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How far?
Oct 31, 2017 21:30:07 GMT -5
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Post by firstwd on Oct 31, 2017 21:30:07 GMT -5
Just how far do deer travel, or in better perspective, just how much land do you hunt by sitting on the land you have permission to be on?
I have always known that the farm I have is the connection between three large wood tracts. I realize that the majority of the deer we have a chance at spend most of their time on other property. But the questions remain, just how much other ground do I hunt because those deer travel and how far do the travel?
The reason I ask has everything to do with a picture a friend from work showed me today. His land is about a mile and a half straight line from me and just over 2 miles if you follow the "V" through the valley. This deer is massive and impossible to count all the points in the picture. Mainframe 12 with 7 plus flyers on the right side alone. I couldn't count the left side stickers. I haven't the slightest idea what kind of score he'll end up with, but I've seen 180"+ deer in person and this thing immediately got my attention. Now, the character will probably suck the net score down a bunch, but holy crap.
My hunting group will give me a good amount of crap, because every "little" guy will be getting a pass this year, but I think I have to hold out for a monster until I hear this one has fallen. Unless a very tight lipped poacher gets him, everybody in the county will know when this deer is killed.
How far will a deer travel, and will he possibly pass my stand while I'm in it? Only time will tell.
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Post by deerhunter23 on Oct 31, 2017 22:16:45 GMT -5
A hunter that hunts a farm just south a half mile or so from a farm I hunt killed a 170+ last year. I heard him shoot that morning. Come to find out, another local hunter had a pic of this very same buck on his cam 12 hours beforehand. His cam was almost 2 miles away, straight line.
I'd say they'll travel as far as the search for love or a doe will take them!
Good luck on your quest buddy.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Nov 1, 2017 4:45:56 GMT -5
I’d say it’s within reason he could come by. Just takes that one hot doe this time of year.
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How far?
Nov 1, 2017 5:04:02 GMT -5
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Post by treetop on Nov 1, 2017 5:04:02 GMT -5
It seems somewhere on here there was a post about a deers life they had a collar on it and if I recall that buck went around 5 miles during the rut. I could be wrong but that sticks in my mind.
What I do know for sure I had photos of a deer at moms house and my friends friend had photos of the same deer a touch over three miles away I saw them and I know it was the same deer due to the odd rack.
This could be because mom lives 1 mile from OH And the buck felt pressure here and moved on there season is different than ours don't know but that buck moved back and forth I'd get photos than none and he'd get them for a day or two than none could have been does in heat don't know.
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How far?
Nov 1, 2017 5:17:43 GMT -5
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Post by M4Madness on Nov 1, 2017 5:17:43 GMT -5
I had pre-season trail camera footage of a buck for at least 3 years straight on a particular farm. I passed on a 12-yard shot on him the first week of October in 2012 1.5 miles from the camera (straight line Google Earth) and killed him the next year the first week of October 1.1 miles from the camera. And this was before any sort of rut seeking phase.
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How far?
Nov 1, 2017 5:42:05 GMT -5
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Post by ukwil on Nov 1, 2017 5:42:05 GMT -5
My Cousin killed a very distinct 8 point a few years ago that a guy we work with seen on his farm. The farm was over 4 miles away and across the whitewater river. Just goes to show how far they'll travel
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How far?
Nov 1, 2017 6:11:45 GMT -5
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Post by antiwheeze on Nov 1, 2017 6:11:45 GMT -5
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Post by 10point on Nov 1, 2017 7:01:17 GMT -5
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Post by swilk on Nov 1, 2017 7:08:10 GMT -5
Ill be the dissenting voice here ..... youre likely to be disappointed. If you are okay with that then by all means hold out for him but chances are you will never see him let alone kill him. And its not because killing a single targeted buck is impossible or anything like that .... its because he calls a place nearly two miles away home. But like Lloyd said to Mary ....
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Post by freedomhunter on Nov 1, 2017 8:18:01 GMT -5
Your chances go down every day starting now, and they can go miles
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Post by firstwd on Nov 1, 2017 8:27:29 GMT -5
Ill be the dissenting voice here ..... youre likely to be disappointed. If you are okay with that then by all means hold out for him but chances are you will never see him let alone kill him. And its not because killing a single targeted buck is impossible or anything like that .... its because he calls a place nearly two miles away home. But like Lloyd said to Mary .... Absolutely. I realize that me being the one to kill him has a tiny chance to actually happen. But I also know I will have no problem letting small and borderline deer walk right on by this year. Trust me, if one of the other bruisers gives me a clean chance then my buddies monster has no worries from me. My biggest fear right now is poachers.
