Here's my quandary.

[Bear44]

I have access to a small patch of land in North Fulton county that has produced some great deer. I have killed two nice eight points in the last two years and have these guys on trail cam this year.

I also have this pic from early Feb from a spot a few hundred yards from my property.

I don't have a positive sighting of that last one since then.

I don't think anyone else is hunting around here, but I can't know for sure. I don't think the area was hunted before I started to a couple of years ago.

Here's my quandary. I would say those two 8 pointers from the trail cams are about 3.5 or 4.5 years old. If no one else is hunting the area, where are their fathers? Where is the monster from last Feb? Is it possible that after reaching a certain maturity they change their movement patters to someplace other than where they are using now? Or do you think their is another hunter in the area that harvests them when they get to the age they are now?

I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to let them walk or take them this year if I get the chance.

 

[Plinker66]

Take what you can...

 

[Allsmiles]

Probably got taken by a soccer mom with her SUV. Seems a lot of the big boys disappear and vo nocturnal early and then magically appear acter the season is over.

 

[Bear44]

Take what you can...

I would normally not even hesitate to take either one of them, but I just might be in one of those rare situations where if I let them grow and do year round supplemental feeding I could end up with something truly spectacular. On the other hand, I might not ever see either of them again after this year if they change patter or there is someone else hunting them. Thus, the quandary.

This place is loaded with bucks and, from studying antler shape, it looks like there are two primary genetic lines. The future looks bright. There are several bucks that are a year behind these guys and will be just as big as they are next year. I'm just trying to decide if I should skip a year and see what happens.

 

[MRH]

Their father, if alive, is probably laid up somewhere and only moves at night. Deer are mostly nocturnal, year round, and especially the mature deer. That's why rut is such a good opportunity when timed right. The mature animals can be caught slipping in the day.

 

[Bear44]

Probably got taken by a soccer mom with her SUV. Seems a lot of the big boys disappear and vo nocturnal early and then magically appear acter the season is over.

The thought of them being killed by a soccer mom is awful!

As for going nocturnal, my trail cam takes great infrared pics. Nothing.

 

[Bear44]

Their father, if alive, is probably laid up somewhere and only moves at night. Deer are mostly nocturnal, year round, and especially the mature deer. That's why rut is such a good opportunity when timed right. The mature animals can be caught slipping in the day.

But no pics of them at night, either.

 

[Bear44]

I think another possibility is that the biggest buck in the area drives these guys completely and permanently out of the area during the rut.

 

[MRH]

But no pics of them at night, either.

Anything could have happened. He may be dead. He may have been pushed out of primary bedding area and was passing through looking for a new hideout. There may have been a straggler doe in heat very late in the winter somewhere around and he was cruising. The possibilities.

If you can move your cameras around and maybe throw some corn or a salt lick on different trails you may find him yet. Either way, considering the size of your tract I would consider busting one of the others if the opportunity presents itself. Things could be much worse. Or you can let them walk to grow another year. That will take some discipline, though...It is easy to say you will let them walk, but when they are right there in front of you it can do weird things to your decision making. LOL

 

[Bear44]

Another possibility is that daddy is here, but in sharp decline.

This guy looks like he might be really old. You can't see it in this pic, but there seems to be a lot of grey on his muzzle. The thing is, if he is very old I would expect the antler main beams to be much closer to horizontal. I have always heard that as they get older the antlers flatten out, or is that just an old wive's tale?