For a few years now, I have heard the term “lock down” from deer hunters throughout the Midwest who know a lot more than I do about what it takes to kill a big buck with a bow and arrow.
This term means that as a doe comes into heat, she is picked up by a dominant buck and “escorted” to an area away from the hustle and bustle of the activities of the deer herd and essentially “contained” for several days before being “freed” to rejoin her normal daily activities. During this time it has been said that the buck will breed the doe several times while constantly running off subordinate bucks who get a whiff of her and try to invade their privacy!
It is during this time that the sightings of big bucks cruising is diminished significantly...right during the middle of the rut! And this is the reason for it.
How many times have you “perfectly” planned your hunt during what you thought would be the best time to be in the woods and end up seeing hardly any big bucks? Even during perfect weather?
Well, on my next blog I will share with you an incredible two and a half days when I witnessed a locked-down buck with a hot doe (complete with running off other bucks, breeding the doe, rubbing trees, etc.) before he finally came into within bow range when he followed past my tree.
This term means that as a doe comes into heat, she is picked up by a dominant buck and “escorted” to an area away from the hustle and bustle of the activities of the deer herd and essentially “contained” for several days before being “freed” to rejoin her normal daily activities. During this time it has been said that the buck will breed the doe several times while constantly running off subordinate bucks who get a whiff of her and try to invade their privacy!
It is during this time that the sightings of big bucks cruising is diminished significantly...right during the middle of the rut! And this is the reason for it.
How many times have you “perfectly” planned your hunt during what you thought would be the best time to be in the woods and end up seeing hardly any big bucks? Even during perfect weather?
Well, on my next blog I will share with you an incredible two and a half days when I witnessed a locked-down buck with a hot doe (complete with running off other bucks, breeding the doe, rubbing trees, etc.) before he finally came into within bow range when he followed past my tree.
Hey David,
Another great blog. Can't wait to hear more about this on your next blog. This year the rut has not really produced any nice bucks. This year has been really tough. Talk to ya later.
God Bless & Good Huntin'
Kristle Oberlander-GA
David,
Isn't LOCK DOWN also the term husbands use when you don't get everything on the honey-do list completed and your not allowed to go hunting. But if you do make the decision to go hunting (without permission)you will be faced with the HER version of LOCKED DOWN!!!!
Tommy Daigle
John Marshall Design
David,
I was a Park Manager in Northeast Ohio before becoming a Park Ranger and witnessed the very same thing. I was at the Park one day and observed a monster buck running a doe in this one set of woods. The next day, I noticed the same two deer bedded down in the same general area. Day after day, I saw only these two deer in this one area, which was unusual as this Park was loaded with deer. Interesting blog, thanks for bringing up the idea. Look forward to hearing your story, take care.
I feel like I experienced the same thing in mid Nov. in Illinois this year. The week before I got there, the big bucks were chasing and cruising. The week I was there, only a couple of big deer were spotted and none were killed. We sort of felt like there was some "lock down" going on, but not where we were!
Yeah I experianced the same thing in minnesota. Pretty much through the whole season we never seen any trophy deer. The only deer that we seen were just little bucks. We didnt see many bigger bucks until muzzleloader season. So it was a real big lock down through out the state their were a few taken but not many.