Mature Bucks: Patterns, Core Areas, Home Ranges

[dante322]

I think i heard it put like this once...

..."If you are hunting mature whitetail bucks, take everything you know about patterning deer, and forget it."

 

[cotty16]

No doubt, it's a ton of luck.

I've never seen or heard a mature buck snort. If I've jumped one or one busted me, they always just go. They don't snort and alert me to their presence.

Also, as Ric said (or maybe it was his bro FullBore) without the rut we wouldn't have nearly as many mature bucks killed.

Patterning them is, in my opinion, worth a shot for the first few days of bow season. After that, and they are alerted to hunting pressure, it then becomes the chess match and they win 90% of the time.

 

[Gordo]

There is a very small window during the first week of season your odds are better to pattern one and providing you have the ability to leave large grainfields unharvested for late season draws you have another chance to pattern one. The need to feed seems to be the common denominator. Early season with no pressure because of the closed season leading up to season the mature bucks are eating to bulk up before the rigors of the rut. Then in the late season they're worn down eating to survive the harches of weather conditions with a worn out body and minimal food supply. The rut is the toughest time to kill a particular mature buck IMO because they're on no particular pattern and are just on there feet more trying to breed as many does they can. That's where the luck comes into play. Is that particular buck on your hunting property or on someone elses?

Ron is correct, when you think you have one figured out you realize you don't.lol

That's a great post ric

 

[Fullbore]

Travel corridors are these so called loops in my opinion. Some are rather long, sometimes a couple miles long or more. Doe bedding areas and major food sources along the way. Its my belief that these mature bucks simply cruise these corridors until the scent of an hot doe crosses a trail. Then the chasing begins.

 

[hickslawns]

Lots of humility in everyones responses to mature bucks. That says a lot in itself. First week of the season or late season on a very harsh winter are what I would predict the "easiest" times to "pattern" one are. Getting lucky during the rut might be the best approach to killing one.

Gern made an excellent point as well. I was fortunate to watch one last year. Took this buck nearly an hour to move 60yds in a CRP field. Had another encounter with him later. He laid up all tucked into a hidden position and we had a stare down for 30 minutes at 30yds with a large bush between us. He finally bolted. 3 bounds, turned to look, then trotted off. I consider myself very fortunate to have had these experiences in my short hunting career.

For these reasons, I agree with the "rather be lucky than good" comments.

I have had a few encounters that have helped me learn. I would still consider myself a preschooler in regards to what I know about them. Far from am expert. Most is what I have read and a little bit is from what I have seen. A very very little bit.

 

[Fullbore]

Cotty is right in saying. The best time too patterning a mature buck is the first couple of weeks and late season. During the rut on the other hand, these travel corridors are really productive when funnels and bottlenecks are hunted with the right set for the right wind direction. Luck is always good when your target deer shows up instead of some less desirable deer.IMO.

 

[JOHNROHIO]

It seems to me,at least in my area that the loops that these mature bucks run is roughly a two to three day loop. I will have one on the same camera for a couple days then poof gone for a week or so. In the same as Ric was saying there all different some are more timid or secretive. They will always be in the background or you know they are there with sign but very few sightings.
I agree with best chances of catching them on there loop is early season, or last chance cold as nuts no food last part of the year. Most of the time I loose them from the rut on to only show back up in late may or June.
A few seasons ago, I had picked a buck out in early June as "the one" by mid July I was able to narrow down his early season pattern and set stands accordingly to only get a lot of frustration out of it. I would only check cameras that were on my way into the stand that I would set out to hunt that afternoon. The camera would show that I was always a day off. By using all precautions smoker, wind ect. In the end I was successful but it came back down to luck.
On a last minute decision I had a buddy coming in to hunt he was running late so I gave up my stand to let him be able to just slide in and climb a tree that was set up. I went in early with a climber moved to an area on a educated hunch and had the deer I was hunting come in trying to breed a doe.

 

[hickslawns]

It seems to me,at least in my area that the loops that these mature bucks run is roughly a two to three day loop. I will have one on the same camera for a couple days then poof gone for a week or so. In the same as Ric was saying there all different some are more timid or secretive. They will always be in the background or you know they are there with sign but very few sightings.

I still need to read this article, but I think this is the hardest part of the equation. I am seeing similar to your description but mine might be more of a 5-7 day loop. Has anyone on TOO gone into their trail camera pictures, then gone back to prior whether forecasts and moon phases to see if there is a connection? I think this is what I need to do. If I can figure out some sort of connection there I think it would increase my odds and decrease my stand time. I also feel decreasing the time in stand is sometimes more beneficial than hunting it over and over. The old "less is more" approach.

 

[RedCloud]

I have seen this " LOOP " for a long time where I hunt and still can't tell you when for sure that buck will actually be in the right spot or at what time. It will be the same day but the times can change drastically. Guess it just depends on what catches his attention during the loop. In the early season they seem to be on a 3 day loop but as it gets closer to the rut they stretch it out to a full week. What I have learned is that the bigger bucks will rarely come out of the woods or corn during the daylight hours around here but if they do it is in a spot where the corn meets up the closest to a treeline. (unless it's during the rut and in that case everything you knew or thought you knew can be tossed out the window ) One other thing I have noticed is the 3 bound rule but that applies to any mature deer and not just mature bucks IMO. Have seen several mature doe do the same thing over the years and for this reason I love inside corners around here.

I have seen a lot and learned a lot over the years and most times I don't even think to put down on paper or the forum because I don't think about it until some post reminds me lol. Really it just comes down to scouting, seat time, and a lot of luck in the end.

