Wildlife 2021/2022 Deer Season

[Wildlife]

It is part of the standard MS build and that is it. It doesn't cost me anything but my time to view the SD data dump, whatever I wish to share into the program, then allows multiple ways to edit. I then can attach whatever sound file I wish.

Allow the file to compile/build/create. Once finished, I upload the final version to my YouTube channel and determine whether to share it. After I confirm everything went according to plan and successful. I then delete TC SD data off my PC to save disk space and just utilize the somewhat free service from YouTube/Google to contain/store/house all my years of deer field data.

Now, it's not the most stable program to use, and I have had it blowup on me more than once doing builds because it soaks up a ton of local memory resources, depending on actual file size/build you are creating. You do have to have plenty of disk space to create the temporary file before the permanent file is created and completed,

I do this for a variety of reasons, one being perhaps the most important, is that, it eliminates the original metadata from the original trail camera files so no on-line potential poacher can't figure out the location pretty much, however I cannot guarantee that this method is actually full-proof, because those that work hard enough, smart enough, and/or are persistent enough and quite frankly, desperate enough, will eventually figure it out one way or the other.

But that is why I do videos mainly than sharing just my TC photographs/videos directly or even any cellphone photos or cellphone snapshot of my PC screen because those files have loads of metadata associated with them and if one knows how to read them, it's very easy to grab the actual GPS coordinates off those files.

I hope this makes somewhat sense to you and for everyone?

BTW, it took a good few years to deal with poachers in my local area, Plenty of boots on the ground and a cellphone handy with speed-dial number of the local authorities and/or Wildlife Officer in the ready. I've been successful in catching them red handed over the past few years.

Finally, my eldest son is a video designer that I know I have shared many times on this forum. I can get whatever third party program I want through him for virtually nothing if I choose, however for what I am doing currently with my deer stuff, I really don't feel/see the need. That said, if I ever get another trophy kill and I do have all the field data captured, I will have him put together a professional grade video for me. He did my very first back in 2010 when he was like 14 years old. From that point forward pretty much, he took it up as a passion obviously.

Below, is my son's first video that I mentioned of my 2010 afternoon hunt, that I actually captured on my pocket field camera at the time to show my boys what it's like to be hunting deer when they first took an interest in the sport. I harvested three compound bow deer that afternoon, including my largest buck. Granted, it's not the greatest in quality nor was I trying for it to be. Just good enough to share with my boys at the time. It's long too.

One of his websites and he currently works for HBO in downtown Manhattan, NY: https://vimeo.com/justindaledonaldson

I hope some here enjoy one of my son's first works?

 

[Wildlife]

Wow!

@bowhunter1023 - your system did not like something in my original response and I figured it out what that was within my response. I just completed the entire thing, after editing several lines to figure out what it was.

Now it's complete to your systems satisfaction.

Wew....

 

[Wildlife]

6:15 p.m. Sunday - August 29, 2021 - 'DEER REPORT':

I swapped SD cards at the feed station only today. The following video is a slideshow of trail camera photographs of mainly bucks. It does not include all of them nor all the other deer that made their presence known over the past few days as well.

I leave up to you to determine the velvet status of all the different bucks shared within the video below. I also challenge you to list the names of all the different newborn wildlife species also captured by trail cameras that is included in this slideshow video as well.
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These particular photographs just below are rather weird in nature, or unique or something quite unusual happened at the time the trail camera captured the photograph.

I am interested in hearing from any of you as to what they may be and/or what might possibly have caused them.

I've yet to view the other SD memory card from the trail camera that captures videos only at the feed station. I would image after reviewing all the data from that card, I just might be able to figure it out.



The top photograph is a TC capture of something in the near-middle-upper-right, and slightly grey in color.

The bottom left photograph speaks for itself, however I am clueless as to what might have caused it.

