How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Discuss deer hunting tactics, Deer behavior. Post your Hunting Stories, Pictures, and Questions/Answers.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


Brad
Status: Offline

How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Brad » Thu Aug 02, 2012 1:26 pm

I have some pretty good sized public land I have been scouting and the only crop fields are sometimes over a mile away. I imagine as the food gets harder to find they will travel further, but for now and until say early December, how far will a buck travel to feed on crops? Im thinking they are feeding more on browse and acorns etc.


User avatar
magicman54494
500 Club
Posts: 4188
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:05 pm
Location: central and northern WI
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby magicman54494 » Thu Aug 02, 2012 2:32 pm

One time this old buck traveled 170 miles north to get a pizza. I ended up bedding down up there. :lol:
User avatar
jonsimoneau
500 Club
Posts: 524
Joined: Fri May 20, 2011 7:30 am
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby jonsimoneau » Thu Aug 02, 2012 2:54 pm

They will stay as close to the food as possible with regard to hunting pressure and disturbance. If nobody is messing with them they will stay close to avoid burning extra calories. But when the pressure is on them they will take security first and will not hesitate to travel over a mile for food under the cover of darkness.

[ Post made via iPad ] Image
User avatar
bigbob
Posts: 92
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 8:53 am
Location: Mason City, Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby bigbob » Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:28 pm

Is there private ground with good security cover/possible bedding that would be between the food and the public you're looking at? If not I think you would stand a good chance where you are at.
Brad
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Brad » Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:33 pm

There are a few scattered pieces but it is 99% public. The crop fields are public once the crops are harvested as well.
U.P. MAN
500 Club
Posts: 1804
Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:28 am
Location: UPPER MICHIGAN
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby U.P. MAN » Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:38 pm

magicman54494 wrote:One time this old buck traveled 170 miles north to get a pizza. I ended up bedding down up there. :lol:

Almost woke up the wife giggling.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
Brad
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Brad » Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:41 pm

magicman54494 wrote:One time this old buck traveled 170 miles north to get a pizza. I ended up bedding down up there. :lol:



Hopefully you found some does up there too, thats a long drive for pizza although I have done stranger things! :lol:
User avatar
Stanley
Honorary Moderator
Posts: 18734
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 4:18 am
Facebook: None
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:05 pm

magicman54494 wrote:One time this old buck traveled 170 miles north to get a pizza. I ended up bedding down up there. :lol:

I don't believe that for one minute. ;) :lol:
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
User avatar
Ack
Posts: 3030
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 6:52 pm
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Ack » Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:04 pm

I'd say the deer are probably feeding locally and not traveling that distance to the crops. Something to keep in mind......if all they do is browse, it can have a huge affect on antler size in the area.
User avatar
Tadmdad
500 Club
Posts: 919
Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: S.W. Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Tadmdad » Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:41 pm

Brad Lamont wrote:I have some pretty good sized public land I have been scouting and the only crop fields are sometimes over a mile away. I imagine as the food gets harder to find they will travel further, but for now and until say early December, how far will a buck travel to feed on crops? Im thinking they are feeding more on browse and acorns etc.


Thats a good question....for where we hunt in northern bigwoods crop fields don't exist, deer are browse feeders.
So they travel long distances at times, alot of times relating to clearcuts or beaver slashings where browse is more plentiful, thats where the does are. I think the older bucks, in the timeframe your speaking, more relates to rut or security in the distance they travel, more than feeding. Summer and winter patterns, they usually stay pretty close to their food source.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
magicman54494
500 Club
Posts: 4188
Joined: Fri Feb 26, 2010 6:05 pm
Location: central and northern WI
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby magicman54494 » Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:47 pm

Stanley wrote:
magicman54494 wrote:One time this old buck traveled 170 miles north to get a pizza. I ended up bedding down up there. :lol:

I don't believe that for one minute. ;) :lol:

True story! and Brad, I brought the doe with me.
To answer your question more seriously, I believe a big buck would bed as close as he could and still feel safe. If there is good feed and good bedding on the private land you might have to wait for the rut to get a chance at bucks using those crop lands. Pressure will play a role in this as well - pubic or private. In the big woods (no crops) the bucks tend to bed where they have food right in or near their bedding.
User avatar
Edcyclopedia
Posts: 12605
Joined: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:54 pm
Location: S. NH
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:20 am

magicman54494 wrote:
Stanley wrote:
magicman54494 wrote:One time this old buck traveled 170 miles north to get a pizza. I ended up bedding down up there. :lol:

I don't believe that for one minute. ;) :lol:

True story! and Brad, I brought the doe with me.
To answer your question more seriously, I believe a big buck would bed as close as he could and still feel safe. If there is good feed and good bedding on the private land you might have to wait for the rut to get a chance at bucks using those crop lands. Pressure will play a role in this as well - pubic or private. In the big woods (no crops) the bucks tend to bed where they have food right in or near their bedding.


Crazzzzy Buck!
Expect the Unexpected when you least Expect it...
Bucky
Posts: 5586
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:35 am
Location: Appleton WI
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Bucky » Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:39 am

I have seen them move over a 2 mile distance in a night to feed... by trail cameras and spot lighting. It depends on bedding cover, predator pressure, and food sources available. Deer will relocate come late fall or winter/spring for food
"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values, with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." Fred Bear
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41586
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby dan » Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:25 am

Safety trumps food... Younger deer tend to take bigger risks. I have seen old bucks bed a long way from "good" food.
User avatar
Southern Man
500 Club
Posts: 3827
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2010 7:04 am
Location: Extreme Western Kentucky
Status: Offline

Re: How far will a mature buck travel to feed

Unread postby Southern Man » Fri Aug 03, 2012 5:09 am

We've had a similar question. Once dark comes, how fast will a buck travel to get where he wants to go? I realise there's all kinds of variables involed, but will he just meander along or make straight away? Or is there an answer to that question?

The reason I ask is, last year, October, we set a camera on a finger heading down to a group of fields. We got several pics of bucks coming down that finger almost 2 hours after dark. One buck was regular, every day for a period of time, within minutes each night. We also got pics of the bucks going back up the finger about 1 1/2 hours before daylight each day. I've got a pretty good idea where this buck is bedding but it doesn't take that long to get to the point where the camera was hung, assuming he started down the ridge when it got dark. I thought he rose from his bed, and fed on the ridgetop (acorns) for a while, then headed down to the fields. What was interesting is his timing. Does any of that make sense?

This was public land and all the pressure was around the field edge back to maybe 100 yards into the woods. The camera was set about 700 yards back up the finger and where I believe he's bedding is probably another 700-800 yards. The ridge gets no pressure, that is until I go in there this fall. :mrgreen:
You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind


  • Advertisement

Return to “Deer Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: FHlzr, Google Adsense [Bot] and 95 guests