5 Buck Tips Straight from the Biologists

by
posted on September 21, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
buck_tips_biologists_f.jpg

Whitetail biologists’ GPS-collar studies keep giving us surprising insights into buck behavior. And before you think study bucks behave differently than “real” bucks (the ones you hunt), consider that biologists’ findings continue to be backed by hunter experiences. Here are several things GPS-collar studies are teaching us about how to hunt whitetails, which you can use to your advantage this fall.

1. Bucks can actually have different breeding strategies. Dr. Karl Miller, a renowned deer researcher with the University of Georgia, said GPS-collar research has shown that some bucks continually check on certain doe groups in a small area (a doe only stays in estrous for a day or two). Other bucks, however, prefer to cruise great distances for does. If you’re hunting a buck that uses the strategy of constantly checking certain doe groups, then you need to hunt smart as you set up between the doe bedding areas the buck haunts.

2. Many of the best bucks hide in plain sight. Brian Murphy, CEO of the Quality Deer Management Association, noted that studies show in many cases you have a better chance of killing a mature buck by throwing a dart at a map and sitting wherever it lands than you do by sitting on a heavily hunted food plot or at another highly pressured area.

Keaton Kelso, owner of K&K Outfitters in Kansas, said he had to go to great lengths to kill a buck that wouldn’t move much in daylight. “We spotted a mid-180 buck in a 3-acre patch of brush. The gun season was on and the pressure was heavy, so we put a hunter on stand downwind watching one side of the patch,” he explained. “On the third day we had to almost pull the hunter out of the truck to get him in that stand, as he had yet to see a deer from that spot, but that was the day he shot that monster buck.”

3. Mature bucks are individuals. Dr. Grant Woods is a wildlife biologist who specializes in helping landowners set up properties for deer hunting. He positions some of his trail cameras in places to pick up video clips at food plots and salt licks because he wants to read individual buck behavior. “When I see a mature buck that is aggressive toward other bucks,” said Woods, “I pay attention, as that buck is likely easier to grunt or rattle in. In contrast, when I see a big buck that is always alone and that only comes in long after sunset, I know I have a tough buck to hunt.”

4. Bucks shift to avoid hunting pressure. Ryan Bland, owner of Non-Typical Outfitters in Illinois, said, “We scout pre-season, but we’re very careful about impacting a spot with our presence or scent so that the bucks don’t move to avoid our stands.”

Bland’s caution is backed up by plenty of science. When Auburn University researcher Dr. Clint McCoy compared where bucks were walking in relation to known stand locations, he found that bucks shifted, on average, 55 yards farther from the stand locations when he compared the beginning of the hunting season to the end.

5. Some bucks go on “excursions.” Buck excursions during the rut are often short, less than 24-hour walkabouts where bucks leave their usual range in search of estrous does. “Two recent studies where researchers were following collared bucks showed this tendency,” Murphy said. “A study of 15 collared bucks in Maryland found that 58 percent of them did this during the rut; another study of 16 collared bucks in Texas found that all the bucks went on excursions. Some of these bucks went 6, 8 or more miles in a 24-hour period.”

So, if you’re hunting a buck that roams you should realize that just because you didn’t see the buck on Monday and Tuesday doesn’t mean the buck won’t be back on Wednesday. These rut excursions can make even otherwise savvy mature bucks vulnerable during the intense search phases of the rut.

Latest

Success
Success

Building the Ultimate Elk Bow

Elk are remarkable creatures that dwell in some of the most hellish landscapes on earth. An elk bow needs to be tough, light, and ultra-accurate. Here's how to build the right one for you.

First Look: Spandau S2 20-Gauge

Spandau Arms, a brand of SDS Arms, has announced that the  Spandau S2 Shotgun is now available in a 20-gauge model in both a Mossy Oak Bottomland and a traditional wood finish.

Count Some Quail, Tally Some Turkeys

The Arkansas turkey season ended in May, but there’s still good reason for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to keep the birds in mind when they head out to their favorite hiking trail or drive the backroads of The Natural State. Outdoorsmen who scare up coveys of quail are welcome in the survey as well.

2025 Online Firearm Sales Continue to Grow

While nationwide firearm sales have held steady this spring, guns.com is reporting significant growth, surpassing 10-percent year-over-year gun sales growth in the first half of 2025, according to the company's internal data.

#SundayGunday: Henry Special Products Division HUSH

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the HUSH Series, from Henry’s new Special Products Division, SPD for short.

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.