They are the fastest growing bone material known, Yes, we know venison backstrap is absolutely delicious as a stand-alone cut of meat, but every now and then its, There are a handful of age-old debates that will never die among deer hunters. Why do you never see bucks? Ours break up about 5 September. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, The Shift - Part 2: The Transition Of Bucks From Summer To Fall Ranges Wired To Hunt, Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. Testosterone levels start rising as the rut gets closer. I hunt in Jasper county outside of monticello. 7 posts Page 1 of 1. If bachelor groups are run out of an area because of hunting pressure it may cause them to shift into their fall home ranges sooner. You must log in or register to reply here. Of course, bachelor groups arent likely to be seen in areas where few bucks survive beyond 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 years of age. This rejection by mature bucks causes them to form groups with other like-age bucks to spend their second summer. The times when they arent tend to favor the hunter. Here are some of those times and reasons. He is also a contributing editor forWhitetail NewsandThe Christian Bowhuntermagazines. Bill Winke has some insight on this in an article he wrote for Petersens Bowhunting. Why Are Some Bucks Shedding Antlers Early? A fascinating aspect of bachelor group behavior is the way members transition from being "groupies" from winter through summer, to breaking up and going their separate ways come fall. Pronghorns are social animals, gathering in relatively large herds. When it comes to whitetail bucks there is definitely a class systemso, it takes time for yearling bucks to be accepted into a mature bucks world. Now every mature buck lives to be king of the woods. Bucks begin growing soon after shedding and continue this process into early fall. There are three universal components to deer movement: food, water and shelter. Some say I am obsessed, I say I am doing what I love! If you are able to hunt a bachelor group that is still hanging around together and following a predictable summer pattern, this is one of the best ways to kill a mature buck. Some weeks, Id see him five out of seven afternoons.. The last piece of the puzzle is cover. By the end of September heavy dominance traits begin manifesting themselves in this case threat walking. Not every buck you find this month will still be there in October. Pre-season and early-season bucks bed close to food sources. In the process it may travel 25 or more miles before it finds a home range to its liking, though most dispersal finds them venturing little more than 5 to10 miles from where they were born. Big numbers of bucks are actually two, three or more different bachelor groups that happen to come together and loosely comingle. Some bucks have a different fall range from their summer range, and the two ranges dont always overlap. Pull up a seat and join us. Another way bucks test each other within the group is by standing on their hind legs and actually boxing with each other. It may not display this or other websites correctly. JavaScript is disabled. As day length begins to shorten (mid-August and September) testosterone levels (in the bucks) begin to rise, triggering the hardening of antlers and shedding of velvet. Though most are nothing more than shoving matches some can and do turn ugly. I dont wanna go back into the area unless I have a bow in my hands and I am 90% sure the buck is back in his bed. Two mature bucks in a summer bachelor group leaving their scent on a licking branch. If you had a certain buck in your hunting area last fall that you know made it through the winter, odds are good that he will be there again this fall regardless of where he spent his summer. Once the antlers shed and the pedicles heal new growth soon follows. Don't let he know your there, Ya I'd have to agree I'm probably over thinking like i do most things. The break-up of bachelor group bucks typically occurs during the last two weeks of September. on 5 Facts About Bachelor Groups Of Bucks, best information I have read on the topic comes from an article posted on the QDMA website by Matt Ross, January Is Best Time To Deer Hunt In Texas. The more time you or other hunters spend on the property, the less likely you are to see deer, especially older deer. thanx. Sep 16, 2008 #8 nevamiss270 GONetwork Member Diamondbbtr said: Finally its time for the hunt. Alsheimer was born and raised on a farm and has devoted his life to photography, writing and lecturing about the wonders of Gods creation. Got one group of three that are all in the mid 130's. You can get in touch with me by filling out your name and email below. You'll probably see one of two things when you see a bachelor group: a group of mature bucks or a group of young bucks. If they havent already, does will kick their elder sons to the curb soon enough. I saw five bucks feeding in the kudzu together 150 yards from my stand yesterday evening. The month of August has many hunters excited, as they think they have the deer patterned. All you can do is keep creating the ideal place for the bucks to live - food, water, security. The feed on a regular routine and travel