Why do you hunt public land?
07-07-2008, 06:43 PM
#61
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
If we all believe a whitetail buck lives in a core area thats about 1,000 to 2,000 acres generally...
If we all believe a whitetail buck lives in a core area thats about 1,000 to 2,000 acres generally...
07-07-2008, 06:51 PM
#62
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
Especially a mature buck. He didn't get to become mature by running the country side throughout the year, that's for sure.
It's less than 1.5 square miles Early in.
If a buck lived in the very middle of that 1,000 acres... he would only have to travel like 2/3 a mile to get out either direction he left.
I don't know about you... but I can cover 2/3 a mile in less than 20 minutes at a average pace.
Now its true.. possibly... that some buck reduce their core area as they age. But not likely its 1,000 to 100 acres. More like 1,000 to 800 acres. Still a relatively small area.
07-07-2008, 06:59 PM
#64
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Wisconsin and Canada
Posts: 2,415
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
I am flabergasted that people think 1,000 acres is large!
It's less than 1.5 square miles Early in.
If a buck lived in the very middle of that 1,000 acres... he would only have to travel like 2/3 a mile to get out either direction he left.
I don't know about you... but I can cover 2/3 a mile in less than 20 minutes at a average pace.
Now its true.. possibly... that some buck reduce their core area as they age. But not likely its 1,000 to 100 acres. More like 1,000 to 800 acres. Still a relatively small area.
Especially a mature buck. He didn't get to become mature by running the country side throughout the year, that's for sure.
It's less than 1.5 square miles Early in.
If a buck lived in the very middle of that 1,000 acres... he would only have to travel like 2/3 a mile to get out either direction he left.
I don't know about you... but I can cover 2/3 a mile in less than 20 minutes at a average pace.
Now its true.. possibly... that some buck reduce their core area as they age. But not likely its 1,000 to 100 acres. More like 1,000 to 800 acres. Still a relatively small area.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you meaning to say home range rather than core area? I believe a bucks home range to be larger than 1000 acres.....but his actual core area to be much smaller.
07-07-2008, 07:02 PM
#65
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location:
Posts: 7,367
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
ORIGINAL: dukemichaels
I am flabergasted that people think 1,000 acres is large!
It's less than 1.5 square miles Early in.
If a buck lived in the very middle of that 1,000 acres... he would only have to travel like 2/3 a mile to get out either direction he left.
I don't know about you... but I can cover 2/3 a mile in less than 20 minutes at a average pace.
Now its true.. possibly... that some buck reduce their core area as they age. But not likely its 1,000 to 100 acres. More like 1,000 to 800 acres. Still a relatively small area.
Especially a mature buck. He didn't get to become mature by running the country side throughout the year, that's for sure.
It's less than 1.5 square miles Early in.
If a buck lived in the very middle of that 1,000 acres... he would only have to travel like 2/3 a mile to get out either direction he left.
I don't know about you... but I can cover 2/3 a mile in less than 20 minutes at a average pace.
Now its true.. possibly... that some buck reduce their core area as they age. But not likely its 1,000 to 100 acres. More like 1,000 to 800 acres. Still a relatively small area.
At least in this area they do
Dan
07-07-2008, 07:06 PM
#66
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mont County, Pa
Posts: 7,368
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
First, you said 1000-2000 acres. Second,I'm not saying that's a lot of ground, or that it takes any kind of time/effort to cover. What I'm saying is simply that I don't think a mature buck (outside of the rut) uses that much ground as his core area. They are VERY FUSSY when choosing a core area, and they make damned sure it's an area that doesn't get violated very often at all. Generally an area smaller than what you're describing. This is my belief, from everything I've read/heard, that's all I saying.
Yes Dan, I think "home range" sounds more like it. Also, sorry for getting off topic with this thread. I was just going with the flow.
Yes Dan, I think "home range" sounds more like it.
Also, sorry for getting off topic with this thread. I was just going with the flow.
07-07-2008, 07:20 PM
#67
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Northwest suburbs, Illinois
Posts: 2,075
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
Mike,
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you meaning to say home range rather than core area? I believe a bucks home range to be larger than 1000 acres.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you meaning to say home range rather than core area? I believe a bucks home range to be larger than 1000 acres.
But I also see no reason to believe a whitetail buck has sooo much less than a close to 1,000 acre core area. Unless of course given he has all the necessities of food, water, and adequate cover (excluding the rut.)
I come from the ample lands of the midwest.. and their isn't possibly enough food and water and cover for a deer to have too much less. But yes.. I do understand each land is different.. and at smallest I can see a 400-500 acre core area of any buck..
07-07-2008, 07:30 PM
#69
Dominant Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 21,043
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
Unless of course given he has all the necessities of food, water, and adequate cover (excluding the rut.)
at smallest I can see a 400-500 acre core area..
I will say that his core MUST have been pretty small, though.....for me to see him the number of times I did. I ended up (over a 3 season period of time) encountering this buck 7 times.
ALL 7 of these encounters came within an area of not more than 25 acres. I know this 25 was part of his core. Or....I'm naive enough to think it was.
07-07-2008, 08:00 PM
#70
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Central Utah
Posts: 4,815
RE: Why do you hunt public land?
Why do I hunt public land? Because it's damn near impossible to find private land around here without shelling mass quantities of cash.
There's about 600 acres of woods about 10 minutes from my house that is public land. Very convenient but very crowded. 80 hunters on the first Saturday of the season.
Deer are hard to come by there, so just about any deer becomes a trophy. In a masochistic sort of way, I enjoy the challenge of it.
As for core buck areas.... I think it really depends on the area. Around here there aren't many tracts of woods anywhere near 1000 acres. Once the corn is cut, a buck'score arereally shrinks up. I also saw really small core areas when I hunted and trapped up in Dundee. I'd see thesame bucks in the same areas everyday when checkingtraps.
There's about 600 acres of woods about 10 minutes from my house that is public land. Very convenient but very crowded. 80 hunters on the first Saturday of the season.
Deer are hard to come by there, so just about any deer becomes a trophy. In a masochistic sort of way, I enjoy the challenge of it.
As for core buck areas.... I think it really depends on the area. Around here there aren't many tracts of woods anywhere near 1000 acres. Once the corn is cut, a buck'score arereally shrinks up. I also saw really small core areas when I hunted and trapped up in Dundee. I'd see thesame bucks in the same areas everyday when checkingtraps.
