Summer range and fall range can be miles apart. These summer pics of velvet bucks are encouraging, but dont get your hopes up just yet...unless your season opens in late August or 1st week of September.
I ride this rollercoaster every summer with velvet buck pics and can count on one hand the bucks I killed in the fall that I photographed in the summer. And there have only been 3 or 4 that were killed in same area where there pics were taken in August.
My 2 best bucks just started shedding velvet past few days. Both of them are 4.5 year olds. They disappeared from a feeder they were coming to every night for a month. I checked another camera about 1/2 mile away and both were there but not together...one at feeder August 15th...one there yesterday. Both have velvet hanging from there racks...about half peeled off. This is right on schedule for these south Ga older bucks. The younger ones will be shed by 1st week of September...mostly.
One of these bucks will leave my property in the next couple weeks..he has done this past 3 years...I dont know where he goes.....he will make a couple appearances in late October but after that wont see him again until later December.
The other shooter has remained on my place throughout the fall and winter. Hope he does it this time. I couldn't get my timing right on him last season. I would hunt one morning and nothing. Next morning check camera and there he was at 8 am. We played that game all season...he won. He was a shooter last year at 3.5. Even better at 4.5.
Good luck!
Same here.
I used to love running trail came all summer but have backed off.
The " Boyz" you see in August can be miles away once velvet is shed.
Not sure if the pics will post but I'll try.
This buck was a SUPER homebody all spring/ summer for years only to disappear once he shed velvet.
I have no idea where he went.
I tried killing him as a 5 year old but didn't get him till he as 8.
1000' s of pics over a mineral lick over the years.
Bottom line. Some bucks will stay, some will move.
However, don't be discouraged if your not seeing good bucks now.
If your in a good area, bucks that summered miles away can show up anytime.