early season buck habitat

[OldNewbie]

Bucks travel several miles per day during the rut, right? but most of bow season (say the month of October) is pre-rut, so do the bucks stay in a much smaller area? 

Where I've been scouting and planning to hunt, I see deer sign (pellets) but no old buck rubs. And no bucks on my trail cams, just does and fawns. Does this mean its unlikely I'll see a buck in those places in October?  And if that's so, what sort of habitat should I be looking for instead?

I'm just trying to get started, I have no prior bow hunting experience and knowledge to draw on. 

 

 

 

[regulat0r]

There are many ways to answer your question and I could probably write a novel but I'll keep it short. My philosophy has always been.."If you want to find a buck, find the does"  This is true for 2 reasons. 1- Does seem to be most interested in food early season. Bucks too will be interested in food as well as starting to get curious about their female friends. Of course as the rut nears, bucks will be more interested in does and it is still a good plan to locate them. The travel corridors/funnels between bedding and feeding areas are a great spot to focus on if you are trying to find any deer. Remember, bow hunting is all about how close you can get to the deer. A great buck that is 70 yards away is useless during bow season (as opposed to gun season). When I am choosing a stand location, I ask myself..."Why would  a deer walk 20 yards from this very spot?" If I cant come up with 1 or 2 good reasons, its probably not a good spot to put  a stand...

[G-Man]

Early season is food.. for all deer.. though bucks will hang back and enter fields last.. a field edge is a nice place to see deer, usually to far away for a bow shot. Your better off moving into the woods 30 to 50 yards and set up on entrance trails and where you see old rubs these spots are active all bow season. Field edge maybe 1st week or so till deer get spooked off by road hunters,spotters, entering and leaving stands.. 

[stoneam2006]

I also believe food but another thing to consider is bedding as its warmer out so may get to bed earlier and stay later so by the time they get to the field it may be after legal light. Don't want to spook them outta bed but want to be close enough that if they get up late they still may make it to you before the days over.

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[growalot]

Buck start breaking up and moving from their Bachalor summer homes in Sept and it continues through rut. At first you'll see groups of a few and then as time and hormones increase,sparing become fighting the group's break. After that it's normally single seeking matures buck or that with a young buck in tow. Sometimes a just a few small young ones together. They are looking for new digs and that is where the doe are. Many times I've said I do not like seeing the big boys on my place during summer for they tend to push off the doe...then leave looking for them in the fall.I want the doe here so this is where they come looking for them.

Edited August 12, 2016 by growalot

[OldNewbie]

Thanks.

[dbHunterNY]

bucks and properties are different.  some home bodies and others we'll find out get shot miles away.  better at least have water, food, cover, and doe that call the place home.

[dbHunterNY]

I try not to worry at all about if I have bucks in the summer.  once September and hard antler rolls around start to be concerned about stuff if warranted.