In my experience, unless you get lots of snow, they're still going to remain in their summer home. With each storm, a few deer will move. Usually the does and fawns move first, but bucks will as well. By the 3rd season, there's often been a couple good snowfalls so some deer have migrated, but usually most of them haven't. This past year it was near bone dry at 11,000 feet. Some deer had moved after earlier snow, but most hadn't.
Old bucks usually don't live long when they're the type of buck that migrates to more open country early. They often don't end up old. Those bucks that stay up in that dark timber the longest have the best chance of survival, therefore big old bucks usually migrate later.
You never know though where you might find a big one during that 3rd season. You might find one that lives low year round, or a high country buck still at 11,000 in a foot of snow.
In the places I hunt, I hunt where they live in the summer or on a migration route, unless I find something lower. I like to be in a migration corridor if weather hits. If no weather, I hunt where I've seen them in the summer or where I think they are in the summer.
Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
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