Bedding in late season

[MN_DeerHunter]

So I was looking through some old trail camera pictures from last year of a big buck and got to wondering where the heck he was bedding that morning.

I got 2 pictures of him on 12/19/14 under an apple tree at 6:45AM - this is the only time I have ever seen him. I looked up the sunrise data for that day and it was around 7:45AM, so I am thinking it started getting light around 7:15AM.

Knowing that he likely bedded before light that day, what distance do you think he traveled before he bedded down given that he only had about 30 minutes before first light? I know this is a total shot in the dark but I thought maybe some of you would have a way to guess this?

Here he is:

[WEEGEE]

this is a hard one to figure out,but here's what comes to mind. he is on the prowl for the second rut phase and that's when the big boys come out to roam. he might live several miles away. he will more than likely bed on the down wind side of a known doe bedding area for the day light hours. he'll get up if....he sees or smells a possible doe. if he sees you he will lay like a cat in head lights.

[Stanley]

I kind of think he has food on his mind. If you have some known food sources and if you have some known bedding areas I would think that should give some clues. We are looking at post peak rut so a few does will come around just about then also. Just not a lot of information with one sighting. Like WEEGEE mentioned he could be bedding a long ways away. Just impossible to guess.

[Hawthorne]

That's a awesome buck! I hope you figure him out.

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[JoeRE]

Man that is quite a buck! He looks like he has a typical 13 or 14 point frame!!

Having 1 and only 1 sighting at that time of year tells me most likely Weegee is right a late doe drew him out of the woodwork. Is it an area with a pretty high doe population? Was there quite a few other bucks on cam in that time period plus or minus a day?

As far as where he is bedding, it probably was close by that day, probably keeping an eye on the doe if she wasn't quite ready yet like Weegee suggested, but his normal core area might be a long ways away.

If you get two sightings of a buck...well, then I would start to loose sleep over him

[MN_DeerHunter]

I am losing sleep already over that picture

Not really any other bucks on camera, but a doe family comes to that tree every single night (even after the apples are gone) so that is probably why he was smelling around in that area. After WEEGEE mentioned that a doe could've been ready to breed later on this the year (2nd rut) it started to make more sense to me.

Hopefully he made it through last season and winter, I would love to see him again this fall

[PK_]

How long did you have that cam in that spot? He may be a local buck that is good at avoiding cams but slipped up that once and noticed the cam after it caught him, then avoided it…

Just trying to give you some hope that he is local…

But I would definitely hunt the morning in that spot that same calendar date and probably the day before/after. If it is a doe and she is still around she may pop at same time, bringing him or another good one around again.

That is a dream buck. good luck.

[Wapiti]

That's a awesome buck! I hope you figure him out.

[ Post made via Android ]

x2. Tons of character there!