Whitetail Buck Travel Patterns Revealed

While doe family groups tend to head straight to their afternoon food source within a fairly boring daily pattern, mature bucks often take a lot more strategic set of potential routes.

[@justinlonghofer]

Smart guy. I've been really digging your material. I feel like a recruit again...I lead Marines in combat in Fallujah, Iraq 2005 and never really thought I would "Get into" hunting. I have an earned respect for life and enjoy nature. I pulled my first deer tag this year and originally was going to just take a doe for meat. I have a new respect for bucks and hunting white tail the more I learn about them and its challenges. Its given me a real fulfillment I've not had in a long time and given me something to look forward to and especially apply some of the combat skills that unfortunately a lot of veterans feel die along with their career as they transition to civilian life. I'm archery hunting a buck and scouted out some public land here in my county here in Kansas (Fall River State Park) here in the Flint Hills. Amazing hunting here and topography to die for. Thanks for your expertise its helped me a lot in understanding these creatures.

[@worknman78]

I hunt the 10 acres we live on in Northeast GA, fairly populated. Every November I end up catching a good buck following my doe routes from other properties. I'm going to try tracking the wind direction this year on your advice. Great video! Thanks!

[@bradgordon5912]

bucks live by their nose and the older they are the more they use them. great exclamation Jeff of buck travel. I often have seen mature bucks on even follow trails by are downwind of the main trails scent checking them and using their eyes and ears to watch out ahead of them.

[@TheElementWild]

Great vid Jeff! If the wind sets up for that doe family group to be heading into it as they walk their habitual route to food in the eve, can you hunt that route during the rut in hopes that a mature buck might follow them to food?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

The Element Definitely...great point! Really on a small parcel of 20-30 acres you can create an assembly of stands that set up on 2-3 buck routes near food or near his bedding area, as well as to target does as they head to their food sources, with or without bucks in tow. On most parcels I visit that means 8-12 treestands for a 20-60 acre chunk of land.

[@Zcvxrs]

I’ve been chasing a buck for 2 years now and it’s been very difficult to figure out where he’s been. We had some clue of where his range was but we just learned that he travels very far. Someone got a picture of him a couple of miles away from my house which is about 5 miles away from my hunting property

[@geneellison5881]

Awesome Jeff ! Loopers move into the wind - straightliners go back and forth ! Simple and I get it !

[@TS-nb9ko]

I do believe wind is everything when it comes to bowhunting.you play the wind your chances go up a lot.love your vids Jeff.look forward to watching them.it makes me not forget the basics of bowhunting.keeps your head in the game.thank you

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Tom thank you, great points! It sometimes now more than ever that bowhunters need to think about the basics don't you think? Too many gadgets made to make hunters think they can ignore the basics...just my opinion but if the basics aren't ignored everything else falls into place.

[@TS-nb9ko]

Whitetail Habitat Solutions I agree Jeff to many gadgets in today's world.good old fashion basics and hard work will get the job done most of the time.i like how you wash your clothes in baking soda I do that all the time lol.my passion for bowhunting runs very deep.im 53 yrs old been bowhunting since I was 14.and I'm always ready to learn as much as possible.thats where your vids come in.i enjoy your insights on everything.every little bit can help

[@bamabowhunter2705]

Thanks 🙏🏿 again for the great information Mr. Sturgis may God continue to bless you.

[@thereelaccountant9246]

Do you believe that bucks will almost always walk INTO the wind? I feel that way but where they want to go that isn't always possible right? I feel like I have also seen a herd walking with their wind to their back, maybe to use their eyes and use the wind for danger behind them?

[@jasonrhodes7047]

I've always said that deer smell how we see. It's their dominant sense. Just like we use our sight to our advantage deer use their sense of smell.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

They sure do but at th same time it's amazing how doe family groups do the same thing for weeks at a time, regardless of the wind direction. Same bedding, same feeding, same travel routs...just another day. Mature bucks on the other hand are s different creature...

[@jonathanb9429]

I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work !

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Jonathan B thank u very much I'll keep them coming as best as I can !

[@lanetaul2199]

Your content is helping me learn a lot

[@jasoncurtis4938]

Is it possible for you to use a still shot of your example property with the ability to highlight/draw or marker the beds, trails, ridges, benches, etc that you are referencing? It would amp up the great information you provide!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Jason Curtis I hope that this helps! I sometimes forget about the details since the concepts are so important. This at least gives you a little insight...www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/precision-buck-hunting-system-for-advanced-deer-habitat

[@nickarnold8417]

I am struggling to identify buck bedding areas in relation to food which is making me unconfident in picking stand locations and over whelmed with second guessing. I have growing knowledge from your videos. The land has a few rubs, scatt, good stem count/diversity in some areas and what seem to be flattened out areas but it is only my best educated guess as to if it is indeed a buck bedding area. I do not know what they are eating to and from the ag fields. I see some white oaks (which I wouldn't think are much of a food source during the early season?) and have some honey suckle bushes but other than that Idk what they are eating in the timberland areaS. Thanks for the time-Nick

[@jasonparker92]

How far from bedding should i plant food plot? And what if only area available to plant is between doe and buck bedding?

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I would rarely plan the plot between buck and doe bedding, only because the buck will bed further away fron the new food plot. But so many variables... impossible to give you accurate information! I wish I could...

[@rickdacus1818]

can you show it on a topical map with ridges, valleys, and wind direction?

[@mr.mackinaw1401]

Confusing, a whiteboard drawing would help explain this video

[@tannerwills7286]

Great information. Thanks!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Tanner Wills You are very welcome Tanner...thanks a lot for watching!

[@jonlittle9065]

If bucks are looping to get the wind in their favour while traveling to a food source, how will they approach it if the wind is blowing directly out into the field from where they would enter? Will mature bucks just not enter a field until after dark in these scenarios?

[@ericstevens2586]

More than likely yes, remember, a big buck ain't stupid. He will always scent check a area before he ever commits to coming in. I'm dealing with that problem right now

[@thereelaccountant9246]

@@ericstevens2586 unless you grunt at him and he is just too pissed haha. Sometimes

[@Cody_Buck]

I'm one of those guys that's been hunting for 20 years and NO ONE ever taught me any of this.

[@johngutormson8349]

Where can I buy your sweater? Looks warm and comfy. Oh I see it’s a vest

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

John Gutormson sorry custom made...and it is ;) Best of luck this season!

[@killa81212]

Alright, but what’s a “bench”

[@clayton203]

Enjoy,,hunting a mature buck is one of the most aggravating things I have ever done,,I get monsters on camera at nighttime,,no where they bed,,but they are like hunting a ghost, it has drove me to drink

[@RobertWilliams82-22]

Why are bucks more particular and skittish then does?

[@michaelgarrett656]

How far will a deer travel 9 miles ?

[@robertayoder2063]

Right on