Rutting Bucks and where they bed?

[Pullintoobs]

What is your take on this.... Do you believe the older bucks bed in their traditional bedding areas regadless of what phase of rut is happening? I think after a night of looking for does that they could end up quite a ways away from their "normal" beds. Do they head back where they know they are pretty safe or take up residence in new temporary bedding? Maybe The older bucks really do not venture all that far from their core areas even though does are gettin ripe? Just something I started thinkin about... Should I hunt known buck beds and expect the resident buck or bucks to continue to use them or ?????

[Edcyclopedia]

It's a good question...
I have no real experiences to add with but wonder if some of the deer studied by Biologists with collars would prove to be more scientific.

I've watched enough TV shows and read magazine articles to fill my head with many therory's... I do believe the older bucks have a better idea when the Doe's will get hot, especially in their territory's. I also believe the Doe will seek a mate as nature takes over, meaning some Nomad bucks will be chased by Doe's persay...

[Pullintoobs]

I have always thought that a buck will stay with a doe till she is bred.I have also thought that a buck will sort of herd a hot doe away to seclusion.But in between does , I would assume a smart old buck would resort back to survival mode in a sense and bed in a spot it feels secure. I have learned that the more mature bucks really do not tolerate other deer in their bedding areas, But perhaps while with a hot doe he would get her back to his bedding area where he could have his way with her. After all the smartest bucks probably bed naturally in the most secluded spots.

[Dewey]

I think that some mature bucks don't even participate in the rut and pretty much stick to their normal survival mode and bed in their normal spots they feel safest.
In cases like this mature does will seek out these bucks and go to them instead of the buck seeking them. Pretty much what Ed said.

I am going back to hunting known buck beds this weekend. This has been much more productive for me this year than rut hunting.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

My observations lead me to believe that younger bucks bed in doe bedding areas alot... But I find the older bucks in the traditional buck bedding areas. The big difference is it might not be the buck that your expecting to come out. There are a lot of exceptions.

[headgear]

Autumn Ninja had a good post on this subject a while back, it went something along the lines of bucks will still bed in safe buck bedding locations but the beds close to doe bedding or in locations where a buck could visit several different doe groups from one location would be the ones to key in on.

[Stanley]

I've seen some huge bucks over the years sequestered with does in non conventional bedding areas. People kill huge bucks during the rut every year (most are not taken from beds). I have seen mature bucks with does in fence lines out in the middle of nowhere. Along the interstate in odd ball brushy places. In the middle of picked corn fields. Does seeking out certain bucks is a little far fetched. The doe is the one spewing love scent not the buck. Smaller bucks keep this from happening (chasing). When a mature buck wants a doe he simply takes one that is ready from smaller bucks. I have seen smaller bucks breed a doe and shortly after the old boy comes along and the doe is his. In my experience if you are hunting a specific buck in a specific bed during the rut you are hunting a buck that is somewhere else. Not saying it couldn't happen but I sure don't like the odds.

[headgear]

Does seeking out certain bucks is a little far fetched.

Stan this probably isn't the case in Iowa but in places that do not have large mature buck populations does can and doo seek out the older bucks. I saw a great example of this last year. I cut a large set of tracks going into a stand last year in early Nov, that morning I had three deer come by with their noses to the ground, thinking it had to be a doe or two with a buck I got ready. To my surprise out popps 3 mature does and they came out and cut my trail right where I saw the mature buck tracks. They held up for a while spooked by my scent and then put their noses back down and where on their way right on his track. My dad was hunting near this bucks primary bedding area and he saw the same three does come through about 20 minutes before I saw them. My only guess is they were tracking the buck. Now that might be an extreme case but too many times to count we have seen anywhere from 2-5 mature does group up, they usually have one mature buck following them. Now let me ask, does a buck force all of those does to group up and travel together or do they choose to be there. I know on tv hunting they having 1 hot doe and a pile of bucks chasing her is called a breeding party but in opposite land on the public side of things you have one mature buck and bunch of does looking to hook up. This would also makes sense of some of the recent rutting activity I have seen in known buck bedding areas, the does are ready early and come looking for love. The buck are spewing plenty of their own rut/love scent this time of year so I don't think it's too far fetched to think it can't work both ways.

[headgear]

To follow that last post up, we probably hunt extremely different areas with far different deer populations so there is plenty of different rut activity between the two extremes to fill up a book.

[Stanley]

Does seeking out certain bucks is a little far fetched.

Stan this probably isn't the case in Iowa but in places that do not have large mature buck populations does can and doo seek out the older bucks. I saw a great example of this last year. I cut a large set of tracks going into a stand last year in early Nov, that morning I had three deer come by with their noses to the ground, thinking it had to be a doe or two with a buck I got ready. To my surprise out popps 3 mature does and they came out and cut my trail right where I saw the mature buck tracks. They held up for a while spooked by my scent and then put their noses back down and where on their way right on his track. My dad was hunting near this bucks primary bedding area and he saw the same three does come through about 20 minutes before I saw them. My only guess is they were tracking the buck. Now that might be an extreme case but too many times to count we have seen anywhere from 2-5 mature does group up, they usually have one mature buck following them. Now let me ask, does a buck force all of those does to group up and travel together or do they choose to be there. I know on tv hunting they having 1 hot doe and a pile of bucks chasing her is called a breeding party but in opposite land on the public side of things you have one mature buck and bunch of does looking to hook up. This would also makes sense of some of the recent rutting activity I have seen in known buck bedding areas, the does are ready early and come looking for love. The buck are spewing plenty of their own rut/love scent this time of year so I don't think it's too far fetched to think it can't work both ways.

