Bucks shift core areas for logical reasons. Once we understand the motivators we can more effectively find where they shifted to. Even more helpful, we can often predict when their shift will occur and where they’ll be shifting to, before they do. Here’s how.
This is Chapter 4 of Steve Bartylla’s free online book, Understanding Mature Bucks.
Now that the first 3 chapters have hopefully painted a pretty decent picture why mature bucks are a separate breed of animal, due to the unique circumstances we’ve covered that they endure, as well as filled in the blanks on home range and core area traits and tendencies, one would understand thinking we’re set to jump into sexier topics. My friends, I’m afraid this is as “sexy” as understanding Mr. Big gets, at least in my way of thinking.
There really isn’t any one thing I’ve ever found that transforms everything we once believed true about chasing Mr. Big. Instead, it’s a foundation of understanding what makes him, other deer, the habitat and all related circumstances tick. The more and better I understand deer, habitat, seasonal considerations and such the better I am at putting myself 20 yards away from an unwitting Mr. Big or provide that fawn with everything it needs to grow up to be a functional matriarch of her own eventual family group.
No, understanding home ranges or core areas alone won’t make it so you fill every buck tag with Mr. Big. That said, by combining that knowledge with understanding that most everything deer do is driven by their needs and wants (food, water, comfort, feeling of safety and breeding opportunities), you may be able to figure out at least a portion of his home range and where he’ll generally be within that home range at a specific time.
Now, let’s start looking at how we can predict his shifts. That begins with the understanding that Mr. Big’s favorite food is going to depend on a host of factors, including his nutritional needs at the moment (carbs and fats are great for both bulking up for the rut and recovering/maintaining over winter. Protein is important for body and antler growth, which occur over spring, summer and very early fall). That said, what’s available is the biggest. Even if a particular type of white oak acorn may indeed be the top choice, 365 days a year, they won’t be available all year long, if even available at all every year. Availability is obviously huge.
Next, every plant type deer eat that I can think of have growth stages that are more and less desirable. Want to know a tremendous browse draw in areas that offer them? Small, tender, actively growing aspen leaves are like pure candy to deer. Road kill stomach contents studies in Wisconsin revealed aspen leaves to be the top food utilized, for as long as they were available in the green and growing stage.
Want to get pictures of deer in areas where minerals or bait are illegal? Find a pile of aspen branches, teaming with small, tender, growing leafy browse. I’ve used that trick many, many times, including on the edges of truly thriving alfalfa fields. It’s a flat out amazing draw.
That is, until they start turning color or become overly large and mature. At those stages, the deer are going for the alfalfa every time. That is, until that alfalfa takes a handful of hard frosts and sours. At that point, virtually any preferred woody browse is going to be hit over the sour alfalfa. That is, until a thaw and a spurt of fresh alfalfa growth occurs, when the alfalfa turns back on again.
There’s no possible way for me to cover what the favorite food is on your ground at any one point of the year, but most of you sure can figure that out for yourself. How? By scouting and observing. If you pay attention out there, deer will really tell you every darn thing you need to know. They put on a wildlife bio class every time we see them. Take notes.
Pay particular attention to when deer start and stop hammering specific food sources. Note what else is and, as importantly, isn’t available at that time. Do that for a couple years and you won’t be wildly guessing or depending exclusively on cams to tell you when and where Mr. Big will be feeding. Instead, you’ll have a highly educated guess, based on history.
There’s an old saying. A variation goes, “Those that don’t know history are doomed to repeat its mistakes.” There’s a tremendous amount of truth to that in most all aspects of life, hunting most certainly included, as it applies to historic deer usage patterns on that dirt. At the same time, those that know it can very effectively anticipate where Mr. Big will be feeding and, at least generally speaking, when. I can tell you I’ve used that approach to put a bunch of tags on bucks that cams hadn’t yet tipped me to their shifting to new food sources. I was there waiting for them, merely based on understanding food source desirability, availabilities and historic feeding patterns and timing. You don’t need a BS in wildlife bio to pull it off. You just need to pay attention in class (hunting and scouting).
Read Chapter 1: Whitetail Tendencies
Read Chapter 2: Whitetail Home Ranges
Read Chapter 3: How Deer Use Core Areas
