The Shift: Frequency and Distance

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Wannabelikedan
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The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:55 am

IMO the best tool to kill a mature buck is knowing his next move. Wanting to start a thread over the territorial shifting tendencies of mature bucks. I know not all scenarios and bucks yield the same results. Curious what is the farthest/shortest folks have witnessed bucks shifting ranges? Winter to spring/summer, spring/summer to breeding/fall, breeding/fall to winter, or any other shift? How many could you identify in a season/year? Terrain changes?


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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Twenty Up » Wed Mar 18, 2020 4:13 am

0063100D-22AE-4A6C-8B46-371C4A904B6B.jpeg

31282EFC-02BC-4883-A859-53AF1745C59E.jpeg

BB22B5E8-5CD3-4E53-814D-6ED841AE0C57.jpeg


I watched this guy grow from early June through September. Hunted him with no sightings and he disappeared from my cameras. He was found dead by some other hunters 1.19 miles away, as the crow flies. This was a June through December progression, the same year.

Flat farm country, Public land in the Deep South.

I’ve followed other bucks around with trail cameras in Swamps & Hill Country as well. Hunter pressure, food, cover all seem to effect their core area. I’ve heard some folks talk about a bucks core area being small with micro shifts as food, cover, water and pressure change.. I agree with this.

I’ve bumped bucks in September and have them on camera in October, November and January in the same general area. Also had bucks completely disappear.

It’s hard to put a specific number as it’s site specific on what natural resources are available from August through January.... I’ve seen animals shift right at 1.6 miles and I’ve also had them on camera in daylight or dusk/dawn in the same 500 yard area from September through January...

Predicting the next move is going to boil down to what is the next hot food source, where is the best cover for this time of year and how close is that to the hot food source. Summer/September months I find water to be crucial for bedding. Often found beds right alongside creeks.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Wannabelikedan » Sat Mar 21, 2020 12:51 pm

Twenty Up wrote:0063100D-22AE-4A6C-8B46-371C4A904B6B.jpeg
31282EFC-02BC-4883-A859-53AF1745C59E.jpeg
BB22B5E8-5CD3-4E53-814D-6ED841AE0C57.jpeg

I watched this guy grow from early June through September. Hunted him with no sightings and he disappeared from my cameras. He was found dead by some other hunters 1.19 miles away, as the crow flies. This was a June through December progression, the same year.

Flat farm country, Public land in the Deep South.

I’ve followed other bucks around with trail cameras in Swamps & Hill Country as well. Hunter pressure, food, cover all seem to effect their core area. I’ve heard some folks talk about a bucks core area being small with micro shifts as food, cover, water and pressure change.. I agree with this.

I’ve bumped bucks in September and have them on camera in October, November and January in the same general area. Also had bucks completely disappear.

It’s hard to put a specific number as it’s site specific on what natural resources are available from August through January.... I’ve seen animals shift right at 1.6 miles and I’ve also had them on camera in daylight or dusk/dawn in the same 500 yard area from September through January...

Predicting the next move is going to boil down to what is the next hot food source, where is the best cover for this time of year and how close is that to the hot food source. Summer/September months I find water to be crucial for bedding. Often found beds right alongside creeks.


That’s solid info twenty. I too have had bucks that I’ve followed with trail cams year round within a single square mile. If all the natural necessities are available, pressure seems to be the hardest factor on what they do. I’ve also had bucks that I know shift a lot. That’s why I rely so heavily on annual rut patterns to get on bucks is because does tend to be very consistent with their home turf. I know property boundaries regularly restrict hunters from finding a buck’s full territory but certain terrains/habitats require a buck to make a shift. I find that major river systems hold a lot of transient bucks. A lot of mature bucks pop in and out but very few create a habit in the same areas. The ones that do definitely aren’t there year round.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby <DK> » Tue Mar 24, 2020 3:30 am

I think 2 miles away would be a solid, long distance number.

Also just wanted to say I liked how both of your guys' TC pics show half moon, especially yours Wannabelikedan. That is def when I see the most general deer activity during the peak oh / uf times.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby jman22 » Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:02 am

Speaking for mature bucks (4+) I would say 1.5 to 2 miles is a good number from my personal observations. The furthest I've had a buck shift was just under 7 miles. Had another one this year that shifted 4.5 miles. I've found some bucks are just roamers by nature, even at an older age. The majority however seem to stay within that 1-2 mile bubble most of the time. I'm fortunate to know a lot of the hunters around me, and we are usually hunting the same bucks. There info, along with my own observations/sightings had given me a great perspective on their travel. I'll also mention, I'm hunting farm country.

As others mentioned, many factors that influence these shifts - changes in food sources, hunting pressure, changes in cover, rising testosterone, doe groups, and the list goes on. There is no one size fits all answer, its about using the info you have and putting yourself in the best location at the best time to increases your odds.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Twenty Up » Tue Mar 24, 2020 9:58 am

Wannabelikedan wrote:
Twenty Up wrote:0063100D-22AE-4A6C-8B46-371C4A904B6B.jpeg
31282EFC-02BC-4883-A859-53AF1745C59E.jpeg
BB22B5E8-5CD3-4E53-814D-6ED841AE0C57.jpeg

I watched this guy grow from early June through September. Hunted him with no sightings and he disappeared from my cameras. He was found dead by some other hunters 1.19 miles away, as the crow flies. This was a June through December progression, the same year.

