Wish I was in high school,range shift ?

[Football Hunter]

Im covered up in the girls,"does",here ,there,everywhere.I finally saw a buck this morning,small one,but a buck.I wouldnt be concerned,but the cams are not getting many pics of bucks,and the old logging road,that was really showing rubs and scrapes this time last year,NOTHING.

When would the latest in range shifting occur?Nothing I can do about it anyway,its a little disappointing though.

 

[richmanbarbeque]

Just like high school you wouldn't know what to do with them. Ha!

Just like that buck I seen last weekend, I just stared. Just like high school... Or was that junior high?

 

[Reddirt24]

I'm having the same struggles. The only buck I've had on camera all year has been a little 5 point. Guess we will wait and see..

 

[Quailman]

Hang in there FH, I'm sure it will get better. I hunted yesterday morning and saw 5 different spikes! That was the largest buck all morning. I checked my cameras and had about 600 pictures (2 1/2 weeks) and only had 1 mature buck on camera. Hopefully things will turn around, but I doubt it will improve much.

Get to head to Illinois soon though, where all my frustration will slowly fade away. :grin:

 

[BSK]

When would the latest in range shifting occur?

Normally, two big range-shifts occur during hunting season. The first occurs around mid to late September. This is the shift associated with buck bachelor groups breaking up and bucks all going their separate ways. The second shift occur just before the rut. In my area, this shift occurs right around November 1st. Now part of this rut-associated surge in "new" bucks appearing is an actual range-shift, but most of it is associated with bucks simply expanding their normal range to come into contact with as many doe social groups as possible. Bucks that normally don't cross your hunting property suddenly do as they expand their range. These bucks usually stay in their expanded range patterns only 4-6 weeks and then return to their normal range post-rut.

In a good acorn year, with predominantly hardwood properties that have agriculture nearby, it's not at all uncommon to see a smattering of new bucks appear scattered across October, as ag fields are harvested and bucks shift ranges into the hardwoods to access acorns.

 

[BSK]

Get to head to Illinois soon though, where all my frustration will slowly fade away. :grin:

Good luck in IL Quailman. I know a lot of hunters that have high hopes for IL hunts this year.

 

[BowGuy84]

BSK,

Any reason they have high hopes this year as opposed to others?

I picked up 3 bucks crusing smelling for does in 30 min on one of my plots Sunday...see trail cam forum.

Bucks are almost ready, Im totally ready, does are not there yet...

 

[BSK]

Reports from IL have been very good this year. Looks like everything is on schedule for a big daylight rut.

 

[Football Hunter]

When would the latest in range shifting occur?

Normally, two big range-shifts occur during hunting season. The first occurs around mid to late September. This is the shift associated with buck bachelor groups breaking up and bucks all going their separate ways. The second shift occur just before the rut. In my area, this shift occurs right around November 1st. Now part of this rut-associated surge in "new" bucks appearing is an actual range-shift, but most of it is associated with bucks simply expanding their normal range to come into contact with as many doe social groups as possible. Bucks that normally don't cross your hunting property suddenly do as they expand their range. These bucks usually stay in their expanded range patterns only 4-6 weeks and then return to their normal range post-rut.

In a good acorn year, with predominantly hardwood properties that have agriculture nearby, it's not at all uncommon to see a smattering of new bucks appear scattered across October, as ag fields are harvested and bucks shift ranges into the hardwoods to access acorns.

ok,so I have a cam on a scrape,and on the most heavily used food plot on my place,maybe by Sunday of Juvy something will show up.

 

[Andy S.]

Any reason they have high hopes this year as opposed to others?

One reason is because of the number of bucks that got an extra year of age on them last year due to the wet season and all the corn being left in the fields later than normal. Many deer last year stayed in the corn (their sanctuary) and never had to hit the woodlots where the hunters were, thus resulting in less kills and more bucks surviving another season. I have talked with several hunters and a few outfitters who said this year should be a banner year if they get the cold temps to get the mature bucks up on their feet during daylight hours.

 

[BowGuy84]

Gotcha...wish I was going to be there!

I'm just getting 1.5's now one older buck...hope to have more by this weekend!

 

[Quailman]

Get to head to Illinois soon though, where all my frustration will slowly fade away. :grin:

Good luck in IL Quailman. I know a lot of hunters that have high hopes for IL hunts this year.

Thanks BSK. Heading up soon for a weekend hunt and to make a few last minute preparations. I've hunted very little this year because other priorities have taken over, the older I get. Kids are growing up fast, and I would much rather spend time with them then squander that time sitting in a treestand during a fairly unproductive time of the season. I am pretty excited about the upcoming season though because I made a little trip to Bass Pro today to pick up a .243 for my daughters to hunt with.

Can't wait to check my cameras in Illinois though. They've been out for 2 months, so hopefully there will be something nice to look at!

 

[BowGuy84]

Good luck Quailman! Share some pics when you get back. Im glad to see you have the balance right. I hope someday I show the same self control...but not for awhile yet!

 

[TJS209]

I'm having the exact same issues. I think they are just running a little later than last year. They were already rubbing and scraping this time last year. I haven't found one rub this year and I've been looking hard. Last year I had cam pics of all kinds of mature bucks (during daylight hours) right around this time. Also I remember our rut seemed like it peaked second weekend of muzzleloader. Once the weather starts to turn it should turn on.

 

[BSK]

Weather conditions have nothing to do with breeding activity.

 

[Football Hunter]

Weather conditions have nothing to do with breeding activity.

Except day light breeding activity,looking sort of close to the same weather as last year for mzl

 

[BSK]

Very true Football Hunter. Hot weather during the rut will absolutely shut down daylight breeding.

I sure hope we get better weather than last MZ season. It was terrible last year.

 

[Boone 58]

Yep, but if the does hang long enough the big boys of the Rut will show themselves looking for em.

 

[BSK]

I never found much of a correlation between buck ranges and doe populations, other than bucks expanding their ranges around the rut to encounter more does groups.

But properties where does are shot like crazy don't lose bucks to areas with more does.

 

[Andy S.]

But properties where does are shot like crazy don't lose bucks to areas with more does.

Glad you pointed this out Bryan! This is common misconception by MANY hunters I have talked with over the years. Many of these hunters are anti-QDM for this sole reason alone. I have had many of hunter tell me "boy if you were an old buck looking to breed, where would you rather be, on a farm with 5 does or the farm next door with 50 does?" I can somewhat understand there thought process because they are trying to relate by putting themselves in the buck's shoes and thinking where they "as a young 20 year old testosterone filled lad" would rather be.