Looking for your opinion. Does the buck stay in the same general area after he finishes breeding the doe, or does he start roaming around looking for the next estrus doe?

I found their "honeymoon" spot yesterday. Three spots within 25 yards that had fresh buck droppings and doe droppings in the same area. Dry, bedding areas the size for two in the pine straw and leaves, whereas everything else was wet and untouched. In each of the bedding areas, the pine straw was disturbed and stirred up from their breeding.

We know that a doe only stays in estrus about 72 hours. After that, they stop breeding and the buck gets back on the move to look for another doe.

Here are my questions for you. Do you believe he stays in that area to look for another doe or starts cruising looking around for the next one? And would you hunt that specific area or where you've been seeing the does?

He is on the prowl again as soon as his business is complete. As soon as he crosses paths with the next doe in heat, he will follow her until it is time to breed. Just remember that a lot of times there will be multiple does in a group and he may not have to leave a "general" area to find his next receptive doe.

If you want to watch how bucks react with does come to Muscle Shoals and walk the T V A reservation. They are harassing the does here to no end. Buddy saw 14 there yesterday and the heat is on.

I believe it depends on the buck but it seems like most cruise around. With that said I would definitely hunt the does if they are coming into estrous and you know where they have been spending most of their time.

Can't go wrong with hunting the does in the rut.

What does a buck dropping look like? Does it have antlers?

Jbuc - seriously or are you joking?

He'll be on the hunt for the next doe. But he may only have to travel across the hill if there's a doe group nearby. He may have to travel quite a distance, could go either way, no one size fits all on this one.

No he's not joking. There is no way to differentiate buck from doe droppings. No way at all.

Uh, taste!!

Matt, ok. Hmmm, that's different than what I was taught and have read biologists put out but I'm open to learning. If that's the case than what do we attribute the different size scat to? There are large, "milk dud" size piles all clumped together almost is the size of a large pine cone, and smaller "raisin" size piles?

Well, I am a biologist too. Milk dud clumped together poop is from a deer that has been stationary, or inactive for a while, that just got up from bed. Non clumped pellets are from active deer that were on their feet when they got the urge. Simple as that.

I believe that is the older generation that says that.. my grandfather says that along with my father.. I won't argue with em but I know better..

Well my apologies! I've always enjoyed your commentary on here and will certainly add this information to my mental database. That's what I enjoy most about this site is the ability to gather new data and apply it to my hunting.

So, by that information combined with what I previously said, you'd say that I've identified a bedding area...simple as that, right?

^^^^^^Matt is correct. No way to differentiate the two.

Yes, I would agree that you found a bedding area.

Yes you definitely found a bedding area. Now figuring out who beds there is the question.

Only thing I have found those deer dropping useful for is a cover scent.

Thanks Matt I've literally almost got in brawls over this with hunting buddies. I can't believe how ignorant they sound while arguing.

Look at the tracks, everyone knows the ones with back dew claws are bucks.

PM me your number and I'll take a pic of mine and text it to ya.

The OP wanted to know about the bucks movement after breeding....