Figuring out a tricky 5 year-old buck

[comeback_kid]

I am trying to figure out a target 5 year-old buck and was wondering about the issue of how he beds in relation to the does mid-October through late November.

I have heard a lot about bucks bedding near enough to does to be able to "monitor" when the does come into estrous. I have put a lot of time into learning about this deer and I am intrigued as to why he lives where he lives.

This is a farm bisected by a moderately busy road. The Southern half gets way less human pressure, hunters, walkers dogs etc. However, from what I can ascertain Mr. Bigs spends most of his time on the Northern half. This is the side with dog walkers, houses, and 3x more hunting pressure than the other side. If I was a buck and was gonna hide out where no one ever goes to stay alive, there are multiple spots on the Southern half. Yet this guy lives much closer to the human presence and hunter pressure.

So, as I am racking my brain to figure out why, the only thing I can come up with is : he wants to be near the does to monitor them. Maybe I am wrong

What do you guys think? How close will a mature buck bed in order to monitor the does?

[may21581]

You posted an interesting post and one I can relate to. First the buck didn't survive to five years old by doing what other deer do. He has developed a method that works and keeps him alive. He has a safe area within this higher traffic area that he feels safe in. You have to remember that core areas are not perfectly round, they come in all shapes, forms, sizes, steep, flat, wooded, or open. Once you unravel this guy you will sit back and laugh. Do yourself a favor, keep a detailed journal every day if you want to see him. There is a kink in his armour and you need to find it.
I'm currently onto a public land buck that I estimate to weigh 300 pounds, 160" rack, and at least 4 years old. This is a 5000 acres parcel with huge hills and hollows. Where do you think this guy beds? He beds within 150 yds of a parking area and his circuit is just where no one has ever hunted. They all go way back in and walk right past his bedding area. He walks the opposite direction on the side of a hill in some thick woods, crosses a point and enters a cornfield again crossing another pathway hunters take to go back in. So why does he do this? The answer is simple, he feels safe on this route. Find that little kink and you will find your shot on him. Good luck

[comeback_kid]

You posted an interesting post and one I can relate to. First the buck didn't survive to five years old by doing what other deer do. He has developed a method that works and keeps him alive. He has a safe area within this higher traffic area that he feels safe in. You have to remember that core areas are not perfectly round, they come in all shapes, forms, sizes, steep, flat, wooded, or open. Once you unravel this guy you will sit back and laugh. Do yourself a favor, keep a detailed journal every day if you want to see him. There is a kink in his armour and you need to find it.
I'm currently onto a public land buck that I estimate to weigh 300 pounds, 160" rack, and at least 4 years old. This is a 5000 acres parcel with huge hills and hollows. Where do you think this guy beds? He beds within 150 yds of a parking area and his circuit is just where no one has ever hunted. They all go way back in and walk right past his bedding area. He walks the opposite direction on the side of a hill in some thick woods, crosses a point and enters a cornfield again crossing another pathway hunters take to go back in. So why does he do this? The answer is simple, he feels safe on this route. Find that little kink and you will find your shot on him. Good luck

Wow, that's quite a story. How did you figure out his circuit? By observing or tracking?

[may21581]

I'm a firm believer in journals, they are in awesome learning tool and much to be gained with one. I also have another post on them and so does a few other guys.
I seen this deer last year during the prerut for the first time. I scouted and walked fields and found his tracks. I measured them and knew what they look like. So when I would cut a track I noted it and estimated how old it was. Then going back to my journal I looked at past sightings, which way the tracks were going and looked at the wind directions and anything to help me out. I then was able to nail it down to an east and northeast wind where he beds. I seen him after dark once this season already, and I set up an observation stand a few days ago and I was able to hear him get out of his bed right at dark. So I'm thinking the prerut will be the time to see him In light. I think a doe will be the key to this guy. The only time I seen him in light was last year at 1pm on his doe seeking circuit. Like I said, look for that one key thing that can lead you to him.

[ChasingFLATS86]

Maybe he isn't keeping tabs on the does as much as he is the humans?

[may21581]

I also agree with you on that. With those winds whenever someone walks by he would smell them. When they pass his bed he walks in the direction they came from towards the parking area only staying In the woods. Smart old buck.

[comeback_kid]

Maybe he isn't keeping tabs on the does as much as he is the humans?

