What makes just the bucks disappear?

[RangerClay]

I have 22 acres behind my house in Jefferson county in the northern zone. I have owned it for 12 years and have put trail cameras out for the last 8 years.

Since I started putting out trail cameras I have always captured 1 or 2 bucks every year. Never any B&C bucks but spikes and crotch horns. I think the largest buck captured on camera was a 5 point. However last year was different. Not a single buck on camera. No buck sign on the property. Plenty of does and fawns but no bucks. Finally a spike showed up on camera in later November but by then I was hunting the southern tier and had filled my buck tag.

Fast forward to now. No bucks on camera this year either and no buck sign on the property. Plenty of does and fawns coming and going through my food plot. I have racked my brain for an explanation why the bucks have gone but I am out of ideas. Nothing on the property has changed. Have any of you ever experienced this? It is really starting to bother me.

Edited September 30, 2011 by RangerClay

[WNYBuckHunter]

8 cameras on only 22 acres? How often are you checking them? Sounds to me like you might be putting too much pressure on the property. Either that or one of your neighbors may have started putting in food plots nearby, pulling some of the deer away from your property.

[BizCT]

what is your 22 acres of land made up of? Maybe your lacking a solid food source than be easily found close by?

[steve863]

So it sounds like you haven't even had a shot at a buck during the hunting season for the last 8 years on your property if you aren't getting pictures of them?? Gosh, I'd be pretty disappointed if it was me in your shoes. You'd think a buck should have shown itself somewhere in that time frame, especially since does have been seen.

[RangerClay]

8 cameras on only 22 acres? How often are you checking them? Sounds to me like you might be putting too much pressure on the property. Either that or one of your neighbors may have started putting in food plots nearby, pulling some of the deer away from your property.

You need to read more slowly!!

[RangerClay]

what is your 22 acres of land made up of? Maybe your lacking a solid food source than be easily found close by?

It is a really unique I have spruce & pine on one part, an old apple orchard on another part, but it is mostly hickory with some maple and ash. There is food and a ton of cover.

To answer the other question, no I have not killed a buck on it yet. Plenty of does to fill the freezer. I primarily bow hunt it then kill my bucks when I go to the southern tier. I have had bucks within range once or twice but have never had them turn broadside. But I would really like to kill my first buck on the property.

[landtracdeerhunter]

Seems like Jefferson has good numbers in buck harvest/town. 3157 buck total, last years est.. Do the does with young ones chase the bucks out? Maybe the cameras aren't in the right spots.

[BUCKrub91]

You can try setting out some deer blocks in the spring, and summer when hunting season is over. That will bring some deer in to your cameras. When we had 7 acres of land in Indiana I put a mineral block in a rotting stump out in the woods, the deer didn't just eat the block, but they ate the hole stump and some of the dirt around it.

[BizCT]

Regardless of trail cameras Im surprised you have never seen a buck bigger than a 5? Many people dont use trail cameras, but if your putting your time in hunting the correct way, I just find it hard to believe you havent seen a 6 or 8 pointer in 8 years.....?

[steve863]

OK, so if you have seen bucks within range during hunting season, it doesn't sound likes it's as bad as your making it out to be. It's only a matter of time then And if you really want to put one down, pick up a gun. I'm sure you'd get one.

[steve863]

Regardless of trail cameras Im surprised you have never seen a buck bigger than a 5? Many people dont use trail cameras, but if your putting your time in hunting the correct way, I just find it hard to believe you havent seen a 6 or 8 pointer in 8 years.....?

Well, not seeing a 6 or an 8 pointer in 8 years surely IS possible in many places around the state. I think hunting in a place like Putnam where you hunt is not an example of what it's like for everyone out there. Go to some deep mountainous regions of the Catskills and Adirondacks and it is VERY possible.

[RangerClay]

OK, so if you have seen bucks within range during hunting season, it doesn't sound likes it's as bad as your making it out to be. It's only a matter of time then And if you really want to put one down, pick up a gun. I'm sure you'd get one.

Yes I've seen a couple within bow range and I could have killed one or two with a gun years ago but this is now and no bucks at all. I think you are straying from the topic.