Flat farm country, Public land in the Deep South.

I’ve followed other bucks around with trail cameras in Swamps & Hill Country as well. Hunter pressure, food, cover all seem to effect their core area. I’ve heard some folks talk about a bucks core area being small with micro shifts as food, cover, water and pressure change.. I agree with this.

I’ve bumped bucks in September and have them on camera in October, November and January in the same general area. Also had bucks completely disappear.

It’s hard to put a specific number as it’s site specific on what natural resources are available from August through January.... I’ve seen animals shift right at 1.6 miles and I’ve also had them on camera in daylight or dusk/dawn in the same 500 yard area from September through January...

Predicting the next move is going to boil down to what is the next hot food source, where is the best cover for this time of year and how close is that to the hot food source. Summer/September months I find water to be crucial for bedding. Often found beds right alongside creeks.


That’s solid info twenty. I too have had bucks that I’ve followed with trail cams year round within a single square mile. If all the natural necessities are available, pressure seems to be the hardest factor on what they do. I’ve also had bucks that I know shift a lot. That’s why I rely so heavily on annual rut patterns to get on bucks is because does tend to be very consistent with their home turf. I know property boundaries regularly restrict hunters from finding a buck’s full territory but certain terrains/habitats require a buck to make a shift. I find that major river systems hold a lot of transient bucks. A lot of mature bucks pop in and out but very few create a habit in the same areas. The ones that do definitely aren’t there year round.


Rut routes or patterns in my opinion will be the same, as the same doe groups will come into heat the same time period every year. I don’t believe the bucks know this, but they’ll smell them and will be drawn in. The first big mature doe to come into heat October 28-November 3 is your best window to kill the most dominant buck in the area.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby BryanD » Mon Apr 13, 2020 3:42 pm

I have been running a high number of trail cams for 15 years now here in southern Michigan. I also have a good relationship and share picture info with a number of hunters in the surrounding area. 1.5 to 3 miles is pretty much the normal I see. I think this distance will change across the country due to deer density, terrain and availability of food. So this info comes from my perspective of a high deer density, heavily hunted area with a good mix of farmland, wetland, and hardwoods. Another thing to always factor in is every buck is different. I've had a target buck that barley ever left an 80 acre area. And I've seen someone shoot them over three miles from where he spent his summer months.

Whatever the subject something I always try to do is understand why. It helps me know the area and tack down the specific buck I am after. This subject of why they made these shifts always stumped me. And my only conclusion may not help me pick the tree I will kill him from. But anything I can learn and understand about deer cant hurt. So in a very highly pressured area with plenty of habitat, if a buck never came back to a spot he has been jumped from he wouldn't have anywhere to go. So I don't really consider this a factor in my area. If he is mature he has already scratch that spot off or he has accumulated himself to the situation and knows how to exist while avoiding you. There is plenty of food everywhere. Everyone has foodplots and there is a good abundance of crops everywhere. So crop rotation may have a small part in altering the course a bit, but doesn't change the destination at either end of the bucks shift.

I can't remember the source but I have heard in the past about how when a buck fawn is pushed away from it's mother. That it will move its self to a different area. Mother nature's way of avoiding inbreeding. Over my many years of watching specific deer. I have noticed that they will pretty much shift to the same areas every year. So this makes me wonder, do they do this to return to where they where born? In my area most will shift at the same time and when they do, they shift together usually. But not all of them, some scatter out to other areas This happens twice a year. These two times are usually mid January when hunting pressure is gone. And mid summer before pressure. So the time is another supporting factor. Obviously a buck didn't return to where he came from for sentimental reasons. So if a mature buck was going to leave the security of the area he has found to grow old in. I would think it would be during these times. Just like how during the night a deer will come up to your house and eat your bushes. This time of the year is a time they know they can travel safely. No matter the distance they travel they seem to always end up back to the area they have claimed home during the fall months. Away from the possibility of inbreeding and back to the security they need during hunting season. Just wondering what others think about this thought. Like I said this isn't a crucial factor in picking the tree to kill a specific buck. Just always looking for the why's!
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby phade » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:04 am

I've spent some time on this topic.

Some outliers - Had a buck on cam over the course of a week in mid-Oct. After the last pic, less than 36 hours later, a hunter killed that buck 4.9 miles away and across the major highway that runs down through the entire county. I only randomly found out about it because I saw the hero shot on social media and was able to speak to the guy and shared some info. That deer had a full rack and when he was shot, looked like he fought Ali. Broken and busted tines...and this was a 140-150" buck 4.5+ yo. I would have never known about that buck being killed otherwise. Random luck I saw it and connected the dots.

