I know alot of you guys do..and its mostly trophy bucks i presume? Well last year i had a doe with a twin set of fawns visiting my mineral lick during summer: Now throughout bow season i had these fawns in range on more then one occasion. I quickly recognized them as button bucks though and they got free passes every time. I even had them in the field the day that Freak Daddy made his infamous video debut. Also, i got to witness one of these little buggers visit a scrape, stand on his hind feet and attempt to lick the branch overhead (ill never forget that hunt...my buddy wanted to let the air out of his lungs but i told him off). Around November the mother seemed to kick them out, as they would only appear by themselves. They were bedding right on the edge of my hay field where i did the majority of my hunting. Hopefully the mother wasnt the unlucky doe that i never recovered then found while shed hunting early this year, Anyways, This year, the button bucks are back, and i must say that they are some of the most impressive 1.5 year old deer that i have ever seen. They are still running together, and i really hope that they make it through this season and a few more after that. They have been regular visitors to my mineral lick and i have seen them in person more then once, I hope these bucks stick around for a few years so i can continue to document them and see their progress
Well Jeff, Im actually assuming they are the same deer on a couple of observations: - returning to the mineral lick - no yearling bucks harvested in area last year (known) - The way deer pattern here because of roads, rivers and pressure - amount of time spent observing these animals in their patterns - the way that i have seen twins interact in my area (they always seem to stick together, even if its buck/doe (which is odd i must say)) Based on all these facts, i would say they are the same deer. If not, i would still like to keep tabs on them :d
That's awesome Caleb, good luck with these bucks in the future.....I have kept track of a buck that I have got a few pics of he is a 8 with slanted in brow tines that's how I can tell its him, but he is in the same place as last year I still think he needs one more year I.M.O. I had one in counter with this buck during rifle season had the left side of his rack busted up a little to. Here is a pics from last year... Here is this years pics.....
One more year and your buck will be a STUD, Its crazy when you think of all the variables that factor into these deer making it another year.... cars disease coyotes hunters winter the rut hunters and did i mention hunters?
I agree 100% Caleb, I am lucky in the fact that the deer is not to close to any major roads (but you never know where he will go in the rut), the thing that kills me are the hunters my grandpa invites in every year for rifle season I am friends with all the guys and enjoy them coming,but they just get a little trigger happy sometimes and shoot bucks they shouldn't!!
Its mostly back-roads by me too, but people still drive about 278 mph down them at night. My worst fear is getting toned out for an MVA and finding out Freak Daddy took some nascar junky with him on the exit tour. We actually had a lady kill a nice 130+ ten point last year north of town, and another lady hit a donkey, but thats a story for another day
Caleb great pics. I'm hoping to track the buck in my pics in my trailcam thread for a couple of years to see how he develops.
Those are some nice young bucks. As for me I can barely keep tabs on a deer from summer to hunting season let alone for an entire year. THer ewas one doe around my house a few years back with a gimp leg. Saw her for 2 full years, and almost zipped her once but she came in too dark.
The only deer that I have pics this year that I am sure of is a doe with a ripped ear. She was without fawn last year and is without fawn again this year, I am thinking she is a big target for the freezer.
the only buck that ive been able to recognize for sure is a deer i nicknamed high rise 2 years ago, he was a 150" 3 year old that we had many pics of...then last year i wasnt able to get him on camera or see him, but our farmhand seen him twice at the end of the year....now this past weekend i went out for a night of scouting and seen him feeding in a beanfield about 1,000 yards from his normal core area... he is now a 190 " typical 10 point that is going to be my main target this year, he's one of the best bucks we have ever seen on our farm
Caleb, excellent post! I'd bet they won't be hanging around together in a couple months I sure hope they both make it through the season so we can see 3 year old pics of them next season.
Caleb, Unfortunately I would say that those two youngins belong to that doe you mentioned you hit and never found, that is if the twins are running alone. Generally, yearling bucks will stick around with their mothers during their second summer and into the fall until they disperse (yearling buck dispersal). Either way, it's definitely cool to keep tabs on deer through the years. I have done it easily with does (of coursE) and now that I am starting to better pattern these 2,3,4 year old bucks we have running around, it's becoming easier to keep tabs on them too. Dandy yearling bucks by the way.
I have 2 that I have on the game cam from 2006 to 2008 but I am unable to get on them while hunting. Both seem to keep their movements until its dark out. Once the rut really kicks they wont be back until March or April based on the weather. Reason I say this is because after the rut they are by the food sources and this piece of property just dont have what they are looking for then. One of the bucks I can identify by his hoof print and this past late March I was doing some post season scouting and I manage to find his fresh track and in my mind I was like HE's Back. Headed right to his spring-autumn bedding area. I believe I can kill him this coming fall now! I am fighing myself on when to go in after him this coming season.
