Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

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Hildebrand
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Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:12 pm

What is the reason bucks come cruising through my area at night? These bucks are moving across a cornfield coming in my woods between midnight and 3 and then are gone. Are they already checking out doe bedding areas? Or are neighbors pushing them off? I have hunted one time and it was on the edge of the field so my scent and pressure is not around the woods


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Ryan549
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Ryan549 » Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:25 pm

Is your wood lot between two food sources? I can see deer coming out and feeding and then moving to a more preferred food source under the cover of darkness.
It seems as though they are not bending on you, so by the time you see them, it is dark.
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Ognennyy
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Ognennyy » Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:38 pm

I second Ryan's thought. Anything deer are doing like clockwork right now is based on food so I'd guess it's just part of their nightly feeding routine.
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:56 pm

we are in the middle of ag. I am surrounded by all ag on 4 sides. I hunt a 40-acre wood lot in the middle of 4 ag fields. Lots of ag all around as well. I do have good cover in the middle of the wood lot where nobody ever goes but to scout after season. I do also have some younger bucks who come out on camera every day too. Its just the bigger bucks are middle of the night
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby SneakyHunter » Thu Oct 07, 2021 12:09 am

Do you keep tabs on all 4 fields prior to dark? Is it possible they're sneaking out the back side at times and you're not seeing them? If the bucks have preferred bedding elsewhere, they might have no use for your woodlot other than checking for doe. I would say if nothing else there's a good chance they'll be back in the daylight during the rut.
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Thu Oct 07, 2021 12:53 am

SneakyHunter wrote:Do you keep tabs on all 4 fields prior to dark? Is it possible they're sneaking out the back side at times and you're not seeing them? If the bucks have preferred bedding elsewhere, they might have no use for your woodlot other than checking for doe. I would say if nothing else there's a good chance they'll be back in the daylight during the rut.


Great question. I can not keep tabs on all 4 sides. I can keep tabs on 2.5 sides if that makes sense. I don't keep tabs on the sides I don't have field access just because I don't want to pressure it. I could buy more cell cameras. I can keep tabs on the sides where Id say most of the deer come from tho. So yes, there's actually a good chance they could be going out the backside. I will look more into this. We don't have a lot of doe groups live on this farm, it's more bucks on the farm.
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Thu Oct 07, 2021 3:40 am

They don’t like bedding there so are instead bedding elsewhere and feeding there or looking for does at night.

I hunted a small private plot amongst subdivisions that were off limits so a ton of “pressure” from dog walkers, kids, etc. It was surrounded by ag fields and they also were largely there from midnight to 3-4 am.

Biggest deer i’ve had the privelege to hunt but also the toughest and most frustrating being the plot wasnt their core or bedroom and the surrounding bedding areas were off limits to me. It was basically a sit and pray one would linger into legal light scenario.

Sounds like you have a similar type scenario, they aren’t bedding there.
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Jrdeerhuntr » Thu Oct 07, 2021 4:08 am

Also if there is standing corn fields they maybe using those to bed in right now and may push your way once they are cut. It sounds like to me they are coming in there to check does. I would assume once Rut hits they will have some daylight activity.
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Thu Oct 07, 2021 4:19 am

szwampdonkey wrote:They don’t like bedding there so are instead bedding elsewhere and feeding there or looking for does at night.

I hunted a small private plot amongst subdivisions that were off limits so a ton of “pressure” from dog walkers, kids, etc. It was surrounded by ag fields and they also were largely there from midnight to 3-4 am.

Biggest deer i’ve had the privelege to hunt but also the toughest and most frustrating being the plot wasnt their core or bedroom and the surrounding bedding areas were off limits to me. It was basically a sit and pray one would linger into legal light scenario.

Sounds like you have a similar type scenario, they aren’t bedding there.


I know there's better bedding elsewhere. We have a lot of river bottom across the road and it's thick and nasty but a lot of hunters. I am waiting for some bigger deer to show up before I hunt. I am trying basically zero pressure this year to see if that will help get bigger bucks to come over and stay
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Thu Oct 07, 2021 4:20 am

Jrdeerhuntr wrote:Also if there is standing corn fields they maybe using those to bed in right now and may push your way once they are cut. It sounds like to me they are coming in there to check does. I would assume once Rut hits they will have some daylight activity.


