Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

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Haus86
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Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Haus86 » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:11 am

I just checked my trail cameras I had out during shotgun season and made an interesting observation. Two of the most mature bucks in the area ( 5+ and 6+ years old) , showed up the day before shotgun season, and regularly frequented my cameras, even in the daylight. One of the bucks has a Fall range on the neighboring farm, and he hasn't showed up on any of my cameras until the day before shotgun season opened. They continued to show up all of 1st and second season shotgun in an area with no pressure. Do you think mature bucks know when shotgun season is about to take place? These bucks clearly relocated and frequented an area where they felt safe.

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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:22 am

Yes and really not much different than bucks frequenting the same areas year after year during the rut.

Bucks know where they are safe and likely are triggered by several tell-tale signs: woods polluted with human scent as hunters prepare for the season, an increase in firearm percussion frequency, etc.

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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Dewey » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:26 am

I would think it's a reaction to hunting pressure that steadily increases right up to gun season. Here in WI the day before the gun season opens is probably the worst with people out and about getting ready for opening day. Mature bucks know from experience where these high traffic areas are and instinctively head to secure areas till pressure lets up.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Uncle Lou » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:39 am

I think they know its coming. Like Dewey said, the amount of human activity the day before gun opener has to put them on alert.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Haus86 » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:42 am

Uncle Lou wrote:I think they know its coming. Like Dewey said, the amount of human activity the day before gun opener has to put them on alert.


I can say bow hunting pressure where the first buck hung out was low, and there was no increased activity leading up to shotgun season like you would see in other states. The neighboring farms get drove by groups almost every day once the season starts.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Mike » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:52 am

That deer blog (Pennsylvania?) had a gps collar on a doe that hunkered down the day before gun and she barely moved, so yup I do think it's possible for sure. Guys checking stands and "scouting" are likely involved IMO

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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:58 am

They can smell gun oil...
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Bigburner » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:09 am

I have two bucks in particular that I have been after. One I've been trying to chase down since last year. I had pictures of both the night before our gun season started and only one other picture on Nov. 18th at like 2AM. the night that the season was over and the days following both deer showed up on camera within 15 minutes of one another. The particular area that I had been hunting these bucks in had 23 pick-up trucks within the 2 square mile radius that these bucks frequent on opening day. Unreal! One of the bucks I know is at least 5.5 years old. and I know the other is 4.5 but not only did they disapear but so did every other deer no does not even a spike. I had gotten 6 pictures total from the 14th of Nov. to the 23rd. one of the cameras I had on a scrape and in a two to three week period would log between 500-700 pictures from this site since the end of September.
I can tell you for a fact everyone that was hunting the particular tract where I am after this deer entered the woods on the wrong wind direction. I also know that people start poking around the area and decide they are going to do a "little scouting" the week before heading out to the same tree they have been hunting for the last 10 yrs. to see if the big rub is still on the the deer trail that they walk down to access their stand :lol:
Its no accident that they disapear. I can hunt all around those areas bouncing around and still see deer and the pictures don't run dry. Have yet to close the deal but they get real scarce from their normal areas. I've just been having a hard time figuring out where they go to and where I need to be when they get there.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Haus86 » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:10 am

Mike wrote:That deer blog (Pennsylvania?) had a gps collar on a doe that hunkered down the day before gun and she barely moved, so yup I do think it's possible for sure. Guys checking stands and "scouting" are likely involved IMO

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There was no scouting prior, so do you think they can sense time of year, post rut timing, etc. instead? My dog knows when it's Friday, and she wakes me up at exactly 5:00 a.m. every day.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:19 am

Haus86 wrote:
Mike wrote:That deer blog (Pennsylvania?) had a gps collar on a doe that hunkered down the day before gun and she barely moved, so yup I do think it's possible for sure. Guys checking stands and "scouting" are likely involved IMO

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There was no scouting prior, so do you think they can sense time of year, post rut timing, etc. instead? My dog knows when it's Friday, and she wakes me up at exactly 5:00 a.m. every day.


I would consider a conditional response based on photoperiod very plausible after a few seasons of maturity.

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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby JoeRE » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:51 am

Haus86 wrote:
Uncle Lou wrote:I think they know its coming. Like Dewey said, the amount of human activity the day before gun opener has to put them on alert.


I can say bow hunting pressure where the first buck hung out was low, and there was no increased activity leading up to shotgun season like you would see in other states. The neighboring farms get drove by groups almost every day once the season starts.


That is a good point. Most guys from other states probably don't realize that - in Iowa the day before shotgun season is like any other in terms of disturbance because very few people are out there prepping spots - everyone does deer drives and very few stand hunt so there is no prep necessary.

A buck cannot possibly know what calendar day it is (Uh-oh its Friday Dec. 5th 2014, the day before shotgun season, I better move!)...but it looks like something tipped them off what was coming. Maybe the amount of target practice they hear in the distance :think:
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Tue Dec 23, 2014 8:53 am

How large is the piece of property you are talking about? Is it possible that the increased human activity on neighboring lands pushed the bucks to your property? I don't think the deer necessarily link the increased human presence to hunting, but danger in general. If a buck has made it 4-5+ years they have most likely experienced people and avoid them as they would coyotes or wolves. If an influx of people occurred at a different time of the year I think the mature bucks would react the same way, that's why they live that long.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Bucky » Tue Dec 23, 2014 9:07 am

Gun shot sounds does not bother deer.... I have a long range gunner in the marsh I hunt and they all but ignore the percusion sounds. Same can be said for another location I hunt... it has a rifle range within a mile or two... deer do not react to the BOOMs at all.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby superseal » Tue Dec 23, 2014 9:24 am

I agree. In my area the deer dont even flinch with gun shots.
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Re: Can mature bucks tell when gun season is looming?

Unread postby Haus86 » Tue Dec 23, 2014 9:44 am

These deer had no increased pressure prior to season. The first buck pictured was hanging out no less than 1/2 mile away. As you can see they were both heading back to bed in the same area. I don't think they know exactly when Dec. 6th is, but I don't doubt they have a good idea when December is coming around.


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