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Bucks already forming bachelor groups?

BigCityBubba

BigCityBubba

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Took a walk on my property yesterday afternoon and of course saw the largest buck all year. I also saw a group of 7 bucks in the neighbors field. A couple nice ones in the group. Looked like a couple already had lost an antler. I didn't think it started this early. I wish I had a decent camera. All I could get was a crappy cell phone picture.

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Weird year. No defined 2nd rut. Bucks were back in bachelor groups and done with ladies completely by Dec 18 this year on my places. They did spar quite a bit at first, but have quit doing that past 10 days.
 
megalomaniac said:
Weird year. No defined 2nd rut. Bucks were back in bachelor groups and done with ladies completely by Dec 18 this year on my places. They did spar quite a bit at first, but have quit doing that past 10 days.
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They're still coming to check out does at mineral sites and cruising by scrapes to hit licking branches here. Nothing like a full throttle rut but they've not given up yet. Last couple days i saw groups of 5-6 bucks together but nothing older than 2.5yrs.
 
Ski said:
Yep the boys are back together. Been that way for a couple weeks here with younger bucks forming up. Older bucks will likely stay stag until antler drop in my experience.
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This group had a couple of really nice ones that were 8 pts or better. The front one thats a total blurr was a very nice 10 pt. A couple of the smaller ones had already dropped an antler. Just seemed early.
 
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Yarding up to feed is common this time of year. Best buck we had around this year was in a plot last weekend with three button bucks and three spikes. I am positive those young deer don't run together with the older buck though, they all just knew where food was and by coincidence happened to get to the plot the same day within a few minutes.

Deer are hungry and food may be limited, especially with the snow and freezing conditions.
 
backyardtndeer said:
Yarding up to feed is common this time of year. Best buck we had around this year was in a plot last weekend with three button bucks and three spikes. I am positive those young deer don't run together with the older buck though, they all just knew where food was and by coincidence happened to get to the plot the same day within a few minutes.

Deer are hungry and food may be limited, especially with the snow and freezing conditions.
Click to expand...

A weakened or in many cases completely failed acorn crop left deer without as much stored calories to see them through the winter. The same drought that caused acorn failure also affected normal woody browse & green forbs. Tough year for deer. I think it's just a matter of survival superseding sex.
 
Ski said:
They're still coming to check out does at mineral sites and cruising by scrapes to hit licking branches here. Nothing like a full throttle rut but they've not given up yet. Last couple days i saw groups of 5-6 bucks together but nothing older than 2.5yrs.
Click to expand...

I have pics of two different bucks coming by a camera just after a doe had passed in the past few days.

This one was early this morning.

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I noticed this the last week or two of the season. The smaller bucks still sparred a little with each other, but for the most part were feeding and not chasing or pestering the does.
 
Seen another small group 3 bucks together...and a group of does nearby....all had head down feeding....the best buck in the group still had both sides.
 

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