Trail cam census begins

[tree_ghost]

Well today I decided to head out to one of my spots and deploy a few cameras and corn piles in hopes to get a good idea of the bucks that made it through the season. In addition to that I'll get valuable Intel as to the health and numbers of the doe population.
I don't usually find my post season census to be very helpful in early season success for the following year since the bucks that I will get on camera now will likely be summering in a different range. however for pre rut through post rut, the Intel I gather now will be very valuable since I have found that historically bucks shift to the same range they had in previous years. This tends to especially be true the older the buck gets. I was pleased to find two solid bucks made it. I know this because I jumped them at 50 yards! I plan on letting these cameras soak for the next 30-40 days at which point I will comb the woods for sheds while scouting for turkey and then pull the cameras until sometime in June. Hopefully we can find some good bucks that slipped through the dragnet of the orange army [emoji3]


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[TheLBLman]

I, too, greatly enjoy the post-season census of old warrior survivors.
Getting some 3 1/2 & older bucks' pics can give us much to look forward = happy, happy, happy

Unfortunately, post-rut mortality rates can remain relatively high until well after antler shedding.
Just one of my theories, but I believe the sudden smell of blood (coming from atop a buck's head) at antler shedding, immediately makes that buck more a target by any coyotes & dogs that get a whiff. I've seen dogs & coyotes "smell" a trace amount of blood for a considerable distance, and come loping in, looking for the source. Older bucks are often at their weakest & most vulnerable state at about this same time.

Over the years, I've stumbled upon several mature bucks' carcasses during February-April while searching for sheds, and noted that many had already shed their antlers when they had recently died. Cause of death is typically unknown, and often we don't know which buck it was since his antlers aren't present.

 

[tree_ghost]

I'm skeptical to think that a few coyotes could take down an old bruiser even as weak as they are at the end of the rut...seems like there are more easily attainable meals at the ready. Interesting theory nonetheless.

I'm particularly interested to see if the deer I have been chasing the last three years decided to stick around one more season...I love the anticipation [emoji3]


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[TheLBLman]

I'm skeptical to think that a few coyotes could take down an old bruiser even as weak as they are at the end of the rut...seems like there are more easily attainable meals at the ready. Interesting theory nonetheless.

It's actually a quite easy feat for two coyotes when either one is able to latch on to the deer (much like a pit bull). For much of the year, "latching on" may be a difficult feat, but it becomes easier with a weakened deer with less escape options.

IMO, post-rut thru winter's ending may be mature bucks most vulnerable period to predation by coyotes and/or dogs.

Saying this for several reasons:

1) It's a time when these bucks are at their physical weakest points of the year.

2) It's a time when there is the very least security/escape cover of the year. Coyotes and dogs can more quickly get thru the now mostly vanished ground cover that is so dense most of the year. This is much the same cover that deer jump over, forcing their pursuers to be slowed by it. But now it's hardly there late winter.

3) Most the other young and easy prey is already gone or dead. This is unlike much of spring, summer, and fall when the "young" of most species are abundant (prey saturation). Add to this that not only are the predators still needing to eat, but the most recent generation has gained much experience at killing than it had a few months earlier. Those young coyote pups of the past summer/fall are now experienced killers.

4) Battle, gunshot, and other wounds that are subject to bleeding help predators cue in on these bucks. Most notably, the bloody pedicles that are bleeding immediately after a buck sheds an antler, and they don't typically shed both antlers at the same time, thus the period of bloody scent emitting may be spread over several days.

However, I don't think coyotes kill as many deer as some seem to believe. Just believe they can be a significant factor going against bucks that have just shed their antlers, as well as bucks that are sick, and might otherwise survive their sickness, if coyotes or dogs didn't more easily kill them in their weakened state.

But for sure, a significant number of the bucks I photograph post deer season do not survive until Spring, regardless of the causes.

 

[TheLBLman]

Not that we in Tennessee have much worry at present, but in many Western States,
I've heard the primary winter prey targets of cougars are mature bucks.

 

[tree_ghost]

Now I could definitely see the plausibility with the cougars playing a major role in mature buck kills post season. Especially in areas where the snow plays a huge factor...

The more I think about all the threads on the Internet forums containing posts about wounded deer not being recovered I would be interested to know the data concerning the mortality rate of bucks that were shot during season but that survived only to die post season from complications due to the wound...I know deer are tough little animals and often live despite perplexing wound locations, and not recovering a deer unfortunately is something most hunters will experience in there careers but I'd still like to know the impact made on the herd due to this theory...


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