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Traditional "best days"

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BSK

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Mar 11, 1999
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84,223
Location
Nashville, TN
I'm still working on cataloging all my trail-camera data from past years. What I found interesting is how often particular dates are top-notch for older buck movement. I've got 12 years of trail-camera data entered, and I ran an analysis looking for dates each year that produced a lot of older buck pictures on trail-cam. Turns out there are definitely "hot" dates that show up year after year as particularly active for older bucks. Anyone else notice this?
 
Part of me wonders how much during this time period those big deer are daylighting but just staying on the fringes scent checking from a ways off. I buy into the "Magic Day" stuff i really do because i also have years of data to back up those claims. But my real question is, how much are we missing in that time period because that big buck walked behind the tree instead of in front of it....?

For me at my spots in Cumberland County November 14th or 15th is always really active. I used to have a farm in Union County and December 3rd and 4th was always dynamite. At the lease we have in Ohio, i am starting to think a man's best bet to crack a sure fire mature buck might be a late October cold front over a scrape. The deer density is so high and there are so many deer over 4.5 its really hard to pin it down.
 
I've not really looked for any particular days like that. However, on my Ohio place October 30th always seems to be big buck on cam day, if not bog buck kill day. That's the only day I can for sure I will not miss.
 
CrossVolle said:
Part of me wonders how much during this time period those big deer are daylighting but just staying on the fringes scent checking from a ways off. I buy into the "Magic Day" stuff i really do because i also have years of data to back up those claims. But my real question is, how much are we missing in that time period because that big buck walked behind the tree instead of in front of it....?
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I think this is a valid point when you're talking about small data sets (a couple of cameras run over a couple of years). But currently I've gone through 184,000 images/videos over 12 years (almost always 7 cameras running on 500 acres each year). That's a lot of data! Eventually, the "he went behind the tree" stuff works it's way out of the data.
 
Ski said:
I've not really looked for any particular days like that. However, on my Ohio place October 30th always seems to be big buck on cam day, if not bog buck kill day. That's the only day I can for sure I will not miss.
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SAME HERE MAN

see my above post
 
BSK said:
I think this is a valid point when you're talking about small data sets (a couple of cameras run over a couple of years). But currently I've gone through 184,000 images/videos over 12 years (almost always 7 cameras running on 500 acres each year). That's a lot of data! Eventually, the "he went behind the tree" stuff works it's way out of the data.
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Yea i certainly do not have THAT much data fortunately because i would be divorced. I would be a kid in a candy store in the worst possible way.
 
CrossVolle said:
Yea i certainly do not have THAT much data fortunately because i would be divorced. I would be a kid in a candy store in the worst possible way.
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Oh, I have Powerpoint files with hundreds of graphs of this data. Endlessly mind-boggling info. Thank goodness I do this for a living or I would probably be divorced as well!
 
No statistics just from my worn out brain. Bigest bucks on camera were mostly late August or 1st week in september. Best kill dates? November 12th. My last 3 bucks and my best friends buck were all killed in the evenings of Nov 12th. Another interesting thought? None were with a doe or trailing one.
 
BSK said:
I'm still working on cataloging all my trail-camera data from past years. What I found interesting is how often particular dates are top-notch for older buck movement. I've got 12 years of trail-camera data entered, and I ran an analysis looking for dates each year that produced a lot of older buck pictures on trail-cam. Turns out there are definitely "hot" dates that show up year after year as particularly active for older bucks. Anyone else notice this?
Click to expand...
November 9 for me is an absolute go hunt day
 
I have been keeping notes for 20+ years on mature buck movement in Mississippi and have noticed the same thing on specific dates. However, it's amazing that these dates will vary by regions of the state, sometimes only 20-30 miles apart. On one property, it is December 7-9. On another property it is December 28-January 5. On another one it is December 21-22. But regardless, the thing you can count on is that during those dates, in those areas, there will be mature buck movement during daylight hours.
 
Rick Dillard said:
I have been keeping notes for 20+ years on mature buck movement in Mississippi and have noticed the same thing on specific dates. However, it's amazing that these dates will vary by regions of the state, sometimes only 20-30 miles apart. On one property, it is December 7-9. On another property it is December 28-January 5. On another one it is December 21-22. But regardless, the thing you can count on is that during those dates, in those areas, there will be mature buck movement during daylight hours.
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I have to assume these dates are linked to the rut. The rut will be different on different properties, but usually around the same dates year after year on the same property. I strongly believe the "hot" dates on my property are the peaks of buck activity just before and after peak breeding, as well as right around the 2nd rut.
 
Yes. Take this year out. December 12th through 14 I get multiple shooters and usually a new deer on those days and have for 10 years. And I have a few in November the 17th is one. It is crazy when you've been running then for a while to see trends and patterns. What else is interesting is how those days are good on multiple places across the county.
 
Most bucks nov 11, biggest bucks dec 5, 2 most bucks dec 19, ofcourse this year was nothing like that lol, just got my biggest buck of the 22-23 season on camera in daylight this morning trailing a doe🤷
 
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