advice

Brink15

Four Pointer
For the past three years I have seen shooters hitting my corn piles or feeders all spring and summer. Good consistent pictures at least once a week. Not uncommon to see day pictures in the evenings. Then in late august these deer will vanish not to be seen until next spring. What adivice do you guys have for finding these bucks and having a chance to shoot one?
 

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
That's a common experience. When the white oaks start dropping, the deer in my area pull away from the corn and go to them. Often it's not too far away but much of what they switch to is not huntable due to posted land. If you can move with the deer and get under some good oaks you probably will find the deer. Also...if there are pear trees anywhere nearby the deer love them. Most pears produce in the early bow season.
 

gremcat

Twelve Pointer
I have dried acorns and mixed them in with the corn to great results. I used Roasted Peanuts last season and am thinking of doing it again this year. I may be not a good indicator though my farm is on the edge of Cary and pretty much no pressure. The oldest deer I killed in NC was over the Acorn,Peanut, corn mix at 3 in the afternoon
 

led0321

Six Pointer
Summer patterns do not equal fall patterns. Once that velvet comes off a lot changes in that deer's head and they will move. However, they are still in the area and more than likely within a 500 yd block. You just have to find their new food sources and be able to find them without putting pressure on them. Easier said than done of course.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I agree when the acorns(white oak) start to fall deer will leave the corn. Also some time in late September or early October the bachelor groups will split up this starts the "pre-rut" the bucks will start to cruise(what I call it) for does. So after the bachelor groups have busted I want to hunt travel corridors/bottle necks of where I know the does use. I also try to set my feeders up in these travel corridors around white oaks if possible, this works pretty good. You still have to be there when that buck comes through. Over the years I have found out if you hunt wise and a lot you might get one glimpse of that mature buck a year. I those couple seconds everything has to come together and you have to make them count. Some I have won, some I'm still kicking my butt. Lesson's learned and I try not to make the same mistake twice.

All bets are off when they start looking for does. Bucks may wind up miles away from their core area, but you might kill one coming through too. I have noticed a lot of mature bucks will wind back up in their core areas in late December in my area.
 
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Firedog

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
My advise, quit relying on the corn pile. Assuming you have the space to move around do it.. spend time scouting even during the season.. deer behavior will change throughout the season, make sure you change with it.. or ahead of it is even better.. you have to learn to anticipate or at the very least react quickly to pattern changes.
 

genesis27:3

Old Mossy Horns
My advise, quit relying on the corn pile. Assuming you have the space to move around do it.. spend time scouting even during the season.. deer behavior will change throughout the season, make sure you change with it.. or ahead of it is even better.. you have to learn to anticipate or at the very least react quickly to pattern changes.

I agree 100%! We continue to go further away from actual "hunting"!
 

Brink15

Four Pointer
Thanks guys. I'm going to see if I can't locate some acorns. How often do you guys check your cameras. I try to keep my on field edges so I can check them without disturbing to much.
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
Last year I only put out 1 camera and one feeder. I'll admit I much more enjoyed hunting "sign" and not really knowing what was in the area.
 

led0321

Six Pointer
I have never killed a good deer because of a camera. They are fun but hunting sign and travel routes in November is the way to go.

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