildlife comes to mindTN Whitetail Freak":2isx8ehv said:
the one and only "ImThere"
Tennessee Lead":1p3v3px1 said:
I vaguely remember the wording being changed (or discussed) a while back. I know the regs say using a electronic light while in possession of a firearm is prohibited , the wording could be interpreted as its legal to do so as long as you dont have a gun. Seems grey to me.
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TN Whitetail Freak
Well-Known Member
It has not been changed and upon further review I realized I was wrong...one CAN cast a light from a motor vehicle onto game from a PUBLIC ROADWAY so long as it's onto property one owns or has written permission on their person at all times....
It's a great scouting technique that I believe in using and gaining valuable Intel on bucks in the area and where they are coming out at to possibly narrow down current bedding
It's a great scouting technique that I believe in using and gaining valuable Intel on bucks in the area and where they are coming out at to possibly narrow down current bedding
deerchaser007
Well-Known Member
For sure sounds like classic doe sink. I would start shooting some of those mature does, especially if you seeing that many.
TN Whitetail Freak":1i5vu15j said:
Incorrect. It is still illegal to cast a light from any public roadway even if you own the land. Following is the statute, reference section (2):
70-4-110. Spotlighting deer -- Penalty.
(a) (1) It is unlawful for any person, or one (1) or more of a group of persons together, to willfully throw or cast, or cause to be thrown or cast, the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light from any motor vehicle or vessel or with the aid of any motor vehicle or vessel, on or from any highway, or in any field, woodland, or forest, or the waters of the state, in an apparent attempt or intent to locate deer by the use of such light, unless such person or persons direct such light onto property owned by such person or one of the persons involved, or such person or group of persons has written permission from the landowner to willfully throw or cast, or cause to be thrown or cast, the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light onto the property of the landowner. Such written permission must be in immediate possession at all times and the individual shall display same upon demand of law enforcement.
(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1), it is unlawful to willfully throw or cast, or cause to be thrown or cast, the rays of a spotlight, headlight, or other artificial light from any motor vehicle or vessel or with the aid of any motor vehicle or vessel, at any time from or on any public roadway.
(b) The operator of any motor vehicle or vessel from which the rays of an artificial light have been cast as outlined in subsection (a) shall immediately stop such vehicle or vessel upon the direction of any enforcement officer of the wildlife resources agency.
(c) A violation of this section is a Class B misdemeanor.
(d) In the prosecution of second or subsequent offenders, the indictment or presentment must allege the prior conviction for violating any of the provisions of this section, setting forth the time and place of each such prior conviction. The court shall prohibit such convicted person, either first or subsequent offenders, from hunting, fishing or trapping in this state for a period of one (1) year.
HISTORY: Acts 1951, ch. 115, § 47 (Williams, § 5178.76); Acts 1961, ch. 198, § 3; 1967, ch. 278, §§ 1, 2; 1974, ch. 481, § 21; 1974, ch. 498, § 1; 1974, ch. 499, § 1; 1974, ch. 703, § 1; 1976, ch. 456, §§ 1, 2; 1976, ch. 620, § 1; 1976, ch. 667, § 1; 1976, ch. 681, § 1; 1982, ch. 701, §§ 1-6; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 51-417, 51-429; Acts 1983, ch. 385, § 3; 1989, ch. 591, § 113; 1990, ch. 981, § 3; 2011, ch. 191, § 1.
TN Whitetail Freak
Well-Known Member
Gotya.....the notwithstanding part
catman529
Well-Known Member
I dont know what makes a place a doe sink, but it usually involves plenty of dense cover and browse, and becomes crawling with different bucks during November. When it's not near the peak rut, you might see the occaional yearling buck, but mostly just does and fawns.
fairchaser
Well-Known Member
I'm not saying that you can't do something to help like reducing the doe pop. But, bucks and does don't share space much until the rut and bucks live on the average in a square mile which is 640 acres. The small percentage of mature bucks in your area may not venture onto your property until the rut regardless of what you do. As long as you have good food and cover the bucks will eventually show up.
165 ac is not that big when talking about deer. We have been led to believe that a good quality hunting property should have XX numbers of bucks per acre/mile when in fact its more like the 80/20 rule where 80% of the deer will be on 20% of the land.
Strictly from a math stand point, you probably have less than 1 mature buck using that amount of acreage on a regular basis.
Now factor in food, does, cover, pressure, and that number likely will go up if those factors are a + for that property.
Not knowing the layout of your farm and surrounding areas, it sounds a bit like our place only with better habitat.
We have 2 mature bucks living off the property but feeding in the beans in July/August. They disappear as soon as the acorns drop in Early Sept.
There is a family unit of 5 does and a second smaller family unit of a doe, yearling, and fawn using different sides of the farm. There are 3 other does who show up on cam for a day or two every 3 weeks so I suspect that our place is on the fringe of their home territory.
