Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: fishnfur on October 09, 2015, 08:31:14 AM

Title: Bucks are getting restless
Post by: fishnfur on October 09, 2015, 08:31:14 AM: Trail cam pics from back yard (old apple orchard) in middle of suburbia. Does, fawns, button bucks, and an occasional spike all spring/summer long. The setting from two nights ago (note the tree house and archery target in frame):
Title: Re: Bucks are getting restless
Post by: fishnfur on October 09, 2015, 08:35:25 AM: So I'm giving it a WAG (wild ass guess) that some doe may be nearing an early estrous. Look who came in out of nowhere last night to scent check the area. The first trickle of activity by mature a BT, at least in my back yard. I'm getting antsy!
Title: Re: Bucks are getting restless
Post by: fishnfur on October 09, 2015, 10:02:24 AM: I think this is the same buck, last seen 06 November, 2014.
Title: Re: Bucks are getting restless
Post by: fishnfur on October 10, 2015, 08:18:54 PM: Because you all insisted, here's some more backyard action:

Seeing a general uptick in activity (as would be expected). Rather than an early estrous as I previously guessed, I'm starting to think these old apple trees, which were planted back in the dawn of the town of Longview, serve as kind of a meeting place or a place to leave scent around so the other deer who came earlier or later know who is still in the hood, and who is new. Something like a corner bar where you stop in for a drink and socializing before going home I guess.

My best guess now is that today's fawns learned this spot from their mothers, who likely learned it from their mothers, and so on, possibly dating back many generations to the time of the original plantings. It certainly makes no sense to come hang out here, night after night during October and early November, year after year, and not eat apples. Especially with the numbers of deer that frequent the trees. That is what I noted last year on cam and is apparently going to repeat itself again this year. Perhaps this goes on under all apple trees this time of year??

Anyway, more and more deer showing up every night, not really eating much, but just kind of sauntering around a bit then back to where they came from or on to some other unknown location. Last night:

- a couple of does with a fawn in tow were first in just before 1:00 AM.

- Crab claw buck returns for second night in a row about 45 minutes later.

- Other does and yearlings start showing up again around 4:00 AM, in and out of frame. Then a small 3 X 2 does some mock fighting with a pretty good sized button buck who's obviously been eating well his first 5 months of life. Perhaps he's 1.5 year old with buttons? Attached a link of the video of the two bucks play-jousting. I think at some point, the neighbor's lights go on as he gets up and gets ready to go to work.
Title: Re: Bucks are getting restless
Post by: barracuda163 on October 10, 2015, 08:30:22 PM: I had my driveway tore up pretty good one day last week by a deer, I never got it on any of my 3 cams. I was wondering if it could've been two sparring or just a frantic doe warding off local coyote. Nevertheless, it happened between about 10 am and 12 am when either of the cars in the driveway were gone where the hoof tracks were. Its truly amazing to see mature bucks appear out of nowhere this time of year. I look forward to growing my young orchard into a corner bar for deer.
Title: Re: Bucks are getting restless
Post by: JDHasty on October 11, 2015, 05:45:37 AM: I was out yesterday setting up stands and saw more mature bucks in one day than I have ever before. Posted about it in thread Buddy's Five Point Blacktail