Where do big bucks Go?

idabigbuck

Active Member
Messages
134
While hunting for elk with my son this past weekend in Idaho, there was a white blanket of snow in the higher country above us. We will be hunting in the same general area during the deer season that begins Oct. 10th.

My Question: Will the big bucks stay in the snowy country, or drop down to the lower snow free country? Will they stay at the edge of snow level? Will they feed in the lower country then bed in the high ground? Will they follow the receeding snow level back up the mountain if it warms up?

Please share your experiences and/or opinions.
Thanks.
 
I believe the big bucks will stay in the high country until the snow is so deep it covers up the food sources.
 
>I believe the big bucks will
>stay in the high country
>until the snow is so
>deep it covers up the
>food sources.

Ditto. Or until the rut comes along. But I'm talking the 4.5+ year old bucks here. Younger ones might move down sooner. Sometimes if the snow gets soft and then really freezes they will move down too. They don't like the crunchy stuff for some reason.

---------------------------------------
This is my post

I've just pissed in my pants.......and nobody can do anything about it.
 
every area is different, and even within areas things are different from one year to the next. I would do as much scouting as possible and be ready to move up or down if you dont find deer. The best way to know if the deer are using the country is to get to, or glass the high country areas that you suspect may hold the buck of your dreams, just after a snow fall. Even if it's a lot of snow, the deer trails will show up. If it's just a inch or so, they will show up like lines on a map. . .
 
Speaking just from my own experience, the big bucks hide underground, or up in the tops of trees. At least that's my theory.:)

Good luck idabigbuck, I'm sure you'll find 'em!

Eel
 
I would say that they will stay high. I was hunting a CWMU Unit in Utah and the land owner said that the deer would come low with snow. I stayed low the first day and a half. I did not see anything. I finally went high in a foot and a half of snow and then I really got into them including a nice buck. I never got a shot on him but I was amazed that they were still that high with all of that snow. I have also hunted extended archery in Utah and have seen big deer in multiple feet of snow. Good Luck
 
Eel, I'm not so sure you are joking, one year in California zone D-6 we were headed up to a lake in the jeep and while standing in the back of the jeep we noticed an antler up in the tree. It was obviously a shed and it had to be ten feet off the ground. Who knows how it got there???
 
I think they will stay close to the snow line, being just above it in the snow area.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Here is a couple of pics of the country I'm talking about. Snow is about 4-5" deep up top.
Ryanselkhunt004.jpg

Ryanselkhunt003.jpg


This area has produced some very nice bucks. I sure hope I can find one of them.
 
TF is right on.
I have seen bucks in snow up to their bellies one year, and the same buck migrate with 2 inches the next year.
Some areas they migrate with NO snow, but at the same time every year.
Very very hard to figure out year to year. But if the food is good, the rut has not started, the weather is not extremely cold, then I bet they will be around that snow.

Good thing about snow, it will not take very long to figure out if they are there.

Good luck!
 
That is not enough snow to matter. They move for the loving or multiple feet of snow not just a skiff.
 
Agreed thats not enough snow to move them. This past weekend I was is 18 inches of snow and that DID move them down a 1000 ft here in NO Utah.
 
The answer depends on where you will be hunting. If you are hunting the same area as me. I would tell you all of the deer moved to lower country;)

When all the snow feel a few days ago I had the same question as you. I thought there was actually enough snow to push the deer to lower elevations. There were many drifts over 3 feet deep in the area I'm looking at. In the area I've scouted the last two days the deer did not move to lower elevations. These deer would have only had to move a half mile to be out of the deep snow. It has been warm the last two days and the snow has melted fast. If it was cold and the snow crusted I think they would have moved to lower elevations. Here's a couple pictures from this morning.
1-12.jpg
 
I think the real big bucks take their horns off and hide em in the bushes till after the season and than they put them back on. Yep.. pretty sure that's what they do..
 
While I agree that the big guys get on a bus for "anywhere else"....I also agree that it is different every year.

We had a two day storm in the early season and deer literally ran downhill out of the Sierra. A lot of filled tags in 2 days right below the snow line. A day later .....nada!

Some years you can glass high and watch BIG bucks browsing in snow deeper than their "package". A week later and they are all out of the snow completely.

Barometric pressure? Temperature? Moon phase? Moisture in the food source? Concentration of deer? With the exception of the rut and full on winter migration, who knows what influences wildlife. Nobody....it's all speculation. Oh, unless you are an Eastman, they know everything.
 
I am no expert, but I agree that is always different. My theory is because bucks that survive to any age do things different from most of the rest of the deer, that is why they have survived. I also agree that it seems that they dig into a hole in the ground. With the area I hunt it gets a lot of pressure. More mature bucks will hold extremly tight to cover, many times bedding down in high sage. I believe they prefer a limited area to range and are familiar with every route and nook of his domain. It is difficult to outwit him in his own home, but that is what is fun about hunting them. Probably most meet their doom when they by chance get moved out of their domain and make a mistake. Unfortunately this is many times by some guy that "slops" into him.
 
LAST EDITED ON Oct-10-07 AT 01:28PM (MST)[p]

"That is not enough snow to matter. They move for the loving or multiple feet of snow not just a skiff."

It depends on where youre at. That's the snake river country so those deer, along the river mostly stay high until later in the year and more snow pushes them, however, I would not be surprised to find a big buck 1/3 of the way down from the top, just below or that the snow line in the timber. . . .

I speak only from my observations of the years. I never have tracked one deer over a lifetime to see how it behaves. But, I believe that there is NO rule of thumb. . . no doubt a couple of inches likely wont move ALL the deer, it's different in different areas and even in one area from one year to the next, but snow, wind, rain, sun, and sex all will, at one time or another, singularly, or in combination move deer.

Like others are saying, it all depends. I've seen bucks move out in as little as a few inches, I've also seen them move out in a few feet, all within the same area and within the same time period. They generally dont all move at once, unless just after a huge multi day storm. . .

I've seen monster bucks move with little snow while the smaller one's stay high, all within the same area's year in and year out. . .

I have come to the conclusion that they are where you find them, and that the only thing I can count on is that I'll have to work my ass off to figure out what the hell they are doing, and i will NO doubt have to make adjustments from day to day and hour to hour based on what I'm seeing in the field.

Dont let anyone tell you that they exactly know what deer do and when, deer are like elk, once you think you have them figured out, they change the game. . .

This is not to say the guys writing books are all wrong, those books are full of useful information, but I'll bet Mike Eastman knows of areas that year in and year out are similar, but he also can tell you about areas where the deer have changed habbits. . . . you can count on one thing, they change. . . the only rule is that you wont kill the buck of a lifetime from the hotel room in downtown denver . . . .
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I asked the question for myself and everyone else that wants to harvest a nice buck. Based on the answers received I'm leaning towards the big boys being up in the snow until weather or hornyness makes them move. I'm going to go find out this weekend. I only get to hunt Sat. this week. Then If need be, I have two three day weekends planned. In my research I will let you know what I have found.

Good luck,
Stacey
 

Click-a-Pic ... Details & Bigger Photos
Back
Top Bottom