The bottom right photograph is obviously a new home for some wildlife species that is approximately two feet from one of the mineral licking blocks and spread out corn. The hole is approximately 4-5 inches in diameter at the top, and it goes nearly straight down into the ground where I could not see the end of it.

We have no chipmunks anywhere, and I have not seen any of them in years in our location, however I do suspect it does belong to one of the newborn wildlife species that is within the slideshow video that I am challenging everyone to discover within the video, and then tell me what it is. I do know what the species is, but I would like to make this somewhat interesting for everybody.
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Video description:

The latest trail camera photographs from the feed station location only. This is a slideshow of bucks mainly, and not all the deer that made their presence known the past few days was included within this video. All captures are in consecutive order by date and timestamp. I challenge you to list the names of all the different newborn wildlife species captured within this video.

 

[Wildlife]

6:15 p.m. Sunday - August 29, 2021 - 'DEER REPORT':

I swapped SD cards at the feed station only today. The following video is a slideshow of trail camera photographs of mainly bucks. It does not include all of them nor all the other deer that made their presence known over the past few days as well.

I leave up to you to determine the velvet status of all the different bucks shared within the video below. I also challenge you to list the names of all the different newborn wildlife species also captured by trail cameras that is included in this slideshow video as well.
________________________________________________

These particular photographs just below are rather weird in nature, or unique or something quite unusual happened at the time the trail camera captured the photograph.

I am interested in hearing from any of you as to what they may be and/or what might possibly have caused them.

I've yet to view the other SD memory card from the trail camera that captures videos only at the feed station. I would image after reviewing all the data from that card, I just might be able to figure it out.

View attachment 134248

The top photograph is a TC capture of something in the near-middle-upper-right, and slightly grey in color.

The bottom left photograph speaks for itself, however I am clueless as to what might have caused it.

The bottom right photograph is obviously a new home for some wildlife species that is approximately two feet from one of the mineral licking blocks and spread out corn. The hole is approximately 4-5 inches in diameter at the top, and it goes nearly straight down into the ground where I could not see the end of it.

We have no chipmunks anywhere, and I have not seen any of them in years in our location, however I do suspect it does belong to one of the newborn wildlife species that is within the slideshow video that I am challenging everyone to discover within the video, and then tell me what it is. I do know what the species is, but I would like to make this somewhat interesting for everybody.
_________________________________________________________

Video description:

The latest trail camera photographs from the feed station location only. This is a slideshow of bucks mainly, and not all the deer that made their presence known the past few days was included within this video. All captures are in consecutive order by date and timestamp. I challenge you to list the names of all the different newborn wildlife species captured within this video.

Okay, I suppose I have no takers.... Most of the newborn wildlife species in the video is fairly obvious. The one that I believe made the hole in the ground is a opossum to have her little ones stay safe in near the food, but I am not absolutely positive just yet cause I haven't gone through the other TC SD card completely that captures videos only. I'm doing that here shortly.

Anyways, here is the TC photograph captured that is 2:08 minutes into the shared video. You can see the new little one on the mothers back. I suspect she has others as well.

 

[Chancegriffis]

Okay, I suppose I have no takers.... Most of the newborn wildlife species in the video is fairly obvious. The one that I believe made the hole in the ground is a opossum to have her little ones stay safe in near the food, but I am not absolutely positive just yet cause I haven't gone through the other TC SD card completely that captures videos only. I'm doing that here shortly.

Anyways, here is the TC photograph captured that is 2:08 minutes into the shared video. You can see the new little one on the mothers back. I suspect she has others as well.

View attachment 134378

That’s a pretty unique picture! Very cool

 

[Wildlife]

Okay, I suppose I have no takers.... Most of the newborn wildlife species in the video is fairly obvious. The one that I believe made the hole in the ground is a opossum to have her little ones stay safe in near the food, but I am not absolutely positive just yet cause I haven't gone through the other TC SD card completely that captures videos only. I'm doing that here shortly.