[burmjohn]

You can try setting out some deer blocks in the spring, and summer when hunting season is over. That will bring some deer in to your cameras. When we had 7 acres of land in Indiana I put a mineral block in a rotting stump out in the woods, the deer didn't just eat the block, but they ate the hole stump and some of the dirt around it.

FYI - Its illegal any time of the year.

[steve863]

I think you are straying from the topic.

Well, maybe I am, but if you even have food plots and see plenty of does and fawns, I don't know if anyone will be able to give you a definitive answer to why there are no bucks around. I think in such an environment there should be some around. I hunt a place that is 180 acres and mountainous, with NO food plots and doesn't exactly hold many deer at all, and I have NO cameras on it at all to monitor it, yet I still manage to see at least one buck almost every year in the limited time I spend up there and even have killed one the past 7 seasons straight and a good many others in the years before that although I do predominately hunt with a gun. In general I really don't see too many deer on this property at all. In my opinion I think your setting is better than mine, so why there are no bucks around on yours is surely a BIG mystery.

Edited September 30, 2011 by steve863

[BUCKrub91]

FYI - Its illegal any time of the year.

Oh forgot I live in a Libtard state now thnx for the heads up

[BizCT]

Well, maybe I am, but if you even have food plots and see plenty of does and fawns, I don't know if anyone will be able to give you a definitive answer to why there are no bucks around. I think in such an environment there should be some around. I hunt a place that is 180 acres and mountainous, with NO food plots and doesn't exactly hold many deer at all, and I have NO cameras on it at all to monitor it, yet I still manage to see at least one buck almost every year in the limited time I spend up there and even have killed one the past 7 seasons straight and a good many others in the years before that although I do predominately hunt with a gun. In general I really don't see too many deer on this property at all. In my opinion I think your setting is better than mine, so why there are no bucks around on yours is surely a BIG mystery.

I have to agree. I hunt on 8 acres in Putnam County, no food plots, etc. I dont see many deer each year, mostly does, but either my father or I usually get a buck every single year, lots of small bucks, but some 6,7,8,9's

[Jennifer]

Oh forgot I live in a Libtard state now thnx for the heads up

To be fair, this law is mostly to help prevent Chronic Wasting Disease, which I think we can all agree is not something we want in our deer population.

[G-Man]

you say nothings changed in 12 years? i guarentee that your woods have grown some espially ash(fast growing)... bucks like thick cover!! if you can see more than 50 yards its to open. I hear it a lot especially from older hunters who have hunted the same spot for 20 years... I use to see tons of deer now i don't dame guys shot all the does/bucks... truth is the brushy draw they use to hunt has matured and has become more open, the deer are now crossing 100 yrds away in a managed woodland. When easily visiable older deer especially buck will find a thicker less disturbed area to bed in. During the rut a doe will get sick of being harassed and head for thick cover to hide from the wanton ways of a buck after her. During the actualy breeding phase a buck will try to keep his doe in thick cover away from other mararuding bucks! I do some kind of timbermanagement every 5-10 years weather it is lumber removal or firewood removal. yes woods grow that fast!! it may not seem it to you seeing it everyday. Ex... 3 years ago i had 10 acres of redpine removed.(the limbs had died back to 20-30 feet off the ground and covered the forest floor with pine needles) its now saplings or hard wood and pine 1-4' tall lots of browse for deer, lots of top piles to hide in for bear! before i could see 100 yrds thru the woods now i can see 20 ft ! I am now in the process of removing ash and hop-hormbeam(ironwood) anong with less desirable crotched and split hardwood timber, off of 30 acres. I replant with oak,cherry,chestnut, make a small food plot on the loggin roads, or a small orchard on a edge of a opening. UNless you give game a reason to be there during the day, and give them some privacy you will never see what you want. Keep your cameras in easy access area's if your going to check them(roadway edge for example) or only check them once a month. A few cams on 22 acres is a lot i run 10 cameras on 274...

Edited September 30, 2011 by G-Man

[burmjohn]

He isnt running 8 camera's

I have owned it for 12 years and have put trail cameras out for the last 8 years.

