Matt/NC

I was out glassing this morning and saw two really nice mature bucks. One was and 8 the other a 10, they were eating in a soybean field about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile straight up the bottom from where my stands will be on another property. So my question is what are the chances my stand is in there travel zone. Not talking rut I know they could pop in then, just normally speaking how far will they travel daily.

Virginia Archer

during the day they easily can travel a mile or so becouse they are just traveling for Water and Food!!

During the Rut is a Different Story though.....They will go alittle bit further to find some Hot Doe *$$!

Howler

I've read that the older a buck gets, the smaller his home area gets. If the buck has every thing he needs to live on 100 acres, that's where he will stay, once he's mature, until the rut kicks in. The younger bucks will travel further once the bachelor herds break up, looking for their new "home" turf.

John Deer

Howler has it right here. As a buck gets older, his home range will get smaller. Especially if he has bedding, water, and a food source all in close proximity. To hunt these mature bucks you need to get as close to the bedding area as you can without spooking them. Sometimes this means not hunting mornings in these stands because you will spook the deer trying to get to your stand at the same time their going back to bed after feeding all night. Wait till evening, so you know the bucks are bedded down. Slip into your stand as close to the bedding area as possible without alerting the deer, and then hope they get on their feet before the light fades. If you hunt too close to the food source, by the time they get to you it may be too dark to shoot, or you may already be back at your truck.

bawanajim

Those beans will be gone before the season starts, you might be closer to them than you think.