How important is it???
03-25-2008, 03:20 PM
#41
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,139
RE: How important is it???
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
Va.. ya I believe they stage or wait until dark.. absolutely.
But where I have always seen "staging areas" is not how its written in the books or mags.
Most staging areas I've seen are either within just a few yards of a bucks bedroom or 100 yards or more from any kind of destination food source. The key is always been close proximity to heavy cover.. which most acorn flats are not near.
Now.. I'm not sayin' bucks don't come out to eat acorns just before dark.. But I just believe its more of a destination food source and not a staging area.
Va.. ya I believe they stage or wait until dark.. absolutely.
But where I have always seen "staging areas" is not how its written in the books or mags.
Most staging areas I've seen are either within just a few yards of a bucks bedroom or 100 yards or more from any kind of destination food source. The key is always been close proximity to heavy cover.. which most acorn flats are not near.
Now.. I'm not sayin' bucks don't come out to eat acorns just before dark.. But I just believe its more of a destination food source and not a staging area.
03-25-2008, 04:49 PM
#43
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Millboro, Va
Posts: 1,134
RE: How important is it???
ORIGINAL: magicman54494
When acorns are falling they are a prime food sorce. When deer come or how much time they spend there depends pretty much on how much pressure they recieve. If they aren't pressured they might even bed there all day.
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
Va.. ya I believe they stage or wait until dark.. absolutely.
But where I have always seen "staging areas" is not how its written in the books or mags.
Most staging areas I've seen are either within just a few yards of a bucks bedroom or 100 yards or more from any kind of destination food source. The key is always been close proximity to heavy cover.. which most acorn flats are not near.
Now.. I'm not sayin' bucks don't come out to eat acorns just before dark.. But I just believe its more of a destination food source and not a staging area.
Va.. ya I believe they stage or wait until dark.. absolutely.
But where I have always seen "staging areas" is not how its written in the books or mags.
Most staging areas I've seen are either within just a few yards of a bucks bedroom or 100 yards or more from any kind of destination food source. The key is always been close proximity to heavy cover.. which most acorn flats are not near.
Now.. I'm not sayin' bucks don't come out to eat acorns just before dark.. But I just believe its more of a destination food source and not a staging area.
03-25-2008, 05:25 PM
#44
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075
RE: How important is it???
In my experience they have. They'll feed for several hours, bed down, return to feed, just keep repeating the same process.
Once it becomes a key source of food it no longer becomes a bucks staging area. The staging area is in fact usually a good distance away.
03-25-2008, 05:30 PM
#45
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast, Va
Posts: 3,965
RE: How important is it???
so Duke, do you believe deer stage at all?? I mean of course some deer will hang back a bit before entering a field, but may not "stage". Is there really such a thing as staging?? Or is it, " hey Im gonna wait til it gets dark to go to that field, so I guess I 'll eat these acorn things whilst I wait"" 
03-25-2008, 05:41 PM
#46
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075
RE: How important is it???
Oh yeah Va.. their does exist real staging areas. And they are often used by the oldest of bucks. And yes and no.. sometimes they are close to an edge of a destination food source (or any destination that a buck would otherwise be uncomfortable to travel too during light)... but 9 out of 10 times (where I hunt) they are much further back and tucked real tight to the bucks bedroom.
The old guys.. who've been around long enough and seen pressure from hunters.. use these areas (which are often really small) and usually within extreme close proximity of that bucks daytime bed. I'm talking like 10-60 yards. In fact.. most of these staging areas are basically when the buck stands up from bed.. mills around.. walks maybe 10 yards making scrapes and some rubs.. this is the actual staging area. Old bucks don't go walkin' in plain day headed to a Oak flat very often.. thats because they're waiting in their little staging area til dark.. to enter more open terrain.
The old guys.. who've been around long enough and seen pressure from hunters.. use these areas (which are often really small) and usually within extreme close proximity of that bucks daytime bed. I'm talking like 10-60 yards. In fact.. most of these staging areas are basically when the buck stands up from bed.. mills around.. walks maybe 10 yards making scrapes and some rubs.. this is the actual staging area. Old bucks don't go walkin' in plain day headed to a Oak flat very often.. thats because they're waiting in their little staging area til dark.. to enter more open terrain.
