Nocturnal Deer

[dylaneh]

I was hoping to get some more wisdom on hunting a nocturnal deer. If you look on the map that I have attached a picture of where the purple trail cam is marked. I am getting pictures of two mature and big bucks, but they are only coming out at night. This is a hunting club and the land that I am allowed to hunt is the Weyerhauser land and the Resse Holdings land. I am getting pictures of these deer over some corn that I have been putting out, and I have been watching some videos on hunting nocturnal deer. I have two other cameras out within a mile or mile and a half on other food sources and no pictures of those deer there. From what I know I probably need to find these deer bedding areas and try to locate them that way. Do any of you see anything on the map that you would consider a prime bedding area? I have also added a few more pictures one that shows more land, and another that has a filter on showing the deciduous vs coniferous tree distribution. Also, I feel it important to mention that you can see the trees change from deciduous in the area where the camera is. That area has recently been clear-cut about 4 years ago so it is covered in pine saplings and grass about 4 or 5 ft tall. Any information or insight is welcome.

 

[George]

I think that I see him in the picture bedded down.

G

 

[Mennoniteman]

It generally takes time to unravel the mystery of where several mature bucks are hanging out at, and a person would need to be somewhat knowledgeable with the area to even make a good guess to pinpointing a spot because there's so many different factors involved. There's probably only one hunting spot where those bucks are on their feet during the last 20 minutes of shooting light where they are vulnerable, and as you have already surmised, it's also probably within 150 yards of their bedding area. If you crowd them or bump them in their bedding area while trying to locate them they will probably change areas, so this takes a very careful approach. This is where hunting the same area for ten years or more gets to be a huge advantage, you would probably know about where you need to set up for these two bucks, however, it's still possible to get one, it just takes some careful effort, but this is what's hunting is all about, and definitely the most exciting part, the thrill of the chase. I'd sneak into your corn pile area in the middle of the day in rubber boots and backtrack these bucks' approach to get a general direction of where they might be coming from and where I want to be, then back out of there and move 100 yards an a parallel track on the downwind side of the bucks' approach route for an evening observation hunt to see if I can spot anything moving to clue me in. If the observation hunt comes up dry I'd move another 100 yards on the parallel track on the downwind side of the bucks' approach route for another evening hunt, continuing until I either bump them or get one. Bumping them along the route between feeding and bedding areas may not disturb their routine too much, but bumping them in their bedding area probably will. If they are accidently pushed out of their core area all is not necessarily lost, I'd then move to one of the other food sources you mention, a time when a big buck may be vulnerable is right after they are bumped out of their core area, they will still probably be on their feet in the last 20 minutes of shooting light in a new area that they aren't as familiar with and may make a mistake to your advantage. Or if hunted too hard they might just go totally nocturnal for a while. Fun stuff, enjoy your hunt!

 

[Buckly]

Wait for a real crappy weather day. High winds and rainy or snowy then get your boots on the ground and look for the bedding areas. Usually marked by large numbers of rubs in a small area. Use your best judgment on where bucks usually prefer. From there look at travel directions to water and food. Set up close to catch them coming and going early. When you say nocturnal exactly when are you getting pictures? If it’s 1/2 hour before light or dark then bedding might only be a couple hundred yards away. Midnight and you might have to deal with miles and miles. Another option forget about the buck bedding. Not to be overlooked at this time of the year, where are the doe. Find their travel patterns and bedding. Usually a couple bumps won’t move doe out of bedding areas. Those bucks will be there at some point.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Wait for a real crappy weather day. High winds and rainy or snowy then get your boots on the ground and look for the bedding areas. Usually marked by large numbers of rubs in a small area. Use your best judgment on where bucks usually prefer. From there look at travel directions to water and food. Set up close to catch them coming and going early. When you say nocturnal exactly when are you getting pictures? If it’s 1/2 hour before light or dark then bedding might only be a couple hundred yards away. Midnight and you might have to deal with miles and miles. Another option forget about the buck bedding. Not to be overlooked at this time of the year, where are the doe. Find their travel patterns and bedding. Usually a couple bumps won’t move doe out of bedding areas. Those bucks will be there at some point.

Excuse my ignorance, what's the advantage of scouting bedding areas in crappy weather? BTW; He's in Alabama, their rut isn't until later...

