Bachelor bucks home range ?

[dreaming bucks]

What do you guys think ? How far do bucks travel to group up with fellow bucks ? I hunt hill country, & when I see a bach group out in the beans or alfalpha this summer, I'm just wondering how far the bucks came from, to group up ? Do you think a mile away is fair to say, more, 2 or 3 miles ?

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[jlh42581]

They can cover a five mile circuit in one night. 1 mile is nothing

[dreaming bucks]

They can cover a five mile circuit in one night. 1 mile is nothing

Well, I guess I was thinking they usualy expand out when the rut is on, but thought maybe they tend to stay closer to home during the summer months....?

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[Black Squirrel]

let me start by saying I have no evidence to back up what I say. I'm just saying what I see. This is in the farmland that I hunt in WI. I think bachelor groups, keep relatively small home ranges when they are grouped up. Most of the bucks will stay in the general area, where they summered, after they break up. I have seen some of the year and a halfs hang with each other all season long. I don't have a large number of mature bucks where I hunt, so that could affect theses groups differently. I watched a bachelor group of bucks all summer last year, and saw or got pictures of them alll through out the season, including late season and rut. I found one shed off the second biggest in the group. I think the most dominate gets the area he wants and it trickles down from there. If the buck isn't getting harrassed by and older deer he probably doesn't have a reason to go far. We also have good number of does and food around too. So there is my .02.

[Southern Man]

let me start by saying I have no evidence to back up what I say. I'm just saying what I see. This is in the farmland that I hunt in WI. I think bachelor groups, keep relatively small home ranges when they are grouped up. Most of the bucks will stay in the general area, where they summered, after they break up. I have seen some of the year and a halfs hang with each other all season long. I don't have a large number of mature bucks where I hunt, so that could affect theses groups differently......

That's kinda what I see here. We're farmland also. Bucks hold pretty tight and regular throughout the summer. If you don't mess with them, they'll be around like clockwork. Come velvet sheddin, they'll start to slowly break up and a few dissappear completely. Usually around the first of February the ones that disappeared, return. Well some do. Those that don't I figure got shot. During the summer if you find a group, their range seems to be quite small. I think it's a lazy time of year for them.

[Bucky]

Summer to fall range can be 10+ miles... I think there are some research papers that show 20+ mile dispersal


But when they are grouped up, I think they stick pretty close as long as food or pressure does not move them...