Whos got bucks?

timberwolf · Post by **timberwolf** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 8:14 am

Don't know whats up, after many evenings of looking I have yet to see a single sign of a buck on my 100 acer spot.

I see does and fawns most evenings at least 2-3 but as many a 12, most years there is at least some sign of a buck, but not this year, not one heavy track, no rubs, no scrapes, nothing.

Guess if the does stick arround the bucks will come in sooner or later.

Any ideas on bringing some bucks in or at least getting them going if they a just staying hidden?

deerman · Post by **deerman** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:29 am

I have been out twice this season and have spent about 4 hours in my box blind that overlooks a clover food plot and have seen a total of thirty deer.There are 4 bucks in this group of does.It looks like I will have to thin out some does.The bucks are only 1 1/2 year olds.8 and 6 pts small basket racks.There are bigger deer around, but they are not showing themselves yet.My property is in a QDM Co-Op where all propertys around me for several sq. miles participate in a voluntary Quality Deer Management program.Everyone has to sit down and first agree on what type of deer herd that they want.In Michigan the state has a two buck limit and one of those bucks must have 4 antler points 1 inch or longer on a side.In our Co-Op all bucks shot must have 4 or more points on a side and the antlers must be wider than ear tip width.These standards protect the yearlings from being harvested.Also for every buck shot you must harvest a doe.Each hunter must record what he shot,how much it weighted,the age,if a doe did she have milk,was she pregnant.Record keeping is very important.At the end of the season we take all the records and combine them to establish goals for the next season. Food plots are also a very good source of winter forage for them and early spring when does need high protein for their young.This program does work and it transforms you from a hunter to a deer manager/hunter.Each year I plant food plots and make it a point to plant some type of tree or bush that the animals can eat or nest from.You get a lot of satisfaction from a QDM program. I feel its a way of putting back as you take.

Grizzly-Papa · Post by **Grizzly-Papa** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 11:45 am

I shot a spike buck at 35 yards yesterday morning at 7:30 after a thunderstorm at rolled through the area. Is it safe to be up in a tree while one occurs?

My hunting buddy did not get a shot off at a 4 pointer standing at 27 yards the evening before when a trespassing springer spaniel from a neighbouring property bumped the deer just as he was about to pull the trigger. Man, was he ever upset!

Grizzly-Papa

deerman · Post by **deerman** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:25 pm

I really dont understand the logic for shooting yearling bucks.They are the most curious,easyest to kill deer in the woods.Harvest a mature doe,she will yield more meat.Let the teenage buck breed once in his short life.

terry-1 · Post by **terry-1** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:30 pm

I hammered a opening evening 148" 10pt a great start for this season. It's real hot here in the 90's and deer movement has been slow as I have hunted everyday since Sunday mainly seen doe's. I had seen the 10pt a few times the week before while out checking cattle on my farm about 300 yards from where I shot him guessed him at around 130-135" a shooter for me around these parts. I climbed out of my stand just before dark as the bugs were eating me alive and started walking back to the house. About half way there I looked up to see the 10pt and a 6pt buck standing 30 yards in front of me stareing me down. I had to put a bolt on as I had unloaded the Exocet to climb down from the tree and for some reason the bucks just stayed frozen not running and I made a perfect shot with my Exocet thunderbolt/Muzzy combo and watched the buck fall in sight after only running about 40 yards max. He turned out bigger than I though and grossed 148" and will have little to no deductions being well balanced side to side as if it matters to me a big buck is a big buck no matter what he scores or how many points he has. Now I only have one more archery buck tag left and 3 months of season to go

. I will not shot a buck again unless he is huge I hate tagging out and being bored while all my buddies go hunting. Doe's are still in trouble two doe tags still left! I will get pic up later I have not had them processed yet been to lazy to go to town when there is still hunting to be done.

jay73 · Post by **jay73** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:54 pm

deerman wrote:I really dont understand the logic for shooting yearling bucks.They are the most curious,easyest to kill deer in the woods.Harvest a mature doe,she will yield more meat.Let the teenage buck breed once in his short life.

This statement bugs me some. Not anything against your beliefs, but...

I don't think you need to understand anything. I'm sure whoever pulls the trigger has their own reasons. If you participate in QDM program and have antler restrictions on what you shoot, that's your perogative. Why questions anyone else's motives. I don't think it's fair of you to push your beliefs on anyone else.

If I have a buck only tag and have yet to get one, or if a spike walks out, I may choose to tag it. Maybe I won't see another one during the year. So be it.

My 2 cents.

Jay

deerman · Post by **deerman** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:05 pm

Its usually the people that shoot the young bucks off are the first to bitch about the fact there are no longer any mature deer in the area.And yes in the past I have shot my share of young deer, but now I know what mature deer do for a herd.

