This farm area that I hunt has a road kind of cutting it in half with woodlots on either side of the road after ag fields. There are deer on both sides as I have observed them around sunset coming out of the woods to feed on the fields.
How much a mature buck is going to avoid crossing that road during any kind of daylight? It's not a highway or anything, but does have some light traffic throughout the day. Obviously, the rut is a different ballgame and there is doe bedding on both sides so I would say he would cross during the rut to scent check doe bedding. However, I am trying to pattern this herd in general and specifically figure out what a mature buck is likely to do in early season.
In terms of cover, depending on where he comes out he would either cross open field hit the road, then more open field before he got to the woods again. OR he could cross where the woods go right up to the road and then continue on the other side in a small wooded fencerow with some cover. Thus never being completely in the open, though this fencerow does go behind some buildings and houses etc.
Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
- comeback_kid
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 5:51 am
- Location: PA
- Status: Offline
- tgreeno
- 500 Club
- Posts: 4770
- Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:06 am
- Location: WI
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
I would guess unless he's pressured, he's not going to cross that road during daylight. Or chasing during rut.
To me it seem like a great opportunity to observe and glass that road, to see if he crosses. Back-off enough as to not be noticed, and glass from the side of that road for the last 45 minutes of daylight for a bunch of evenings.
To me it seem like a great opportunity to observe and glass that road, to see if he crosses. Back-off enough as to not be noticed, and glass from the side of that road for the last 45 minutes of daylight for a bunch of evenings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
- Ghost Hunter
- Posts: 4891
- Joined: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:00 am
- Location: South Arkansas
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
If he does, will instinctively cross at a place with least visibility. Unless he is pushed then he might resist an go down side of road. Or cross in a hurry.
I'm reason they call it hunting and not shooting.
-
- Site Owner
- Posts: 41590
- Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
- Location: S.E. Wisconsin
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
When I hunt bucks outside of rut I have taken notice that mature bucks generally stage before an opening, or obstacle. Its like there willing to move in daylight in the area they feel they could see / hear to... As soon as you hit a transition they hesitate. Like a road, river, opening, etc.
Where I hunt them close to roads where they bed in the thick public and feed on the private farm side, even though they are bedded 60 yards from the road they rarely make it across in daylight, I have to get between them and the road to kill em.
Where I hunt them close to roads where they bed in the thick public and feed on the private farm side, even though they are bedded 60 yards from the road they rarely make it across in daylight, I have to get between them and the road to kill em.
- oldrank
- Posts: 6158
- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:32 am
- Location: USA
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
In 42 years of life, I do not recall ever seeing a mature buck cross the road in front of me in day light outside of the rut. During the rut its only happened a handful of times.
- Stanley
- Honorary Moderator
- Posts: 18734
- Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
- Facebook: None
- Location: Iowa
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
A agree with Dan. The buck I killed in 2015 was crossing a road to get to a good food source. That said I set up on him long before he would have reached the road. This was just a few days before the rut kicked in.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
- csoult
- 500 Club
- Posts: 1045
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:04 am
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Open-Air-P ... 137422734/
- Location: Central PA
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
I watched a big buck chase a couple of does across a road in daylight during the rut last year. To go along with what Stan and Dan said, Last year right after dark I watched a buck cross a dirt road. I know where his bed was and I can make a pretty good assumption that he was staged up waiting for it to get dark before he crossed that road.
- comeback_kid
- Posts: 294
- Joined: Sun May 14, 2017 5:51 am
- Location: PA
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
csoult wrote:I watched a big buck chase a couple of does across a road in daylight during the rut last year. To go along with what Stan and Dan said, Last year right after dark I watched a buck cross a dirt road. I know where his bed was and I can make a pretty good assumption that he was staged up waiting for it to get dark before he crossed that road.
was the first road a paved road or dirt? In my case it's a paved road, but for sure this thread is helping me narrow down where his core daytime area is, now that I know he will "likely" not be crossing that road.
- csoult
- 500 Club
- Posts: 1045
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 10:04 am
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Open-Air-P ... 137422734/
- Location: Central PA
- Contact:
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
comeback_kid wrote:was the first road a paved road or dirt? In my case it's a paved road, but for sure this thread is helping me narrow down where his core daytime area is, now that I know he will "likely" not be crossing that road.
First was a paved and fairly busy road, that was during the rut though.
- Bigb
- 500 Club
- Posts: 937
- Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2012 5:12 am
- Status: Offline
Re: Will mature buck cross public road on a farm in daylight?
I've seen them cross but its a road that has thick woods on both sides. I have a stand that is about 50 yards from a gravel road and during the rut, they cross it all the time. It is semi thick woods though. In the rut, anything goes. I love seeing a big, mature buck with a doe pinned down in the middle of an ag field midday. If the USPS or Fedex person is going by when I'm getting ready to walk in, I always ask them what they are seeing. They are some of the best people to ask about the progress of the rut, as well as police.
-
- Advertisement
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: BLEXbot and 69 guests