Strange deer behavior for late October

[backyardtndeer]

The ploy would have worked for me. I'd have left him be. But he was too comfortable and made himself too available. My 75yr old dad killed him Wednesday. Biggest buck of his life, albeit one horned.

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Congratulations to your father. I would like to see the deer that he was fighting that busted his beam.

 

[Ski]

I would like to see the deer that he was fighting that busted his beam.

Given the area it's hard to say. But I'm gona sure try to find out!

 

[Ski]

So why are some mature bucks still grouped up this late? Granted, sample size of only 4 bucks, all the other mature bucks are by themselves as per usual. But I've NEVER seen any mature bucks grouped up this late in October. August/ early Sept... that is normal. But not now. And not really sure what it means, if anything. Again, everything else is normal... chasing by 1.5 and 2.5y/os. 3.5 and 4.5's working scrapes at night....

If I had to guess I'd say it's the feast between famines. I've also noticed more older age class than I've ever seen before here in TN, and younger bucks seem to have larger than normal racks. I've been seeing 3yr olds toting racks I usually only see on 4 & 5yr olds. Whatever phenomena that's happening is affecting more than behavior. The only thing that makes sense to me is a nutritional boom. But that's just a guess. Whatever it is I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Congratulations to your father. I would like to see the deer that he was fighting that busted his beam.

We had a giant in 2021 that broke off half his rack. We called him "moose" because of how thick and palmated his antlers were. I would have paid money to see who broke his off. It broke between 10/29 - 11/2.

 

[BSK]

If I had to guess I'd say it's the feast between famines. I've also noticed more older age class than I've ever seen before here in TN, and younger bucks seem to have larger than normal racks. I've been seeing 3yr olds toting racks I usually only see on 4 & 5yr olds. Whatever phenomena that's happening is affecting more than behavior. The only thing that makes sense to me is a nutritional boom. But that's just a guess. Whatever it is I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

I haven't seen huge improvements in the antlers of older bucks, but my yearlings have better racks than I've seen in years. Yearling spike incidence is way down, and I've got several 7 and 8-point yearlings.

 

[Ski]

I haven't seen huge improvements in the antlers of older bucks, but my yearlings have better racks than I've seen in years. Yearling spike incidence is way down, and I've got several 7 and 8-point yearlings.

Same. The old guys have their normal racks. It's the younger deer with bigger than normal racks, which I'm hoping translates into even bigger racks at maturity.

 

[CrossVolle]

Headed to Ohio for my first sits of the year this Thursday. Weather looks greeeeaaaaat

 

[Ski]

Headed to Ohio for my first sits of the year this Thursday. Weather looks greeeeaaaaat

Me too. Probably Friday. Here's to hoping!

 

[CrossVolle]

Me too. Probably Friday. Here's to hoping!

if all else fails grab some sunscreen and an umbrella.

 

[recurve60#]

Very, very strange. I'm still getting videos of groups of bucks in food plots feeding and sparring, but the minute a doe shows her face, off they go chasing her. I hardly have a video of a doe group calmly feeding. All I get is zoom, zoom, zoom, bucks chasing does everywhere through the plots and through the woods. And it isn't just the yearlings chasing, it's all the bucks. I have never seen so much chasing this early.

Scraping has exploded. Scrapes everywhere.

The highway by my house is bloody in many places with dead dear

 

[BSK]

The highway by my house is bloody in many places with dead dear

I'm really starting to see dead deer on I-40.

 

[BigDave12]

So why are some mature bucks still grouped up this late? Granted, sample size of only 4 bucks, all the other mature bucks are by themselves as per usual. But I've NEVER seen any mature bucks grouped up this late in October. August/ early Sept... that is normal. But not now. And not really sure what it means, if anything. Again, everything else is normal... chasing by 1.5 and 2.5y/os. 3.5 and 4.5's working scrapes at night....

Years ago in SE Georgia, we would see similar things (larger groups of mature bucks still grouped up this late). Around there you could always time the peak of the chasing phase to 5 days either side of Nov 5. I was first getting into management and monitoring at this time but I visibly recall it. Our conclusion was the buck to doe ratio was imbalanced. What we found (thought) was that there were so many does and the mature bucks are pretty smart, that as they started to realize what time of the year it was, they would just hang out together around food sources waiting on groups of does to show. They would continuously be around the same food sources until the does actually started to heat up. Then they would just start breaking up the doe groups and pushing a couple around and stay with that small group (1-3 does) until the peak time. Those same small groups (1 mature buck and 1-3 does together) would show up for a week or so on the same food sources but opposite ends from another similar group. It would stay this was until breeding took place. They would all disappear at that time for about a week. Next thing you know, they start showing up in very small groups again (even 2 mature bucks together) on food sources starting the process again for the 2nd rut. It was like there were so many does that the mature bucks knew they didn't have to compete so they just played it smart and cool

 

[BigDave12]

Headed to Ohio for my first sits of the year this Thursday. Weather looks greeeeaaaaat

I'll be in south central Ohio in a week and a half. Let us know what's going on when you get back.

 

[Ski]

I'll be in south central Ohio in a week and a half. Let us know what's going on when you get back.

Chillicothe, Jackson, and McArther areas are where I'll be starting in a couple days through a lot of November. If anyone needs help with anything shoot me a pm.

