What to do about a Bachelor Group pasture?

[mikemorvan]

So, three years into this lease, it is apparent that i have a lease where the bucks stay for the first nine months of the year. The last three months of the year, they spread out. Unfortunately for me, for whatever reason, no other bucks replace them. I have pictures of very nice bucks, at night, from Jan / Sept for the last three years. Oct / Dec - Nada. I feed year 'round, i do everything i can. To make matters worse, every fall the rancher rotates cattle into the pasture. That can't help. They rotate out after the first of the year. This year, he's added horses. Is there anything i can do to keep the boys at home? Unless something unforeseen happens, i'm likely to be looking to move next year. Any ideas?

Frustrated in Parker County.

[rtp]

I dunno....hunt them like they do in East Texas?

I kid, I kid.

That is crazy and understand the frustration. I understand them leaving an area but would think other bucks would come in. Do you have any does? They have to get breed by someone.

[Pistol]

There was a study out a few years ago (sorry I can't recall when) that shooting the does before their buck fawns left them would cause them to stay in the area; whereas not shooting them, when they left momma, they left the area.
As far as the cattle and horses, unless they are being moved in from a great distance away, I don't think they would affect the deer all that much. The deer should be used to them. It sounds like though, that is what is happening.
As frustrating as it is, leases cost way to much and I would probably find someplace else to go. I used to get real frustrated when my sister would wean calves the week I would go to hunt. All that bawling and carrying on, the deer would avoid the area until things got quiet again. Now she weans at a differnet time. It's hard enough to get a deer on her place anyway, but I like the challenge and I can't beat the price!

[Bowstrider13]

So does the owner have other sections available too you since he moves the cows in during hunting season is he giving other hunters preference over you or do they pay more for there sections. Just wondering why he brings in cows during season in your area. A lease we had in East Texas the owners started doing select cutting of pine in the middle of season one year on us. We spoke with the owners and ask why since they knew we were there hunting at that time. Plus they had other sections with other hunting groups in those sections. So why ours the Owners actually apologized and put it off till January for us. They said they just were not thinking.

[Mr. Whiskers]

We are in a similar situation as well. Lots of bucks on camera until season rolls around then there's less and less with no new bucks coming through the area as of yet. We don't have cows in our pasture and it has very little pressure.

[mikemorvan]

I dunno....hunt them like they do in East Texas?

I kid, I kid.

That is crazy and understand the frustration. I understand them leaving an area but would think other bucks would come in. Do you have any does? They have to get breed by someone.

That's another crazy thing. I've purposely not shot too many does. I've hoped that increasing doe numbers would keep the bucks around. I can't tell that the doe numbers have increased. I guess they filter out as well.

I've talked to the lease manager about the cattle rotation. The bottom line is that the rancher is gonna do as he pleases. Bad deal, but it's his operation. There are some big deer killed on the ranch each year. For the past two years, one deer (160"+) each year, that i have pictures of from the first part of the year, that i protein fed, have been killed on other pastures. Those guys aren't giving up those pastures. Who can blame them? Oh well... We'll see...

[mikemorvan]

So does the owner have other sections available too you since he moves the cows in during hunting season is he giving other hunters preference over you or do they pay more for there sections. Just wondering why he brings in cows during season in your area. A lease we had in East Texas the owners started doing select cutting of pine in the middle of season one year on us. We spoke with the owners and ask why since they knew we were there hunting at that time. Plus they had other sections with other hunting groups in those sections. So why ours the Owners actually apologized and put it off till January for us. They said they just were not thinking.

Nothing like that that i know of. It's just the luck of the draw. The rancher has his rotation and that's just how it is.

[d_e_smith]

they could be following the acorns. I see that on my inlaws place every year. FRom Jan-Sept the bucks are right up behind the house in the pine plantation. They get hard horned and start going nocturnal then they drift down a few miles to the river bottom. Once rut has wound down and they're starving, they bump back up to where they know food is 24/7.

[Montec man]

My place is the exact opposite. Once September rolls around we get a large influx of new bucks. Hi neighbor.

[Duckthwacker]

Well bucks are known to move great distance when they start to go into rut. But big. I is are well known for disappearing for months. They move areas to find does and have multiple core areas where's they spend most of there time. But just because the bucks are not on cameras doesn't mean they are not there. They will move miles in one day and come back for a few hours. They always return to there home area. Gone in the stand is the only way to see what is truly going on in the woods