Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

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Lastcast#1
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Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Lastcast#1 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:13 pm

Man I dont have many years of observing rut behavior so I could be way off here. I mentioned in another post I had a close call early November with a real nice buck.

These were all day sits. Pretty confident I knew where this deer was spending his time through out the day. He wasnt moving for the most part. It appeared there was a buffer zone where the the small bucks simply would not go. I had all kinds of chasing, small bucks running around just 40 yards to my West. Not once did those smaller bucks come any closer despite multiple individual does coming thru the area I was in. I witnessed 2 does on 2 different mornings wander in past me and out toward where I thought the big guy was. Later in the afternoon here comes the same doe coming back out of the marsh. The buck I was after, I assume was bedded 50-70 yards to my East.

Am I correct to assume the does were going to him? Can an individual dominant buck basically claim an area which younger bucks will avoid? It really felt like it was going to take a lot to push this particular deer out of the area. He had all of the advantages. No question this is the safest place on this piece of public land. Everywhere else was getting hammered at this point, Nov 9 or 10.

It seemed to me the does were going to him.

Thanks for any input guys

Chad


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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby timberninja » Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:37 pm

In for the response on this....
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Ragingun » Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:40 pm

I don’t think they seek out the mature bucks but they certainly will reject the smaller bucks. Infurier bucks will give a mature buck plenty of space. If the does were wanting to escape the smaller bucks I can see them going to the big bucks area for that reason. However if a doe is hot that dominant buck will not leave her or let her leave.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Ghost Hunter » Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:05 pm

On Nov. 10th. I spent entire day in my climber. I nice buck came through on 9th. I doe was hanging in area. She went up same hill that 1 buck an a shooter went up. The next day I never saw that good buck again. He was a solid 10. She came through 4 times that day. She was searching area. She would go up hill an be gone for a good 45 minutes. She would come right back where I was at an then go another direction. She would return around 45 minutes later. She did this 4 times with about 4 hours. She then crossed a creek an went in cutover. That was way that that good buck came from day before.

When she did that it told me two things.

!. She is not finding what she was looking for.
2. I felt like after she had free run of area an came up empty handed. I figured I wasn't going to see that buck again that day. I didn't.

She reminded me like she was wondering around looking for someone that is not anywhere to be found.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby ODH » Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:09 pm

Lastcast#1 wrote:Am I correct to assume the does were going to him?


It happens here in the northeast, and I have even actually witnessed it several times. Common theme in the areas I've seen it are very high doe to buck ratio.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:22 pm

In areas with out of whack sex ratio and age structure the does often have to find the bucks. Scrapes and such are pointless. In a balanced herd I don't feel the doe seeks out the most dominant buck instead she seeks the most healthy with good genetics. The health of a buck can be identified by the fat molicules deposited in the scrape. The doe knows each individual bucks personal musk therefore knows who is healthy and who has the blue ball crabs and the 7 year itch. The does window to be bred is small a lot of times I think the buck she prefers might be shacked up with another so she has to settle for the less desirable younger buck.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Hawthorne » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:50 pm

I’ve seen it a few times during peak rut. I’ve called in lone does with buck grunts
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Nov 29, 2017 4:52 pm

Basically what Boogie said. Does can tell a bucks health from their urine and other glandular deposits. Especially the old mature does, seek out the healthiest available suitor. Not actually dogging them like we see bucks do with does. But hanging where the healthiest buck can find her easily. Not always but often the healthiest buck is the biggest bodied fully mature animal. At least where fully mature bucks exist.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Wed Nov 29, 2017 5:10 pm

There are numerous factors to take into consideration, but yes, does will seek out mature bucks. It’s a give and take with opportunity/availability and experience whether she breeds with one or not. Under controlled tests, results have shown does favoring mature bucks over lesser sub-dominant bucks. But we also know the odds of those conditions occurring out in the “uncontrolled” wild. I’ve witnessed it and have heard biologists give examples of it happening with test data.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby SamPotter » Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:14 am

Yes, there are collar studies that prove that does go on rut excursions much like bucks and do seek out the best mate. The buck I got this year came out of his bedding area following a doe 4 days before I shot him. Did she seek him out? I guess I can't prove it but he was definitely "over at his place".
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby headgear » Thu Nov 30, 2017 2:09 am

