Buck Movement: Why still at night??

[Justin Falon]

I am hunting in a prime area. I've got dozens of images of bucks. It's the 3rd week of November. I have yet to see a buck in the daylight. Why is this???????????

justin

[RedShaft]

Hunting Pressure?

To warm day time temps?

[Knawbone]

Are your trail cam pics of bucks during the day? Are they being pressured? Are there Does where your hunting?

 You may be in an area where bucks like to hang out, but they will leave if there are not enough does in the area. If this is the case, they should return post rut.

[Justin Falon]

Knawbone I think you are correct. I have only seen 2 does all summer/fall. Last year 2012 when I started using trail cameras I got loads of pics during December. Some at night some daytime.

I am surprised that there are so many bucks in this area. Guess I am going to have to keep waiting!

There is no pressure in this area. I have 120 acres to myself and it is SURROUNDED by CRP and crop fields which also receive next to no pressure.

justin

[VictoryHunter]

My first though is also that it's too warm.

[Jake Fr]

The moon sure dont help much either

[Justin Falon]

It has been around 25 degrees in the morning warming to nearly 50 at times. Full moon the last few days. The strange thing is that I got all kinds of big bucks on camera all around the property. No matter where I put the camera, I just train it on Smokeys deer lure on a branch and within 24 hours I've got a big buck on the camera. Yet, I have not seen one buck in daylight any of the times I've been hunting. I've only been out about 5 times so far.  Just puzzling. The does stay around the trees surrounding the farm place. I think I will focus on attention there.

[Friend]

Would be quite difficult to provide you a precise antidote.

One farm which I hunted yielded a log of 75 occurrences of does w/I bow range...not one buck had even been sighted. A 162 P&Y buck finally showed and  I failed to capitalize...my buddy didn't fail two days later. After that weekend, the bucks started showing up routinely.

Also, hunted a 150 acre farm for many seasons...doe numbers were fair and buck sightings were low...doe numbers visibly increased and concentrated at certain locations as the rut approached...buck number sighting sky rocketed...ended in the future saving this area for the rut....

Pursuing doe current activity areas has been productive in many seasons...Just one possible option.

[Justin Falon]

Interestingly, the bucks I have on camera are LARGE. Last year, they came more in early December through about the 12th. More daytime images then too.

[onewhohasfun]

If you have standing corn within a mile or two it could be the difference. Rut or no rut the big boys don't chase like the smaller bucks do. Once the leaves are down corn gives the most security and they seldom leave it during daylight. Try and be there when the harvester is crushing corn.

[ISP 5353]

Originally posted by onewhohasfun:
If you have standing corn within a mile or two it could be the difference. Rut or no rut the big boys don't chase like the smaller bucks do. Once the leaves are down corn gives the most security and they seldom leave it during daylight. Try and be there when the harvester is crushing corn.

I completely agree.  Standing corn in the area can really hold deer.  Most of the buck activity I have seen lately has been at first or last light.  There have been some small and medium sized bucks pushing does during daylight hours here.

[Don Stokes]

Another theory based on my observations in MO, with three cameras. I think the rut activity peaked two weeks ago, and I was getting daylight pictures of big bucks cruising. Since then all the BIG buck pictures have been at night, and only small bucks passed my stand. This area has the best buck/doe ratio I've ever seen in a hunted population, no more than 1/2. Even with that many bucks I get no daytime pictures right now. I'm betting they'll be cruising in daylight after the gun season is over on the 26th. In MO you can't bowhunt in gun season without buying another $225 license (nonres)so I went back to MS so I wouldn't have to quit hunting. I'll go back to MO after Thanksgiving and I'll have all the prime hunting to myself...

[Mint]

I feel your pain.

 I put out a camera at the end of october and got some pictures of two nice bucks in the day time. Then the "rut hunters" came, and I was surrounded by 4 or 5 guys all within a few hundred yards of me.

 They shot some does and forkhorns and i haven't seen a deer since during the daytime in that spot.

They should be gone in a week since these guys only hunt the rut after they dust off the compound each year.

I'm hoping that he comes back before the season is over at the end of December.

Just a fact of life hunting long island public ground each year.

[Justin Falon]

The interesting thing to me is that this area gets no pressure. There are no other hunters, there is LOTS of cover, LOTS of food, etc.  I have hunted the past 5 weekends and no luck.

Maybe cold weather will help or late season. I feel like I am doing everything right. Maybe just DON'T GIVE UP!???

Thanks for all the replies!!!

[Mint]

If there is no pressure then it is either food or does and i'll bet it is because of the lack of does.

[jonsimoneau]

It has been a strange year for sure. Around here it just started looking like November a couple of days ago! I have seen just a few bucks and only one nice one. Unfortunately I hit him in the shoulder and have been unable to recover him despite the use of a tracking dog. Many guys I have spoken too have experienced the similar things to what you are seeing.

[jonsimoneau]

It has been a strange year for sure. Around here it just started looking like November a couple of days ago! I have seen just a few bucks and only one nice one. Unfortunately I hit him in the shoulder and have been unable to recover him despite the use of a tracking dog. Many guys I have spoken too have experienced the similar things to what you are seeing.

[Terry Green]

Based on the moon right now...I'd hunt through lunch.  The full moon during the rut always has yielded me more action from 9 - 1

[Knawbone]

Justin, just a suggestion, but if you can, hunt elsewhere until after the rut. Those big boys will come home when their done spreading their seed. If the area is mostly thick then it is probably prime bedding area. Big hunt wise bucks won't tolerate too much human scent in their bedroom. Try to keep your impact on the land as minimal as possible. If there are good food sources within safe reach, those bucks will be back to feed and recuperate after the rut. If they feel relaxed enough, there is no reason you shouldn't see them during the day at least browsing. Best of luck to you, nail a big one for me!

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Justin I'd wager the bucks you are interested in are doe'd up in the heavy cover (CRP, standing corn if there is any) right now.  The REAL breeding doesn't involve much chasing, and a mature buck with a standing doe will often not cover much ground at all for a couple days at a time.

Have faith - during the rut hunt the does and you'll kill bucks.  

Keep in mind too that ALL of the time MOST of the deer movement is at night.  Always.  Just during the rut a LITTLE more is during the day.  I hate cameras for these reasons - shows the reality of day vs night movement and so many deer come close and never have their pictures taken for so many reasons.  They are great for summer on mineral or something like that, but I don't depend on them for anything during hunting season.

R