Are you sure it was you who spooked them? Had you hunted that spot recently before, and perhaps they were there sniffing your trail and knew it was a human path?
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- Thread starter BSK
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Are you sure it was you who spooked them? Had you hunted that spot recently before, and perhaps they were there sniffing your trail and knew it was a human path?
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
Yeah it was me and no one had been there in several weeks.
I'll typically stop and listen. If they didn't initially run out of the county, most of the time they will run a little ways and stop/listen. Whenever I start taking a few steps, I'll hear them take off again.
But like I said, just as many times that they've spooked, I've had them come in to me. They sure are curious creatures. I just want to figure out their algorithm on decision making to flee or investigate
Strange. I wonder if something else had them on edge before you arrived? Weird that they'd run at the sound of crunching leaves.
And yes, you and me both would like to understand what drives their decisions. But I guess the random unpredictability is what makes them so intriguing. Would be boring if they were easy.
How do you know? lol. Please post the pics/video...literally laughed so hard the dog came up to the office to see what was going on.
I spend half a day blowing leaves off trails leading to every one of my eight stands. Usually the first week of ML. Makes getting into stands quietly before daylight a piece of cake. You would be amazed at how well you can hear a deer at night, when winds are calm, and you are making no noise at all. And the deer don't seem to mind the noise and exhaust of the leaf blower, as I've killed nice bucks out of these stands just a couple of days after blowing the leaves. And a bonus is when turkey season rolls around, these same trails are used to ease into prime roosting areas before daylight.
BSK
Well-Known Member
That Camera Card was left in Texas...otherwise that picture would be up. He was a solid 140s class deer, I had chased him all season... and I was seriously out like a light snoring in the box stand, 80 yards from him...
BSK
Well-Known Member
I definitely believe they pattern hunters. I've hunted mornings, and evenings not seeing a thing. Then, when I'm at the cabin at noon for lunch, will see deer several hundred yards away
Outdoor Enthusiast
Well-Known Member
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Well, will bet you a dollar against a donut this buck doesn't live past 3 1/2Waiting for TheLBLman to start in on high grading.
For most of TN, would be amazing this 2 1/2 has survived to mid-December.
Definitely the type buck you dream of surviving to 5 1/2.
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Curious for your thoughts on something.
I've noticed areas tend to have "trends" when it comes to antler structure.
Here at my home place, we have a history in this area of big 6 points. Do see a share of 8 points, but rarely see a main frame 10.
Is this just a genetic blip? Historical high grading? Food quality?
BSK
Well-Known Member
I think it is localized genetics coming from the local doe social groups. Doe genetics do not spread across the landscape as fast as buck genetics do (because does do not disperse as frequently or as far from their birth range as bucks do). I often see a couple of common basic-frame shapes show up on a given property year after year after year. And those "common basic frame shapes" can be VERY different from location to location.
BSK
Well-Known Member
I never discount the role of localized genetics in antler development. However, in most instances where I see a high percentage of mature bucks with 6 or fewer points, the problem is high-grading of the middle-aged buck population. I have a club client that for many years had a 2 1/2 year-old buck harvest rule. This meant the very best 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year-old were shot ever year. The bottom end middle-aged bucks were not killed. What this produced was a lot of mature bucks with 6 or fewer points. In fact, the first photo census I ran for them found 25% of all their mature bucks had 6 or fewer points, and only 19% had 9 or more points. Looking at data from nearby clients, I found most well-managed properties in the region with similar habitat had 35-50% mature bucks with 9 or more points. So it wasn't the habitat. We began a program where I produced a photo list of middle-aged bucks to protect. They were the top-end middle-aged bucks, basically 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year-old bucks with 9 or more points. The club made copies of these trail-cam photos and hung them in every shooting house - basically an ABSOLUTELY DO NOT SHOOT list. In just two years were decreased the percentage of mature bucks with 6 or fewer points from 25% to 0%. And now, 5 years into the program, 44% of mature bucks have 9 or more points, and even 27% of 3 1/2 year-old bucks have 9 or more points (it had been 5% at the beginning of the program).
"Satan"You gotta shoot Satan for cryin out loud. That dudes got some rough miles on him.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I believe this phenomena is exactly what is happening in most areas hunted statewide.
The best yearling bucks, the best 2 1/2s, and the best 3 1/2s simply get killed at a much higher rate than their peers having average to below average antlers.
In "managed" areas, it just happens more with the 2 1/2's & 3 1/2's.
In less "managed" areas, it just happens more with 1 1/2's & 2 1/2's.
But in both areas, surviving results are similar by 4 1/2 & older, in that it's mainly just the below average antlered bucks surviving to maturity EVERYWHERE bucks are hunted any amount at all.
On QDM areas, 1 1/2-yr-old (yearling) bucks are highly protected, but then highly shot as top-end 2 1/2's or 3 1/2's. In "un-managed" hunting areas, those 6 to 8-point top-antlered yearling bucks get slaughtered, but surprisingly, the number of above averaged mature bucks may end up similar, sometimes even greater in the "un-managed" areas. Go figure that one.
About the only practical way to reduce hunters' antler high-grading is simply to have less buck hunting, and/or less buck hunting with more highly effective weapons. But we like to hunt, and we prefer hunting when the taking of a buck is an option.
Every option has its trade-offs.
Be careful for what you wish.
That green grass in KY may turn brown if you plant it in TN.
