Soybeans

Deer need food. Nothing complex about that. This time of year, it's surprisingly easy to get pictures of deer and/or bucks I've been looking for all season by finding the best food source. There is a bit of myth to be busted regarding 'food sources' though. Not every buck is going to choose an agricultural food source over their own survival. Last winter at this time, we were getting amazing pictures around some grain bins with spilled soybeans. However, the bigger bucks were only coming through for an hour or so once every week or every couple nights. Not consistent. The only thing that made sense at first was that there was a bit of 'second rut' activity going on. There were a few bucks who would pass right through and only give you that one picture every two to three weeks. Obviously they weren't as concerned with the food.

This year, I've pin-pointed the best three food sources - all agricultural remnants. I've set up five of my six Cuddebacks on the heaviest trails I can find heading to these sources. Even if I don't get any 'new' bucks, I'm hoping to get better pictures of a few of the ones I already know about. I only have one instance of a buck I'm pretty sure is Mr. 140, but I really don't feel 100% confident that it's him. I would also like to get a picture or two of Skyscraper out of velvet. That has yet to happen this year. Those really are my two goals. Beyond that, I would be fit to be tied if I could confirm if The Clown or WideWeb were still alive. Boy would that be something to see. An in-law of a neighboring hunter said he saw a monster at a half mile opening morning of rifle season. He was sitting up on the west end of the swamp, along the border. WideWeb? Anyway, I'm starting to get some pictures of some bucks I really haven't seen much of since late summer. Pretty neat. I just replaced a bunch of batteries, so hopefully I can keep my cameras out until New Years.