Mature Buck Travel Radius

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brancher147
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby brancher147 » Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:44 am

Jdw wrote:I think it depends on a lot of different factors. Type of terrain, deer density, buck to doe ratio, food availability, and the temperament of the individual buck.
In my experience the mature bucks travel less than younger age classes.


I agree it depends greatly on many factors. But I have seen mature bucks covering way more ground than young bucks in big woods mountains. I think it takes a buck 3+ years to figure out that the more ground he covers the more does he will find to breed, and to figure out where all those doe bedding areas are.


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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Mathewshooter » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:00 am

Lopedog699 wrote:Ive read this from several, sites ,books,and one of our biologists back in jersey that a bucks home range is around 600 acres. Anyone know if this is correct?


I think in general this may be correct but theres many factors that could change this. I would imagine that if there isnt a lot of does around a buck will travel further during the rut than if there are a bunch of does around. 600 acres is only one square mile. Ive seen bucks travel that far in 10 minutes during the rut. I watched a big 8 point chase a doe a few miles while driving down the road one year. I think that 600 acre home range is more of a non rut phase home range....kinda his core area so to speak
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Jdw » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:41 am

brancher147 wrote:
Jdw wrote:I think it depends on a lot of different factors. Type of terrain, deer density, buck to doe ratio, food availability, and the temperament of the individual buck.
In my experience the mature bucks travel less than younger age classes.


I agree it depends greatly on many factors. But I have seen mature bucks covering way more ground than young bucks in big woods mountains. I think it takes a buck 3+ years to figure out that the more ground he covers the more does he will find to breed, and to figure out where all those doe bedding areas are.


In the farm / hill country, where I do the most observation, I see 2.5 & 3.5 age classes doing most of the cursing. (There are good deer numbers and age structure here.) I have had several older bucks show up during the rut that I don't see any other time of year so they are traveling to get to the areas I hunt but for the most part I see their range shrink after 4.5-5.5 yo.

It makes sense that in areas where resources are more spread out it would cause the bucks to travel more.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby brancher147 » Fri Feb 16, 2018 4:10 am

Interesting. I also see most 2 and 3 year olds cruising, but they are cruising a pretty small area, and it is not uncommon to see them in the same area repeatedly over the rut, using the same trails etc. But the mature 4+ year olds are constantly moving into new areas and covering more ground looking for does. I don't necessarily see the mature bucks cruising (if I did they would be dead) but I do see them occasionally and also pick them up on trail cams in new areas miles apart and rarely do they come through more than once. So, the younger bucks may cover more ground, but it is the same ground, where as the mature bucks are maybe moving less but covering more distance from a center point. Just my observation...There are definitely a lot of variables...
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Rob loper » Fri Feb 16, 2018 5:57 am

Mathewshooter wrote:
Lopedog699 wrote:Ive read this from several, sites ,books,and one of our biologists back in jersey that a bucks home range is around 600 acres. Anyone know if this is correct?


I think in general this may be correct but theres many factors that could change this. I would imagine that if there isnt a lot of does around a buck will travel further during the rut than if there are a bunch of does around. 600 acres is only one square mile. Ive seen bucks travel that far in 10 minutes during the rut. I watched a big 8 point chase a doe a few miles while driving down the road one year. I think that 600 acre home range is more of a non rut phase home range....kinda his core area so to speak



Im sorry i meant to say core area.lmao
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Rob loper » Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:02 am

brancher147 wrote:Interesting. I also see most 2 and 3 year olds cruising, but they are cruising a pretty small area, and it is not uncommon to see them in the same area repeatedly over the rut, using the same trails etc. But the mature 4+ year olds are constantly moving into new areas and covering more ground looking for does. I don't necessarily see the mature bucks cruising (if I did they would be dead) but I do see them occasionally and also pick them up on trail cams in new areas miles apart and rarely do they come through more than once. So, the younger bucks may cover more ground, but it is the same ground, where as the mature bucks are maybe moving less but covering more distance from a center point. Just my observation...There are definitely a lot of variables...


Ive never seen a mature buck cruising. They have all been young bucks and subordinate buck 1-1/2-
2-1/2 years old thays it. But in all honesty ive think ive really only seen 1-2 mature bucks since ive been hunting 13 years i think its been since i started
But im hoping hunting beds will make that jump to higher sightings.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby <DK> » Fri Feb 16, 2018 10:16 am

This is a great topic of discussion!

Agreed on the factors listed so far and would like to add Pattern Shifts and Rut Circuits can some into play. Also, he mentioned Pre-Rut... Full Rut would be different observations.

I think a mature buck feels safer laying sign IN his core area or familiar area at least. Plus, most sign seems to be left more by younger deer anyways. This is why the sign in around beds is such a tough discussion.. Whenever I find a really good rub some where random & Does are near by - I pull up the map and draw a box around that point 1 square mile. Then focus on possible buck bedding locations. Even though he could be elsewhere, its a good starting point for me.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:08 pm

Lopedog699 wrote:Ive read this from several, sites ,books,and one of our biologists back in jersey that a bucks home range is around 600 acres. Anyone know if this is correct?

during rut its way bigger than that pre rut post rut sounds about right for young bucks mature bucks less than 50 a lot of time it all depends on type of woods and doe food sources.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:19 pm

