Lockdown?

[BSK]

I've often wondered if the perception of "lockdown" is effected by how people hunt. Here's what I mean - if folks are hunting a buck's primary habitat because they see scrapes, rubs, etc during the heart of the November, that's a mistake in my opinion. Older bucks are with a doe and are more than likely out of their normal range. They do move less, I believe, but does will feed and move - bucks following along with them. The key is finding "hot" does. That is not always easy. I always hunt terrain during the rut, instead of sign. I look for locations that have 3, 4 or more things going for them as far as deer traveling - funnels, saddles, ridges heading up together, different types of habitat coming together, etc. I want to know that does have used the general areas, feed sign is great, but I'm not just setting up solely because there is an oak tree deer have fed under - I want lots of things to make that area favorable, thus increasing my odds. Rubs and scrapes don't really mean a thing to me during this time of the season - if they are there, that's great - but if not, makes no difference. It's hard to trust terrain over sign, but to me - during the "lockdown" period, I think it's imperative to success. Another key is - hunt as long as you possibly can. They move all day long. I have killed many mature bucks after 10 am during this time. But, I have killed several before 10 am as well. Mature bucks are not moving as far, nor as fast as they do when they are seeking - but they move. And, lockdown can happen anytime a buck is tending a doe who is in heat or is coming in heat. That's just my two cents worth. I could be wrong about all of it, but that has been how I have hunted for a long time.

And that's why I mentioned older buck sightings decline dramatically at our "movement pattern" stands. We have to set up our stands early in the year, so they are all positioned for general buck movement, not necessarily estrus doe locations. I very much suspect you are right that, in our case, part of the problem of "lockdown" is where we are hunting.

 

[hunter drew]

I've seen it first hand in Kansas. The mature bucks can't even get pics of. I think they have the does in the thickets and they pretty much keep them in there

 

[Dumbluck]

And that's why I mentioned older buck sightings decline dramatically at our "movement pattern" stands. We have to set up our stands early in the year, so they are all positioned for general buck movement, not necessarily estrus doe locations. I very much suspect you are right that, in our case, part of the problem of "lockdown" is where we are hunting.

It might be related to how you get to your stand more than the actual location of the stand. All the really mature bucks I have been able to actually witness in lockdown stay in an area the size of a house typically. I've watched deer in about a 5000 Sq ft area for an entire day before where they lay around breed, stretch, browse a little. If those deer are already positioned at the stand location and you try to get in there during dark hours you'll probably never know because it will push them out. I'm a firm believer in hunting my way in this time of year.

Several of the bucks I've killed in this phase, I'm almost positive I would have never killed them if they hadn't of been in lock down and if I hadn't of pursued them on the ground.

This deer I had watched and passed up for several seasons so I knew him well. I had cellular camera set up in his core area on a scrape line which was extremely thick cover.. I bow hunted a travel corridor that lead to his core area that morning until about 10:30. No one was seeing a thing on that farm that day. I decided to get down grab my muzzleloader and work my way into his core area to retrieve the camera because it had gone void of movement for the last 3 days. He had been on a regular pattern of running those scrapes and I felt like he was with a doe. My plan was to move the camera to a better transition area that could be hunted easier with low impact. I still hunted my way in and while taking the camera off the tree I watched a good 2.5 year old buck trailing another deer. He was moving extremely slow and methodical and the wind was perfect for me so I followed him for about 300 yards. He ended up bumping into another buck that was laying in a down tree, but neither of the bucks would go on the other side of the tree. I tucked in behind a tree about 50-60 yards away from them and watched them for 3 hours before the big buck got up and came around the tree to push them out. He was laid up with a doe in that thicket.

I have 2 other mounts much bigger rack wise that were deer that I do not think I would have ever killed if they hadn't of found them locked down. They were extremely elusive and we had an extremely hard time even getting photos of them.

 

[Bone Collector]

Lockdown can be magical for an experienced still hunter. I have had my best success at these times. The deer generally mill around in very tiny areas all day. I find them easier to still hunt and they not as aware as normal.

I've had agricultural land and timber land to hunt at the same time, I have experienced the lock down experience on both. I think the agricultural land hunters don't see it as much because the deer typically lock themselves down in small patches of thick cover surrounded by fields, fence lines, and even open fields but typically get up to feed or stretch in the open where the hunters actually see them. Where as the timber deer find thick patches in the timber, CPR fields, ect..to lockdown in which makes them less visible.

As for this year, I can't give much information because I've only been in the woods twice all year but from what I have seen driving around the deer in my area definitely started rutting earlier than usual.

The lockdown time of the year for me has been amazing. I typically hunt a stand in the morning and will get down if the ground is damp or wet and still hunt pockets I believe may be holding holed up breeding deer the rest of the day until dark. I have killed some absolute giant deer doing this.