We get the random young buck on cam as well but they are much less predictable as they seem to be toady bucks that follow the mature bucks until mid Sept.
All Buck photos go way down, almost zero pix until the pre-rut once acorns fall.
My conclusions so far, is that our place (mostly pasture and beans, not a lot of cover) is used by doe family groups year round. Bucks use the beans heavily during July/Aug then disappear for the most part off the property. When the rut rolls around, bucks can be caught trolling across our property looking for girls and crossing from/to better habitat that is off our farm. When I start trapping in Jan, the added daily pressure from me running around every day practically runs all deer off the place. Ill get 1-2 trail cam photos every 2 weeks, usually at night during that time frame. Photos dont pick back up until about a month after trapping season closes, about the time things start greening up in the spring.
Running a trail cam census really opened my eyes to what is reasonable and expected. For the amount of hunting I do, and the amount of pressure the deer will tolerate......
Shooting a doe or two..... reasonable expectation
Shooting a young buck..... reasonable if I hunt the rut or the first week or two of bow.
Shooting a mature buck...... not a reasonable expectation. Its possible but not reasonable to expect since our trail cam data shows that we will have 1-2 mature deer move across the property during hunting season and 95% of that movement is NOT during daylight.
My area is heavily pressured year round due to it being a big Nursery stock area and the nursery men shoot deer on sight year round. The deer are SUPER sensitive to pressure so hunting tactics have to take this into account. Getting busted ONCE will shut down an area as the deer can bypass our place on the next farms over avoiding us all together. Still have a lot of learning to do about the farm but from the data collected, I think NOT expecting a mature or big buck on our place is reasonable.
I would recommend using your food plot money one year and get a couple good trail cams and run them year round. Take good notes as to who is using the property, when, which way they are going, and try to figure out why. Really understand the travel patterns etc... and you will be able to set some reasonable expectations on what is possible.
hope this long rambling response was helpful.
Strictly from a math stand point, you probably have less than 1 mature buck using that amount of acreage on a regular basis.
Now factor in food, does, cover, pressure, and that number likely will go up if those factors are a + for that property.
Not knowing the layout of your farm and surrounding areas, it sounds a bit like our place only with better habitat.
We have 2 mature bucks living off the property but feeding in the beans in July/August. They disappear as soon as the acorns drop in Early Sept.
There is a family unit of 5 does and a second smaller family unit of a doe, yearling, and fawn using different sides of the farm. There are 3 other does who show up on cam for a day or two every 3 weeks so I suspect that our place is on the fringe of their home territory.
We get the random young buck on cam as well but they are much less predictable as they seem to be toady bucks that follow the mature bucks until mid Sept.
All Buck photos go way down, almost zero pix until the pre-rut once acorns fall.
My conclusions so far, is that our place (mostly pasture and beans, not a lot of cover) is used by doe family groups year round. Bucks use the beans heavily during July/Aug then disappear for the most part off the property. When the rut rolls around, bucks can be caught trolling across our property looking for girls and crossing from/to better habitat that is off our farm. When I start trapping in Jan, the added daily pressure from me running around every day practically runs all deer off the place. Ill get 1-2 trail cam photos every 2 weeks, usually at night during that time frame. Photos dont pick back up until about a month after trapping season closes, about the time things start greening up in the spring.
Running a trail cam census really opened my eyes to what is reasonable and expected. For the amount of hunting I do, and the amount of pressure the deer will tolerate......
Shooting a doe or two..... reasonable expectation
Shooting a young buck..... reasonable if I hunt the rut or the first week or two of bow.
Shooting a mature buck...... not a reasonable expectation. Its possible but not reasonable to expect since our trail cam data shows that we will have 1-2 mature deer move across the property during hunting season and 95% of that movement is NOT during daylight.
My area is heavily pressured year round due to it being a big Nursery stock area and the nursery men shoot deer on sight year round. The deer are SUPER sensitive to pressure so hunting tactics have to take this into account. Getting busted ONCE will shut down an area as the deer can bypass our place on the next farms over avoiding us all together. Still have a lot of learning to do about the farm but from the data collected, I think NOT expecting a mature or big buck on our place is reasonable.
I would recommend using your food plot money one year and get a couple good trail cams and run them year round. Take good notes as to who is using the property, when, which way they are going, and try to figure out why. Really understand the travel patterns etc... and you will be able to set some reasonable expectations on what is possible.
hope this long rambling response was helpful.
"During the rut the property reminds me of some make believe hunting show bucks are literall going crazy.... bucks we have never seen. Last year I had 3 8pts get run off by a monster 6pt"
Sounds like a pretty good spot to me. Not sure I would want to change anything.
Sounds like a pretty good spot to me. Not sure I would want to change anything.
