You are a lucky man


I hunt on a small track. I usually do not start seeing any bucks until this time of year through December, then they are ghost again. This is how it usually plays out. There is usually around 3 or 4 does and some fawns that hang around all year long, periodically additional girls will show up. Late September I will start seeing pictures of a couple of small young bucks and spikes.

Got my first picture of a spike and small 8 on the game cam last week, the 8 is nocturnal the spike is whenever.
Usually feed corn all year although I skipped 2 months this year due to great rains in may and June and tons of forbs.

When the field comes in mid October the amount of does and young bucks increase, by early November I can have anywhere from 8 -14 deer in the field and will start seeing a few mature bucks. But I never see a bachelor group of bucks where I am at? Sure they are out there on bigger places.

It wont affect the next hunt

A buck that's trailing a doe during the Chase phase of the rut is a completely different animal than one traveling alone late in the season when the rut is weeks gone by.

I think you also have to consider other factors, such as region, high fence or low fence, public land or private, etc., when gauging the wariness of an older buck.

I'll just say the meat hunt worked out well...multiple deer taken in the same stand each hunt. Was a lot of fun and much needed management effort to thin out the does. I love west Texas deer hunting.

Shoot one, jack in a new round, and sit there and don't move. You'll generally get another shot soon enough.