Where do they go???

For the last three years we have plenty of deer on camera (I leave them out year round
). When September hits the bucks seem to disappear outside of the occasional strangler or “local” that sticks around. Come October they are back on camera plus a few other new ones.

I had pictures almost every day from 3 different camera locations (1.25+ miles is farthest between two cameras) of does and yearlings from Labor day until this past weekend. Only a basket 6 that we have seen all year and two spikes after seeing at least 10 different bucks through August.

Just wondering where the other bucks may go (no one bow hunts) so not too worried as I know (or at least hope) they will be back. No pressure pushing them off as we have 250+ acres in family plus we back to a state forest that gets no bow hunting pressure (at least where we hunt). Not much for gun either outside of one party of three guys to the East.

Plenty of does around to play with.
They heading to the fields for food?

I call it the Calm before the storm. You have a number of things happening all at once. Their food source needs change, the group the Bucks are dispersing, and they’re preparing for the rut.

For years I’ve been capturing on my trail cams the same thing that you’re seeing. However I begin to see them on secondary trails, in more secluded bedding areas, as well as simply leaving this territory. Once I see more rut activity take place I see the Bucks traveling many more square miles and following a lot more doe trails

Do all the bucks leave for the entire month or you just get fewer pictures? Not knowing what is on your acreage they may be heading to a specific food source. Otherwise I’d say that with the bachelor groups splitting up the bucks are expanding their home range which in turn causes fewer pictures. If you have a thick bedding cover area hang a camera around there and see what happens.

If corns up in your area they could be just laying low getting fat lounging.

I see the exact same thing happening and have for years. Like Randy said the bachelor groups are breaking up and they all need to find their own chunk of ground instead of sharing the common ground together.

That and the change in diet from green browse to different food to bulk up for winter and the rut. If you have oaks that are dropping acorns now you will find them there.

I planted ag beans and forage beans this year. The ag beans have turned yellow/brown so they are no longer palatable to the deer until the pods dry up. The forage beans however continue to stay green and grow until frost. Since they were hammering both beans all summer I figured they would stay on the forage beans as long as they were green. They didn’t, once the ag beans turned yellow they quit hitting beans altogether, so I have to think their diet changes this time of year.

Or come over here they really seem to like being in our big shed with the horses, and drinking out of the stock tank. I should put a camera out there for the amount of tracks in out and around the shed it would be interesting.