Buck Feeder Property?!

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hplayer13
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Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby hplayer13 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 6:44 am

My 90 acre S. Michigan property has fair food, good hunting pressure (as in low), and good cover. But I consistently have lots of 1.5-2.5 year olds galore here, and only get mature bucks come through during the rut. Any ideas? It’s high pressure area so I would think with the little pressure I put on it and smart access it would be a haven for bucks. I know it’s a generic question but any thoughts?


Rich M
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby Rich M » Sat Oct 20, 2018 7:40 am

If there are 1.5s and 2.5s then there are bigger ones as well. They don't like feeders cause of the amount of human scent around them from folks overhunting the feeders.

I have nothing against hunting over feed, food plots, acorns, or crop fields.
hplayer13
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby hplayer13 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:34 am

Rich M wrote:If there are 1.5s and 2.5s then there are bigger ones as well. They don't like feeders cause of the amount of human scent around them from folks overhunting the feeders.

I have nothing against hunting over feed, food plots, acorns, or crop fields.



Misunderstanding.... I don’t have a feeder, my property acts as a “feeder” to the area for young bucks. I have lots of small young bucks but a lack of mature bucks and I’m trying to determine why that is, because I have seen many survive after the season but I won’t see them once they’re 3.5+ unless maybe during the rut. Why can’t my property hold mature bucks is my question
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muddy
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby muddy » Sat Oct 20, 2018 8:51 am

In the grand scheme of things 90 acres isnt big enough to hold deer on it. The majority will he passing thru and around it on neighboring places. What's your best guess at buck to doe ratio?
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hplayer13
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby hplayer13 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:27 am

muddy wrote:In the grand scheme of things 90 acres isnt big enough to hold deer on it. The majority will he passing thru and around it on neighboring places. What's your best guess at buck to doe ratio?


There’s 3 doe family groups that live on the property 90% of their day, besides the night time feeding. It’s probably 5-1 doe to buck ratio roughly so obviously not ideal
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muddy
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby muddy » Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:34 am

hplayer13 wrote:
muddy wrote:In the grand scheme of things 90 acres isnt big enough to hold deer on it. The majority will he passing thru and around it on neighboring places. What's your best guess at buck to doe ratio?


There’s 3 doe family groups that live on the property 90% of their day, besides the night time feeding. It’s probably 5-1 doe to buck ratio roughly so obviously not ideal


I typed and posted too quickly without proof reading. Meant to say that's not big enough to hold bucks long term. I dont think deer under 5 years old stay put as much as some of us realize. I had a buck that I followed for 3 years, 3.5 to 6.5, and he barely stayed put. He was always poking 1/2 mile this way, 1/2 mile that way. When he got to 6 years old he did focus down into a 100acre area and that fall I saw him 9 different times on that piece. I opted to roll the dice and see if he could make it to 7.5 and mega giant... I got 1 side off him (82") and he up and disappeared.

Regardless, with that many does you gotta have big boys rolling thru, but they pick a doe up so easily that they dont get time to cruise in front of you before they lock back down with a doe.
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Hawthorne
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:37 am

I’ve seen this in southern mi also. My private 23 acres is basically the same way. I shot a 140 last year that didn’t show up till early November.I can tell you bachelor groups are there somewhere if your getting survivors. I’ve had my best luck shining to find them in summer. I believe they won’t move far from their summer ranges till rut and I mostly shine them in the same fields all summer. Could be a mile from your place. That’s the best way to find the mature bucks they aren’t on every farm. Shining is legal till 11pm except the month of November.
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Boogieman1
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sat Oct 20, 2018 12:14 pm

I hunt a lot of small properties and everyone of them fall in the same case as u mentioned. It use to really mess with my mind and leave me looking for answers. Eventually just gave up in the search for "whys" and simply play the hand I'm dealt. The good news is u know they do use the property and when. That's good intell some properties don't even get that. Suggest just hunting the time frame your property is good for mature movement and search out new areas for diff time frames. Just my .02
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Re: Buck Feeder Property?!

Unread postby Buckbreath » Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:02 am

I experience mostly the same in early fall. However, during rut, the 80 acres we hunt almost always has a mature buck take over. Sometimes it will be the same buck multiple years in a row and if it is, it will always show up within a day or two as the year before.
Our property has tons of bedding but the preferred food(ag fields) are a mile away. After rut, there is not a deer around.


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