Go Back   Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum > Main Category > Hunting Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-18-2018, 11:31 PM
BorealBucks BorealBucks is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 193
Default Where Do The Bucks Go?

So i have 16 trail camera's out in the bush year round in every type of topography in WMU 503, if i were to draw straight lines between cameras it would be around 25km but takes me about 100km of travel (drive, quad, walk) to check all them. All year long i get bear, cow elk, bull elk, cow moose, bull moose every other forest critter you can think of & of course white tail doe's & fawns. I get almost zero whitetail bucks on camera from March the mid October. Ill get a random small one here or there, like i mean around 10 bucks in a 6 month period. Then there is a possibility ill get 1 or 2 shooters on cam starting in September.

But from mid October to February i get soooo many bucks on camera & tons of shooters (Thats hows its played out the last couple years so hopefully it the same this year) I currently have 1-2 shooter bucks on cam that came out in Sept on one camera (deep bush) and maybe 10ish small guys over the last 6 months. But if things are the same as last year ill get 30-40 decent & big bucks starting now.

My questions is where do these bucks go & how can they stay out of site in velvet & most of the year not show up on 16 cams over such a vast area when every single other big game animal is on camera?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-19-2018, 06:39 AM
Beeman3 Beeman3 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 536
Default

I have had similar results as well. Usually start getting pics of decent bucks mid october. My theory is that the bucks just don't move much early in the year and stick to their home range. Mid October and some pre rut searching is why I think we get more pics. But with 16 cameras you have out my theory isn't very good. As I would think that out of 16 locations there would be a good buck or two in some of those spots. So the mystery continues. Guess that's why these bucks get big.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-19-2018, 11:34 AM
mindoutside mindoutside is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Calgary
Posts: 513
Default

I don't have any cams out but every time we go out, it is a similar situation.
We see all the does, moose, young bucks/spikers etc, but rarely a shooter White Tail buck...

I once chatted with a guy that was frequently more successful than I and in his experience he says that bucks basically travel in the most difficult, most hidden areas possible. He was thinking that any predator or hunter will make more noise for them to hear (like trip wire) in the thickest bushes.

Getting to those areas is a pain in the arse...
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-19-2018, 01:19 PM
oldgutpile oldgutpile is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Brooks
Posts: 2,242
Default Bucks in hiding

Not unusual for the bucks to remain out of circulation until rut time. Many of them are hiding in the crop land, and wont be seen until after harvest.
__________________
"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears!"
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-19-2018, 01:42 PM
whitetail Junkie's Avatar
whitetail Junkie whitetail Junkie is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: AB
Posts: 6,638
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mindoutside View Post
that bucks basically travel in the most difficult, most hidden areas possible.
That sounds about right
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-19-2018, 02:14 PM
barkim barkim is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Eastern Shore NS
Posts: 27
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by oldgutpile View Post
Not unusual for the bucks to remain out of circulation until rut time. Many of them are hiding in the crop land, and wont be seen until after harvest.
I agree with you
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-19-2018, 02:27 PM
Red Bullets's Avatar
Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,627
Default

It does sound about right. The dominant WT bucks are loners and will use the most obscure trails for most of the year. Their beds will in the tightest places. Not necessarily hard to get to... just in a place where the deer can see anything coming from any direction and the bed will have good escape routes. He will always approach his bed with the wind to his back so think accordingly.

I watched a big WT buck for a few weeks one year. Every day it would bed in a 10 foot by 15 foot strip of tall grass/reeds left in the middle of a plowed dirt field. The nearest bush was 300 yards away. There was no way to approach that buck.

I knew of a dominant buck's bed that was used for years. No matter how I approached that bed that buck could escape and be gone in a second. I think he died of old age. This bed was 20 feet in off a crop field with maybe 10 trees on a point overlooking a valley. Water was in the bottom of the valley 100 yards from his bed. If I approached from the valley he would take off across the field. If I approached from the field he would escape down the valley. Oddly, the valley was filled with forest but his major bed was in a scantly treed open area.

Same with another single lone bed I knew of. Every time and every direction I approached that bed I would see that buck's tail waving to me. The only way I got that buck was tricking him out of his bed with some doe in heat upwind of his bed.

In mixed woods know your territory and find the lone beds on points on ridges or near edges of a field and valley. In spruce or pine forests lone bucks will bed in among clusters of shorter new trees. Places often overlooked. When scouting take note of buck droppings. The loaves they leave are often not where there are does dropping pellets.

During rut big bucks beds will be downwind of his major scrape line.
__________________
___________________________________________
This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
___________________________________________
It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-19-2018, 05:47 PM
mtnhunter's Avatar
mtnhunter mtnhunter is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Calgary
Posts: 594
Default feeding areas

I too have been unsuccessful in trying to still hunt on bedded bucks. I'm thinking the best way to hunt them is to ambush the bucks between feeding and bedding areas. The question I have is what the best feed is for the deer right now in your experience? I have found some feeding recently on swathed wheat but can't seem to find any browsing elsewhere. Are they looking for the last fields of alfalfa or...?
__________________
--------------------
Vegetarian is a latin word meaning "poor hunter".
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-19-2018, 05:49 PM
bobalong bobalong is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,130
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
It does sound about right. The dominant WT bucks are loners and will use the most obscure trails for most of the year. Their beds will in the tightest places. Not necessarily hard to get to... just in a place where the deer can see anything coming from any direction and the bed will have good escape routes. He will always approach his bed with the wind to his back so think accordingly.