Anyways, here is the TC photograph captured that is 2:08 minutes into the shared video. You can see the new little one on the mothers back. I suspect she has others as well.

View attachment 134378

Upon further analysis, the opossum appears to have at least two little ones. The TC that is configured for videos only is a bit grainy at the time it captured the mother with her two little ones because it was just after daybreak/sunrise, plus they were at the furthest point away from that TC when it caught her digging the hole and feeding.

 

[Wildlife]

3:00 p.m. Tuesday - August 31, 2021 - 'EOM DEER REPORT':

A little bit of history regarding my usage of trail cameras.

First, I never used them prior to 2015. All my wildlife scouting prior was done old school.

When I first moved to where I live today, I purchased some of the cheapest trail cameras on the market. I was busy with work and getting settled into our new home that autumn. I wanted to at least get some cameras out as soon as possible to get an idea what the wildlife was like in the area, so for the first time, I hung a couple of trail cameras that November of 2015 and was successful in capturing some real good bucks during the pre-rut/rut.

In fact, one of them I tried to secure the following season. I didn't hunt at all in the 2015/16 hunting season. In June of 2016, that buck got struck by a pickup truck. You can read about it in the following thread if you haven't had the chance to review the story if you'd like.

Ohio Velvet

Early June on a Saturday morning of 2016, someone knocked on the front door at 7:30 a.m. After opening the door, an Ohio Highway Patrol Officer tells me that a person hit a deer in front of my property. She asked if they could leave their pickup parked at the end of my driveway until a wrecker...

theohiooutdoors.com

I did hunt the 2016/17 season, but only a couple of times because I was still extremely busy with work, traveling all over the country.

It wasn't until the 2018/19 season I started to hunt as much as I could. Spending as much time in the local fields/woods trying to figure out the local deer herd habits. Also at that time, I dealt with poachers/trespassers often.

Jumping forward from there, working with neighboring property owners and local authorities, I believe we put a stop to it or a good dent into that kind of terrible behavior for the most part, but it did require much of my time and effort to make that happen.

The past two years, new 'No Trespassing' signs were hung all over the properties, and I do believe they helped in minimizing unauthorized human traffic in the area.

I started setting up the feed station area right behind our cabin in the fall of 2018, by installing a cheap programmable corn feeder. Shortly after, I started to get some regulars, but not too many, and very few antlered bucks.

It wasn't until last year, I started to get a fair number of local antlered bucks consistently showing up at the feed station. From that point forward, I tried to maintain the feed station as best as I could.

As last season progressed, more and more of the better antlered bucks frequented the feed station, so I most definitely maintained that area all year around.

The deer numbers gradually increased as months went on, showing up at the feed station, including other types of wildlife species.

Now pressing forward to today, as you will see below, I have what I consider a solid local deer herd. that tend to visit regularly/daily/multiple times. I do not expect to have a good number of what I consider trophy local bucks until another year or perhaps two into the future. I have over the past couple of seasons, tried to conduct QDM when deciding what to harvest and target certain deer. I haven't harvested any antlered deer at all from the local herd, however I have harvested a few of the older and smartest does and a few buttons over the past few seasons.

The local area does attract some of the most mature trophy bucks that are roamers/travelers within a large square mile's radius during the peak rut periods each year, and I have been very close in being successful in arrowing a couple of them. It just wasn't in the cards yet. I believe I have a real good handle on what it will take to connect with one of those roamer/traveler bucks, and I am confident that it will be a matter of time when I will be successful.

This location where I hunt the most, near and around my home is the toughest habitat and terrain to figure out for mature bucks/pattern out of all the previous properties I ever hunted in my life, hands down. Plus, the deer in this county are by far the most alert than any other county I have ever hunted. The ODNR officer explained to me one time why that may be. He told me that it's our county statistically receives the most violations than any other county in the state year after year. That told me a lot, so, I suppose my county has a 'not-so-great' reputation when it comes to the state's natural resources, or something to that effect, according to what I've been told.

