Lack of buck sign

[tfran123]

Guys,

Usually by time our MN property is loaded up with sign, this year we don't seem to have even 20% of the rubs and scrapes we normally do. My early camera photos would seem to prove out buck numbers are strong, I'm up to about 30 different bucks on a 400 acre chunk. We likely over the last few years have trimmed back doe numbers to a better ratio - would that have a negative impact on rut sign? Overall there are plenty of deer, some sits you could see 20 deer on a food plot but since early October the bucks are in hiding and pressure has been low.

Any thoughts?

 

[Crimson Arrows]

Thats interesting and really can't comment on it as I have seen more sign with more bucks as competition increases. Interested to see what others have to say....

 

[revup]

Has there been in changes on the neighboring properties?
Deforestation?
Crops still in?
What is the lay out of your property? crops? timber? crp?
What are the neighboring properties made up of?

 

[AIRASSAULT]

the bucks are going to go where the does are.. if your neighbor has twice as many does as you, they're going to have twice as many bucks.. if you still have a strong population, I wouldn't worry.. the bucks will be there eventually

 

[letemgrow]

I would be more worried about the lack of doe sign this time of year. Where I see all my bucks come rut, there is not a rub or scrape to be found. They have other things on their minds right now. If you have 30 bucks on camera, I would not be sweating it.

Granted I may see one make a rub or scrape on a whim, but they never return to check it.

 

[tfran123]

Land is about 80% timber the rest is Ag land. 2000 acres of tillable is next door and they've been hitting the crops hard (beans). But they're out now and the deer are now more focused on the rye/clover plots on my land I'm in does, saw about 18 on one sit last weekend. Seems weird that the bucks are totally non-existent as of late. If I didn't know better it seems like they're completely gone.