Where the bucks are coming from at night is a cornfield that's between our wood lot and the next. As for them checking doe, we don't hold large doe groups in our wood lot. Not sure if that's good or bad lol
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szwampdonkey
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Thu Oct 07, 2021 4:39 am

Hildebrand wrote:
szwampdonkey wrote:They don’t like bedding there so are instead bedding elsewhere and feeding there or looking for does at night.

I hunted a small private plot amongst subdivisions that were off limits so a ton of “pressure” from dog walkers, kids, etc. It was surrounded by ag fields and they also were largely there from midnight to 3-4 am.

Biggest deer i’ve had the privelege to hunt but also the toughest and most frustrating being the plot wasnt their core or bedroom and the surrounding bedding areas were off limits to me. It was basically a sit and pray one would linger into legal light scenario.

Sounds like you have a similar type scenario, they aren’t bedding there.


I know there's better bedding elsewhere. We have a lot of river bottom across the road and it's thick and nasty but a lot of hunters. I am waiting for some bigger deer to show up before I hunt. I am trying basically zero pressure this year to see if that will help get bigger bucks to come over and stay


Sounds like the best you can do if they might be bedding across the road. Letting those hunters slowly push em over to your spot then striking when the iron is hot sounds like a solid approach.

Hope you catch a jammer looking for a sanctuary on your more lightly pressured plot of land!
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:39 am

szwampdonkey wrote:
Hildebrand wrote:
szwampdonkey wrote:They don’t like bedding there so are instead bedding elsewhere and feeding there or looking for does at night.

I hunted a small private plot amongst subdivisions that were off limits so a ton of “pressure” from dog walkers, kids, etc. It was surrounded by ag fields and they also were largely there from midnight to 3-4 am.

Biggest deer i’ve had the privelege to hunt but also the toughest and most frustrating being the plot wasnt their core or bedroom and the surrounding bedding areas were off limits to me. It was basically a sit and pray one would linger into legal light scenario.

Sounds like you have a similar type scenario, they aren’t bedding there.


I know there's better bedding elsewhere. We have a lot of river bottom across the road and it's thick and nasty but a lot of hunters. I am waiting for some bigger deer to show up before I hunt. I am trying basically zero pressure this year to see if that will help get bigger bucks to come over and stay


Sounds like the best you can do if they might be bedding across the road. Letting those hunters slowly push em over to your spot then striking when the iron is hot sounds like a solid approach.

Hope you catch a jammer looking for a sanctuary on your more lightly pressured plot of land!


For sure! Thanks for your comments as well. Good luck to you this year. I will bounce around on some other small spots I have and hit some public as well
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Jrdeerhuntr » Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:59 am

Hildebrand wrote:
Jrdeerhuntr wrote:Also if there is standing corn fields they maybe using those to bed in right now and may push your way once they are cut. It sounds like to me they are coming in there to check does. I would assume once Rut hits they will have some daylight activity.


Where the bucks are coming from at night is a cornfield that's between our wood lot and the next. As for them checking doe, we don't hold large doe groups in our wood lot. Not sure if that's good or bad lol


I think it will be harder if it is not does and is just a different food source. I would stay out of there and hopefully once the crop comes down they move in.
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby Hildebrand » Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:14 pm

Jrdeerhuntr wrote:
Hildebrand wrote:
Jrdeerhuntr wrote:Also if there is standing corn fields they maybe using those to bed in right now and may push your way once they are cut. It sounds like to me they are coming in there to check does. I would assume once Rut hits they will have some daylight activity.


Where the bucks are coming from at night is a cornfield that's between our wood lot and the next. As for them checking doe, we don't hold large doe groups in our wood lot. Not sure if that's good or bad lol


I think it will be harder if it is not does and is just a different food source. I would stay out of there and hopefully once the crop comes down they move in.


copy that. We do have doe, it's just we hold maybe 1 3 group doe family and not the big heards you see sometimes. Also, I know having too many doe isn't good either. But yes, my plan this year has been to stay out. I went one time and sat at the edge of the woods and field. Just waiting for my cell cameras to tell me there's something coming i want
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Re: Why do bucks move through my woods at night?

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Thu Oct 07, 2021 11:32 pm

Sounds challenging but you are on a good plan I think.
When post season scouting do you find rut sign? Anything confirming that they will be there in a month? Or bedding during late season?
Reading the others response makes sense. Should be there later.
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