I will say yes they do, I have seen this many times. I think, like mentioned above this happens more where there is less competition for does, in the bigwoods the mature does will group up and travel together to make for more efficient breeding. One time heading into a bedding area I cut a big set a track and was pretty excited about that morning hunt. Suddenly I see 3 deer with their head down sniffing and moving kind of fast. Well it ended up being 3 mature does and they were on the trail of the buck tracks I cut, they hit my trail and froze up for a few minutes but then continues on their way, maybe a freak accident but I think they could have been trailing the buck. Dozens of times I see mature does grouped up during the rut (no fawns) and they are on the move. Now I doubt they always trailing a buck but they could be out looking for one or at the very least leaving a nice trail for any mature buck to pick up later that day/night. I also see most of my early rut action in buck bedding areas, certainly makes you wonder if they show up knowing the bucks will be there or they seek them out. Life in the bigwoods might be too easy for these big mature bucks, very little competition and does making life even easier for them. I have maybe 50+ stories of big bucks being shot with 3 or more does with them, this is common up here. It might not always be the does seeking out bucks but they certainly seem to seek each other out when the time is right. I doubt you see this much in higher population areas, or it would be extremely rare because there are enough older bucks and deer in general to get the job done and we all hear the stories of one doe with 10 buck behind her.

Now this is 25+ years of hunting bigwoods so its not something you see every year but I certainly believe in in and witnessed some things.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Jonny » Thu Nov 30, 2017 4:55 am

headgear wrote:I will say yes they do, I have seen this many times. I think, like mentioned above this happens more where there is less competition for does, in the bigwoods the mature does will group up and travel together to make for more efficient breeding. One time heading into a bedding area I cut a big set a track and was pretty excited about that morning hunt. Suddenly I see 3 deer with their head down sniffing and moving kind of fast. Well it ended up being 3 mature does and they were on the trail of the buck tracks I cut, they hit my trail and froze up for a few minutes but then continues on their way, maybe a freak accident but I think they could have been trailing the buck. Dozens of times I see mature does grouped up during the rut (no fawns) and they are on the move. Now I doubt they always trailing a buck but they could be out looking for one or at the very least leaving a nice trail for any mature buck to pick up later that day/night. I also see most of my early rut action in buck bedding areas, certainly makes you wonder if they show up knowing the bucks will be there or they seek them out. Life in the bigwoods might be too easy for these big mature bucks, very little competition and does making life even easier for them. I have maybe 50+ stories of big bucks being shot with 3 or more does with them, this is common up here. It might not always be the does seeking out bucks but they certainly seem to seek each other out when the time is right. I doubt you see this much in higher population areas, or it would be extremely rare because there are enough older bucks and deer in general to get the job done and we all hear the stories of one doe with 10 buck behind her.

Now this is 25+ years of hunting bigwoods so its not something you see every year but I certainly believe in in and witnessed some things.


It’s not uncommon to see groups of does during gun season by me which is usually the tail end of the peak rut. I’ve seen it a couple times
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Rancher43 » Thu Nov 30, 2017 5:13 am

Mississippi State University did a study in an enclosure with a doe in estrous and had a buck in pens on each side of her and she would migrate to the bigger antlered buck. Think that aired on Mossy Oaks Gamekeepers. It’s TV so take it for what it is but I know MSU does a lot of research on Whitetail’s.
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:39 am

Hawthorne wrote:I’ve seen it a few times during peak rut. I’ve called in lone does with buck grunts

I have also had mature does come in to buck grunts. Seems the old gals were looking for love. :shifty:
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Re: Do does seek out dominant bucks during the rut.

Unread postby Nelson87 » Thu Nov 30, 2017 9:58 am

Rancher43 wrote:Mississippi State University did a study in an enclosure with a doe in estrous and had a buck in pens on each side of her and she would migrate to the bigger antlered buck. Think that aired on Mossy Oaks Gamekeepers. It’s TV so take it for what it is but I know MSU does a lot of research on Whitetail’s.


I heard Bronson Strickland talk about that on a podcast. Might have been wired to hunt but I don't remember for sure.


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