 

[Buckly]

That would be a day I wouldn’t be in a stand. Also, in really bad weather Its my experience the deer will sit tight in many instances and overlook an intrusion unless you step on them as opposed to a clear, nice day when a snap will send them off. Just my thinking , as the OP was interested in finding bedding areas. I find these re the best days to do in season scouting. Of course, results may vary.

 

[dylaneh]

Wait for a real crappy weather day. High winds and rainy or snowy then get your boots on the ground and look for the bedding areas. Usually marked by large numbers of rubs in a small area. Use your best judgment on where bucks usually prefer. From there look at travel directions to water and food. Set up close to catch them coming and going early. When you say nocturnal exactly when are you getting pictures? If it’s 1/2 hour before light or dark then bedding might only be a couple hundred yards away. Midnight and you might have to deal with miles and miles. Another option forget about the buck bedding. Not to be overlooked at this time of the year, where are the doe. Find their travel patterns and bedding. Usually a couple bumps won’t move doe out of bedding areas. Those bucks will be there at some point.

I am in alabama so not much snow here lol. However, I got my first pictures at about 3 am but i have recently got some pictures earlier at about 6:30-7 pm and it gets dark here around 5:20ish

 

[g squared 23]

I second scouting on a windy, wet, otherwise crappy day. If you’re scouting with a crosswind, you can sneak much closer than normal, and hopefully run into one of them. Ok, now you know one of his bedding spots, down to the exact bed. Learn everything you can, what conditions is he bedding there (wind and time of year especially), see how close you think you can sneak in on a normal day and you can use that information for a setup, either later this season or even next season.

Next, look for similar spots on your map, likely that would favor a different wind. Or find doe bedding areas and now you have a spot to set up between. I’ve learned the most by getting out and bumping deer. On windy days.


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[Drycreek]

The small planted pines and tall grass would be a good bet for a bedding area. There will also be some browse there. The best way to kill nocturnal bucks is during the chase phase with lots of time in the stand, and the most important thing is to get lucky. Luck plays a big part in hunting, more than lots of guys want to admit, but think about it. You are set up in a good spot, maybe you even have daytime pics of a good buck at your spot, but that afternoon…..late….he’s easing your way and he runs across an interesting doe a hundred yards before you can see him. She runs, he follows, only she ain’t running toward you. I’ve seen this happen. All this is just my opinion, worth exactly what you paid for it. Good luck !

 

[AjaDog]

All I can say is from my past experiences I really never had time to scout out and be familiar with hunting land up until I moved into my place now, I can say this in late summer, and rut season, I can walk through on the little dirt roads through out my place, and certain areas, that are really thick with vines, bushes, I mean really thick, I can smell the strong musky like scent, this is where these big boys hide out, and go for cover during heavy rain and storms, I don't know if you read the post I put out about the Doe gone but that whole Sunday me and my German shepherd combed every square Ft of my place I found so many beds, scrapes, trails that looked like herds of cattle had been walking through there for months, I would focus on really protective cover places

 

[George]

There is no such thing as nocturnal deer.

G

 

[Drycreek]

There is no such thing as nocturnal deer.

G

You’re right of course, but some of them definitely have limited daytime movement during certain times of the year. In Texas it’s hot through October and even on my cameras in the woods (where I don’t hunt) deer move mostly at night, or early and late. They already have their winter coats and it’s not comfortable for them I guess. Then you have your older bucks, they have sense enough to know when hunting season starts, and they limit their daytime exposure also, especially around food plots or other openings.

 

[George]

You’re right of course, but some of them definitely have limited daytime movement during certain times of the year. In Texas it’s hot through October and even on my cameras in the woods (where I don’t hunt) deer move mostly at night, or early and late. They already have their winter coats and it’s not comfortable for them I guess. Then you have your older bucks, they have sense enough to know when hunting season starts, and they limit their daytime exposure also, especially around food plots or other openings.

Deer are crepuscular, that being said, they get up and eat about 5 times a day. Because they don't eat during the day in front of hunters or cameras doesn't make them nocturnal.

The MSU, the other MSU, boys put the tracking collars on and best summarize.

G

 

[AjaDog]

Deer are crepuscular, that being said, they get up and eat about 5 times a day. Because they don't eat during the day in front of hunters or cameras doesn't make them nocturnal.

