Keeping the bucks in the area

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BowHunter33
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Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby BowHunter33 » Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:24 pm

So I'm slowly learning through the seasons but hunting in New England. I finally found a secluded public spot I really like and have had deer showing up on camera for a sold 10 days or so until the corn was gone around the beginning of July. No other pics for the month of July after that...

I can only bait up to 10 days before the season. How do I keep them around for the season? It's a low pressure area but not sure they will stick around for the season.

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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:03 pm

Sounds like you overpressured it putting cams in it.

As long as you go into mature buck areas only twice a year they stay good.Mature bucks will not tolerate much human activity before moving to other bedding areas.
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Southern Man
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Southern Man » Sat Aug 26, 2017 11:45 pm

They are probably still around there somewhere, find the food, then find the bedding. Alot of times I see bedding based on the food, when the food changes sometimes the bedding does too. Just depends.

No offense here but focus and learn what the deer do naturally instead of trying to make them do it your way. You'll have more success.
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Net Guy » Sun Aug 27, 2017 12:22 am

Southern Man wrote:They are probably still around there somewhere, find the food, then find the bedding. Alot of times I see bedding based on the food, when the food changes sometimes the bedding does too. Just depends.

No offense here but focus and learn what the deer do naturally instead of trying to make them do it your way. You'll have more success.


I agree with Southern Man. I think if you bait you'll just garauntee that those mature bucks will come in well after dark, if they even do. You'll be leaving behind lots of scent when managing a bait pile. I know because I used to do it. After we quit baiting and focused on their natural patterns we had much more success!

Good luck though! Sounds like you have a good spot, may just need to alter your approach a little and/or go with some observation sits.
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Aug 27, 2017 12:24 am

Southern Man wrote:They are probably still around there somewhere, find the food, then find the bedding. Alot of times I see bedding based on the food, when the food changes sometimes the bedding does too. Just depends.

No offense here but focus and learn what the deer do naturally instead of trying to make them do it your way. You'll have more success.


Great post Southern Man!
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Southern Man
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Southern Man » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:17 am

A while back I hunted a farm for several years where the deer changed bedding throughout the year based on food. The food was consistent from year to year, or every other year depending on crops. What I seen was the travel routes to food changed every other year based on crop rotation. When corn was planted in this field, the deer would travel one way, the next year when it was soybeans and corn was in another field, they would switch travel patterns. When Oaks started dropping, their travel routes would change based on that food source. As the woods thinned in fall, their travel and bedding would shift. Thing about that was you could count on the change and the changes were consistent. It was pretty interesting to see. If you know food and travel, bedding is fairly easy to locate.
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby tgreeno » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:32 am

Finding the buck bedding is the key! You said, You had deer showing up. Does that mean bucks?

I usually don't put cams in areas i'm planning on hunting. And I never bait to get deer on camera. I usually only put camera on natural travel paths between bedding & food.
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Ajazwinski88 » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:53 am

On any other site guys would be bashing this person! One of the biggest things I've taken notice of since I've signed up is how helpful everyone is! GREAT forum and glad I found it!
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby ODH » Sun Aug 27, 2017 2:20 am

Camera traps over bait are a great tool for taking inventory but that's about it. I think what you learned is deer have no reason to be where your cams are except for the corn (and/or your scent has moved them over). If you liked what you saw on cams then go after it. Makes sense to only cyber scout or observe from a distance at this point though. They already know you are around. If you didn't see any targets then sure go in deeper. Good luck!
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:29 am

ODH wrote:Camera traps over bait are a great tool for taking inventory but that's about it. I think what you learned is deer have no reason to be where your cams are except for the corn (and/or your scent has moved them over). If you liked what you saw on cams then go after it. Makes sense to only cyber scout or observe from a distance at this point though. They already know you are around. If you didn't see any targets then sure go in deeper. Good luck!


x2
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby <DK> » Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:42 am

seazofcheeze wrote:
ODH wrote:Camera traps over bait are a great tool for taking inventory but that's about it. I think what you learned is deer have no reason to be where your cams are except for the corn (and/or your scent has moved them over). If you liked what you saw on cams then go after it. Makes sense to only cyber scout or observe from a distance at this point though. They already know you are around. If you didn't see any targets then sure go in deeper. Good luck!


x2


x3 Great post ODH
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magicman54494
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby magicman54494 » Sun Aug 27, 2017 6:15 am

I think you are looking at it backwards. Deer will follow the feed. you should try to figure out where they moved to (new food source). Since it is public I assume that there is little that you can do to supply food (food plots) or enhance bedding. Hunt the deer - not the spot.
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Aug 27, 2017 6:50 am

Darkknight54 wrote:
seazofcheeze wrote:
ODH wrote:Camera traps over bait are a great tool for taking inventory but that's about it. I think what you learned is deer have no reason to be where your cams are except for the corn (and/or your scent has moved them over). If you liked what you saw on cams then go after it. Makes sense to only cyber scout or observe from a distance at this point though. They already know you are around. If you didn't see any targets then sure go in deeper. Good luck!


x2


x3 Great post ODH


x4

You need try and figure out what food source they moved to, which is obviously easier said than done. If it were me, I'd set out a few "feeler" cams in various locations at suspected food and bedding. You really have nothing to lose :think: minus someone stealing your cam. Ok not a funny joke :D

Better yet try and observe areas where visibility is good, set cams where visibility is limited. And you can always check trails for big buck sign.

Some guys are masters at locating bucks in situations like yours, the rest of us could use it to improve woodsmanship.
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sun Aug 27, 2017 2:53 pm

The deer were surviving on food b4 u started dumping the bait just fine, u will have a much easier and enjoyable experience determining what they have naturally been living off of for years vs trying to pull the wool over there eyes and dupe a shooter in. Probably more people have made this mistake than are willing to admit it, so don't feel bad everyone goes through it. But these aren't cattle your corralling out there. A mature buck has been to the circus and seen all the magic tricks and dog and pony shows. U gotta hit that sucker with a curveball he doesn't see coming. And no matter how u wanna slice the pie u need to know his BED...
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BowHunter33
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Re: Keeping the bucks in the area

Unread postby BowHunter33 » Sun Aug 27, 2017 4:32 pm

Thanks everybody for the great feedback! You guys are a HUGE help.

For the record I was really just taking an inventory in a field I love to turkey hunt and thought the deer might be going through there. They enjoyed the corn piles and then vanished back to wherever they came from. Sounds like I need to on work finding beds/food source.

Thanks again for all the great advice for the rookie!!


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