Button Bucks bedding with does in doe bedding areas

[Ryan]

I know that button bucks tend to stay with the mom doe usually before she goes into heat and pushes them away, my question is if those bucks are used to bedding with the doe in her bedding areas, how do they learn to start bedding in more prominent area's that mature bucks like to bed? Once the mom pushes them away do they start jumpin in with bachelor groups to learn the way of being a mature buck as they get older or do you guys find they just instinctively find new beds

[Dewey]

I think instinctively they know to a point but also believe the bachelor groups are critical for learning as they get older. More than once I have seen a young buck paired up with an older buck very early in the season. The mature buck always gets the preferred bed and the young buck usually beds fairly close in a lesser spot on the outskirts of the bedding area. Dan calls these satellite beds. Never heard that term before but makes perfect sense. I think some of these mature bucks use these smaller bucks to tip them off of danger and then slip out undetected. Probably a little deeper than your original question but I find this interesting and have witnessed it quite a bit.

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[Ryan]

I think some of these mature bucks use these smaller bucks to tip them off of danger and then slip out undetected.

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Thats a good point, thanks for the response, Have you ever noticed that when bucks move in a bachelor group, the most mature one usually comes out of the bedding area last? if they usually do i definitely think the mature ones use the younger ones to tip them off

[Dewey]

I think some of these mature bucks use these smaller bucks to tip them off of danger and then slip out undetected.

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Thats a good point, thanks for the response, Have you ever noticed that when bucks move in a bachelor group, the most mature one usually comes out of the bedding area last? if they usually do i definitely think the mature ones use the younger ones to tip them off

Yes when bachelor groups are together most times I see the younger bucks move well before the older bucks from those satellite beds.

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[JoeRE]

I agree with you guys in general, but its funny occasionally I see a yearling buck (so not even this year's fawn) following a doe around outside of the rut, I suspect it was his mom and he didn't get the memo he was supposed to go hang out with the boys.

I have a runty spike behind my house that I see following a big momma doe around all the time this summer. A late bloomer. When he gets within about 10 yards of her she lays back her ears and he backs off to a safer distance. She is clearly annoyed he is still around. I suspect come this year's rut he will finally hit puberty tho

[Stanley]

I agree with you guys in general, but its funny occasionally I see a yearling buck (so not even this year's fawn) following a doe around outside of the rut, I suspect it was his mom and he didn't get the memo he was supposed to go hang out with the boys.

I have a runty spike behind my house that I see following a big momma doe around all the time this summer. A late bloomer. When he gets within about 10 yards of her she lays back her ears and he backs off to a safer distance. She is clearly annoyed he is still around. I suspect come this year's rut he will finally hit puberty tho

Maybe he wants to change genders.
I see some one year old bucks hanging around does every so often. I think the born late bucks are the ones that do this.

[Wlog]

Most of the button bucks I see are alone. By the time the rut comes around and mom has pushed them away, the other bucks are going to be loners for the most part too. This is the reason why so many of them get shot. They are out wandering by themselves and their defenses aren't as sharpened yet. I often see them bedding where they were bedding with their mother during the summer.

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[oldrank]

I see alot of buck yearlings still with there mothers in the summer.. some join bachelor groups but others hang around mom for a bit.. she doesnt seem to interested n they act more as tag alongs.

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[PK_]

I have seen button bucks get separated from their mom by a rutting buck. They don't know what to do, they bed in dumb spots, usually on the outskirts of buck/doe bedding, they aren't really welcome in either...

[Ryan]

Poor button bucks are the odd ones out lol, I also heard that killing the mom doe right before the rut when she is with a button buck could help your deer herd out because the button buck won't get pushed out of the area since the mom isn't there to kick him out he'll generally stay in that area and you have a chance of your property holding more bucks that way, what do you guys think about that, anyone use that tactic?

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[PK_]

There is a reason button bucks disperse. You don't want him inbreeding with his sisters. Let him disperse. A yearling buck from elsewhere will move into your area if t is desirable.

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