Lock Down

[HooknHorns]

Ive never personally seen this til starting yesterday. Going to a dentist appointment I seen a small buck pushing around a doe at 11 am. I dont exactly know when it started because its happening in a good size cornfield a 1/4 mile from the woods but 100yds from the blacktop. I turned around to watch when she bedded down and he just stood there. He is not big at all and she didn't really care about the traffic. Now coming home six hours later, she is still bedded down within 20yards where I left her and he is still there. This morning my wife left for work and called me to tell me they we're still there only 30yards further off the road. Im thinking, no wonder a guy can sit all day and not see anything. Don't know if he would still stand there if she was already bred. If she hasn't been bred when will she give up, stand up to breed with a small size buck?

[B. Amish]

when a doe comes into heat, at least one buck will be at her side constantly for at least 2 days and maybe 3.

[fishinfey8]

Yup, this is exactly how I shot my buck. I was lucky enough to have a good stand location, as well as got in my stand before the doe bedded down for the day. I have no clue how long she was bedded down behind me, but I only looked back behind me twice all morning and the second time there was a nice 11 pointer standing beside her staring in my direction with his nose up. They were down wind of me, but I had sprayed a tinks 69 buck bomb downwind to cover my scent when I got in my stand. Before he was able to bust me, I was able to sneak a heart shot on him, and the rest is history!

I think when the does go in heat things start slowing wayy down as far as deer movement goes. This is when I typically use a grunt, or bleet to see if I can get a buck to come into me. Although I do think that the buck is more focused on that doe than anything else. During pre-rut/chasing phase I usually just sit quietly and make sure my stand is in a good travel route.

[nonteepical]

he won't leave till he breeds her then he'll be on his way and another buck will lock on her and wait for his opportunity. I've said it before, in minnesota we hunt the peak of breeding or in other words lock down, the worst time to shoot a big buck. if we moved the season back like alot of people want we as a state would be shooting more larger bucks because they aren't locked on a doe, they would be out chasing again looking for the late esterous does that haven't been bred.

[HooknHorns]

What amazes me is she didn't move a 100 yards in a 24 hr peroid. Like shes waiting for a bigger buck. I just hope some yahoo doesn't pull up and start blasting just to fill a tag.

[Odonata]

If a doe is "hot" it will have a buck hot on her heels, never leaving her side. We would do the same if we could only mate a few times a year! However, bucks still move during "lock down". Once they have bred a doe, or been run off, they will seek another. If the buck to doe ratio is out of whack, a buck would not have to travel far/much to find another doe. I think does are tired of being chased, for the past 2-3 weeks, and are now not as active. I saw over thirty deer opening weekend and only 4 this past weekend. Weather and all things aside, they're aren't moving as much right now.

[nonteepical]

my point is most of the big bucks are locked on a doe when we hunt them and yes they move to another only to be locked again. alot less movement during the peak of the rut compared to pre rut and post rut. when you only saw 4 deer this past weekend and deer aren't moving much, thats lockdown, minnesota's peak breeding is nov. 12-15

[Odonata]

Agreed. I would love if rifle season started the last week of October.

[Fever]

Weird, I was just talking about this very topic at school today with another teacher. Monday evening (two nights ago about 4:45)I saw a very large bodied deer (head down) about 300 or so + yds out in picked corn field near a fence line. I pulled over with my three kids in the jeep and watched. After a minute or so another smaller bodied deer (doe)popped up just a few yds away. Then the big boys head popped up... wow. From 3 hondo plus with no binocs I could see this was a trophy deer. Clearly Tall and wide rack. Way to far to count tines but Wow is all I can say. I watched them basically do nothing for close to ten min before kids drove me nuts. Heres the crazy thing that has to do with this topic... Tuesday morning still there at about 7:O5 am, tuesday afternoon about 3:45, still there, Wednesday morning about 7am still there, Wednesday late afternoon about 4:45 STILL there... Now that is one buck that isn't giving up! This spot is no closer than 300 plus yards from a county highway and about 200 yds from a small wooded river bottom area. Not sure how many people have seen this pair but if people are like me, (cant help but scan flat snow covered fields as I'm cruzing), I'd guess -Alot. If they are out there tomorrow after school , I'm walking out to see if someone is messing with me...