Bucks moving!

[FredRog72]

I-24 between Nashville and the Kentucky line is littered with freshish venison. That's how I can tell when pre-rut fires up! LOL

 

[Andy S.]

Still slooooooow here in "tropical" SW TN. In all fairness, we typically run 2 weeks behind middle TN, especially northern middle TN. Average daytime high temps 10-12° above normal overe the last week isn't helping matters any. We finally got 1/2" -1" rain yesterday with some milder temps this morning (55°). I hope the scraping activity will get going soon and more mature bucks will start making their rounds.

 

[Andy S.]

I-24 between Nashville and the Kentucky line is littered with freshish venison. That's how I can tell when pre-rut fires up! LOL

Great "localized" observation, and expected, with about perfect timing based on historical data. Good luck!

 

[BSK]

Below is a graph of the number of older buck (2 1/2+ year-olds) events I've gotten on trail-cam per day on my place since the beginning of October. Notice the big surge in events in the last week. However, because of the warm temps, the vast majority of that activity is at night (red line is the total events, black line are the events during legal daylight). During that cold snap we had in mid-October, a high percentage of the events were during daylight.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Still dead on my cams.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

Still slooooooow here in "tropical" SW TN. In all fairness, we typically run 2 weeks behind middle TN, especially northern middle TN. Average daytime high temps 10-12° above normal overe the last week isn't helping matters any. We finally got 1/2" -1" rain yesterday with some milder temps this morning (55°). I hope the scraping activity will get going soon and more mature bucks will start making their rounds.

Same here a couple counties east of you. I will say though I've seen an uptick in young buck movement the last few days so I'm hoping some older deer will follow their lead soon.

 

[knightrider]

Cams been dead here in the east for last 12 days basically besides a few does

 

[BSK]

One thing I've noticed that I don't really understand is the sudden increase in bucks feeding in food plots at night. Prior, I was only getting them passing through the plots. Now I'm getting them chowing down for hours. What gives? Maybe what few acorns existed have run out?

 

[jc0313]

One thing I've noticed that I don't really understand is the sudden increase in bucks feeding in food plots at night. Prior, I was only getting them passing through the plots. Now I'm getting them chowing down for hours. What gives? Maybe what few acorns existed have run out?

I wonder if it has anything to do with the warmer than average temps and their winter coats. A higher density food source (acorns) might make them run 'hot' if you will vs. greens.

 

[BSK]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the warmer than average temps and their winter coats. A higher density food source (acorns) might make them run 'hot' if you will vs. greens.

Interesting idea.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

One thing I've noticed that I don't really understand is the sudden increase in bucks feeding in food plots at night. Prior, I was only getting them passing through the plots. Now I'm getting them chowing down for hours. What gives? Maybe what few acorns existed have run out?

I have seen that too. I think it's due to the shortage of acorns.

We have primarily Chinkapin oaks around here and there are NO acorns on them this year. None. Zero.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Rain going to keep em down most of tonight. I am thinking tomorrow is going to be a good one.

Welp didn't see a deer this morning. I am sure it will be on fire this morning since I can't go...

 

[UTGrad]

I will be in the woods as much as I can for the rest of deer season.

 

[gobblesandgrunts]

My cams been dead, other than few groups of does hitting same areas last couple of days. Haven't seen a mature but yet. I did have a 6 making a scrape at a stand 2 nights ago but other than that no bucks. Usually the 28th of October I have quite a few good ones around but so far this year I have seen nothing. Beginning to get worried

 

[WTNBowHunter]

Really slow at my place. Maybe ehd dieoff dunno, but we are just not getting any good bucks on our cameras this year at all.

Same for me. We've got plenty of water on our place so I'm not thinking EHD. Unsure what the reason(s) are but I'm guessing lack of acorns. The deer haven't left but the five times I've sat in a tree this year, I've not seen many acorns on the ground at all.

 

[BSK]

Look to the patterns that developed during the 2022 season (drought, poor acorn crop). Movement should be similar.

 

[Outdoor Enthusiast]

Look to the patterns that developed during the 2022 season (drought, poor acorn crop). Movement should be similar.

I photo captured a mature buck trailing two does last night. First time it wasn't a young buck.

I am waiting to see some mature buck activity in daylight. Should be any day.

 

[BigDave12]

Really slow at my place. Maybe ehd dieoff dunno, but we are just not getting any good bucks on our cameras this year at all.

Absolutely the same thing at my place. I have seen the same 6 little bucks since Sept and nothing big has shown up at all this season so far.

 

[Veracity35]

I have seen that too. I think it's due to the shortage of acorns.

We have primarily Chinkapin oaks around here and there are NO acorns on them this year. None. Zero.

That's best acorns by far if man can find some there eating I'd hunt them over white oaks all day long , bad part is a lot of people think there white oaks but they aren't and in truth from reading there not even in same category either

 

[Bgoodman30]

One thing I've noticed that I don't really understand is the sudden increase in bucks feeding in food plots at night. Prior, I was only getting them passing through the plots. Now I'm getting them chowing down for hours. What gives? Maybe what few acorns existed have run out?

That's what I'm thinking