I also want to share, for all those that post/share on the forum everything regarding habitat improvements, food plots and the latest hunting technology/gear, I appreciate it, thank you! I do read plenty here on this forum, both current and past posts. That said, my next trail camera will most likely be one of the new Tactacams. I already have a couple of their camera products to capture my live hunts, but none of their TCs yet.

Anyhow, I cared to share this information for anyone that cares or was not familiar with my current situation within my neck of the woods. My sharing most all my outdoor experiences is something I hope some have good takeaways from, whether they be good or bad. By no means do I think I know everything about the sport or the outdoors, however I do enjoy sharing my experiences for the sake of the sport, good - bad or indifferent.

This video below will show just how things are progressing in what I am attempting to do for the local deer herd. Again, by no means do I think it's to the level I hope to see in the coming years, however at least, it does appear to be going in the right direction.
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Video description:

Nearly the entire local deer herd showed up for breakfast on the morning of the 29, Sunday. From about 6:30 a.m. through 8:30 a.m. I sped up the video captures to approximately 7:00 a.m., where the recording speed is set back to normal going forward until the video ends. There is a moment where there are at least a dozen deer captured at the same time in a couple of frames at the feed station. I estimate that there were approximately a half of dozen deer that were not captured of the local herd during that morning frenzy, specifically the most mature bucks and a few fawns & does.

 

[Wildlife]

4:00 p.m. Wednesday - September 1, 2021 - 'FIRST HARD HORN BUCK':

I am happy to report that over the past 48 hours, during the heavy rainy evenings and during the we early morning dark hours, two local bucks went hard, with regards to their antlers. All the other bucks antlers are still in velvet up to today.

Below is a very brief 1:10 minute video I just created of the better of the two bucks with better TC photograph quality. The other is a real young eight point and both were captured hard antlered the day before during heavy rain within the dark hours. I also included the most recent mother doe with her newborn fawn that I estimate was born approximately 10 days ago. She and her fawn kicks the video slideshow off. You can go back to the post where I asked you, the audience, if she was pregnant.

Post number hyperlink within my journal below:

• #58

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Video description:

Actually, I have two hard antlered bucks now. Both went hard the we morning hours of August 31, 2021. One is a real young eight point and the other is the one within this brief video slideshow. The video starts off with the latest mother doe and newborn fawn that was born approximately ten days ago. She was obviously breed in February and I do have consistent trail camera captures of her just before she gave birth through the month of August.

 

[Wildlife]

4:15 p.m. Saturday - September 4, 2021 - 'DIFFERENT FARM':

I went to the other farm this morning, arriving there a little after 9:00 a.m., then leaving an hour later, at 10:05 a.m.

Looks like I’ll have to make a weekly trip out there after reviewing all the data off my TC SD memory cards.



After viewing just a few of TC photographs while in the field, making sure the cameras were doing their job correctly using my @Stressless ‘BONEVIEW’ card to review them on my cellphone, while up into the trees utilizing a couple of my Lone Wolf climbing sticks to get to the cameras, I realized that I have a shitload of deer in the area, and some are decent. In fact, one of my TCs memory cards ran out of space, filling up well before my swapping it out today.

I have captured over 6,000 still TC photographs within that two-week period. All captures were of wildlife with no mishaps whatsoever.

I mentioned before a couple of times within my journals what trail camera manufacture I use and where I bought them from. They are very affordable and provide all the information that I am looking for when it comes to scouting game. Two reasons why I went with them, affordable and if they were to ever grow legs, I won’t be out of a whole lot of money. I have had TCs stolen in the past, and they weren't my cheapest ones either.

Anyhow, below is a short video slideshow of bucks mainly that I don’t mind sharing at this time, however going forward, I will be holding all my TC data very close to my vest until I believe it will be safe to share them once again in the future. I am sure many of you will fully understand. The video does not included all deer, or all bucks captured on trail cameras either.

