Bachelor groups, where are they?

Gern186 · Jul 9, 2012

For the last 20 years or so I could guarantee a sighting of several different bachelor groups during the first and 2nd week of July. With that being said I haven't seen any groups of bucks yet. Normally by now they are highly visible. I am guessing that with the current state of the drought we are in they have left the open country and are concentrated around the major water sources. I have been looking around the major waterways and still haven't seen anything, so I am somewhat concerned.

What are your thoughts about the bachelor groups of bucks at this year? Have any of you guys been seeing them?

DJK Frank 16 · Jul 9, 2012

I seen one group of 5 bucks, but it has been about a month ago. Other than that I haven't seen any bucks together. I haven't been out and about looking around much though, just my daylight commute to work and evening ride home.

Gern186 · Jul 9, 2012

I did manage to see 2 of them in the middle of the creek the other day while putting out a camera.

Jackalope · Jul 9, 2012

Gern186 said:
For the last 20 years or so I could guarantee a sighting of several different bachelor groups during the first and 2nd week of July. With that being said I haven't seen any groups of bucks yet. Normally by now they are highly visible. I am guessing that with the current state of the drought we are in they have left the open country and are concentrated around the major water sources. I have been looking around the major waterways and still haven't seen anything, so I am somewhat concerned.

What are your thoughts about the bachelor groups of bucks at this year? Have any of you guys been seeing them?

Maybe they're off eating magic acorns and watching squirrels get run over.

lol.. I can tell you one thing though.. If I was a deer I wouldn't be hanging around any water source for any period of time.. Get close to water and the deer flies are so bad they'll carry you off..

jagermeister · Jul 9, 2012

I've been noticing the same thing lately, Gern. I haven't been seeing bachelor groups anywhere around these parts. Just checked my cams yesterday, too... and only got one or two bucks on them in the past few weeks, and they were all ALONE. Not sure what's going on. I think between the drought and the relatively scattered bean fields this season, they must be hanging out in pockets... seemingly away from all roadside views. Another idea is that since it's been so hot, they're just waiting until after dark to come out.

Redhunter1012 · Jul 9, 2012

Gern, I've just atrted ramping up my evening road scouting. In the last week or so I have been seeing alot more groups. Friday night I seen a group of 6, two groups of 5, and numerous trio's and duo's of bucks. Last night I seen that same group of 6 and a few trio's. Darn near all of them have a good water source nearby but were in beans or cut wheat eating. We did put out a camera mid day Saturday where we been seeing a 140" 9 point and last night he was out right in front so I'm anxious to get out there in another week to get it

Gern186 · Jul 9, 2012

That's good news Red. I have to believe they are just laying low right now due to the high temps.....I hope. I wonder how many deer were killed by falling trees last Friday also?

Curran · Jul 9, 2012

I'm hoping that the weather has 'em layin low or near water. I road scouted a few nights last week and I saw mainly does, along with yearling bucks. On July 3rd I sat out in a fence row to photograph & scout, and remember looking at my phone to see temps still being in the 90's at dusk. My guess is that it's just been too dang hot for most of the bucks to get up and hit the bean fields until well past sun down.

Milo · Jul 9, 2012

more importantly is where in the world are all the fawns...i have seen a grand total on 1 so far this year..

Curran · Jul 9, 2012

Milo said:
more importantly is where in the world are all the fawns...i have seen a grand total on 1 so far this year..

I have not yet seen a single fawn when out road scouting the past few weeks.

jagermeister · Jul 9, 2012

Milo said:
more importantly is where in the world are all the fawns...i have seen a grand total on 1 so far this year..

I've seen quite a few so far. Yesterday while walking in to check cams, I actually jumped two of them out of their beds. They were about 100 yds apart, bedded down out in cattails and reed canary grass. I was really surprised to see them because this property is fuggin loaded with coyotes.

Rutin · Jul 9, 2012

I didnt get a single fawn on camera this year (extremely rare) and have yet to see a bachelor group in any of my bean fields. I just hung 2 cameras over bean fields with some mineral to supplement in hopes of maybe they are moving at night and im not seeing them. Def not getting the quality or quanity of deer that I normally do so im right there with you, little concerned.

buckstar25 · Jul 9, 2012

Same here, counted 28 does and fawns in greenfield. Not one buck in the bunch, all we have been getting are does and fawns on cams.

Notthing special about the pic but this is the 28 skinheads... I rike pictures!!!

Curran · Jul 9, 2012

buckstar25 said:
I rike pictures!!!

That made me LOL... :smiley_crocodile:

Some I snapped last week from a fence row...

Gern186 · Jul 10, 2012

Milo,

I have been seeing some does and fawns, just not many bucks.

hickslawns · Jul 10, 2012

I have one bachelor group running. Sometimes it is tough to tell from trail cameras due to the delay, but it is possibly 2 bachelor groups. Seems the younger bucks are getting shuffled around between the groups or maybe it is just the same group and I am only getting part of it on film. I dunno.

Fawns? Not too many. Does? Not too many. My one property generally loaded with does I have not been on. Only one camera set up and I haven't checked it since early spring. I don't know what is going on over there other than what I witness from the road or we have seen from the tractors while planting.

finelyshedded · Jul 10, 2012

I still rarely see ANY deer to and from work. I've prolly only seen a buck during my travels over the past 6 years about a dozen times and of those 12, three of them have been in the last two to three years. I drive through 10 miles of country filled with AG each way and on my way home it's been between the hours of 2:30-3:00 am. I seen more red fox,feral cats and coon than anything else.

Didn't mean to get off track Chad. I haven't seen a bachelor group of bucks since turkey season.

Redhunter1012 · Jul 10, 2012

Gern186 said:
That's good news Red. I have to believe they are just laying low right now due to the high temps.....I hope. I wonder how many deer were killed by falling trees last Friday also?

You know, my buddies and I were debating that over beer the other night. I honestly haven't seen alot of fawns with the does out in the fields. I know the coyotes are a bit more populated in my are a this year due to the lack of snow for the locals to track them in last winter. It's almost as if there aren't as many deer around, but the bag limit hasn't changed:smiley_chinrub:

finelyshedded · Jul 10, 2012

Speaking of the lack of fawn sightings, one observation I've noticed over the past 5 years or so is the does seem to have figured out that if they keep their little ones closer to human dwellings the yotes tend to stay away from them. The other day my wife,daughter and I watched a fawn nurse in the woods behind our house from our hotub. The woods is about 5 acres big but surrounded by houses about 100 yards apart. Maybe the does most of you are seeing are just eating solo to get nourishment for their milk to take back to their offspring which is among us humans. Just a thought.

LonewolfNopack · Jul 10, 2012

I saw one doe yesterday evening by itself, but before that I haven't saw the first deer (meaning zero, not one or two) in Miami county for over a month now, and that's with driving over 1,000 miles a month for work, not counting all the driving I do on my personal time. And I was just reminded by the county wildlife officer last night, that Miami county was just moved from zone A to zone B for this year. One deer sighting in a month must be too many for Tonk to be comfortable with. All I can say is that I am glad that there are plenty of squirrels around. On my weekend trip to highland county, I saw one doe with two fawns, and my mom saw three does that had a total of zero fawns. Not to say that didn't have them stashed somewhere, but makes me wonder with all the coyotes in the area now. My trail cam which was out for a month showed me one doe with a fawn, two does without fawns, and 4 bucks. Also saw a big buck on the move around 6:30pm on Sunday evening, right before the front came through.

Bachelor groups, where are they?

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