Originally Posted by buckhunter2


I’ll say this from experience hunting the area.

Your dotted line and solid are spot on from what I’ve personally witnessed.

However, I know of two mature bucks that summered on the tract I hunt and both disappeared from the property just prior to the Bankhead rut. I, like you, assumed they went towards the Bankhead in search of early estrus does. However they were both killed ~ 2 miles from where I hunt in the complete opposite direction of the Bankhead. They went from a fairly rural and unpopulated area with plenty of food and cover and does, to a much more densely populated residential area.

I know this is only a sample of 2 but it’s the only 2 mature bucks I know of that summered on the property and were killed > 1-mile from the property.


I bet there’s some weird buck behavior occurring in these areas compared to the norm and I’m sure there’s been a few that’s had their tales whipped.

A lot of what is impacting this “push” eastward and the resistance to it is likely occurring on the properties for a mile or so of width on either side of that road……How many does are being shot on this side??…..how many are being shot on that side??......Does one side have higher reproductive rates due to habitat??......Is the “push” eastward strong enough to overcome the road mortality thinning that occurs to the doe herd??......etc….etc……Its these factors at play that are defining how this plays out.

Again, major drought periods along with cold winters will likely be when that push to expand becomes the strongest and most likely to jump the road due to the high density herd really trying to spread out looking for limited resources compared to what they had been during the wet years.

I guess if there’s any silver lining to it…..it’s that we ultimately have a lot of control over what happens but the problem being that all of those individual properties are likely each doing their own thing and the result just ends up being what it is. It may just work itself out over time the way its going to no matter you do. Like I was saying, the overall setup the way it seems to be occurring doesn’t bode well long term for Bankhead….especially considering that you already have hunters reporting that the line has been retreating in recent times and “the bubble” is getting smaller. Do we just assume that it isnt going to keep retreating??


Last edited by CNC; 08/23/23 11:35 PM.
Folks that know don't shoot old does........ wink