The farm is full of deer, all kinds! Many antlerless and plenty of fawns. Many does with twins too. No monster yet on TC, however that doesn’t worry me at the least bit because that property always attracts them every year, based on history, going back to when I hunted it in the past during pre-rut/rut, which I intend on doing this season for the first time in nearly ten years. A real nice balance of bucks, does and fawns, which is real nice!

You will see a coyote and a couple of decent bucks the shed their velvet the same time two bucks shed theirs at my place.

Hope you all enjoy because it may be a while before you see another from me....
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Video description:

Different farm that I'll be hunting earlier this season. This is a video slideshow of the trail camera captures form August 21 thru September 3, 2021 of mainly bucks. One of the trail camera's memory card was completely full well before I swapped it out today. Between both cameras, I captured just over 6,000 photographs of wildlife. The farm contains plenty of deer with a nice balance between bucks, does and fawn. In fact, many does have twins. I will be visiting that property weekly now to keep my trail cameras going and not have the SD memory cards become full before I get to them again. The video also will show a coyote and two bucks that lost their velvet the same day as two bucks lost theirs on our property, the evening of August 30th.

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Now, this section is primarily for you @CodyB . Back to ‘advice about private land access’.

Just so let you know, this property where I went to this morning belongs to an owner that I have known for nearly two decades. The last time I hunted it seriously on this piece of land was back in 2012 when I was bow hunting hard, chasing a 180” class buck. I had two encounters with that deer, once in the pre-rut at the end of October under a full moon just after quitting time, right underneath me. I had a perfect view of him within 10 yards, and the second encounter was during the rut at 30 yards when he was chasing another decent 10-point buck down like a madman, leaving no shot opportunity. Never saw again after that.

This property has all the habitat and elements of what trophy buck wants and needs to grow big and old. They feel more than just safe and secure on this property. Those bucks will not ever leave that property unless perhaps during the rut temporarily, however, there are more than enough antlerless deer on this property to keep any of them rather busy, I’m certain of it.

The property owner was a premium client of mine when I owned and operated a lawncare business, primarily for my teenage boys at the time, so they could learn and understand what it’s like to be their own boss of their own business and to put money into their pockets. I sold that business shortly after my youngest went off to college and made a pretty decent dime in doing so, 75 clients and tons of equipment and tools that I sold.

Anyhow, back then I had exclusive rights to hunt this property, a deal I made with the owner. I stopped hunting that property back at the end of 2012 because I got extremely busy with what I do with my other profession at the time as an independent contractor, traveling all over the country converting historical movie theaters from old film 35mm projectors to digital computerized state of the art projectors. I DID NOT hunt the following year’s of 2013, 14, 15 & 16 at all. It wasn’t until 2017 I started to slowly pick things up regarding my hunting hobby once again, just shortly after I moved to where I live today. At that time, I primarily focused on trying to set up good hunting grounds in, around and near my home, and I am still in the process of doing that today, if by chance you haven’t noticed already or have been following along this year’s hunting journal of mine, and/or the previous two as well.

Now, back to this property where I was at this morning. I just started hunting this property once again late the last two seasons, only in the month of December and January. At that time, the property owner had a couple of other hunters that hunted it in the early bow season. Last season, much the same, once again, I hunted it late season and I harvested my limit for deer both the last two years.

Last season, after the first time hunting it during late season for the year, I happen to notice a crap load of garbage scattered throughout the area and I knew it was items left behind from previous hunters. I spent a good half hour or better that afternoon, policing/picking up old deer attractants, such as empty tinks still hanging in trees, 50# empty corn bags, gutting rubber gloves, so on and so forth. Once I finished collecting it all and before I left that property that day, I got with the owner and told them about it. He was furious to say the least about the news and thanked me several times for taking care of it for him.

