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Deer becoming nocturnal.

by IntroC , Posted to Fishing Buddy on 12/21/2009 11:27 PM | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
IntroC

Joined: 01/12/2008
Location: ND
I have a question for the guys that have trail cameras set all season long. Do you notice deer(mostly concerned about buck activity) becoming more nocturnal after rifle season?
 
Also, do you notice that the bigger bucks are more nocturnal in general through out the season? Thanks fellers.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by tearbear on 12/22/2009 07:49 AM | Reply #1 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
tearbear
Joined: 11/12/2007
Location: ND
Yes and yes, with some exceptions. It seemed deer movement got later as even bow season went on this year. Although there was more human activity than normal where I was hunting. Unless they're on a doe most decent bucks get very careful with their movement during rifle season or end up on the meat pole. As far as camera pics go everything ends up out of wack during rifle season. It's a hard thing to do where I hunt because of the human traffic it's hard to keep cameras from running off or being stolen. There is so much hunting pressure in my area that deer movement is drastically changed and patterning deer is almost impossible as well as keeping a camera safe.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by Horsager on 12/22/2009 08:03 AM | Reply #2 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Horsager
Joined: 08/12/2003
Location: ND
In general when do you see the largest shift in timing of their movement from say archery opener to close?  7-10 days in when for the most part only archery season is open?  4-6 weeks in as the upland seasons open up, or when rifle season comes around?  I don't have any trail cams up but I drive a ton for work, it sure seems that once waterfowl and pheasent season are both open that I don't see much for deer activity until row crops start coming off, but that's only my informal look at things and only valid based on what one is able to spot from the road.
..............THIS SPACE FOR RENT..............
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by LKN4170 on 12/22/2009 09:44 AM | Reply #3 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
LKN4170
Joined: 04/18/2008
Location: ND
 Late Aug/Sept 90% of my buck pics are @ night.  Late October and November I get buck pics day/night.  I've had my camera out for the past month every buck pic I have is in the dark except one spike buck.  Most definately I believe mature bucks are nocturnal, rut brings them out in daylight hours.  We have good bucks in ND imagine if our rifle season wasn't in november how good of bucks there would be.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by El Superbeasto on 12/22/2009 10:41 AM | Reply #4 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
El Superbeasto
Joined: 12/22/2009
Location: ND
100% of the bucks I've been targeting post muzzleloader are moving at night only.  Hell, I have only 1 pic of a doe during shooting hours in the past couple weeks.  Too much standing corn up here and i'm waiting for this storm to bring some wind so I can go stalking in that crap...it's the only way I can see taking one now.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by kdm on 12/22/2009 12:19 PM | Reply #5 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
kdm
Joined: 09/05/2008
Location: ND
I guess my place is the exception.  We have seen mature bucks (well 120-130's) moving during daylight all year.  I took my buck at 5pm (Nov 20th) standing at 40 yards sniffing a branch.  Granted he may have been rutting and out of his mind, but to see these guys during the day is not unusual.  My dad saw 2 good bucks (again 120's to 130's) yesterday afternoon at 4pm coming out of the pines along with 6-8 does.  Could be a late rut kind of thing, but I'm not sure.  I have been trying to get the bowhunter I have on the place to get out there and stick one of these guys, but I think the cold has him buffaloed.  His loss.  Hopefully I will be able to chase them next year.  I think this is a very localized behavior and the reason the bucks move this much during daylight is that the human traffic on the place is very, very light all year long.  During all hunting seasons, we stay completely out of the tree cover, except to recover an animal which is a quick trip in and mostly after dark.  We don't make deer drives at all.  The pheasant hunters are asked to stay out of the trees, so they don't run the deer out.  It seems to work.  Late season is my favorite time to be in the field.  Good luck to all the die hards.       
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by bowhunter_24 on 12/22/2009 3:36 PM | Reply #6 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
bowhunter_24
Joined: 11/07/2005
Location: ND
LKN4170 Said:
 Late Aug/Sept 90% of my buck pics are @ night.  Late October and November I get buck pics day/night.  I've had my camera out for the past month every buck pic I have is in the dark except one spike buck.  Most definately I believe mature bucks are nocturnal, rut brings them out in daylight hours.  We have good bucks in ND imagine if our rifle season wasn't in november how good of bucks there would be.

I would say the opposite for Aug/Sept. That time of year you will catch all deer on their feet with hours of daylight left. That is by far the easiest time to kill a big mature buck in my opinion. They are easily patterened and out early every night. October always bring the nocturnal bucks. In October the bucks are still basically feed to bed but they are not out during daylight hours often. November the big bucks are usually on their feet. This year was an exception to that. The buck movement just never got rockin. I think the warm temps had a lot to do with it.

