What have your observations been regarding the age structure of summer time bachelor groups? Do you see a mix of all ages or do you generally see the same age classes grouped up? At the moment I have 2 pairs of bucks visiting the back yard. A pair of 2.5 yr olds & a 3.5 with a 1.5 yr old buck. Only once have I seen all 4 together, although they arrived several minutes apart in their normal pairs.
I observed a bachelor group last night while glassing a hunting spot of mine (bean field). It is the second time I have seen this group lately. It consists of three bucks and they all appear to be at least 3 1/2 years old. Two of them actually look very mature with large, thick bodies and big bellies (VERY nice racks too). There was also a young spike buck in the field that was alone far away from the bachelor group. I think I have seen that same buck with another spike before.
Bachelor group of bucks Part 2 Make of this what you will. 8 bucks in the group, looking to be all between 1.5 and at least 3.5 on two of the deer.
Two summers ago, I regularly watched a bachelor group of 5 bucks, all EASILY making P&Y imo and all atleast 3.5 or older. Besides that group, my summer scouting is somewhat limited not being near ag fields to glass regularly. But from what I have seen, they seem to keep the old bucks and young bucks seperated.
I am interested in this topic as well. What I am wondering about is how far they will disperse... Although they don't always visit the visit the minerals all together, I have seen most of these bucks together a few times this spring and summer. Mostly in the beans and some on trail cam. Is it possible that they are only feeding together in the beans and not a true bachelor group? I see them all together, but only a group of 2 consistently show up together on the cam..
I see a mixture of age structures in the bachelor groups here all the time. More often than not I see yearlings with 3.5+ bucks. I do think this may have to do with not having a lot of 3.5+ bucks to pair up in the same area together.
Feeding in fields, game cams, and spotlighting. The weird thing is that I hardly ever see any 2.5's in any bachelor groups, most of the time they are by themselves.
In years past I have spent an easy 15-20 hours per week glassing fields in the summer.... This year it is more like 8 hours per week. I have spent hundreds of hours glassing fields in my lifetime. There is a difference between bucks at the same food source and bucks traveling together. I am speaking of traveling bachelor groups, not field congregations. Trail cams have showed me this to. Although it is not as cut and dry going from camera pics determining if they traveled together or are "congregated".
I can see 8-10 bucks walk out to our gas line from the same trail within 5 minutes of each other...last year the biggest group ranged from spikes up to and pushing the 160's. I am no good at guessing age, but those bigger deer are definatly 3.5 and up around here. I wonder if these bucks are being restricted by terrain...ie suburbia, would have anything to do with it. We have the key summer feeding area as trail cams show, and when they split they start showing up all over the adjoining leases cameras. Remember these deer are right outside of Atlanta and have limited areas to live, travel...etc, so maybe that is the variable as to why we see several different age structures traveling together.
I have seen 3.5's with much younger deer many times. However, I rarely see 4.5+ with any other deer. 99% they are alone.
I think their experiences are not on the same "quality" of grounds that most of us deal with. To me it is just like watching most hunting shows or most books you read. Those experiences and tactics are true / work in some places... But, not at most of our places.
Through the years, it's been common for me to see a 3.5 year old running with a 1.5 year old almost like it's his little pet project. I have seen this more often than not.
For you.... This is a 4+ y/o buck rolling with a yearling. They traveled together, this was not a field congregation.
I've seen three 3.5+ bucks running in a group of 4, the last being a yearling spike. In the last week however, I've been watching a group of 3 to 4 1.5-2.5 y/o's roaming the bean field across the road. Not a mature buck to be found
I have been watching a bachelor group this year and it consists of a 2 yr and 3yr old bucks. There is also one other buck that might be 3 or 4.
