All my bucks are MIA

[NChunting]

I hunt a 300 acre farm, which I live on family owned. I have several cameras set up and have had a large amount of mature bucks this year on camera, most of which I have been watching for the past 2+ years, and I have been trying to pattern these deer, I hung a stand on the river bottom ( earlier in the year) where I had set up a camera late August/Sept. and It was like a buck factory down there I mean several several several wallhanger bucks that we’re making their appearance in shooting hours, and now that rifle season has opened and a lot of people are saying the rut in this area is in full swing... I have hunted this stand this year maybe 4 times, 1 morning and 3 evenings... we’ll all the big bucks are gone.... I mean don’t understand it, because it is no shortage of does what so ever. Don’t get me wrong I still see deer down there, but it’s just 1.5-2.5 bucks, anything from cow horns to very young 8 pointers. And a lot of does. I just do not understand I know deer travel during the rut but these deer have done left the whole farm It seems like. I will try to post some aerial pics or the farm, and then stand locations so you guys can get an idea of the property. It’s 70% ag and 30% wooded. With a river and ridges along the river.. have any of you expierenced this ?

 

[NChunting]

Okay here is an picture from above my property, it is outlined in black, not completely but you get the idea as far and where im, the red dots are stand sites that are already available to hunt, the green dot is the new spot I was telling y’all about that was on the river bottom and had lot of big bucks on camera consistently up until about 2 weeks ago.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DocHolladay]

I would tell you to glass the fields in the AM and just before sunset, looking for bucks chasing doe out there. You also have to think, those deer down by the river were probably using it as a travel corridor between crop fields(food sources) and vacuuming up acorns along the way. Now that it is later into the fall and most of the good acorns are gone, and the bucks are hounding the doe, you will need to do some scouting of what you cans see by riding the farm roads(they should be ok with vehicle traffic from the harvest) and also by moving trail cams around. I circled some of the places I would check and drew a few lines in what appear to be small valleys, elevation changes, creek bottom, edges, etc that I would probably look at for sign. I also put a blue circle to ask what that is. Pine thicket? Old field? The edges of it might be a good place to look, especially on that right hand side. Im looking for edges and pinch points/funnels where deer move from place to place and hopefully bucks search out doe that are trying to hide. Down in the bottom right where it looks like a leg, the ankle/foot part might be good to catch deer moving from the neighbors or trying to squeeze by on the river. These are some of the places I would look if it was my first time on the property.

 

[Turkey Creek]

If you are in middle of the rut the big boys are probably tending their does where ever they have them locked down. They arent going to be covering as much ground until they need to find the next one.

Believe me I understand completely. I am starting to think that early season hunting beats the rut hunting hands down for dependability in terms of seeing the deer you want to see.

 

[birdgunner]

Hey NC, not sure where you are but I am in the OC and since Monday all but one of the 5, 3yo+ bucks we have been watching have gone off the radar, not just for me but same with my buddies, as Turkey Creek mentioned we all speculate they are bedded down. Wait till Mon or Tues when the cold front comes through and the bucks should be focusing on food and cruising again, things will pick back up. Good luck

 

[NChunting]

I would tell you to glass the fields in the AM and just before sunset, looking for bucks chasing doe out there. You also have to think, those deer down by the river were probably using it as a travel corridor between crop fields(food sources) and vacuuming up acorns along the way. Now that it is later into the fall and most of the good acorns are gone, and the bucks are hounding the doe, you will need to do some scouting of what you cans see by riding the farm roads(they should be ok with vehicle traffic from the harvest) and also by moving trail cams around. I circled some of the places I would check and drew a few lines in what appear to be small valleys, elevation changes, creek bottom, edges, etc that I would probably look at for sign. I also put a blue circle to ask what that is. Pine thicket? Old field? The edges of it might be a good place to look, especially on that right hand side. Im looking for edges and pinch points/funnels where deer move from place to place and hopefully bucks search out doe that are trying to hide. Down in the bottom right where it looks like a leg, the ankle/foot part might be good to catch deer moving from the neighbors or trying to squeeze by on the river. These are some of the places I would look if it was my first time on the property.

You sound to be dead on doc, the very top left circle you had made has been logged and we stumped it out this year actually trying to find dry weather to pick the rocks off it to maybe get some wheat drilled on it this winter, and further more being that the chicken houses are their that field to the left, my wife hunts in quite often and last year and this year she has seen not much of anything, nothing but coyotes. I mean it’s at least 2 packs in the area down there, and they don’t seem to leave every night they get to howling just about, and the blue circle yes is a pine thicket, and the red mark beside the blue circle is a creek bottom, the creek runs Down to the stand I have set up on the river, and that pine thicket.... every deer I have seen well 80% of the deer I’ve seen from that river stand come off the back side of the pine thickett, and it falls into a little valley of 2 ridges I’m assuming the way the creek lays it seemed to be a pretty hot spot before rut, I’m just wonder how things will play out the rest of the season, I don’t want to burn the stand out becuase it’s not what I would call an easy stand to get to with out bumping deer in or out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NChunting]

Hey NC, not sure where you are but I am in the OC and since Monday all but one of the 5, 3yo+ bucks we have been watching have gone off the radar, not just for me but same with my buddies, as Turkey Creek mentioned we all speculate they are bedded down. Wait till Mon or Tues when the cold front comes through and the bucks should be focusing on food and cruising again, things will pick back up. Good luck[

I’m in guilford county, and yeah I will do that, maybe that cold front will get them up and going. I’ll be looking forward to some pictures if it works for ya good luck bud !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NChunting]

If you are in middle of the rut the big boys are probably tending their does where ever they have them locked down. They arent going to be covering as much ground until they need to find the next one.

Believe me I understand completely. I am starting to think that early season hunting beats the rut hunting hands down for dependability in terms of seeing the deer you want to see.

Yeah I see what you are saying there, and that is what it looks like even looking back on the trail cam pics, might have to get a bow and be ready next year ! Haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[weekender21]

That's cool you have the early season bachelor herd pinned down. I bet they'll be using that same area next year during that same time!


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[NChunting]

That's cool you have the early season bachelor herd pinned down. I bet they'll be using that same area next year during that same time!


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

I’ll be ready with a bow in my hand next year, haven’t really been much into bow hunting but that seems like the time you see mature bucks and a little easier to pattern that time of year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk