Buckless

[MCI]

I have had my camera out since mid Sept. and have not had one buck on camera. I hunt 30 miles North of Brainerd on 90 acres. The camera is looking over my corn and apple piles. 4 to 6 doe each day, but no horns. No scrapes or rubs either. This is the first year I have used a camera. In the past 12yrs between 3 of us hunting this land we get at least 1 nice buck off it each gun season.

My question is this, since this is my first year with a camera in the woods is it just too early in this part of the state to see the bucks yet?

I should add this, on the 90 acres I would guess 50% of it is swampy bedding area, 25% 3yr aspen regrowth from logging and 25% mixed hard wood.

Any thoughts or input.

[Kyle]

I know that bull elk and cow elk do not co-exist in the same areas during the summer or up until pre-rut. Im assuming this is the same for whitetails, but I could be wrong. I know the bucks are in bachelor groups throughout the summer until pre-rut. Ive also heard that good sized bucks will not come into bait piles for whatever reason; human scent or just that it is unatural. Maybe you guys shoot 1 nice buck per year because the doe's that live on your land are bringing bucks from other ranges in. Its not such a bad thing. I guess if you consistantly shoot a nice buck every year, I wouldnt be too concerened about it. The standing corn is making it very hard for anyone to get alot of deer action too. Maybe all the bucks are living in the corn and dont feel the need to go anywhere else right now. There are alot of different possible scenarios. Food plots filled with things that are more nutritious than corn, or maybe something they wouldnt get anywhere else can really help bring alot of deer in and hold them if the plot is big enough. If you have any areas that would allow for this, I would do it right away next year.

[hhguide]

I would say that there is so much food around right now that they dont have to use those piles of apples and such for food they have acorns and stuff to nibble on and they might just be in another area.

[SSSTaxidermy]

In my opinion, having does is not a BAD thing. Where you have does - you WILL or SHOULD have bucks once the prime movement and pecking order starts. I also agree, there is plenty of habitat and food sources avail with standing crops yet.

I'd say, stay patient, and a buck (or more) will come looking for a pretty lady!

[mrklean]

we hunt NW of Brainerd and we got 1300 pics and about 5-6 bucks on our cams in the past week so they are out there

[vister]

i had cameras out all spring and summer. got hundreds of pics of bucks. as of the last month, not a single buck on camera has been a shooter. as the buck sign in the woods is popping up everywhere, try finding it and hanging the camera there. mature bucks aren't venturing out to the open fields anymore, as rut is just around the corner, and their movements are much less, and more nocturnal. try finding trails next to rub and scrape lines, you're bound to get a pic of a good one then.