Good luck everyone!

I would love to do this, but on 32 acres either they are there or they aren't. I know where they are, but it is not my property....

 

[BSK]

Cool stuff Dumbluck!

 

[fairchaser]

Hunting in the open corn and soybean belt of Iowa gave me some insight into this period. You would see a buck locked down with a doe in the same spot for several days. The only time he moved is when she moved. It was usually in some little patch of cover away from other deer and unapproachable from hunters without getting busted. Think about a groom on his honeymoon with his new bride. They aren't going far from the bedroom except to eat.

 

[Dumbluck]

Hunting in the open corn and soybean belt of Iowa gave me some insight into this period. You would see a buck locked down with a doe in the same spot for several days. The only time he moved is when she moved. It was usually in some little patch of cover away from other deer and unapproachable from hunters without getting busted. Think about a groom on his honeymoon with his new bride. They aren't going far from the bedroom except to eat.

Same thing I have observed in the agricultural farms I have hunted. Now imagine how invisible they are in big blocks of timber.

 

[huvrman]

I could be way off but I notice a huge drop in deer sightings in general once the leaves start raining off the trees about a two week window. Sightings have been horrible the last week and a half. Camera movement shows 8 pm to 12 am they've been pretty active.

+1 on that observation. Like clockwork every year.

 

[DeerCamp]

I always heard that peak breeding was around 11/20 for our area of West TN (TWRA data) and that Thanksgiving was the best hunting according to people I knew.

Well, Thanksgiving is always rough for us. We see far fewer deer and even fewer bucks.

We didn't really hunt hard during early December, as I figured the rut was over. Then I started running cameras.

What I learned is that the deer are IN FACT locked down during Thanksgiving - broad movement comes to a standstill. The only deer we see (usually) are yearling bucks frantically running around. I'm sure the mature bucks are still pretty active, but they aren't travelling far distances looking for does.

And then Dec 1-5 is the absolute best time to be in the woods here. Even after seeing it on cams, it was strange to think about the best hunting being in December. But it is.

Wife takes that week off every year. She is going to see fewer deer than early and mid November, but when she does see deer, its almost always a buck, or a buck isn't far behind. And the chances that its a buck we've never seen are pretty high. The chances that it's a shooter are higher than any other time of the year.

 

[hillbillyfab]

Driving home this evening I noticed we had a full moon. You think that plays a role somehow? Seems like I see more night time feeding by the moonlight.

 

[megalomaniac]

Driving home this evening I noticed we had a full moon. You think that plays a role somehow? Seems like I see more night time feeding by the moonlight.

Moon phase does not influence deer breeding.

 

[megalomaniac]

For me, 'lockdown' is all about getting lucky which doe a mature buck is locked down with.

What I mean by that... if he's locked down with a mature doe, she knows the routine, heads to cover, and the two of them spend 24 hours of bliss without stepping out into the open for me to shoot him.

If he is locked down with a 1.5yo doe, she is going to get him killed every time. Poor girl doesn't know the routine, goes crazy with her first hormone surge, runs out into wide open fields in the middle of the day, beds down in wide open fields in the middle of the day, and despite his best efforts, he can't control/ herd her to cover. He isn't going to leave her, no matter what. And he gets killed.

That's my experience on farms with about 65% open fields and 35% cover.

 

[BSK]

For me, 'lockdown' is all about getting lucky which doe a mature buck is locked down with.

What I mean by that... if he's locked down with a mature doe, she knows the routine, heads to cover, and the two of them spend 24 hours of bliss without stepping out into the open for me to shoot him.

If he is locked down with a 1.5yo doe, she is going to get him killed every time. Poor girl doesn't know the routine, goes crazy with her first hormone surge, runs out into wide open fields in the middle of the day, beds down in wide open fields in the middle of the day, and despite his best efforts, he can't control/ herd her to cover. He isn't going to leave her, no matter what. And he gets killed.

That's my experience on farms with about 65% open fields and 35% cover.

I never thought of the experience level of the doe. Good observation.

 

[Ski]

For me, 'lockdown' is all about getting lucky which doe a mature buck is locked down with.

What I mean by that... if he's locked down with a mature doe, she knows the routine, heads to cover, and the two of them spend 24 hours of bliss without stepping out into the open for me to shoot him.

If he is locked down with a 1.5yo doe, she is going to get him killed every time. Poor girl doesn't know the routine, goes crazy with her first hormone surge, runs out into wide open fields in the middle of the day, beds down in wide open fields in the middle of the day, and despite his best efforts, he can't control/ herd her to cover. He isn't going to leave her, no matter what. And he gets killed.

That's my experience on farms with about 65% open fields and 35% cover.