Usually this time of year I would say is your second best chance to kill a big buck. Usually the cold and snow makes them very patternable and they need the food to survive. From what I have noticed this muzzleloader season and bowhunting the deer are just moving really late still. Once a half hour after sundown hits the deer start pouring out of the cover. I think the lack of snow has a lot to do with that as well. They have a lot more browse and are not herded up and take different trails every night.
Go big or go home
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by Enslow on 12/22/2009 4:46 PM | Reply #7 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Enslow
Joined: 02/13/2006
Location: ND

The deer just have more pressure than ever before from bowhunters, rifle hunters, muzzleloader hunters and predators.  There is a lot of cover.  I believe there are also more older deer which are spookier.   These deer are hunted hard for 4 months. 
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by sticks on 12/22/2009 5:25 PM | Reply #8 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
sticks
Joined: 01/25/2009
Location: ND
Where I live and where I document the deer movement year round.  I d'nt think deer are nocturnual. I do think  the deer have learned when the best time to come out is best. In some areas it may be after dark, in other area, it is earlier. If you would like my data, I will give it to you.

Take care Sticks
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by IntroC on 12/22/2009 5:32 PM | Reply #9 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
IntroC
Joined: 01/12/2008
Location: ND
sticks Said:
Where I live and where I document the deer movement year round.  I d'nt think deer are nocturnual. I do think  the deer have learned when the best time to come out is best. In some areas it may be after dark, in other area, it is earlier. If you would like my data, I will give it to you.

Take care Sticks


Please do.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by hunttomuch on 12/22/2009 9:09 PM | Reply #10 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
hunttomuch
Joined: 10/05/2007
Location: MT
bowhunter_24 Said:
LKN4170 Said:
 Late Aug/Sept 90% of my buck pics are @ night.  Late October and November I get buck pics day/night.  I've had my camera out for the past month every buck pic I have is in the dark except one spike buck.  Most definately I believe mature bucks are nocturnal, rut brings them out in daylight hours.  We have good bucks in ND imagine if our rifle season wasn't in november how good of bucks there would be.

I would say the opposite for Aug/Sept. That time of year you will catch all deer on their feet with hours of daylight left. That is by far the easiest time to kill a big mature buck in my opinion. They are easily patterened and out early every night. October always bring the nocturnal bucks. In October the bucks are still basically feed to bed but they are not out during daylight hours often. November the big bucks are usually on their feet. This year was an exception to that. The buck movement just never got rockin. I think the warm temps had a lot to do with it.

Usually this time of year I would say is your second best chance to kill a big buck. Usually the cold and snow makes them very patternable and they need the food to survive. From what I have noticed this muzzleloader season and bowhunting the deer are just moving really late still. Once a half hour after sundown hits the deer start pouring out of the cover. I think the lack of snow has a lot to do with that as well. They have a lot more browse and are not herded up and take different trails every night.

Bowhunter_24
PERFECTLY put.  I think the very best time of the year is from the 1st of Sept to around the 20th of Sept the earlier the better.  Things really slow down in Oct for us.  mid Nov things start up again.  Than our season in Montana is over Thanksgiving weekend.  It NEVER fails that I see the biggest buck of the year around the 1st week or 2 in DEC!!!!!
It sure was a wierd year this year. 
Dead animals don't need fur anyway!!!!!!!!!!
LATERS
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by murdock1978 on 12/22/2009 9:16 PM | Reply #11 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
murdock1978
Joined: 07/12/2003
Location: ND
Been hunting some public land-bow hunting-and the deer are moving more between 10 am to 1:00 pm.but its diff for everybody and what land they are hunting!!
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by El Superbeasto on 12/22/2009 11:29 PM | Reply #12 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
El Superbeasto
Joined: 12/22/2009
Location: ND
I think there is a significant disconnect between us guys hunting PLOTS and some open private land and the guys here on posted private land.  In the past couple weeks anytime someone tells me they are seeing deer moving during shooting hours-- it is because they are on land that is posted tighter than sh!t or they happen to have stumbled on some public land which didnt get much pressure...if that exists...but supposedly murdock1978 has found some.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by Milhouse on 12/23/2009 07:22 AM | Reply #13 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
Milhouse
Joined: 01/20/2005
Location: ND
I've been hunting every opportunity I can get post rifle season, and my trail cams are showing decent night time activity, but litte to no daylight activity, at least on the properties I can hunt.  The last couple of sits, I have had the opportunity to shoot does, but I'm still holding out for a buck, for now.
Re: Deer becoming nocturnal.
by murdock1978 on 12/23/2009 09:09 AM | Reply #14 | "Quote" | "Quick Reply" |
murdock1978
Joined: 07/12/2003
Location: ND
Supposedly Superbeasto???Been sitting the last two morings-mon-tue and have seen and been busted by deer after sunrise and later.I suppose i could explain it better.The public land i hunt on is very heavy timber and has never been grazed.The private land around it is the same stuff and it gets very little pressure and few bait pile local and payhunters on it.Theres a old fire brake that borders the private and public land.The deer are always moving bck and forth crossing the firebrake, all you have to do is pick the right trail.Both mornings on my way back to my truck i would just stand and look down the firebrake you can see for 100;s of yardsThis is after 10am  watch deer crossing the firebrake going both ways!Should have been out this morning 23 above but slept in
14 Replies | Page 1 of 11 | Top of Page | Bottom of Page
Posted By: IntroC
Posted On: 12/21/2009 11:27 PM
1461 Views, 14 Comments

Tags: nocturnal, deer, becoming, season, notice, trail, cameras, question, mostly, guys
More Tags: Human Interest
Region: North Dakota

Categories: Hunting > Deer Hunting
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