BSK
Well-Known Member
Years ago, we stopped bow-hunting our hunting property. We did so because 1) we were not very successful at killing older bucks with a bow, and 2) we were educating the deer too much early in the season, and bucks were learning to avoid us before the best season to kill bucks opened (MZ season). We decided to wait until MZ opener to hit the woods. This greatly increased our success rate, but as more and more family members wanted to hunt, and we were really loading the woods with hunters the opening week of MZ, it became very apparent bucks were picking up on this sudden surge of pressure and were shifting their patterns very quickly. I used to joke that I wouldn't need to know what day opening of MZ season was to pick it up on trail-camera. Within 48 hours of MZ season opening, older bucks would either switch to nocturnal movement or simply leave the property (we were placing much more pressure on our place than our neighbors were).
However, once we converted a significant portion of our property to thick cover, everything changed. We had some cover on the property (two TVA powerline ROWs across the property) and we had periodically cut patches of timber, but we never had a point where more than 10% of the total property was in thick cover. Then in 2019 and 2020 we cut a big portion of the property's timber. In combination with the powerline ROWs, we had about 30% of the property in early-stage regrowth and thick cover. Since then, bucks are no longer reacting as much to our hunting pressure. And they certainly aren't leaving the property.
Below is a graph of older buck (2 1/2+ year-olds) activity on trail cam for the pre-cover years (2011-18) and post-cover years (2019 to present). Notice how in the pre-cover years older buck activity dropped off super-fast following the opener of MZ. However, the activity stays pretty high following the opener in post-cover years. Apparently, just having lots of local cover to hide in gives bucks the confidence to tolerate more hunting pressure.
When it comes to small property habitat management, I've always said "Cover is KING!" After seeing this data, I now feel even stronger about that, especially if the property is going to experience significant hunting pressure.
However, once we converted a significant portion of our property to thick cover, everything changed. We had some cover on the property (two TVA powerline ROWs across the property) and we had periodically cut patches of timber, but we never had a point where more than 10% of the total property was in thick cover. Then in 2019 and 2020 we cut a big portion of the property's timber. In combination with the powerline ROWs, we had about 30% of the property in early-stage regrowth and thick cover. Since then, bucks are no longer reacting as much to our hunting pressure. And they certainly aren't leaving the property.
Below is a graph of older buck (2 1/2+ year-olds) activity on trail cam for the pre-cover years (2011-18) and post-cover years (2019 to present). Notice how in the pre-cover years older buck activity dropped off super-fast following the opener of MZ. However, the activity stays pretty high following the opener in post-cover years. Apparently, just having lots of local cover to hide in gives bucks the confidence to tolerate more hunting pressure.
When it comes to small property habitat management, I've always said "Cover is KING!" After seeing this data, I now feel even stronger about that, especially if the property is going to experience significant hunting pressure.
…pun intended