BigUgly · Post by **BigUgly** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:45 pm

Hey deerman not everyone lives in an area where there are a lot of deer. In some areas of Ontario if you pass on a deer it may have been the only chance to harvest a deer that you'll get. Yes there are many more deer now in Ontario than there ever has but not like in othere areas of North America. Last year between me and my father we only saw maybe 8 deer. And we hunt in an area that has a lot of deer. We spend many hours in the field and know our properties well but that is all we saw. I got one big doe and a fawn and have no regrets for taking the fawn. In my family we reley heavily on the venison that me and my father supply, not that we can't afford grocery meat but there was a time we could not, and we became very accostumed to venison. If it means I have to take a young deer early in the season to provide food for my family then that is the way it will be. I and a lot of people like me are meat hnters and I don't think I need to appoligize to anyone for it. So many hunting shows show nothing but mature bucks being harvested, what they don't show is the hour upon hours spent seeing nothing or they talk about doe management but do not show it.
Sorry for venting on you deerman I do not mean it personally but every once and awhile I feel like I should voice what I belive. The choice is your right on what to harvest I don't say guys are crazy for holding out for a 145+ buck. Success is different foe everybody. I hope everyonr going out in the field has all the success in the world and good luck to everyone.

Grizzly-Papa · Post by **Grizzly-Papa** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:05 pm

First I would like to thank everyone for commenting.
Secondly, deerman, this was a 2 year old buck, not a yearling like you suggest. How can you comment? Were you hiding in the bush and viewed the kill? I can send you a pic. if you want to get the facts straight. This deer is no slouch.

Thirdly, using your logic I was skunked last year with archery. Zero, zip, nothing in the freezer.

No wonder I don't post often.
There is always one in a group.
Let my posts and record stand for itself!

Enough said!

Grizzly-Papa

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:19 pm

Buck???? I haven't even seen a doe or fawn yet!
Been out three evenings in a spot where they are usually waiting in line for the feeder at the and of the food plot, and haven't seen anything. I can blame the weather for a couple of thos evenings (wet & windy), but yesterday I spent 3 hours without a sighting. If I don't see any next trip out I'm switching tactics and heading for the oak groves. Could be acorns have drawn them off the food plot & fresh corn I've offered.

elkman · Post by **elkman** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:51 pm

deerman wrote:I really dont understand the logic for shooting yearling bucks.They are the most curious,easyest to kill deer in the woods.Harvest a mature doe,she will yield more meat.Let the teenage buck breed once in his short life.

everyone has a different idea of a trophy, mine happened to be a 3 point with 9 1/2 inch tall antlers which i shot 2 days ago. i have been hunting since i was 12(im 40 now) and im disabled.this is my first buck with archery gear. dont put down any type of hunting or the choices made by individual hunters, as long as its legal.

elkman, northern lower michigan

Golden Eagle · Post by **Golden Eagle** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 4:49 pm

The Bucks are not moving here till dark. Just to hot. I have had 40 some sightings since Saturday and all have been Doe xcept some unidentifiable late in the evening when I am coming out. Not Hunting tonight. It is 80 here right now.

deerman · Post by **deerman** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 5:47 pm

Sorry I got a few hot but I guess I didnt get my point across the right way.My area was like a few of yours,everybody including myself several years ago we would shoot any brown deer that moved.After a few years everyone was wondering where all the deer had gone.People would sit for weeks and see maybe a doe.Then in the next breath that person shot that doe.People were upset because there was hardly a deer herd left.Things had to change.Change is hard for a lot of people including myself.So we put together a game plan to improve the hunting for everyone.People were going to have to change their style of hunting if they wanted the herd to improve.First you cant continue to bang on both yearling bucks and does at the same time or you will end up with nothing;thats the boat we were in and it had to change.If you have just a few remaining does in your area you cant shot them or again you wont have deer.I have helped many areas of MI. go from hardly any deer to having a good balanced herd.We are the caretakers of these animals.You can only have so many deer in a given area otherwise all animals suffer as does their habitat.I did have to pass on deer the first couple of seasons, but thats what it takes to improve your herd.Good things dont come easy;it was hard to change but now we have a good quality deer herd.Large antlers on a buck are a biproduct of a healthy deer herd.I look at the health of the deer herd before anything else.If I go without a buck no big deal.Again the reason I wont shoot a yearling is for the health of the herd,not because the antlers are small.There is a lot of biology involved in understanding this logic, but I hope I cleared up some of the dismay.

joeumholtz · Post by **joeumholtz** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 6:04 pm

Last night was my first night out this season and my first experienc hunting with an Xbow and the first time I hunted from the ground in about 15 years, so I didn't expect much. Didn't see a deer until almost 6:30 and that was a six poit that came into feed under an apple tree. The rack was typical for the area, small tight basket with very short tines. ABout 10 minutes after he showed u a 4 pt also arrived. Looked to be brothers to me. The six was legal the four wasn't. He was only about 40 yds away but never offered a shot, at least not one I would take. The 4 was at one point only about 10 yds but again, he wasn't legal.

Last night was the first archery hunt I had since 2004. Missed 2005 season due to health. I only saw those two deer and what struck me as odd, nothing else. No squirrels, no chipmunks, nothing, nada. It made things a little spooky.

Will go again on Sat. Maybe that six will offer up a shot.

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 8:34 pm

ive seen a handful of bucks about 1-2months ago. But over the past weeks I havent seen hardly any moving in daylight. I went looking tonight and didnt see the first buck feeding anywhere. Saw a few doe but no bucks. I know its bucks left from last year on one farm, about 6-7 total in a 100 acre lot but I have only found 2 rubs and 5 scrapes and NO BUCKS showing theirself. This is the worst year I have had for finding bucks!!!