Thread: Blue mtn fallow bucks

I was hunting down in the blue mtns yesterday and came across 2 separate bucks in my travels, both were still mobbed up with does's. My question is when do they bugger off to their man caves in the thick stuff. I image it cant be to far off?

Did ya get one!?

My experience is very limited with Bucks outside the rut but a guy down the lodge last weekend caught up with a mob of bucks briefly so I guess they are starting to mob up...

unfortunately not!

First one was missed by millimeters.... by the bonnet of my truck! this doe's crossed about 20m in front of me but he waited till the last minute to leg it! Could have been nasty for both parties!

Second one gave me the slip as i was trying to get in a position to shoot that was not obscured with vege, wind was really swirly and unfortunately on this occasion worked in his favor. Half the fun of hunting down that way I guess...

Bugger. The wind was shit for me the other day too...

yup! Seems to be worst when the wind is strong I've found. Animals seem to be on tucked up in the lee and with the strong wind you seem to get heaps of eddy's and swirls in the lee of the ridges, in you face one minute, behind you the next. frustrating!!

Also seems to be a fair bit of snow damage this winter, makes getting about with any stealth bit harder. The mutt was making a hell of a racket :-( The deer seem to have been making the most of all the downed broadleaf though.

I concur. Your dog sounds like a saint compared to mine!
Most the broadleaf was gone from the branchs I saw, I wonder if some good bucks will come out next rut b/c of the influx of food this winter?

Originally Posted by Wildman

I concur. Your dog sounds like a saint compared to mine!
Most the broadleaf was gone from the branchs I saw, I wonder if some good bucks will come out next rut b/c of the influx of food this winter?

The dog and I had a couple of "disagreements" this trip, now I have shot a few deer with her she seems to think she could do better herself... Have to try and nip it in the bud!

Fingers crossed for some good antler growth.

As an aside I noticed the was way more snow damage down in the Catlins, heaps of tucker knocked down. A lot seemed to be still rooted and hadn't wilted. What I was wondering is with all the food around is the aerial 1080 drop likely to have less of an effect on deer numbers down there than if food was at normal winter levels?