Going forward to this year, I received a call from the property owner back about a month ago, having a need to get rid of some old dying trees in and around his home. Well, I was more than happy to take care of it for him in trade for allowing me to hunt his property once again this season, which he would've allowed me too anyways, without helping him out really because everything else I've already done for them in the past.

Too my utter surprise, he said to me, that he “wasn’t going to allow anyone else to hunt his property again”. So, once again, I am now back to having exclusive privileges' to hunt any wild game on his property even though I didn’t ask for it. How nice is that?

You see Cody, if you take care of a property owner in such a way, as if it was your very own property, and listen to their needs, wishes and/or desires with respect and while being graces & grateful, you just may get lucky, like myself, and have what I have going on with regards to this one particular property owner. I have the same with another still today.

Again, I love the property owner and his family, that is why I try to take care of them as if they were my own biological extended family. They know that too, and they are also grateful to have met me and understand that I am a person that truly appreciates hunting their property. That makes them happy!

His wife is a retired schoolteacher that absolutely loves where they live, which obviously is in the country, and having all kinds of wildlife present on their property all the time. In fact, I give once week a copy of the data off my trail cameras because I learned by paying attention and listening to her one day in casual conversation, how much she loves seeing all the different wildlife species they have on their property. When I did that for the first time, not only was it unexpected to her, she really appreciated it and thanked me many times. Now she always asks for a copy, which I certainly do not mind at all going through the trouble and providing her a copy each time I swap-out my SD cards from my trail cameras for her pleasure.

Anyways, I hope this is further encouragement for you Cody? I hope you’re still trying to acquire a piece of private property to hunt on. I strongly believe if you take in account just a few of my suggestions, recommendations and/or examples, you will be successful. I can pretty much guarantee it!

Good luck to you once again Cody, and I hope to see you share with all of us once you do become successful with your deer hunting season. Take care buddy!

Sincerely.

Denny – a.k.a - Wildlife

 

[MoonLab]

Good shit, Denny. Good luck with the property. Do something good for the owner is very rewarding to be able to hunt on the property. That’s one thing I can’t stand somebody that doesn’t take care of the property, smh.

 

[Wildlife]

7:30 p.m. Sunday - August 5,2021 - 'THE NEW GUY':

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EDIT: 8:20 p.m. - Just went through a few older videos and TC photographs, and it appears that this buck is NOT a brand new guy, but rather 'SHYBUC' that went AWOL for about two months or better and he finally decided to show his face once again at the feed station. Boy, did he really put on some inches since the last time I captured him on camera back in June.

Anyhow, a good video to checkout that is also quite brief with him in it at the end while at the feed station was back on June 21st. that I posted within this journal, which the hyperlink is just below to get to it.

• #23

I really didn't recognizing him right off the bat this evening, but after analyzing those latest TC photographs even more closely just moments ago, I am confident that it's him for sure. He definitely blew up over the last two months and overall this year too compared to last. He was a typical eight last year with a much smaller basket rack.

Oh-well, I'm most definitely happy to see him once again. Sorry for any confusion I might have caused, however having this kind of problem these days, trying to keep track of all the different bucks this year, is good thing in my book.
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Checkout the new guy!

I couldn't resist in not sharing the very latest news that just showed up at the feed station over the past two mornings, plus I captured him on other TCs in the area as well. I know I said I'd wouldn't share anymore of my TC data in my last post, but after seeing this guy showing up within my TC data capture, viewed just moments ago, I couldn't resist or contain myself for not sharing him with you all. He's a typical 12 point that looks to be a young adult still.

I surely hope/prey that he sticks around and makes it through the season. I most definitely want him to breed as many does as possible in area for obvious reasons.

Anyhow, the video is quite brief and I hope you all enjoy!