The MSU, the other MSU, boys put the tracking collars on and best summarize.

G

All my deer seem to be very early deer, seen very few in the evening time, kinda strange, but it is what it is,

 

[Drycreek]

Deer are crepuscular, that being said, they get up and eat about 5 times a day. Because they don't eat during the day in front of hunters or cameras doesn't make them nocturnal.

The MSU, the other MSU, boys put the tracking collars on and best summarize.

G

True George, except during the rut, when bucks eat very little. That’s why they lose so much weight during that time. I guess you could say they are partially nocturnal when the pressure gets on. Hogs will do the same thing, you start killing them in daylight, they’ll move early evening. You get out the night vision and shoot into them, they will show up at 2:00 or 3:00 A. M. All animals react to stimuli, and if you pressure them enough, they will limit their movement and alter their behavior.

I can give you a good example of altered deer behavior. I had a lease in Central Texas, where the deer population was high. No mast bearing trees on the ranch, which was 1460 acres. The main trees were mesquite and hackberry. We used corn feeders to attract deer and we had lots of deer. There were no coyotes, just a few bobcats, so recruitment was high. We needed to kill 15/20 does a year just to maintain the status quo. We always had plenty of does at our feeders and on the 75 acres of oats the rancher planted each year. We killed 4/5 does during archery season, but then we usually didn’t shoot any more until December. Well, when we started taking does it didn’t take but two or three weekends to put those does to moving at night. It was just too hot for them in the daytime. You could still see them some on the ranch, but they would run like hell from a vehicle and that wasn’t their normal behavior. I realize that they still fed during the day, but their movement was definitely curtailed and I know that some of them went to the neighbor‘s place where only three guys hunted and they were mainly buck hunters. No pressure !

 

[yoderjac]

True George, except during the rut, when bucks eat very little. That’s why they lose so much weight during that time. I guess you could say they are partially nocturnal when the pressure gets on. Hogs will do the same thing, you start killing them in daylight, they’ll move early evening. You get out the night vision and shoot into them, they will show up at 2:00 or 3:00 A. M. All animals react to stimuli, and if you pressure them enough, they will limit their movement and alter their behavior.

I can give you a good example of altered deer behavior. I had a lease in Central Texas, where the deer population was high. No mast bearing trees on the ranch, which was 1460 acres. The main trees were mesquite and hackberry. We used corn feeders to attract deer and we had lots of deer. There were no coyotes, just a few bobcats, so recruitment was high. We needed to kill 15/20 does a year just to maintain the status quo. We always had plenty of does at our feeders and on the 75 acres of oats the rancher planted each year. We killed 4/5 does during archery season, but then we usually didn’t shoot any more until December. Well, when we started taking does it didn’t take but two or three weekends to put those does to moving at night. It was just too hot for them in the daytime. You could still see them some on the ranch, but they would run like hell from a vehicle and that wasn’t their normal behavior. I realize that they still fed during the day, but their movement was definitely curtailed and I know that some of them went to the neighbor‘s place where only three guys hunted and they were mainly buck hunters. No pressure !

Drycreek, you summarize it well. MSU is completely correct, they do not become nocturnal, but their movement patterns are dramatically affected.

This chart was created using a wireless camera system with solar panels in fixed positions using several years of data. It runs 24/7/365. The X-axis represents the week of the year. Using several years of data removes the year-to-year variations. It does not remove the seasonal habitat changes. In our area, we generally get only a few weeks when it is too cold for WR to grow and most of the fields have WR in them.

Focus on the yellow line. It represents the percentage of the total deer pictures that were taken during shooting hours. Notice how much more gentle the spring portion of the curve is compared to the fall. One would expect them to be similar with no hunting pressure. Use would increase in the spring as more and more plants begin to green up, and then decrease similarly in the fall as plants senesce.

Instead, we see a much sharper decrease in the fall as more and more folks enter the woods for stand prep in September, archery season in October, Muzzleloader in the first part of November, and then the orange army of modern firearm hunters for the rest of the year.

Bucks certainly feed less during the rut, but they are following hot or near-hot does wherever they go. They do eat some but much less during the rut. Does are still eating to prep for winter pregnancy.

While deer are still active around the clock to some extent, the areas they use change, and they are much less visible during daylight hours.