Over the years I have done quite a bit of videoing for Shows and on the freelance basis. One of the biggest things everyone wants is a Hit List of bucks. I would spend countless hours sitting in a beanfield or foodplot in July sweating like crazy trying to video a good buck to add to my hit list. August would bring the same routine. Run cameras everywhere you could, find the bucks name them, make a list. But it never failed when it was time to hunt my hit list was cut in half.
The bucks started getting hard horned and then they were gone. They would pass through time to time just checking on the does but their mindset was totally different than before. Through this I learned a little something about deer.
That old saying of “Find the Does, Find the Bucks” is often more true than not. When the bucks start to spilt out of their bachelor groups they start establishing their core areas and finding where the does are. At this time all my cameras that were loaded with doe pics suddenly start capturing some good bucks. The bucks stop by more frequently and scrapes start to appear. Showing that the rut is approaching.
Now I am not saying don’t run trail cams in the summer or go do any scouting. All I am saying is make sure you run a camera in your doe bedding areas and that way when the bucks split up you know where they are. We all know that the rut makes it almost impossible to pattern a buck. But if you can pattern your does you will increase your odds at finding that buck again after break-up.
Here are some pics of on of our doe bedding areas. We did not get a pic of a buck until September. I am going to pull the card next week and we will see if any other bucks have been in there.