BTW, I have two more young bucks that shed their velvet over the past 24 hours as well.
________________________________________________

Video description:

'SHYBUC' went AWOL the last two months and finally decided to show his face once again. He really put on the inches since I saw him last. A true typical 12 point buck that showed up at the feeder the past two days. Also, two more young bucks shed their velvet within the last 24 hours as well. Hope he sticks around for another year or two.

 

[Chancegriffis]

Great looking 12 there bud!

 

[JARHEAD]

That deer is my dream buck! Big typical 6×6! Hell yeah!

 

[Wildlife]

Sorry fellas, but I just edited the original post, so please checkout the latest information regarding that buck, thanks!

 

[CodyB]

Thank you @Wildlife . I appreciate very much. It is extremely helpful I have always been respectful of the land our lord has blessed us with even as a young boy my dad always taught me that. I do the same even in the public land that I do hunt I always pick up as much trash as I can. I usually carry a Walmart bag with me and when I leave the woods any trash that I see on the way out I pick it up. Those are the people that mess it up for everyone including the wildlife. So again I appreciate the tips and advice I am still in the search haven't got to go out lately due to work but I will continue even if I can score a spot for next year I will be ok with that.

 

[giles]

Put him in the barn for a few years! Good night, does that deer have potential. Keep beating him or whatever you are doing to have him that scared. Lol

 

[Wildlife]

@giles - thanks for encouragement

Here is a sketched drawing that I did in like 10 minutes over 10 years ago or better and it hangs in my workshop in plain view on one of my metal workshop cabinets.



You wouldn't think that 'SHYBUC' could turnout to be one of my dream bucks now could you
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Yes, he most definitely has the potential, and I'll keep trying my best to keep'em locked up inside the barn

Below is 'SHYBUC' from last season just before the rut officially kicked off around here where I had much fun watching him try to lock in on his most recent girlfriend.

I knew he would turn out to be a much better buck, but I admit, I had no idea he would blowup quite like this over the year. I would say he's a 3.5 year old this year and I want to see him make it at least another year. If I can get him to stick around and keep feeding him like I have been, I'm sure he'll be a real dandy come next year, at least I certainly hope so.

 

[Wildlife]

6:30 p.m. Wednesday - September 8, 2021 - 'WHAT'S BEHIND THE NAME':

What’s behind the name of ‘SHYBUC’?

Well, it all started early last year when several bucks were showing up at the feed station with early antler growth together. They were the local bachelor group that would frequently show up together often early spring throughout early summer. I named three of them out that group of the typical five that were normally together, ‘THUNDER’, BULL and then of course, ‘SHYBUC’.

‘SHYBUC’ was the buck that always stood in the shadows of others, pretty much remaining behind the other bucks or just within the honeysuckles and/or trees near and/or around the feed station area. Whenever he felt that he could make an approach to the feed station without being interfered with, or harassed, or squeezed out by the other bucks, he’d do so slowly, but would always be extremely cautious when approaching the corn, always on alert, timid, and jumpy.

After several visits throughout the month of May & June of 2020 of that bachelor group of bucks, again usually always together, ‘SHYBUC’s behavior never really changed, always timid and very cautious.

As the month of July rolled around, that bachelor group kind of broke up into pairs of bucks. The pair that mainly remained together pretty much from July forward was typically ‘THUNDER’ & ‘SHYBUC’, and again, ‘SHYBUC’s behavior never really changed. Always quite timid, slow to approach the corn, and always cautious while at the feed station.

Only occasionally would ‘SHYBUC’ act more like the other deer, normal and less nervous type behavior while feeding, but it was far and few in between.

As the hunting season carried on through the month of October and during the pre-rut period for the bucks, most all the bigger and more mature bucks showed up less often at the feed station for obvious reasons, and when they did show up, they would chow-down rather quickly, eating very fast, gulping down the corn and then back into the woods in a matter of a few minutes’ verses 20-30 minutes in the early summer months. Occasionally, they would hang longer in the middle of the night to catch up on their food intake, but ‘SHYBUC’s behavior pretty much remained consistent every time I either seen him on camera, or while afield from afar.

