Weekly Report from Italy Valley Co-Op

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NorthCountry Deer Report

Week #3

2011

This week we decided to change the name of our weekly report from “Dougherty Deer Report” to the “NorthCountry Deer Report”. Since starting the report 3 years ago, our circulation has grown dramatically and so has the volume of information we are getting from the field. We have effectively developed a highly qualified and informed network of deer watchers and while we gather our own data and document our own observations, the weekly report is informed by the observations of others as well. This not only keeps us honest, (as we strive to make sense of all the data) but leads to more rigorous reporting on our part.

Secondly, we want to reinforce the fact that our rut tracking and behavior reporting is based primarily north of the Mason Dixon. The rut tracks differently in many areas of the south and while the rut related behaviors remain the same, the dates and timing do not necessarily hold true. If you hunt in the south, you can take our behavior reports to the bank but our timing might not shake hands with yours.

Last week we observed 7 bucks 31 does and 21 fawns in 21 hrs. of stand sitting. This nets out to 2.8 deer observed per hr. of sitting. Of the bucks observed, slightly more than 50% were 2.5 or older. While our buck age structure appears to be on target, the buck to doe ratio is still uncertain. We expect that ratio to move in the right direction over the next few weeks as the bucks become more active but it looks as though we definitely need to be taking more does.

We normally don’t spend much time on kills but one doe kill this week was noteworthy. Craig arrowed a nice doe one evening and the group decided to have dinner before heading out with Radar to recover the deer. After a 100 yard tracking job Radar was on the deer but the coyotes had beaten him to her. A short 1-1.5 hrs. after dark and about 3 hrs. after she was shot.

Craig’s Outdoor Life coyote blog of a few weeks cautioned not to wait too long to recover deer in coyote country. Looks like we’ll be tracking evening shot deer on an empty stomach here at Kindred Spirits until our coyote population changes.

As far as rut related behavior goes, we are seeing it steadily ramp up. We are seeing young bucks starting to hang out on or near food sources and other doe gathering spots. The young bucks are often just staring at the does not sure how to respond to the testosterone pulsing through their bodies. As often as not, they do a “rush and flush” and send the does and fawns scurrying out of the plot and into the surrounding cover while they stand around looking stupid.

The older aged bucks on the other hand, know exactly they need to be doing with their new found energy. They are working licking branches, making scrapes and basically getting ready to accommodate the first receptive does of the breeding season. On the other hand, our mature bucks the ones we are really interested in, are still making themselves scarce during daylight hours and mainly showing up on camera at night.

As a sure sign of upcoming breeding, our buck groups have broken up and we seldom see 2 or more older bucks hanging out together. They have now gone to their respective corners and “ready to rumble” with any rival.

We have not yet observed much in the way of the “obsessive marching” (our best time to hunt older age bucks) by bucks so often associated with the pre breeding period of the rut. Nor have we observed any breeding specific behavior. In other words, ”everyone is measuring but nobody is hammering”.

Since early Sept. the testosterone level in northern bucks has doubled which effects not only breeding behavior but feeding as well. Bucks are no longer in their so called “summer feeding” pattern. In early September bucks adopted a feeding pattern which we refer to as the “fall chow down” to add body mass and muscle. Body mass is probably more important to a fighting buck than even antlers so it all makes sense that hardening and peeling antlers coupled with adding body mass (mostly muscle) is what a buck does prior to breeding. The “fall chow down” is ending now as the bucks are now in prime fighting condition and ready to begin to loose up to 25% of their body weight as they enter their month long breeding season. Two weeks ago we referred to “summer feeding patterns”. We should have referred to their feeding behavior as “chowing down” on fall foods as they are different behaviors.

Our does are still “familied up” in groups of 3-6 or so. They feed together and drive our doe-fawn sighting numbers up. When watching food sources it is difficult not to double or even triple count the does and fawns using a plot in a 3 hr. period of time. Shortly, the young buck pressure will intensify to the point to where many of the does start to abandon commonly used food sources in favor of areas where the young bucks aren’t waiting for their arrival. This drives our buck sighting numbers up and our doe sightings down. Watch for the buck to doe ratios to change during the next few weeks.

This week we expect to be seeing an uptick in older age buck sightings as the breeding time rapidly approaches. We will probably start taking some morning sits (we have hunted only evenings so far) later this week and into the weekend. We will also start staking out known buck travel routes in anticipation of more daylight activity of mature bucks. We wouldn’t use up all our vacation time just yet, but it might be a good time to get all the clutter off your desk.

The highlight of our week occurred last evening when one of our gang (Steve) had a sow and two cubs walk under his stand. Mama picked up his scent and started a regular fuss. Unable to locate the source of her discomfort she decided to stay put until she could sort it out. She stormed around and twice charged 20 yards or more to Steve’s tree in a “bluff charge”.

Before long the teeth popping whirling dervish roared “tree” and up went the cubs. Trouble was one of them went up the tree next to Steve and they were eyeball to eyeball at twenty feet. With things showing no signs of calming down and mama still looking for trouble our hunter roared a warning of his own which succeeded in getting the cub in the next tree to “abandon tree”. Trouble was, he no sooner hit the ground and mama gave the “I said tree!” command again. This time the cub chose Steve’s tree as a safe haven (for the cub, not Steve).

The cub was halfway up the tree when Steve had enough and let out a warning bellow of his own. Down went the cub and he and mama, having located the source of their concern, took off for safer pastures leaving the other cub up a nearby tree. The cub cried and bawled for 20 minutes before bailing out in search of mom.

Steve gathered up his gear and started for terra firma when he spied a fourth bear on his way in. Something about legal shooting hours and tracking a bear with a flashlight ended his report for the evening.

Keep the reports coming and get ready for some fun.

Best regards,

NorthCountry Whitetails

www.NorthCountryWhitetails.com