High Noon bucks

[PredatorTC]

Does Any one Know what exactly is meant by the term "High Noon Bucks"

I can think of three occasions where i have gotten mature bucks on trail camera that were all taken about noon. Two of them were 3.5 year olds and the other was a 4.5. One was taken of a buck leaving his bedding area in December. Another was taken of a buck heading down to a bedding area during the rut. And the last one was taken of a buck heading to his bedding area in August. The terrain is woods and swamp.

Why do the deer do this? Are they kicked up by predators? Would the wind switch make them do this during the middle of the day?

Has anyone ever taken a high noon buck that was not during the rut?

[Spysar]

I shot this buck last year, literally right at noon. At about 11:30 I saw two bucks on the ridge next to me. They were making noises I've never heard. I know it was some version of a snort weeze. The bucks had a little pissing match from what I could see. I started grunting in their direction. The buck I shot came slowly off the adjacent ridge, and slowly worked my way. Several series of grunts later, he was 20 yards from me, and the rest is history. The date was Nov 21st, 2009. Look up what the moon was doing that day, I didn't check. I've shot other bucks at various times, but that is one I remember getting right at noon.

[Indianahunter]

off topic, but what a beautiful deer congrats Spysar!!!!!

[dan]

A deers digestive system works non-stop twenty-four hours a day. A breakdown in this process for even a few hours can result in a potentially deadly situation for a ruminant. In order for a deer to continue the digestive process it is critical to maintain the microbial balance in the rumen. That is the primary reason that you will almost never find a ruminants stomach completely empty. Since most vegetation moves through a ruminants digestive track in 11-12 hours, deer need to eat about every six hours. The balance of the time is spent between chewing their cud and resting.

[Boo]

Very interseting Dan. I didn't know that!

[PLB]

A deer has 5 feeding periods in a 24 hour span. Dawn,MIDDAY, dusk, and twice at night.

[Zap]

I shot this buck last year, literally right at noon. At about 11:30 I saw two bucks on the ridge next to me. They were making noises I've never heard. I know it was some version of a snort weeze. The bucks had a little pissing match from what I could see. I started grunting in their direction. The buck I shot came slowly off the adjacent ridge, and slowly worked my way. Several series of grunts later, he was 20 yards from me, and the rest is history. The date was Nov 21st, 2009. Look up what the moon was doing that day, I didn't check. I've shot other bucks at various times, but that is one I remember getting right at noon.

Waxing crescent moon phase.

marty

[Spysar]

I shot this buck last year, literally right at noon. At about 11:30 I saw two bucks on the ridge next to me. They were making noises I've never heard. I know it was some version of a snort weeze. The bucks had a little pissing match from what I could see. I started grunting in their direction. The buck I shot came slowly off the adjacent ridge, and slowly worked my way. Several series of grunts later, he was 20 yards from me, and the rest is history. The date was Nov 21st, 2009. Look up what the moon was doing that day, I didn't check. I've shot other bucks at various times, but that is one I remember getting right at noon.

Waxing crescent moon phase.

marty

And what did it say about deer movement that day?

[dan]

A deers digestive system works non-stop twenty-four hours a day. A breakdown in this process for even a few hours can result in a potentially deadly situation for a ruminant. In order for a deer to continue the digestive process it is critical to maintain the microbial balance in the rumen. That is the primary reason that you will almost never find a ruminants stomach completely empty. Since most vegetation moves through a ruminants digestive track in 11-12 hours, deer need to eat about every six hours. The balance of the time is spent between chewing their cud and resting.

This is why I believe there is no such thing as a nocturnal buck.. I have seen mature bucks that don't leave there safety zone in daylight. But they still get up and feed and stage.
My observations have convinced me that deer feed in the night and are very satisfied in the morning and mature bucks tend to arrive back at there beds before daylight. They may rise and feed on browse around there bed, but unless there is a great food source right there ( like acorns ) They will be just itching to get out and feed in the afternoon/evening.
Most of the bucks I have watched in there bedding area seem to be up and moving around an hour or more before dark. When they stage they appear to be at a lack patience waiting for dark to move out and feed on the better food.

[PredatorTC]

Very interesting!! Thanks! This also explains why if the deer gets a late start because of weather, they will pry be back to there bed later. Very interesting!!

[BackWoodsHunter]

So is the NEED to feed a guarantee? It would seem like if you could pattern a buck and find his bed, get in there well before daylight and set up where he can't smell you, and sit all day he would be an easy target once he stands up to browse? Obviously the above is all extremely difficult but they really can't sit all day without getting up to browse and feed??

[dreaming bucks]

According to Jeff Murray's moon chart book.... a lot of time, deer are on their feet when the moon is directly overhead, or underfoot.. This is called the moon transit.... When I looked up Spy's kill time for Nov 21st, it says that the moon transit for Nov 22nd was 12:11 A.M....... For whatever reason it won't give me the transit time for the 21st. It says something refer to the following day or something.. Not sure if it has something to do with it being a full moon or what ? But anyway, the 20th was at like 11:22 A.M and the 22nd was at 12:11 A.M..... According to his book the deer are moving right at the moon transit time, or like 12:30 hrs later... So that would put Spy's kill time right in the perfect moon transit time...... I don't know, just saying....

[dan]

So is the NEED to feed a guarantee? It would seem like if you could pattern a buck and find his bed, get in there well before daylight and set up where he can't smell you, and sit all day he would be an easy target once he stands up to browse? Obviously the above is all extremely difficult but they really can't sit all day without getting up to browse and feed??

I wouldn't call it a guarantee... I think bucks in most cases unless they recieve very light pressure bed all day but might get up midday and feed in there bedding area ( more like snack) on the right moon, or with a lack of pressure. But, I do think by the time the evening comes around and they are very hungery they get up early... I used to think they had to eat every 6 hours based on some reports I read, but after seeing and reading some studys, and thinking about my observations over the years, I now believe that they can stay bedded for more than 6 hours. However, they are designed to eat every 6 hours. Probably a good reason why you see so many mature bucks out in daylight in the summer when the days are so long...

[BackWoodsHunter]

However, they are designed to eat every 6 hours. Probably a good reason why you see so many mature bucks out in daylight in the summer when the days are so long...

Ah that makes sense interesting how it all ties together...

[Buckfever]

All the bucks that I've seen midday unfortunately I've been tagged out on, but every one was scent checking scrapes late rut.