Buck are all gone???

rsmith · Jan 25, 2014

I have had great activity of nice bucks and up to about a couple weeks ago they have just disappeared. Does are coming through every once in while but seems like activity had just died down a lot. I feed and check my camera every day do you guys think that is to often? Should I just put a lot of corn out and wait like 5 days to a week to check my camera and feed or throw like 50 pounds and throw 50 pounds like every 4 to 6 days? Any help would be greatly appreciated because I really have no idea if I am doing something wrong or if the weather is affecting it or what but I use to get great pics and up to a couple weeks ago they have just spotted coming? :smiley_confused_vra :smiley_chinrub:

rsmith · Jan 25, 2014

And let me note that I have very little hunting pressure maybe 2 other hunters for about 50 acres

Fullbore · Jan 25, 2014

Sounds like the rut is all but gone in your area. My guess is that it is and the bucks are in survival mode. Getting back in bachelor groups or yarding up for this hard winter. This is why I have been fairly successful in finding shed antlers. Searching food sources this time of year, where multiple bucks hang out. Puts horns in my hands and a smile ony face. That's my opinion on why your not seeing them anymore.

bhedrick · Jan 26, 2014

Deer will pattern your activity just like we try to pattern them. Put out a pile of feed that will last for a while and then check your camera every few days or so. This way you’re not constantly entering your hunting area leaving your scent behind.
I would also agree that the bucks are getting back into bachelor groups. All of the buck pics that I have show multiple bucks traveling together again. Although I have seen no activity during the day they are travelling together at night hitting the feeder.

Big_Holla · Jan 26, 2014

IMO if you are in and out of there every day AND hunting it that is way too much. Add the other 2 hunters you mentioned and those deer likely have been spooked pretty badly. Dump your bait and don't check the camera for a week. Hunt if you want but make sure you aren't passing by their bedrooms. This time of year if the pressure is indeed low they should be coming in to your feed, if not in the daylight then at least at night. Otherwise they may have found another feed location on a surrounding property with NO pressure.

finelyshedded · Jan 26, 2014

I agree with the last 3 posts but your intrusion in the area more than anything. This is where wireless cameras become a huge advantage in both monitoring and harvesting mature bucks,IMO.

Kaiser878 · Jan 26, 2014

3 hunters is a lot of people on 50 acres

Big_Holla · Jan 26, 2014

Kaiser878 said:
3 hunters is a lot of people on 50 acres

Yep, even 2 of us on just under 200 can really bugger deer if you aren't careful. Entry and exit have to be bulletproof.

rsmith · Jan 26, 2014

Big_Holla said:
Yep, even 2 of us on just under 200 can really bugger deer if you aren't careful. Entry and exit have to be bulletproof.

What do you guys suggest than for me to minimize spooking the deer? Should I check the camera like once a week and pull the camera at like noonish to 2oclock to get in and get out before they come in for dinner?

Bigslam51 · Jan 26, 2014

Why even worry about the camera now? Season is over on the 2nd. Just hunt.

rsmith · Jan 26, 2014

Bigslam51 said:
Why even worry about the camera now? Season is over on the 2nd. Just hunt.

You raise a good point but I only want to harvest one deer a year because that will last me until the next year because I am 18 and my family doesn't eat it that much and i harvested my first deer this year but I love to hunt and it is my first year with a camera and was just curious about deer movement and if it was normal for them to "disapear" in the winter

Bigslam51 · Jan 26, 2014

I'm assuming that they might of found a food source that you don't have on the property you hunt. Explain a little about the land you hunt and we may be able TOO give you a better answer.

rsmith · Jan 26, 2014

There is a pond about 200 yards from my stand, a field that I do not have permission to hunt that has a lot of clover and wheat in it, well did, I will try and upload a pic from google map

rsmith · Jan 26, 2014

The blue lines are where the deer usually come in from, the red dot is where my stand is right now, and the pink dot is where I am trying to get permission to put another stand next year

Bigslam51 · Jan 26, 2014

Can you outline the property so I can see what you have permission on?

rsmith · Jan 27, 2014

the yellow is what I have permission by my stand and than the white is what I am hoping to have permission too, than in the white box the fields around the pond use to have corn planted their and the little opening by the pink dot is where I think I am going to try and do a little food plot of some throw and grow

hickslawns · Jan 27, 2014

Cut corn fields? I bet they are spending a decent amount of time there. I wouldn't be worried. They change patterns seasonally. Other times, they use a larger area than we give them credit. I have read articles about bucks using multiple "home ranges" at different times of the year or different times in their lives. I could believe the article. It made sense.

bowhunter1023 · Jan 27, 2014

Lots of good advice here.

Kaiser878 said:
3 hunters is a lot of people on 50 acres.

Exactly. To you, this is "very little" pressure. To deer this time of year, this is TOO MUCH pressure. Unless you have flawless access to and from your stand, it is very hard to hunt that many people on 50 acres. I've done it on 80 and trust me, it doesn't take long to burn out a piece of ground.

Bigslam51 said:
Why even worry about the camera now? Season is over on the 2nd. Just hunt.

To answer your question about how often to check it, just let it go until the season is over. No camera has ever killed a deer and you are relying on that cam too much right now IMO. Quality seat time is all you need right now. You are being far too intrusive with the camera checking and it is most certainly effecting your hunting.

As also stated, deer change patterns. You have one stand on a small piece of ground. With the pressure outlined above, it doesn't take much of an adjustment by the deer to render you deer-less.

rsmith · Jan 27, 2014

bowhunter1023 said:
Lots of good advice here.

Exactly. To you, this is "very little" pressure. To deer this time of year, this is TOO MUCH pressure. Unless you have flawless access to and from your stand, it is very hard to hunt that many people on 50 acres. I've done it on 80 and trust me, it doesn't take long to burn out a piece of ground.

To answer your question about how often to check it, just let it go until the season is over. No camera has ever killed a deer and you are relying on that cam too much right now IMO. Quality seat time is all you need right now. You are being far too intrusive with the camera checking and it is most certainly effecting your hunting.

As also stated, deer change patterns. You have one stand on a small piece of ground. With the pressure outlined above, it doesn't take much of an adjustment by the deer to render you deer-less.

thanks everyone for all your info it really helps a lot! and I may have been unclear, no one this time of year is hunting by me, the other two people only hunt a couple days opening week and than the 2nd week in November here and that's it. and I know it is a lot of people on such little property but its all I got right now that is close. Also I will check my camera way less frequent now. But as stated above a only take one deer a year because my family doesn't eat it that much and I already got one for the year. And the multiple home statement does make sense, but yes its a cut corn field with pines about 300 yards of the field and pond with no hunters in that area which I am trying to get access too so I can move away from my pressured area into a area of no pressure

bowhunter1023 · Jan 27, 2014

Those deer are in those pines.

Buck are all gone???

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