Can too many bucks push does off property?

CAS_HNTR

Active Member
I know....too many bucks, what's that about, right! Hear me out.

Last couple years I have noticed we go from a good population of does and bucks, likely more bucks than does, to fewer of each this time of year. Then they seem to return when it gets colder again.

I know from cameras on the property that as of 2 weeks ago we had about 12 different bucks ( 3-4 shooters) routinely roaming around. Now, seems like less of each in what should be decent action from at least the younger bucks. Also seems like much fewer does too.

In my head I am thinking that it could be that the does get sick of being pestered and leave until it calms down. But I also have a hard time believing that they could be pushed off their home turf by a bunch if 1.5-3.5 yr old bucks trying to get some action.

We are hunting but not tromping through bedding areas and generally only hunt every 2-3 days to limit pressure. We have 120 ac with plots, cover, and terrain......I'm confused! Haha!

Anyone experience this or have any thoughts?
 
I have had more bucks than does on my property fairly often. I have not noticed the does leaving - but the bucks sure will. If there are more bucks than does on my property, they are quick to breed the available does and then a lot of the bucks leave - presumably to find more does.
 
Now of course my reaction to your thread name was "too many bucks, those are some first world deer hunting problems", so to speak. But reading your thread, I would wager a guess as to what's going on. Now I am a super conservative hunter so take this with a grain of salt if you aren't like-minded, but hunting every 2-3 days and hunting bedding areas seems like a lot of pressure to me. A whole lot, especially on 120 acres. That is where I would lay the blame. I think that much pressure is probably pushing deer off or at least changing their movement patterns enough that you just don't see them anymore. Does and older bucks want to escape the pressure, and the teenage bucks are too stupid at the moment to care about anything but the fact that there were does here a week ago. That's my two cents
 
I agree, that's a lot of pressure. The does aren't leaving IMO though, they're just hiding and limiting their movements. That pretty easy to do if their habitat is flush with browse and acorns. Different locales and circumstances make for different deer movement, and I don't know about yours, so YMMV.
 
My post was a little confusing. We aren't hunting beding areas....i was pointing out we are not actively in their bedding areas while we hunt. Most stands are nearer to food or on transition areas between bedding and food. Hunting every 2-3 days would be on different stands too.....maybe 1 hunt every 10 days on each stand.

Maybe it is too much pressure...who knows!
 
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I know....too many bucks, what's that about, right! Hear me out.

Last couple years I have noticed we go from a good population of does and bucks, likely more bucks than does, to fewer of each this time of year. Then they seem to return when it gets colder again.

I know from cameras on the property that as of 2 weeks ago we had about 12 different bucks ( 3-4 shooters) routinely roaming around. Now, seems like less of each in what should be decent action from at least the younger bucks. Also seems like much fewer does too.

In my head I am thinking that it could be that the does get sick of being pestered and leave until it calms down. But I also have a hard time believing that they could be pushed off their home turf by a bunch if 1.5-3.5 yr old bucks trying to get some action.

We are hunting but not tromping through bedding areas and generally only hunt every 2-3 days to limit pressure. We have 120 ac with plots, cover, and terrain......I'm confused! Haha!

Anyone experience this or have any thoughts?

We are seeing the same thing here CAS HUNTER. For some reason the deer are just very inactive compared to three weeks ago. In our case it is not pressure except maybe in a couple of camera locations. There are twenty-two good working cameras out there and each buck is seen maybe multiple times but in only one or two locations over the last three weeks with the exception of one who seems to be constantly traveling about. As for you doe sightings have dropped off considerably on the cameras and in the woods hunting. Still we see five or six does in the driveway, drive fifty miles and see nothing until we return to our driveway again. I expect it to change over to very active within the next two to three days.
 
I think the pressure comes from surrounding properties. It's the time of the year just before firearms seasons start.
  • People are out rumbling around in the woods where no one has been all year long.
  • ATVs are running all over the place.
  • Chainsaws are clearing out shooting lanes.
  • 5,000 gunshots will be fired within earshot of most deer in the week leading up to hunting season. Some of it will be sighting in and some will be people getting a jump on the season starting. Time to get out the 9 MM auto and AR as well and make sure they haven't locked up since last year.
  • Tons of corn is being dumped out all over the place.
  • Permanent stands are being repaired with hammer and nails.
  • People are walking right through bedding areas looking for deer sign. Deer are run out of their normal secure spots and encountering human scent everywhere they go.
  • Spotlighting has started, and deer are getting shot off the roads at night now.
Unless you have an incredibly large tract of land, you can't insulate the deer that uses your property from what is going on at surrounding properties.