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Post by Boilermaker on Nov 1, 2017 11:41:42 GMT -5
I'd say there could be a chance? But I wouldn't even consider myself a novice in the deer hunting world.
I do know last year I had a GREAT deer on my camera, then got a cell phone picture of him 2 weeks later from another hunter who buddy had shot him just over a mile away (if you follow the creek the deer were traveling) on the first Monday of gun season.
I've spent more time bow hunting this year for that very reason!
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Post by tynimiller on Nov 1, 2017 12:04:47 GMT -5
Each deer is different...some are more home boys others will travel and do so frequently. MSU deer labs podcast discusses great aspects of dispersal.
Over the years I've learned to not hold out for the non-homeboys but hold hope for them...they are just flat out tough to predict unless you begin to see a true tendency over a few years.
Example of this is a 160+ (was one time 180+) buck that comes through our one property Mid-December nearly every single year....a neighboring hunter that hunts a property about .5 mile away sees the same thing but about a month prior every year...neither of us know where he calls home but do know there is a "chance" only in those week or so windows each year at em.
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Post by boonechaser on Nov 1, 2017 12:18:50 GMT -5
Personally I think it is all dependent on your area. I've killed several bucks that I've seen grow from youngsters to mature including finding multiple sets of sheds on farm. If your area provide's security cover, lots food ,water, and plenty doe's they have very little reason to venture far. Neighbor just killed a 180" buck last weekend. I've got trailcam pic's of him as a 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and he has last year's shed as 5.5 yr old. Actually killed couple hundred yards from where he found shed. If your in area with low doe numbers or minimum cover I think a buck may travel several miles. Lot of factors, but IMO it's kinda like real estate. Location, location, location.
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How far?
Nov 1, 2017 12:29:07 GMT -5
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Post by firstwd on Nov 1, 2017 12:29:07 GMT -5
Personally I think it is all dependent on your area. I've killed several bucks that I've seen grow from youngsters to mature including finding multiple sets of sheds on farm. If your area provide's security cover, lots food ,water, and plenty doe's they have very little reason to venture far. Neighbor just killed a 180" buck last weekend. I've got trailcam pic's of him as a 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and he has last year's shed as 5.5 yr old. Actually killed couple hundred yards from where he found shed. If your in area with low doe numbers or minimum cover I think a buck may travel several miles. Lot of factors, but IMO it's kinda like real estate. Location, location, location. Numbers are completely dependent on perspective. Some guys that don't hunt far say we are decimated, but those of us who pay attention all year long know the opposite it actually the truth. I kinda hope the gun only guys on the opposite side of my buddy get to stomping around setting up for this year and make him uncomfortable enough to move my direction. :-) Honestly, as long as he gets taken legally, I'll be happy for whoever the lucky person is.
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Post by boonechaser on Nov 1, 2017 13:22:13 GMT -5
Personally I think it is all dependent on your area. I've killed several bucks that I've seen grow from youngsters to mature including finding multiple sets of sheds on farm. If your area provide's security cover, lots food ,water, and plenty doe's they have very little reason to venture far. Neighbor just killed a 180" buck last weekend. I've got trailcam pic's of him as a 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and he has last year's shed as 5.5 yr old. Actually killed couple hundred yards from where he found shed. If your in area with low doe numbers or minimum cover I think a buck may travel several miles. Lot of factors, but IMO it's kinda like real estate. Location, location, location. Numbers are completely dependent on perspective. Some guys that don't hunt far say we are decimated, but those of us who pay attention all year long know the opposite it actually the truth. I kinda hope the gun only guys on the opposite side of my buddy get to stomping around setting up for this year and make him uncomfortable enough to move my direction. :-) Honestly, as long as he gets taken legally, I'll be happy for whoever the lucky person is. You bring up a excellent point. (HUNTING PRESSURE) A mature buck isn't going to take much before moving to a more undisturbed area. Good luck getting him.
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