 

[megalomaniac]

Years ago in SE Georgia, we would see similar things (larger groups of mature bucks still grouped up this late). Around there you could always time the peak of the chasing phase to 5 days either side of Nov 5. I was first getting into management and monitoring at this time but I visibly recall it. Our conclusion was the buck to doe ratio was imbalanced. What we found (thought) was that there were so many does and the mature bucks are pretty smart, that as they started to realize what time of the year it was, they would just hang out together around food sources waiting on groups of does to show. They would continuously be around the same food sources until the does actually started to heat up. Then they would just start breaking up the doe groups and pushing a couple around and stay with that small group (1-3 does) until the peak time. Those same small groups (1 mature buck and 1-3 does together) would show up for a week or so on the same food sources but opposite ends from another similar group. It would stay this was until breeding took place. They would all disappear at that time for about a week. Next thing you know, they start showing up in very small groups again (even 2 mature bucks together) on food sources starting the process again for the 2nd rut. It was like there were so many does that the mature bucks knew they didn't have to compete so they just played it smart and cool

Maybe something to this, but buck:doe ratios on these particular farms hasn't changed in years.

As an aside, looks like those bucks in the original post have now ended their truce and are separate and behaving as I would expect for this time of year.

 

[CrossVolle]

I'll be in south central Ohio in a week and a half. Let us know what's going on when you get back.

I hope to get to go back up on the 9th for a few days. Have a newborn at home so nothing is for certain.

 

[CrossVolle]

Chillicothe, Jackson, and McArther areas are where I'll be starting in a couple days through a lot of November. If anyone needs help with anything shoot me a pm.

Won't be terribly far from you in Chillicothe.

 

[Ski]

Won't be terribly far from you in Chillicothe.

You'll be in Chillicothe?

 

[CrossVolle]

You'll be in Chillicothe?

Bout 45 minutes south in Adams County.

 

[BigDave12]

Bout 45 minutes south in Adams County.

I'll be in Adams county as well in about 1 1/2 wks.

 

[CrossVolle]

I'll be in Adams county as well in about 1 1/2 wks.

I'll be sure to pop back in here and recap. Gonna hunt hard and make the best of some crappy weather.

 

[Ski]

I'll be sure to pop back in here and recap. Gonna hunt hard and make the best of some crappy weather.

This is the forecast for Chillicothe. Saturday evening the wind turns northerly and overnight switches 180* back due south. Looks like dark cloudy weather with rain events mixed in through Monday. Should be some sporadic midday movements and lots of scraping. Then Tuesday morning pressure rises, clouds clear, and temps drop significantly. Looks like it continues getting higher pressure & cooler weather from there on out. Wednesday & Thursday mornings will be frosty.

I grew up there and have hunted my entire life up there. In my experience the last couple days of October and first week of November are the most intense for rut action, all day movement, & random bucks. This year it looks like the weather is going to help things out. Thursday morning Nov. 2nd looks to be the best November 2nd I've seen in probably a decade or more. Pressure as high as pressure gets, low 20's temp, light southerly wind to warm things a bit, and near bluebird clear sunny. Gona be some big Ohio bucks killed that day. Anytime the red & black lines pinch together like that, bucks are on their feet in daylight.

 

[mayberryrick]

What weather app is that?

 

[CrossVolle]

This is the forecast for Chillicothe. Saturday evening the wind turns northerly and overnight switches 180* back due south. Looks like dark cloudy weather with rain events mixed in through Monday. Should be some sporadic midday movements and lots of scraping. Then Tuesday morning pressure rises, clouds clear, and temps drop significantly. Looks like it continues getting higher pressure & cooler weather from there on out. Wednesday & Thursday mornings will be frosty.

I grew up there and have hunted my entire life up there. In my experience the last couple days of October and first week of November are the most intense for rut action, all day movement, & random bucks. This year it looks like the weather is going to help things out. Thursday morning Nov. 2nd looks to be the best November 2nd I've seen in probably a decade or more. Pressure as high as pressure gets, low 20's temp, light southerly wind to warm things a bit, and near bluebird clear sunny. Gona be some big Ohio bucks killed that day. Anytime the red & black lines pinch together like that, bucks are on their feet in daylight.

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Oh yea buddy. Trust me I have been pouring through every model you can access and Tuesday into Wednesday has me drooling and crying knowing next to no chance I will be able to hunt.

 

[Ski]

What weather app is that?

Weather Underground 10-day forecast.

 

[Ski]

Oh yea buddy. Trust me I have been pouring through every model you can access and Tuesday into Wednesday has me drooling and crying knowing next to no chance I will be able to hunt.

Doh!!! That sucks. Call in sick. Purposely catch covid so you have to quarantine on stand. Do whatever it takes!!!

 

[backyardtndeer]

Most recent pull from one of my cams that I run in a scrapeline had typical behavior. Youngsters are sparring, and the only real big boy I have gotten so far has been by himself every time he has come through. Still getting the teenage boys trying to push does a little as well. Things should start picking up this next week.

 

[CrossVolle]

Doh!!! That sucks. Call in sick. Purposely catch covid so you have to quarantine on stand. Do whatever it takes!!!

Lol Hell if it was work I would tell them to fire me. I have a 5 week old. My timing is impeccable. A 4 year old born October 8th, and another born on September 14th of this year. Time to get snipped before another season is ruined

The only thing I need is quarantined from is my wife from January till May it appears.

 

[Ski]

Lol Hell if it was work I would tell them to fire me. I have a 5 week old. My timing is impeccable. A 4 year old born October 8th, and another born on September 14th of this year. Time to get snipped before another season is ruined

The only thing I need is quarantined from is my wife from January till May it appears.

Sounds like you gona hafta start breeding that mare in August for some spring babies

 

[Dumbluck]

Scouting two different locations one dickson county the other Williamson County. Williamson the deer are locked in food patterns and the lull. There are almost no active scrapes this week, bucks are still following each other and sparring. Dickson county the scrapes are clean and highly active. The bucks are inventoring the local herd but are still feeding heavy.

I have seen maybe 2 deer on interstate 40 and 840 this week. Dickson county seems on schedule, Williamson seems two weeks behind.