It wasn’t until I had an encounter with him just prior to the rut period, where he displayed a behavior, you would normally expect out any horny adult buck. He was rather calm, confident, appeared to be in control of the situation somewhat within the environment he was in at the time. I shared that encounter in the previous post.

My 2020/21 Deer Season journal has several videos and documentation of ‘SHYBUC’ as well, along all last year's videos are available on my YouTube channel - WildlifeOhio.

So, I gave ‘SHYBUC’ his name early last year because of his typical behavior that he displayed.
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Last deer hunting season, I had at least a half a dozen close encounters with him where if I wanted to shoot him with my bow, I could have easily a few times, but instead, I let him get the pass because I strongly believed that he was too young still and had the potential of being at least a more solid eight point the following season, however, to my absolute surprise, ‘SHYBUC’s antlers nearly double inches this year, now a typical 12, imagine that!

Once he showed up again after nearly being unseen by TCs, or being AWOL, for at least a month to a month in half, his antler growth went through the roof. His mainframe grew nearly straight out, adding two more points off the frames towards the front, a decent increase in mass all throughout, a little bit more of a spread, and slightly taller with regards to his whole rack. Body-wise, he pretty much remained the same other then perhaps a little more muscular and perhaps more muscle tone definition over last year.

Again, I believe he’s a 3 ½ year old, and there’s a pretty good chance that I have a TC capture of him from his previous younger years. I haven’t looked though, not just yet anyways.

The following video below are the most recent trail camera captures of ‘SHYBUC’, where you will see him in the late or early dark hours, and then again today, late morning daylight hours, shortly before I swapped out TC SD cards at the feed station this afternoon.

During both feedings, he was alone, which is his typical MO this year when he visits, nearly every time, perhaps always waiting when the others are done at the feed station or not busy, which honestly, there are only a few times throughout a 24-hour period where the feed station is not busy with wildlife this year. It’s been that way pretty much all year long this year, which I’m not going to complain at all. He spent a fair amount of time at the feed station each time he feed the last two times.

So, I hope you enjoy the video of these TC photograph & video captures of ‘SHYBUC’, which is made into a slideshow. All captures were put together in consecutive order by date and timestamp of the last couple of days. I also included a different soundtrack as well, which is an old rock-n-roll music classic. It’s only one song, so, I don’t consider the entire video too long at all.

If you like seeing Ohio bucks, then sit back, turn up the volume, and enjoy the view. This will be most likely my last video that I will publish to the public for awhile, for sure this time...

BTW, I have more bucks that shed their velvet over the last 48 hours, which includes a couple of the more mature bucks. I have several others still in velvet though.

Hope you y'all enjoy, take care!

 

[Wildlife]

I believe I'll be focusing on the other farm mainly early season. There's a couple that have sparked my interests.
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Video description:

Different farm part two where the two trail cameras captured over 6,000 photographs of wildlife within a week. This video is of mainly of the better bucks and a coyote. There were plenty of wild turkeys as well, however I did not include them within this video. I consider this farm my home grounds, a place I used to hunt regularly for deer over 10 years ago, and I will be hunting regularly early bow season for the first time since then.

 

[Wildlife]

4:10 p.m. Sunday - September 12, 2021 - 'DEER REPORT':

Real quick update on the local deer herd. First, all deer are doing really well. Most bucks have shed their velvet with the exception of about a half a dozen still out of many that I have that visit the feed station regularly/daily. Second, 'SHYBUC' did shed his velvet as well the other day and I cared to share just a couple of what I consider real cool photographs of him. Third, I have much more to share, however I have a birthday party to head out to, so I will following sometime tomorrow.

'SHYBUC' is the typical 12 point that is shedding his velvet in the morning hours. I have other captures of his total hard antlered that I will follow up later on. Gotta go! C-ya!