I would focus on the biggest and best bedding more than anything things change every day and a older buck could take his place or a older buck could die someplace else and he could take that over instead during that time a lot of bucks leave there cores completely and rut in another location I have spots that I hunted when I was younger and sit and wait for that buck from year before to come back and it never happened then I realized the deer were the same age class every year and the bigger buck rutted a half mile away. still to this day the age class in that location hasn't changed. all that did it was a bigger doe pocket.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:28 pm

Lopedog699 wrote:
brancher147 wrote:Interesting. I also see most 2 and 3 year olds cruising, but they are cruising a pretty small area, and it is not uncommon to see them in the same area repeatedly over the rut, using the same trails etc. But the mature 4+ year olds are constantly moving into new areas and covering more ground looking for does. I don't necessarily see the mature bucks cruising (if I did they would be dead) but I do see them occasionally and also pick them up on trail cams in new areas miles apart and rarely do they come through more than once. So, the younger bucks may cover more ground, but it is the same ground, where as the mature bucks are maybe moving less but covering more distance from a center point. Just my observation...There are definitely a lot of variables...


Ive never seen a mature buck cruising. They have all been young bucks and subordinate buck 1-1/2-
2-1/2 years old thays it. But in all honesty ive think ive really only seen 1-2 mature bucks since ive been hunting 13 years i think its been since i started
But im hoping hunting beds will make that jump to higher sightings.
mature bucks don't move in daylight much they will during night and bed near other does the next day the only time you will see big bucks move in rut is if they are locked with a doe a good tactic is if you see a young buck locked on doe hunt that doe the next day the bucks will get bigger every day till she is bred.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby SplitG2 » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:45 pm

I love this topic and like most have said there's a lot that goes into how far one will travel during the rut. For years I've always wished some scientist would show up and wanna do a deer study on my deer. Tag 5 bucks from the age of 1 thru 5 and see where all they go in the month of November. It's a subject I like to think I know a lot about but really I don't know much. The only thing I know about it is the older age class bucks don't move far until that first big round has came in and out. The last 2 weeks historically have always been far better than the first 2 weeks of November to catch the old ones on their feet covering far more ground than they do in the first 2 weeks.

As for personal experience, the farthest I have ever seen a buck move during the rut was this year as I saw a buck on November 8th in one spot pinned down with a doe late at night 10 yards off the road. That spot was 9.3 road miles from my house and on the night of November 19th as I pulled in my driveway he was pinned down with a doe 10 yards off my driveway. Straight line miles I'd say was around 6.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Danny1977 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:09 am

Jonny wrote:You asked for pre-rut, but I think this will answer some of your questions.

But like already said, all depends on your location and the herd situation there. If there is an abundance of does, don't see a reason for them to move far. If its a total sausage party, they will move. Just like guys at a bar looking for chicks. If you walk in and its all guys, I leave. If I walk in and its all girls, I pump my fist and thank god cause I hit the lottery :lol:


Lol. Well put my friend. I can certainly relate from back in my younger single days. I'm no expert but I believe that we have a fair buck to doe ratio. Yet of course it's a very large acreage of open woods so I'm not exactly sure how that adds up
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Danny1977 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:10 am

Jonny wrote:You asked for pre-rut, but I think this will answer some of your questions.

But like already said, all depends on your location and the herd situation there. If there is an abundance of does, don't see a reason for them to move far. If its a total sausage party, they will move. Just like guys at a bar looking for chicks. If you walk in and its all guys, I leave. If I walk in and its all girls, I pump my fist and thank god cause I hit the lottery :lol:


Lol. Well put my friend. I can certainly relate from back in my younger single days. I'm no expert but I believe that we have a fair buck to doe ratio. Yet of course it's a very large acreage of open woods so I'm not exactly sure how that adds up
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Danny1977 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:17 am

PK_ wrote:Is he crossing a saddle or traveling a bench or running a top? What time of day?

Don’t draw a circle, just follow the elevation. Bucks generally travel during daylight at the same elevation that they Bed. I mean, not always and of course they travel up and down to get to different areas but they generally don’t start traveling that broad during day until rut and pic looks more like Oct?

I could be way off, tough to know without having more Intel but I agree with earlier post I would hunt right there on that date next fall likely the day on either side as well...


Correct. This was late Oct. The pic was taken fairly low in elevation which kind of caught me by surprise since I was under the impression that a mature buck would want to bed up high. Then come to find out that there's a fairly popular hiking trail up top which I would imagine would push him down farther due to pressure from all the hikers. Unless he beds up high but farther away and cruises down low? Perhaps some more scouting can tell.
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Re: Mature Buck Travel Radius

Unread postby Danny1977 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:29 am

Darkknight54 wrote:This is a great topic of discussion!

Agreed on the factors listed so far and would like to add Pattern Shifts and Rut Circuits can some into play. Also, he mentioned Pre-Rut... Full Rut would be different observations.

I think a mature buck feels safer laying sign IN his core area or familiar area at least. Plus, most sign seems to be left more by younger deer anyways. This is why the sign in around beds is such a tough discussion.. Whenever I find a really good rub some where random & Does are near by - I pull up the map and draw a box around that point 1 square mile. Then focus on possible buck bedding locations. Even though he could be elsewhere, its a good starting point for me.



This makes sense. I barely even know where to start looking for him lol. I was going to start with some points in the area. As I mentioned "pre-rut" I was mainly referring to the time they start scraping up until they are "in the sack" with a doe
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