Another buck was caught on alot of hunters cams and was well known as he was 170"+ and unique to the area. I've seen photos of that buck within the same calendar week that were taken 3 miles apart. He seemed to just make a circuit.

Two other bucks moved just off our property - within .25 mile but inaccessible to us until late gun season when one returned routinely. The other, would NEVER show in daylight on that property in season. The last daylight pic of that buck four years in a row fell on either 9/29 or 9/30. Poof. Gone. Some of those seasons we didn't even hunt there opening week, so it wasn't our pressure. He just left the property - got a few middle of night rut time images but that is it. He'd reappear springtime.

I have more times than not, seen that a mature buck who visits a property during a time frame in hunting season will do so each year in that same general timeframe. I have not seen mature bucks be visible say in October and then be gone Nov and Dec that year, and then not show up in say October or November, but appear in December of the following season. It seems to follow the same general timeframe IMO.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby greenhorndave » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:07 am

BryanD wrote:I have been running a high number of trail cams for 15 years now here in southern Michigan. I also have a good relationship and share picture info with a number of hunters in the surrounding area. 1.5 to 3 miles is pretty much the normal I see. I think this distance will change across the country due to deer density, terrain and availability of food. So this info comes from my perspective of a high deer density, heavily hunted area with a good mix of farmland, wetland, and hardwoods. Another thing to always factor in is every buck is different. I've had a target buck that barley ever left an 80 acre area. And I've seen someone shoot them over three miles from where he spent his summer months.

Whatever the subject something I always try to do is understand why. It helps me know the area and tack down the specific buck I am after. This subject of why they made these shifts always stumped me. And my only conclusion may not help me pick the tree I will kill him from. But anything I can learn and understand about deer cant hurt. So in a very highly pressured area with plenty of habitat, if a buck never came back to a spot he has been jumped from he wouldn't have anywhere to go. So I don't really consider this a factor in my area. If he is mature he has already scratch that spot off or he has accumulated himself to the situation and knows how to exist while avoiding you. There is plenty of food everywhere. Everyone has foodplots and there is a good abundance of crops everywhere. So crop rotation may have a small part in altering the course a bit, but doesn't change the destination at either end of the bucks shift.

I can't remember the source but I have heard in the past about how when a buck fawn is pushed away from it's mother. That it will move its self to a different area. Mother nature's way of avoiding inbreeding. Over my many years of watching specific deer. I have noticed that they will pretty much shift to the same areas every year. So this makes me wonder, do they do this to return to where they where born? In my area most will shift at the same time and when they do, they shift together usually. But not all of them, some scatter out to other areas This happens twice a year. These two times are usually mid January when hunting pressure is gone. And mid summer before pressure. So the time is another supporting factor. Obviously a buck didn't return to where he came from for sentimental reasons. So if a mature buck was going to leave the security of the area he has found to grow old in. I would think it would be during these times. Just like how during the night a deer will come up to your house and eat your bushes. This time of the year is a time they know they can travel safely. No matter the distance they travel they seem to always end up back to the area they have claimed home during the fall months. Away from the possibility of inbreeding and back to the security they need during hunting season. Just wondering what others think about this thought. Like I said this isn't a crucial factor in picking the tree to kill a specific buck. Just always looking for the why's!

Great first post man! Welcome!
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Lockdown » Thu Apr 16, 2020 5:31 am

I can think of multiple deer that were killed over 3 miles from where I’d seen them. My buddy killed one during rut a few years back that an acquaintance had on cam all summer over 5 miles away.

This is all in open farm county. I think they’re prone to move quite a bit since it can be miles between prime habitat and/or decent concentrations of deer.

Regarding natural movement, even daily movement, I consider one mile to be NOTHING. I know of deer that would head close to a mile from bed to food during late season. I consider 1/2 mile to be VERY common. A mile really is nothing to a deer. They can cover that in minutes.

For seasonal shifts, I see a big shift around velvet shed in late August and early September. Then again there’s another shift for rut mid to late October. Then probably the biggest shift is in December (typically) when deer head to wintering grounds. I know 5-10 mile shifts are common for wintering.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Bowhunter4life » Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:26 pm

Deer shifting really depends on so much. They do make big shifts and I have caught some on camera and sighted some making big moves. In the bigger timber the moves really seem to bigger From what I’ve seen. With the habitat they will shift as far as they need too. Once the acorns are cleaned up they shift many miles to find a good clear or select cut that offers good browse and cover. I can’t put a number on any one deer, I know I’ve seen it multiple times where I’ve caught the same deer in spots well over a mile apart, even outside of the rut time frame.
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Re: The Shift: Frequency and Distance

Unread postby Hawthorne » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:33 am

I found a shed once of a non typical that scored over 200”. A guy on social media shot one 11 miles away that looked just like it along the same rail system. We know a railroad is like a fence row deer will travel along it. I sent him pics of the shed and he didn’t think it was possible it could of been that far away. The conversation ended quick , he probably thought I was weird and I still have the shed. I was gonna give it to him


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