We talk about deer being smart. If that is true, I think they might be able to figure out that something is going on, and it isn't good for them.
 
Just being on a small place is pressure, but IMO, there are two ways to counter that.
1. Stay off your place for the two or three months preceding deer season. (Hard to do if you plant fall plots and prepare shooting lanes, etc.)

2. Spend as much time as you can there all year 'round and get them used to your presence.

My way is no. 2, and for me it's the only way. I plant fall plots as well as spring plots, hunt hogs 7/8 months a year, do a lot of mowing, and for the last few years when I pass a food plot on my tractor or in my cart, most times the deer just watch me until I'm out of sight, then go back to eating.

But, as Native said, the surrounding properties have a detrimental effect also, maybe more so. I remember sitting in a pop-up waiting on hogs the Friday before gun season opened on Saturday. The leassee on the S of me was busy hammering on stands (I guess) and running a chainsaw, amid yelling at his kids or someone else. I never heard a shot from his direction that weekend. Can't blame the deer for keeping a low profile when that much activity is going on.

My game plan involves a high profile when I'm not hunting and a low profile when I am. I like to hunt during the week if wind permits, starting about Tuesday afternoon and going through Friday if I'm staying on the place. If I'm not staying, I might only hunt the morning or evening hunt, depending on a few factors. Like tomorrow, I'm hunting the morning hunt so that tomorrow evening I can vote Republican !:):):)
 
I think it’s pressure some and lock down we are experiencing. I can’t control the lock down but we work hard to stay off the mountain except in perfect wind. We also quit using the side by sides/atvs 3 weeks ago which means long walks. Finally, because I can’t get to 2/3s of my cameras without being upwind of bedding areas, I haven’t checked most cameras in 3 weeks.
 
Something else I have observed. The does that aren’t ready to breed will hide from the bucks, change their routines, and generally make themselves “hard to get” until they are ready. They’re still there, just not as visible.
 
Just being on a small place is pressure, but IMO, there are two ways to counter that.
1. Stay off your place for the two or three months preceding deer season. (Hard to do if you plant fall plots and prepare shooting lanes, etc.)

2. Spend as much time as you can there all year 'round and get them used to your presence.

My way is no. 2, and for me it's the only way. I plant fall plots as well as spring plots, hunt hogs 7/8 months a year, do a lot of mowing, and for the last few years when I pass a food plot on my tractor or in my cart, most times the deer just watch me until I'm out of sight, then go back to eating.

But, as Native said, the surrounding properties have a detrimental effect also, maybe more so. I remember sitting in a pop-up waiting on hogs the Friday before gun season opened on Saturday. The leassee on the S of me was busy hammering on stands (I guess) and running a chainsaw, amid yelling at his kids or someone else. I never heard a shot from his direction that weekend. Can't blame the deer for keeping a low profile when that much activity is going on.

My game plan involves a high profile when I'm not hunting and a low profile when I am. I like to hunt during the week if wind permits, starting about Tuesday afternoon and going through Friday if I'm staying on the place. If I'm not staying, I might only hunt the morning or evening hunt, depending on a few factors. Like tomorrow, I'm hunting the morning hunt so that tomorrow evening I can vote Republican !:):):)
I agree with this.
When I lived near and was on the hunting Property growing up we were always on the land. Riding mini bikes and motor bikes, then later ATV's all the time. Add in when we were farming and the tractors noise and scent there was human noise and smells there just about all year long. The deer were used to us and they didn't care all that much.

Now on our new lease property we get up there even month or so since we took over ownership. The deer disappear from the cameras at first for 3 days, then 2 days and now getting down to a day or so.

I think the more they get used to us them more they will not care again.

BTW an old trick is to take a sweaty shirt or socks and leave them hanging hear your stand. They will get used to YOUR smell and not care after awhile, it will be normal to be there.
 
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