It was not until mid-October when I started to see more and bigger bucks. Now the larger bucks in my area are moving at all hours of the day. Just this morning I was able to watch a large spike sparring with a huge 8 pointer. This was at 8:05 am on November 1 and we are just now approaching the main rut in my area. Make sure you consult your state’s deer hunting regulations on the legality of hanging trail cameras before you go out and purchase a camera.

You then ask whether or not bucks will hang with the does when the rut is not taking place. Again this is a great question. Generally bucks will hang out in small bachelor groups or remain solitary prior to the rut. As the rut nears, bucks tend to travel solo. The bigger bucks will chase off the younger rival bucks and start to mark their territories. This is when scrapes and rubs will start to appear.

If a doe was not successfully bred the first time she went into heat, a doe will come into estrous again approximately 28 days later. This is considered the post rut. You will still see bucks chasing those does that were not yet bred. Generally the chasing phase is less as the majority of does were bred earlier.

When the rut ends, bucks will again start to hang out in their bachelor groups or remain solitary until they recuperate from the breeding season’s activities. Once bucks get a bit more energy and the winter starts to set in you may see them out in filelds feeding with does and fawns.

Why do bucks shed their velvet each year?

Each year during the winter months a buck will shed his antlers. Deer Antler growth usually begins during the month of March or April, by August or early September, antlers are fully-grown. The development process can vary greatly depending upon the genes and nutrition of each deer.

Growing antlers are covered with a living tissue called velvet. This velvet houses the developing antlers and supplies the growing antlers with the nutrients needed for growth.

From Late August to mid-September antler growth is done and the velvet is shed or rubbed off by the buck as he rubs saplings with his antlers. Older bucks will shed their velvet before younger bucks.

Your next question asks about the age of spike bucks and three pointers.

A buck with spike antlers is usually sporting his first set of antlers. This would make his approximate age about 1.5 years old.

There are a couple ways to look at a larger set of antlers. For example, in the Midwest hunter’s generally count both sides of a deer’s rack. In the west however hunters will count each side separately. So a 6-point buck in the Midwest would be considered a 3x3 out west.

You had asked about the age of a 3-pointer. For simplicity’s sake we’ll call that deer a 3x3 or six-pointer. You are right to assume a six pointer is older than a spike buck. In many cases this 3x3 or six-pointer would be around 2.5 years old. If you are practicing Quality Deer Management, this would be one to let walk by. A buck’s rack will hit its full growth potential between the ages of 5.5 – 7.5 years.

Will a buck grow one point per side each year?

There are many factors that will determine a buck’s antler growth. The main factors being genetics and the quality of the food they are eating.

Spikes are more common in yearling deer than older ones because antler growth starts at a time when the young buck’s body is still growing rapidly. Antler development is tied in closely with the animal’s nutritional status. Older bucks might also carry spikes if they come from an area with poor food conditions.

If genetics and good nutrition are present, bucks could grow even more than one point per year.

Case in point, I had an incredible 16 point or 8x8 that lived here on my land 2 years ago. I had let him walk opening weekend in hopes he would be able to survive that hunting season.

A hunter on a neighboring farm harvested that buck on the last day of the season that same year. At the time he was harvested he was estimated to be only 4.5 years old. The year before he was taken he was a very respectable 8-pointer or 4x4 at only 3.5 years of age.

Why do deer stomp the ground?

Stomping serves a dual purpose. When a deer stomps the ground with a front hoof it is both warning other deer in the area of potential danger and trying to get what ever they are looking at to move. It is also my understanding that a deer will release scent each time they stomp. A stomp is usually always followed by a snort. A deer that is snorting at you is usually not a good thing. This means it has definitely seen you and may have winded you. After a couple stomps and snorts the deer will usually run off.

The sneezing you describe the young and old bucks doing is actually called snorting. And yes you are right…they got wind of you. They probably took off shortly after they snorted too. There are a few things to remember when you head out into the deer woods:

1.) Always hunt with the wind in your face. As long as the wind is in your face a deer approaching in front of you cannot smell you. Have multiple stands set up to use the wind to your advantage. The old, wary bucks may try to circle downwind of you to catch your scent. To combat this issue I always hang deer scent (usually buck urine) 5 – 10 yards to my right and left. This way if the buck starts to circle, he will catch wind of the buck urine scent and may come in to investigate before he catches your human scent.

2.) Always use a good cover scent to mask human odor. There are countless numbers of cover scents out there today. When choosing a cover scent, choose one that compliments the area you are hunting. If you hunt in a pine forest, use pine cover scent. If you are in a stand of oaks, use an acorn cover scent. If you are unsure of which type to use get a Fresh Earth cover scent.

If your budget allows, you could look into a scent block suit. The good ones are carbon activated and will absorb human odor. These suits are not the end all answer but they could help significantly.

3.) Use attractant scents. If your area is experiencing the rut, use a doe in heat or dominant buck lure. If you are hunting pre or post rut, doe urine or buck urine works well. Deer can be creatures of curiosity. More times than not I have had both bucks and does come wandering in following a scent trail I put down while walking to my stand.

4.) If the wind is not favorable for the stand you want to hunt, don’t use that stand. This is one of the most common mistakes a hunter can make. The wind is coming in from behind their stand location and they choose to sit there anyway. All a hunter is doing is letting every deer in the area know he/she is there. This is where having several stands set up for different wind variations pays off handsomely.

