Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

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AntlersAnonymous
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Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby AntlersAnonymous » Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:37 pm

Have any of you known of mature bucks to be complete loners during the summer months? Avoiding bachelor groups unless bumping into them by chance?


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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:37 pm

Yes! I believe it’s a personality trait more than anything. Was talking to a good friend the other day about how bachelor groups are chosen in the first place. I’ve seen mature bucks only hang out with another mature buck. Have seen large groups made of various ages. As well as the old man running with the youngest new member in the territory. Have seen a mature who finds a different set of followers every year. And have seen a monarch watch his buddy’s die off and never team up again. Based on over all percentages I would say based off what I have seen the majority of old bucks are loners. Now if there comrades have also been killed off is likely to with how rare a mature buck is on pressured ground. I don’t have a clue to the why’s or reasons Of how a buck chooses his bachelor group. Hopefully someone does.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby oldrank » Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:49 pm

I watched a really nice nontypical for 2 seasons back in the early 2000s. He was always with a mature doe that had no fawns.

Sometimes what appears as bachelor groups could be a few different groups all working the same bean field. Deer will be bedding in different areas but all go to the same area to feed.

With that non typical buck and doe, they always bedded together.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby AntlersAnonymous » Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:53 pm

Boogieman1 wrote:Yes! I believe it’s a personality trait more than anything. Was talking to a good friend the other day about how bachelor groups are chosen in the first place. I’ve seen mature bucks only hang out with another mature buck. Have seen large groups made of various ages. As well as the old man running with the youngest new member in the territory. Have seen a mature who finds a different set of followers every year. And have seen a monarch watch his buddy’s die off and never team up again. Based on over all percentages I would say based off what I have seen the majority of old bucks are loners. Now if there comrades have also been killed off is likely to with how rare a mature buck is on pressured ground. I don’t have a clue to the why’s or reasons Of how a buck chooses his bachelor group. Hopefully someone does.


Thanks for the input. This is kind of what I believe to be the case. I follow a certain buck that seems to be a lone wolf most of the time. If he runs into a bachelor group he might kick it for a second but he always leaves alone.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby AntlersAnonymous » Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:55 pm

oldrank wrote:I watched a really nice nontypical for 2 seasons back in the early 2000s. He was always with a mature doe that had no fawns.

Sometimes what appears as bachelor groups could be a few different groups all working the same bean field. Deer will be bedding in different areas but all go to the same area to feed.

With that non typical buck and doe, they always bedded together.


Your story actually reminds me of a giant nontypical I chased.. he was a crippled buck and always followed behind a crippled doe. They were both VERY smart and aware.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Jul 19, 2020 4:23 pm

The majority of big ones I see in the summer months are with other bucks. But not all. During season it’s way more likely that they’re alone.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby moondoondude » Sun Jul 19, 2020 11:11 pm

Absolutely.

What's even more interesting is that during certain years, a certain buck will be bachelored up. The next year, the same buck is a loner all summer. Then again the next year, bachelors up again.

The same goes with seasonal preferences as well. Some bucks want to be alone post rut - still holding a grudge. Others will bachelor up again as early as late November after hating each other just days earlier.

I've even seen certain bucks together from age 2 to age 5, 24/7/365. Every buck is different.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby Coalcracker » Sun Jul 19, 2020 11:43 pm

I've been watching a public land mature buck off and on for the past two weeks enter a field by himself. I know the bedding area he's using, I also know this place will get hammered by bow hunters the first day. I need to figure out the next move. Where does he go once the pressure hits?
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby Andyschulte » Mon Jul 20, 2020 12:02 am

I wonder if the mature bucks are still wanting to be loners, but with tender antlers have no good way of fighting off the intruders. I wonder if that’s how those old men become part of a bachelor group. Maybe like a “can’t beat them, join them” kind of thing.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby VaBowKill5 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 12:18 am

Andyschulte wrote:I wonder if the mature bucks are still wanting to be loners, but with tender antlers have no good way of fighting off the intruders. I wonder if that’s how those old men become part of a bachelor group. Maybe like a “can’t beat them, join them” kind of thing.

I think there is still a major pecking order while bachelored up with velvet. I have seen bucks square up in velvet and got lots of pics especially over a mineral block of bucks pushing each other around in velvet. It always scares me I’m gonna find soft tunes laying there but I guess they know there limits.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby Marshbuster89 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:45 am

Absolutely!! Or they may use the same field as the rest of the area herd, but they stay away from everyone else.
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Re: Mature bucks in the summer.. question.

Unread postby Marshbuster89 » Mon Jul 20, 2020 11:49 am

A few years ago, early August, I was watching a few small bucks and does grazing in a hay field the last hour or so of light. They all looked up and sure enough, out comes Mr Big. He went to the exact opposite side of the field and fed by himself.

One of the little basket racks decided to go say hi. That big buck, out of nowhere, went crossed eyed and completely de-cleated that poor little fella about 5 feet into the air. I could not believe it! The little guy pawed his way back to the others and the big guy put his head back down and started feeding like nothing ever happened! The next night, the buck buck was the only one who didn’t show up.
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