So if you see a doe in heat she is following the buck in your area? It is very common in any area to see 2 or three mature does together of which none are in heat. Also in most areas 1.5 year old bucks do their share of breeding. Do the does in your area look for these bucks also? I have seen mature bucks chase off a does button buck fawn when she is getting close. I have seen thousands of bucks following/chasing does I can honestly say I have never seen a doe chasing a buck. It also makes me wonder why during the rut the bucks are more visible than any other time of the year? Is this not the case in your area? Interesting subject matter here.

[dan]

I've seen some huge bucks over the years sequestered with does in non conventional bedding areas. People kill huge bucks during the rut every year (most are not taken from beds). I have seen mature bucks with does in fence lines out in the middle of nowhere. Along the interstate in odd ball brushy places. In the middle of picked corn fields. Does seeking out certain bucks is a little far fetched. The doe is the one spewing love scent not the buck. Smaller bucks keep this from happening (chasing). When a mature buck wants a doe he simply takes one that is ready from smaller bucks. I have seen smaller bucks breed a doe and shortly after the old boy comes along and the doe is his. In my experience if you are hunting a specific buck in a specific bed during the rut you are hunting a buck that is somewhere else. Not saying it couldn't happen but I sure don't like the odds.

I have seen action like that in Iowa and Illinois on occasion... But here in Wisconsin, most of the mature bucks I take during the rut are in a buck bedding area. And even in areas like Iowa and Illinois, or places with less pressure, I see the biggest bucks generally sticking to buck bedding areas...
I have no proof that does can and do go to bucks, but have seen some things that lead me to think its credible. I also dissagree with you that bucks don't give off attractant scent... Ever smell a rutting bucks hocks? I can't smell a doe in heat up wind, but I can smell a buck in rut up wind... I have seen a lot of does playfully trot around bucks like they want to be chased... And have seen does with big bucks in buck bedding areas where I never see a doe outside of rut...
I am not 100% convinced... But I am leaning towards sometimes does seeking out bucks.

[dan]

So if you see a doe in heat she is following the buck in your area? It is very common in any area to see 2 or three mature does together of which none are in heat. Also in most areas 1.5 year old bucks do their share of breeding. Do the does in your area look for these bucks also? I have seen mature bucks chase off a does button buck fawn when she is getting close. I have seen thousands of bucks following/chasing does I can honestly say I have never seen a doe chasing a buck. It also makes me wonder why during the rut the bucks are more visible than any other time of the year? Is this not the case in your area? Interesting subject matter here.

Good points... But for whatever reason, I see mature bucks held up in "buck bedding areas" with does... Can't say I seen a doe follow the buck there.
I did once observe a mature buck chasing a doe and they ended up in a buck bedding area...

[headgear]

So if you see a doe in heat she is following the buck in your area? It is very common in any area to see 2 or three mature does together of which none are in heat. Also in most areas 1.5 year old bucks do their share of breeding. Do the does in your area look for these bucks also? I have seen mature bucks chase off a does button buck fawn when she is getting close. I have seen thousands of bucks following/chasing does I can honestly say I have never seen a doe chasing a buck. It also makes me wonder why during the rut the bucks are more visible than any other time of the year? Is this not the case in your area? Interesting subject matter here.

No a doe in heat does not follow the buck, you misinterpreted what I said. Mature does will seek out mature bucks for breeding purposes, especially in the case of a doe coming into heat early or what I believe to be a group of mature does just before the peak of breeding. These are in vast wilderness areas, maybe 8 deer per square mile and very few mature bucks. I belive they do this for effecient breeding purposes, its not one half forcing the other to breed, it's a team effort.

[Stanley]

I've seen some huge bucks over the years sequestered with does in non conventional bedding areas. People kill huge bucks during the rut every year (most are not taken from beds). I have seen mature bucks with does in fence lines out in the middle of nowhere. Along the interstate in odd ball brushy places. In the middle of picked corn fields. Does seeking out certain bucks is a little far fetched. The doe is the one spewing love scent not the buck. Smaller bucks keep this from happening (chasing). When a mature buck wants a doe he simply takes one that is ready from smaller bucks. I have seen smaller bucks breed a doe and shortly after the old boy comes along and the doe is his. In my experience if you are hunting a specific buck in a specific bed during the rut you are hunting a buck that is somewhere else. Not saying it couldn't happen but I sure don't like the odds.

I have seen action like that in Iowa and Illinois on occasion... But here in Wisconsin, most of the mature bucks I take during the rut are in a buck bedding area. And even in areas like Iowa and Illinois, or places with less pressure, I see the biggest bucks generally sticking to buck bedding areas...
I have no proof that does can and do go to bucks, but have seen some things that lead me to think its credible. I also dissagree with you that bucks don't give off attractant scent... Ever smell a rutting bucks hocks? I can't smell a doe in heat up wind, but I can smell a buck in rut up wind... I have seen a lot of does playfully trot around bucks like they want to be chased... And have seen does with big bucks in buck bedding areas where I never see a doe outside of rut...
I am not 100% convinced... But I am leaning towards sometimes does seeking out bucks.

I said the does give off the love scent. Bucks don't have those organs. I do agree an old rutting bucks smells like a walking urinal. I have smelled bucks before I have seen them. If you can smell them that's a good thing in your favor.

[matt1336]

I've sen whart appeared to be bucks bedding where they had good vantage points of doe bedding areas....the buck would be on the hill looking at the thick doe bedding below. These hill beds could've been the buck's primary bedding- I saw this activity before and was taught the ways of the hunting beast so I may not have interpreted what I saw very accuratly. In hindsight- The vantage point of the doe bedding probably made the bucks' beds all the more advantagious for the bucks at that time.