5.) Change your routine. Lets say you go out to your stand before sun up everyday and leave by 10 am. You sit there not seeing a solitary thing while you are there. Then let’s say you tell your hunting partner he/she can use your stand after you have left. At 11 am your buddy takes a monster from the very tree you left an hour before. What happened? Deer are creatures of habit. They will pattern you as much or even better than you can pattern them. Obviously it is best to sit in your stand from sun up to sun down. But if you can’t for whatever reason throw the deer for a loop. Never hunt the same stand for more than 3-days straight. If you only have four hours you can hunt, mix it up. Hunt in the morning one day, the evening the next and mid-day the third. Try not to let the deer pattern your behaviors.

Did the does you had seen “shelter" the buck?

I don’t think the does were sheltering the buck. I think he was hanging in the wings to see if danger was present, or he may have been testing the air for a hot doe. I have seen this scenario several times. A buck is traveling behind some does on a wood line bordering an open field. The does keep walking into the field and the buck hangs on the wood’s edge until after dark.

The buck is more or less letting the does test the waters so to speak. He is using them as decoys for any danger that may be present. As the does are walking into the filed, he is carefully watching and winding for anything that he does not like. I have watched a buck sit on a wood line until dark before coming out to eat. Remember he did not get to be a big buck by being stupid.

The exception to this is if the does are in heat. Then it seems nearly anything goes. A big buck could run out of the wood line right into the middle of the field chasing a hot doe with no regard to anything but that doe.

I will address your Field to Table questions in my next set of answers.

Good Luck and Great Hunting.
Marty Prokop
www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com

Part 2 Updated 11/25/06

Hey Mike,

Let’s get into answering your field dressing questions.

In my free newsletter we discussed How to Field Dress a Deer. It was a quick 9 step process. For you and our hunting community at www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com

I will soon have a video, "Field Dressing Made Easy," that will be available online at www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com On this video, you will see exactly how I field dress a deer using only my knife. (No need for a saw or axe)

Field Dressing a deer properly is probably the most important thing you can do to insure great tasting venison on your dinner plate.

To do a great job field dressing you need the right equipment to get the job done.

Here is a checklist of my Field Dressing Kit I carry out each time I go hunting.
1.) Sharp, stiff bladed knife
2.) Gut Hook style knife
3.) Latex gloves or Field Dressing Gloves (sold in most Sporting Goods Stores)
4.) 12 – 15 foot length of rope
5.) Paper towels
6.) Moist Towellettes or wet terry cloth towel for washing my hands
7.) Instant Hand Sanitizer
8.) 2- Zip Top Bags, gallon size

I place the items listed above into one of the Zip-Top bags and directly into my hunting pack. This way I always have it when I am ready to field dress a deer.

Lets say you are now standing over the deer you just harvested. After making sure the deer has expired, unload your rifle or place your arrow back in its quiver. Lean your rifle or bow against a rock or tree nearby.

NOTE: (If you are hunting where Grizzlies are present do not unload your rifle. Rather make sure the rifle’s safety is on and lean it on a nearby rock or tree in case you need to use it on the bear)

Steps to Field Dress a Deer
1.) Reach into your pack an pull out your Field Dressing Kit
2.) Unpack each item and place off to your side
3.) Put on latex gloves or field dressing gloves
4.) Remove sharp knife from it’s sheath
5.) Roll deer onto its back. If possible make sure the rear half of the deer is angled slightly downhill. This will allow blood to drain out of the cavity in upcoming steps.
6.) Using your sharp knife remove the genitals of a buck. Make sure you only cut the skin and do not cut through the muscle in this step. AS you make the cut around the scrotum and start to move to the rear of the deer, you will notice a white chord. Being careful to not cut through this chord, continue cutting the deer’s hide towards the anus.
If you have harvested a doe, the procedure is identical. You will be removing the doe’s udder rather than its genitals. Try not to cut into the udder.

NOTE: Check your local game regulations. In some states leaving the deer’s genitals intact is required by law.

7.) You will see a seam where the hind leg muscles connect. Make a cut directly where the large muscles of the hind legs come together. Cut down until you can see the bone holding the two legs together. This is called the aitch bone.
8.) Using the tip of your knife blade, make a small incision where the muscles of the belly come to a point ahead of the aitch bone. Do not push the blade too deep as you may puncture the bladder or intestines.
9.) Place a finger in the incision you just made. Feel for a “ridge” on the inside of the aitch bone. This ridge is usually soft cartilage-type material. Again using just the tip of your knife, place the point in the center of the ridge from the top side of the aitch bone.
10.) Using the butt of your hand gently hit the handle of your knife until you feel it cut through the ridge of the aitch bone. (Be very careful to not push too hard as the bladder of the deer lies below this aitch bone. Puncturing the bladder would result in urine running into the steak meat of your deer…needless to say not good) Using a back and forth rocking movement, pull the knife towards the rear of the deer. (this rocking motion is similar to that of the old army style can openers)
11.) Once you have cut through the aitch bone, it is time to cut around the deer’s anus. Hold the skin of the deer’s bung near the cut you have just made through the aitch bone. Using your knife cut in a circular motion following the curve of the aitch bone to just above the deer’s tail. DO the same for the other side of the aitch bone.
12.) Place the straight bladed knife safely to the side. Using the gut hook style knife, make a cut from the small incision you made at the belly of the deer up towards the ribcage.