 

[customizer1000]

I think i heard it put like this once...

..."If you are hunting mature whitetail bucks, take everything you know about patterning deer, and forget it."

Yup

 

[MK111]

Interesting subject. Being just a gun hunter in the past I just hunted the one week gun season so never really got involved with this patterning idea.
In the past I always setup on choke points and good trails. I will be bow hunting my property and a friends property across the road in the future. So I need to figure out the pattern there. But that property is narrow about 400 ft wide and 3000 ft long. It's a landing strip and the damn deer cross and travel at several points.
I had a big one bust me about 1/2 before hunting time last year during bow season when he crossed my walkin trail. That was at the rear of the property on the property line and seems to be the most traveled. We will see.
Frank

 

[bowhunter1023]

I need to work on the map that shows the "loop" on our farm and the surrounding area. Essentially, is a connection of trails and funnels that allow deer to cover a good bit of ground, while taking in the sights so to speak...

 

[Fullbore]

These loops we are talking about, I believe can take a buck more than a couple of.days to circle. Especially if he encounters a hot doe. Then,theres the courtship and fighting off every buck in that travel corridor. There is where the luck that I have been talking about. Picking the right set, in the exact spot that you anticipate his arrival. It is definitely a chess match, as Cotty said! Gotta love it!

 

[finelyshedded]

I agree bro. Here is something else I've often wondered. Say a certain mature bucks core area is a hillside briar patch on ridge or hillside. His loop is likely to take him westward vs eastward soley on prevailing wind direction alone IMO. He would be eventually using a crosswind at some point during his loop. He could also lay low till a easterly wind came to start heading back to his home core area or make his way under the cover of darkness. I often wonder if that's what gets these mature bucks killed on the roads instead of chasing tail. Another way of thinking of it is, have you ever wondered why some bucks seem to not be in certain areas like across the road to the east from your hunting area! Prolly because he's heading to the NW,SW or west more often because he's more comfortable and feels safer. Any thoughts?

 

[Jackalope]

From my observation in the flats up here a buck can and will often roam far distances in a night. I'm not sure why exactly as they crossed both corn and bean to get there. I was getting very consistent pics of a buck at a salt block and he was always walking out into the beans each night from the same trail maybe 200 yards from the block. I hung a camera two miles away to see what was in another area and I be dammed if he didn't show up there too. He went from the block to two miles away, then back to the block in the same night. That's 4 miles round trip. This was a month ago. No hot does and preceded food was beans. He walked through two bean fields to get there. Wherever he was going as the corn cam caught him heading back.

Road scouting has also shown me that bucks travel far distances one night he is in this bean field. The next he is 2 miles away.

I believe their core areas in early season are much larger than we give them credit for encompassing 4+ square miles at least.

 

[CJD3]

Some of my observations:

- They are quieter than their younger brethren. No blowing out, and they amaze me the "grub" they get through with minimal noise.

- Trails are generally in a thicker area parallel to the main trail.

- The rut makes them dumb as that drive for procreation trumps all. Until they have a doe and then they are cunning. Locked down in stuff we and other bucks have difficulty with.

And they look up now.

Very interesting thread guys.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Here is a concept I have always disagreed with and recently read that I'm not alone in my thinking. You hear a lot of people say mature bucks will walk with the wind to their face and to me, that makes zero sense. Why would a creature with the senses of a mature buck, use one of his senses where he has two other keen senses already in play. My general opinion is a mature buck should be more apt to keep the wind quartering at his back. This allows his eyes and ears to do the work in front of him, and his nose (with a small turn of the head) doing the work behind him. All the while he is still able to smell what has been in front of him.

The whole idea of them walking with their nose straight in to the wind simply doesn't hold water for me...

 

[Gern186]

You are correct Jesse. He will always at least quarter the wind, but when he moves he is very deliberate in his travels, this includes watching very cautiously ahead of him before he takes the next step. They physically can't always travel into the wind, or they would never get back to where they started from.

 

[Gern186]

From my observation in the flats up here a buck can and will often roam far distances in a night. I'm not sure why exactly as they crossed both corn and bean to get there. I was getting very consistent pics of a buck at a salt block and he was always walking out into the beans each night from the same trail maybe 200 yards from the block. I hung a camera two miles away to see what was in another area and I be dammed if he didn't show up there too. He went from the block to two miles away, then back to the block in the same night. That's 4 miles round trip. This was a month ago. No hot does and preceded food was beans. He walked through two bean fields to get there. Wherever he was going as the corn cam caught him heading back.

Road scouting has also shown me that bucks travel far distances one night he is in this bean field. The next he is 2 miles away.

I believe their core areas in early season are much larger than we give them credit for encompassing 4+ square miles at least.

Bingo! This is very true around my place...very flat and very little cover means that these bucks will go several miles in a night if they want to.

This mature buck was filmed 3 miles as the crow flies from his core area.....

 

[bowhunter1023]

There is a part of me that would love to know how far the bucks in my area tend to roam, but the bigger part of me doesn't want to know!!!

I know Deuce stayed really close to our farm because he'd only been seen by a couple neighbors (so long as everyone was truthful with me postmortem). There was one other camera he frequented that I knew of and that was a mile east of our farm near a cluster of apples trees. He could walked the ridge line along the creek the entire way with either a southerly or northerly west wind cutting across his path. It wasn't until this winter that I pieced together the best pinch point on our part of his path. With a proper crop rotation (corn) and solid acorns, the stand I hung at the head of the ditch along the corn filed two weekends ago is one tree I've over looked for far TOO long...