I watched a big WT buck for a few weeks one year. Every day it would bed in a 10 foot by 15 foot strip of tall grass/reeds left in the middle of a plowed dirt field. The nearest bush was 300 yards away. There was no way to approach that buck.

I knew of a dominant buck's bed that was used for years. No matter how I approached that bed that buck could escape and be gone in a second. I think he died of old age. This bed was 20 feet in off a crop field with maybe 10 trees on a point overlooking a valley. Water was in the bottom of the valley 100 yards from his bed. If I approached from the valley he would take off across the field. If I approached from the field he would escape down the valley. Oddly, the valley was filled with forest but his major bed was in a scantly treed open area.

Same with another single lone bed I knew of. Every time and every direction I approached that bed I would see that buck's tail waving to me. The only way I got that buck was tricking him out of his bed with some doe in heat upwind of his bed.

In mixed woods know your territory and find the lone beds on points on ridges or near edges of a field and valley. In spruce or pine forests lone bucks will bed in among clusters of shorter new trees. Places often overlooked. When scouting take note of buck droppings. The loaves they leave are often not where there are does dropping pellets.

During rut big bucks beds will be downwind of his major scrape line.
I agree that big bucks are very smart and trying to hunt one yourself is going to be very challenging. Once discovered (which is usually the hard part) two or three hunters can usually have him expose himself to a good shot.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-19-2018, 08:17 PM
Red Bullets's Avatar
Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,627
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnhunter View Post
I too have been unsuccessful in trying to still hunt on bedded bucks. I'm thinking the best way to hunt them is to ambush the bucks between feeding and bedding areas. The question I have is what the best feed is for the deer right now in your experience? I have found some feeding recently on swathed wheat but can't seem to find any browsing elsewhere. Are they looking for the last fields of alfalfa or...?
Farmland WT will still be on the fields. Hayland and cleaning up around crops like field peas. The deer will transition to browse after crops are off and when snows start piling up. Bush bucks, where there are no fields, will like to feed on south facing slopes where it stays green longer and then switch to browse earlier.
__________________
___________________________________________
This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
___________________________________________
It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-19-2018, 09:26 PM
Gifted Intuitive Gifted Intuitive is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 420
Default Deer Fields

There is a new agricultural practise that has totally changed deer habitat. I am referring to the large fields of corn that are not harvested by machines but are harvested by livestock. They are excellent deer habitat. They offer excellent feed and concealment. When deer access these fields they are usually undisturbed until Feb or March. This is usually the time when grazing is complete and calving season begins. A standing corn field of 100 acres or more will draw in deer from a 3-5 mile area. Many hunters have observed corn fields by airplane and are counting 50-60 deer per field.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-20-2018, 01:16 PM
Swamp hunter Swamp hunter is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 101
Default

Throw some bags of water conditioner salt out in spring and you will see lots of big velvet bucks all summer. Just dont hunt over any licks. Perfectly legal for taking pictures.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10-20-2018, 09:28 PM
mindoutside mindoutside is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Calgary
Posts: 513
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
It does sound about right. The dominant WT bucks are loners and will use the most obscure trails for most of the year. Their beds will in the tightest places. Not necessarily hard to get to... just in a place where the deer can see anything coming from any direction and the bed will have good escape routes. He will always approach his bed with the wind to his back so think accordingly.

I watched a big WT buck for a few weeks one year. Every day it would bed in a 10 foot by 15 foot strip of tall grass/reeds left in the middle of a plowed dirt field. The nearest bush was 300 yards away. There was no way to approach that buck.

I knew of a dominant buck's bed that was used for years. No matter how I approached that bed that buck could escape and be gone in a second. I think he died of old age. This bed was 20 feet in off a crop field with maybe 10 trees on a point overlooking a valley. Water was in the bottom of the valley 100 yards from his bed. If I approached from the valley he would take off across the field. If I approached from the field he would escape down the valley. Oddly, the valley was filled with forest but his major bed was in a scantly treed open area.

Same with another single lone bed I knew of. Every time and every direction I approached that bed I would see that buck's tail waving to me. The only way I got that buck was tricking him out of his bed with some doe in heat upwind of his bed.

In mixed woods know your territory and find the lone beds on points on ridges or near edges of a field and valley. In spruce or pine forests lone bucks will bed in among clusters of shorter new trees. Places often overlooked. When scouting take note of buck droppings. The loaves they leave are often not where there are does dropping pellets.

During rut big bucks beds will be downwind of his major scrape line.
That is interesting about the droppings. Thanks for the tip there!
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-01-2018, 03:46 AM
smartduoduo smartduoduo is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 21
Default

Its hard to find a good buck these years.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.