the same paths. This 10pt has a general bedding area about 1/2-3/4 mile away and I know he's hanging around because of the 11-15 does that come to the plot. The first step is to decide which stand location to hunt. A few minutes later there he was! During its dispersal a yearling encounters all age classes of bucks. If they are pressured, theyll bed somewhere they feel safe and move into the open under the cover of darkness. Anyone get lucky? After that, things will go upside down. Soon after, three shooter bucks step into view a mere twenty yards away. The best way to recognize when a bachelor group breaks up is by scouting open fields where you have regularly seen them congregate, or by using trail cameras to monitor them. And its time to capitalize on that fact. Last year, a guy from Maryland reported seeing 30 different bucks in a huge soybean field most every night! It begins in just a few short weeks. These three things generate more deer movement than anything else. Another thing, bachelor groups may allow bucks to establish a basic dominance hierarchy through mild forms of aggression, which may reduce the amount of serious fighting necessary later in fall as the rut approaches. These groups band together in spring and summer, and continue to feed, sleep, and groom each other until late summer. What is the home range of a mature buck bachelor group in August? Pick appropriate entry routes. You must log in or register to reply here. Knowing how much I love to watch and study bachelor clubs, hunters from all over have emailed me with reports and pictures of 12 to 15 or more bucks feeding and posturing together in a field. Unfortunately only one can rule the groups summer home range, so sparring, threat walking and other aggressive behaviors sort things out rather quickly. Except for interaction around common food sources bucks and does seldom interact with each other during the non-rutting months. We could find him on one of my alfalfa fields just about any evening during late July and early August. One of the best ways to recognize when bachelor groups break up is by scouting them with trail cameras. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Josh Honeycutt is an avid deer hunter. It doesnt take long for the first deer to enter the food plot. It won't be long before the velvet comes offand everything changes. imo its always different. It reminds you the summer heat isnt over just yet. Hunting early-season bachelor groups can be a very fun time. The bucks seem to disappear when fall arrives, but where do they go? Sometimes as close as 40 or 50 yards off the food source. During the dog days of summer these bucks, who may fight to the death just several weeks from now, will hang out virtually all day and night in what are known as bachelor groups. It definitely doesnt happen overnight, or in a single deer season. Whitetail bachelor groups consist of male deer from a variety of ages. Copy-cat behavior is also quite common within mature bachelor groups. A gang of 2 to 3 to 8 bucks hanging out together in mid-summer is the norm, but I have seen as many as 12 boys in a group. Bucks will typically bed as close to their preferred food source as they can. Finding a heavily-used water source can be extremely productive. Though mature bucks (2+ years of age) will sometimes allow yearling bucks to be a part of their bachelor group this is usually not the case, at least in a herd with a good sampling of mature bucks. This is when the bucks break up their summer bachelor groups, shed their velvet and start the weeks-long process of dispersing into their fall ranges. January 18, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, January 13, 2023 |Timber 2 Table Wild Game Recipes, Scout velvet bucks now and you might shoot the biggest one in the club in a few months. Depending on where you hunt, when your hunting season opens, and the specific deer herd that youre hunting, you may notice that bachelor groups split up slightly earlier or later. Research has shown that the average buck begins using a larger percentage of its established home range as the rut approaches, so movement patterns and locations of each buck in a bachelor group may change radically after the group dis-bands. Where They Go In nine days, Ill be sitting in an oak tree overlooking some Kentucky Alfalfa. The second reason why bachelor groups break up early or late is due to buck age structure within the group. What Will Deer Hunting Be Like in 10 Years? I'm still seeing them together. They have been together since late August. They were all bristled up and snort wheezing, and subject to be grunted in, but together and not fighting. Be vigilant. The older buck will not always tolerate this approach, but if he does it is a way for the younger buck to gain acceptance. Bucks havent received hunting pressure for months so naturally they arent as leery of hunters. Jason writes full time and is on the pro staff of two archery companies; in his free time, he fishes and traps as much as possible. You can see how his deer season unfolds each year on Midwest Whitetail and Chasing November. Remember when moving in on a group of bachelor bucks to leave as little scent behind as possible. 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