I’m not sure if I am the only one or not—but my mineral sites are not producing the sheer number of buck pics they normally do for this time of year. I have to wonder if they just don’t need the minerals like they would on hot and dry summers versus this wet and cooler stuff we are getting. Anyone else noticing this? Here are a couple decent bucks from the last pull.
I have ZERO mature bucks hitting mineral sites right now. Does and young bucks galore though. This property had at least 8 shooters last year, so they're out there.
Noticing the same thing...... I am moving most of my cameras this weekend to see if I can figure out what they are doing. Just from watching over fields a few nights it seems like most of the deer have been bedding in the middle of fields. It almost seems (at least here) that they might be staying away from the woods to avoid the mass amount of skeeters this year.
You might have a point there... Need to move a site out to the bean field edge and see if it gets hit harder...
I have a site that is just off a bedding area. I am not seeing much buck activity at all on it. Last year at this time, on the same site, I had six or seven good bucks visiting on a regular basis. I don't know what is going on unless they are taking a different route out of the bedding area. Blessings........Pastorjim
Jim--- this confirms what I am seeing. Normally July is the month I really find out what's running around. This year (so far) I feel like I have a big hole in my inventory line up...
I'm glad to know its not just me experiencing this! I have tons of does and fawns but the bucks just don't seem to be around right now!
The best thread I have seen yet....or maybe I just live in NC. My bucks can never keep up All kidding aside, (knock on wood) I've had a few decents hitting minerals. Although I try to refrain from checking them more than once or twice a month, I have a few that I've been keeping an eye on.
I have been noticing the same thing here in Illinois. I think this almost constant rainfall has many things out of whack. Haven't seen many ticks this year.........but the skeeters.............WOW!!!! Makes checking cameras an adventure, to say the least!
Update--- Couple of new bucks showed up last week. I call this buck pretty boy Here is a new 10 that has potential.
Same here. The biggest buck I have on camera the past month is a young small basket 8 pointer. Although I can't wait to see what he looks like next year, he's not what I'm after this year. I think the bucks might be hitting the feeder that we've been stocking with alfalfa pellets and higher protein feed mixed with corn and the mineral block not far from it which we stupidly haven't put a camera on yet. Maybe I'll have to do that to see what's lurking.
Good looking bucks bone head. I wish I could get some good ones to my mineral sites. Blessings...........Pastorjim
I have actually noticed the opposite. The only time I was not getting many pictures was a few years ago when it was super hot and VERY dry. The sites were extremely hard, hell I started carrying gallons of water to pour over the sites to moisten and soften the dirt for them to paw it up.
Tom- I hope its just a case of them not needing as much mineral as in past years here in my area. The next few weeks will hopefully give me a good idea of what is running the farms.
Update- another new one showed up.. ignore the date-- the camera had reset itself and lost its time and date stamp, but luckily continued to take pictures. Happy it did