[steve863]

I don't know G-Man, I would think some of the fawns that do frequent his food plot were bucks. You would think some of them would be showing up the next year as spikes or small racked bucks. Maybe big bucks can do disappearing acts, but the young bucks are many times less wary than does. To me it simply doesn't make sense that there are no bucks to be seen in an area that sees plenty of does and fawns. Where there is does, sooner or later a buck will be seen.

[Dave]

To be fair, this law is mostly to help prevent Chronic Wasting Disease, which I think we can all agree is not something we want in our deer population.

Just remember the CWD started in deer that were confined, not wild deer. So now we can't feed the deer. How about closing down those places confining deer, for what ever reason they have them to begin with.

[G-Man]

My place was like that in 93'... lots of does..a small buck now and then. Lots of hunters around. A old doe group will chase out young bucks to keep food to themselves, we try to shoot any doe with twin fawns especially if twin b-bucks. this increased the number of sm.bucks seen the next year as momma wasn't there to chase them off in spring. i can have 10-15 yearling buck in residence every year doing this untill they dispurse in fall . Fact is if no thick cover to hide in and remain undisturbed a two year old will not be there... I large doe group made of greatt grandmothers to this years young doe are a force for any buck to recon with (would you want to be the only guy in a room full of nasty women). old does are nasty. yes the buck will show up to breed them but where is he finding them..a does home range is a lot bigger than 22 acres. so they pick up their doe and run them into thick cover on the neighbors property. Every property is different, to mantain your population that reside on your property habitat and i mean all habitat must be managed, food plots are great..but how many deer do you see standing in the middle of a 20 acre clover field?? In the mid west the deer are in the thick creek bottoms coming to the fields at dusk dawn to feed. So he has apples and a food plot ..the doe will keep these to themselves especially if the bucks have thick cover next to their own food source. I only have his discription of his property to work with..what are his neighbors property's like what are they seeing how much hunting pressure/human intrusion is there.. My best answer is make your property thick as possible, hunt the edges, minimize intrusion(walking the dog/checking cameras).Remove doe!!! Everything changes in time esp when you are talking a decade plus!! just check arial photos they are taken every 5 years or so and compare....

[WNYBuckHunter]

Just remember the CWD started in deer that were confined, not wild deer. So now we can't feed the deer. How about closing down those places confining deer, for what ever reason they have them to begin with.

It wouldnt make sense to close down deer farms. There were what? 2 deer found with CWD in NY? How many deer farms are there? Id have to say the statistics say that CWD is extremely rare, even in captive deer its not that common. That would be like saying that because of the mad cow cases years ago, they should outlaw cows.

[WNYBuckHunter]

You need to read more slowly!!

My bad. Even so, maybe you are just putting too much pressure on the property?

[nyantler]

I have 22 acres behind my house in Jefferson county in the northern zone. I have owned it for 12 years and have put trail cameras out for the last 8 years.

Since I started putting out trail cameras I have always captured 1 or 2 bucks every year. Never any B&C bucks but spikes and crotch horns. I think the largest buck captured on camera was a 5 point. However last year was different. Not a single buck on camera. No buck sign on the property. Plenty of does and fawns but no bucks. Finally a spike showed up on camera in later November but by then I was hunting the southern tier and had filled my buck tag.

Fast forward to now. No bucks on camera this year either and no buck sign on the property. Plenty of does and fawns coming and going through my food plot. I have racked my brain for an explanation why the bucks have gone but I am out of ideas. Nothing on the property has changed. Have any of you ever experienced this? It is really starting to bother me.

22 acres is like a postage stamp to a deer... if you are seeing does and fawns you should be seeing bucks.. at the very least during the rut when bucks are most active... my guess is that you don't have you cameras in good buck areas and you might not be hunting in a place where bucks feel safe. Also the surrounding properties may be harvesting an abundant amount of small bucks making it hard formore mature bucks to take hold in that area.

Where there are does there will ALWAYS be bucks... otherwise you wouldn't be seeing fawns. I have hunted property where the hunter/landowner made the same claim as you and I found a buck within a few hours and saw three bucks that day.. granted they were smaller bucks but still bucks that the landowner said weren't there.