Where Have All the Bucks Gone?


Question: I have 13 different bucks on game camera on my property and have not been seeing any of these deer on our lease. In all, we have 900 acres with 8 guys whitetail hunting on it. I shot a nice 9 point first week in October with my bow, and opening day of the general season another guy shot a nice main frame 10 with 3 kickers. It was a nice buck, but those are the only 2 bucks that have been seen and killed by hunters on our lease.

I just had 2 new bucks show up on camera in the last week, but we just aren’t seeing them while hunting. Most of the photos are at night of course, but one buck showed up during the day time (on camera). I have tried grunting, rattling, can calls, but have had no luck.

We have 900 acres and the lease next to us has about 1,600. The one to our north has 500 and then there are several other lease properties with about 200 to 300 acres of food plots. Will we see any bucks?

Answer: If you’ve got bucks on camera, then they are around. Whitetail bucks can stay under the radar very well, but they lose their cool when the rut kicks off. When they start rutting, you will see those bucks moving around, as well as chasing does. I know it may be hard to believe that with all the different bucks you have on camera that you are not seeing them, but just give it time. The neighbors may have them using their food plots at night, too. However, the rut will mix things up. Just be ready when it happens, and hope your whitetail hunting turns out good.

One thought on “Where Have All the Bucks Gone?”

  1. I have been experienceing the same thing here in pa . I have access to about 900 acres . i have been not getting anything on camara to the north end of the land but in the center west got many many hits of just bucks no doe other than one or 2 now and then . been hunting them hard for a week now . never seen any of the buck that been comin around . been getting some rub action showin up below my stand location so i know the buck are in there . starting getting worried that i might have bumped them off . I was getting the pic’s whit the help of feed early but we are not aloud to feed during hunting season so when i stopped putting feed out its like they are gone too . maybe found another food source else where ? or just layin low for the rut to come ?

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