That right there might just be the best explanation I've ever heard. When I see bucks tending older does, it's in super thick stuff. When he's with a young doe, she drags him all over the place and he's always trying to herd her. I saw one like that tonight and really wanted to shoot but it was already too dark to see my crosshairs. I saw her first and thought it odd that she was alone because this field is usually full of does right before dark. I figured it must be a button who got chased away while momma was getting worked. Then I saw the big guy trying to reign her in and I immediately recognized that they were in "lockdown". Now when reading your explanation it makes sense why she drug him out there like that. She's probably a first timer.

 

[bruiser1980]

I never thought of the experience level of the doe. Good observation.

Lot's of good discussion on the topic of lockdown. I had never considered the experience level of the doe, but it makes perfect sense.

The field vs timber comparison is also valid. I hunt 100% timber and swampland in Weakley Co. During "lockdown", I see very little deer movement with practically no sightings anywhere other than the edges of the thickest timber or roughest swamp area. On the other hand, friends of mine who hunt fields and more open terrain never even seem to know that there is a "lockdown" going on....even hunting just a short distance away from me.

 

[Dumbluck]

Speaking of lockdown..... I just saw two different breeding pairs locked down on the way to look at some houses for work. One was in North Williamson County in a big open river bottom, the doe was just standing out in the field, the buck (a shooter) was standing back at the edge of some CPR watching her. Then another pair in Brentwood on a powerline. I know how I'll be hunting this weekend with this rain.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I've been following this thread since it started yesterday morning and find it extremely interesting....even fascinating to read everyone's experience with the period we call "lock down"....I think back to different bucks I've killed over the years and certain things make sense now after reading this thread....for example....mature 8pt... big body following a very young doe into a small food plot in the daylight hours....this food plot, by design, is next too a nasty thicket....she came too feed and he followed....she took two steps....he took two steps....he was "on a string" as they say.....I've always called this phase the "Tending" phase.....this buck is servicing or tending this doe...she's ready or about to be ready....but zero doubt if she stayed in the nasty thicket....I'd never seen him.... because they were locked down breeding or were about to be.... interesting stuff.

 

[DeerCamp]

My observations have been:

Early lockdown - yearlings running everywhere, occasional lone fawns but it seems like they are freaked out from being left alone. No other deer you are more likely to see than a spike or forky at this point.

Actual lockdown - (peak of the peak) - seeing lone fawns, but not many bucks travelling - even young. If you do see a doe - she's likely got a buck with here - but it's just as likely to be a yearling as a mature buck. In my experience, the younger bucks are still restless, and don't seem to stay "locked down" for as long. I've taken videos of a yearling breeding this doe in the middle of a grown up field so often she was getting frustrated. Like "give me a sec buddy". He only stayed with her for about 4 hours and was gone (may have been with her longer, but not much as he came from a different direction to find her).

After lockdown - Mature bucks searching day and night for the last does to breed. Bred does are wary of younger bucks who still pester them. lone fawns starting to pair back up with momma, but the groups are still every broken up. We see less deer in this phase than before the rut, but when you do see a deer, good chance you need to be ready.

 

[RoyalPrudent]

For me, 'lockdown' is all about getting lucky which doe a mature buck is locked down with.

What I mean by that... if he's locked down with a mature doe, she knows the routine, heads to cover, and the two of them spend 24 hours of bliss without stepping out into the open for me to shoot him.

If he is locked down with a 1.5yo doe, she is going to get him killed every time. Poor girl doesn't know the routine, goes crazy with her first hormone surge, runs out into wide open fields in the middle of the day, beds down in wide open fields in the middle of the day, and despite his best efforts, he can't control/ herd her to cover. He isn't going to leave her, no matter what. And he gets killed.

That's my experience on farms with about 65% open fields and 35% cover.

is there a life-lesson in here?

 

[philsanchez76]

Having ran trail cameras on the same piece of property for 9 years the peak daylight sighting/picture periods for 3.5+ yo bucks is Oct 31st +/-2 days and Dec 2-10 on this property. I have this graphed out and the peaks are easy to see as it is a dramatic jump. Not sure why the first peak at the end of Oct but I feel that the second peak is due to most does being breed with the mature bucks being on their feet and moving trying to connect with what might be their last chance for the year. As a result of this I take the first full week in Dec for vacation every year and have taken a 3.5+ yo buck for the last 4 years from the same tree and within 3 calendar days of each other. One side note, this stand seldom gets hunted before that week and if it does it has to be perfect conditions, I will sit at home before I will hunt it when I know it isn't the right conditions.

I've definitely also seen this at least the last 3 years running with the largest/oldest bucks being the least cautious that first weak of December. I also think this could be due to the fact that where I hunt the majority of the pressure from thanksgiving gun is now virtually non existent.