Maybe yeah, but what I cannot get past is if he was worried about humans there are other spots that might only have a human presence a few days a year. And they have secure bedding near food. That's why I'm puzzled from the theory perspective

[Evanszach7]

How do you know he spends most of his time on the pressured side? If not sightings or pics, and it’s sign, it’s probably the opposite. Just throwing that out there. I’ve been fooled by the sign in the past.

[ChasingFLATS86]

Maybe he isn't keeping tabs on the does as much as he is the humans?

Maybe yeah, but what I cannot get past is if he was worried about humans there are other spots that might only have a human presence a few days a year. And they have secure bedding near food. That's why I'm puzzled from the theory perspective

Have you confirmed doe bedding near where he is bedding? More specifically doe bedding upwind of the buck bedding based on prevailing wind.

[comeback_kid]

Maybe he isn't keeping tabs on the does as much as he is the humans?

Maybe yeah, but what I cannot get past is if he was worried about humans there are other spots that might only have a human presence a few days a year. And they have secure bedding near food. That's why I'm puzzled from the theory perspective

Have you confirmed doe bedding near where he is bedding? More specifically doe bedding upwind of the buck bedding based on prevailing wind.

Yes, there is doe bedding near him on the North side in at least 2 locations.

[comeback_kid]

How do you know he spends most of his time on the pressured side? If not sightings or pics, and it’s sign, it’s probably the opposite. Just throwing that out there. I’ve been fooled by the sign in the past.

This is a great question and why I love the beast forum. The interaction and questions help me see things from a different perspective.

To answer your question: It's where I have pics of him and where my friend who also hunts this spot has seen him. It also is where I have found his tracks and what I believe to be his bed. But it could be the opposite as you said, but I have scouted the other side harder than the north and the clues seem to say he spends the majority of his time on the North.

[Lockdown]

How do you know he spends most of his time on the pressured side? If not sightings or pics, and it’s sign, it’s probably the opposite. Just throwing that out there. I’ve been fooled by the sign in the past.

This is a great question and why I love the beast forum. The interaction and questions help me see things from a different perspective.

To answer your question: It's where I have pics of him and where my friend who also hunts this spot has seen him. It also is where I have found his tracks and what I believe to be his bed. But it could be the opposite as you said, but I have scouted the other side harder than the north and the clues seem to say he spends the majority of his time on the North.

Just keep in mind the rubs and scrapes can really throw a guy off. Maybe he doesn’t leave that sign near his bedding often

The bedding I’ve been hunting this fall threw me off the past couple years. Most of the sign is 150-300 yards from where they lay. I also noticed that there is an abundance of sign where the does bed and travel. With the abundance of bedding options in this small area (and limited visibility while on stand) it threw me for a loop.

A lot of sign is left at night... the majority of it. I’m not at all saying you’re wrong on your assumption that he’s on the North half. I’m saying don’t give up on the South half. The biggest bucks in my area don’t leave much for rubs. I only saw 1 rub from my 2016 buck that I can definitely say was his. It was a quarter mile away from where I shot him... on the public next to the food plot that gets more pheasant pressure than any other property I know of. Right on a heavy main trail.

Another thing I thought of for your situation is he might use the does and little bucks as a security blanket. I have a tough time with satellite deer and see this quite often.

You said you have pics of him on the North side, right? Have you ran them on the South side?

[may21581]

How do you know he spends most of his time on the pressured side? If not sightings or pics, and it’s sign, it’s probably the opposite. Just throwing that out there. I’ve been fooled by the sign in the past.

Spring scouting

[tbunao]

I’m after a 5yr old myself. He leaves very little sign near his bedding. I think mostly due to the fact he’s king of the hill and has no competition. I’ve ran cams north, south and west of the bedding as well as seen him rise up twice. Cams in all the locations other than north have multiple bucks, north mainly just him. Close the gap from the south and a repeat of the north cams. Knowing the bucks in the area the cams to the west are 1/4 mile away about 400ft lower along transitions. Here is all the sign, scrapes, chest high rubs. I narrowed the top of the hill down 2 years ago while running a cam over a community scrape low. Every single pic from mid oct to mid nov mature bucks only hit it from 12am-2am, putting them up top where the sign doesn’t appear

[ChasingFLATS86]

Is the buck using 1 bed in a small area or a bedding area with multiple beds? I'm pretty sure Dan has said that rut beds and some food specific beds tend to be 1 bed in a small area