Realtree: Community: The Bachelor Pad

Thirty minutes passed before I heard the unmistakable clack of deer antlers hitting one another. It only lasted a second, but I knew it was a little early-season roughhousing between two bucks. As facepaint trickled down and mosquitoes buzzed, I spied the figures of deer moving through the trees and into the edge of the harvested cornfield where I was be lurking from above. There were four of them, and the sound of those antlers cued me to the fact that they were likely all bucks. With four boys in the group, I felt confident that at least one of them would be a shooter.

Predictably, the first one to step plainly into view was a spindly forkhorn. He picked and pulled at a few cornstalks before being prodded along by the next two bucks, which stepped out together. One was an I’ll-be-a-contender-next-year 8-pointer that, with any luck, will rear his antlers again this fall. The next was a fine-looking 10-pointer, albeit a fairly lanky-framed one, still on the young side. On any other day, I would’ve gladly shot him, but I knew there was a fourth deer to appear on the suspect lineup.

The 8-pointer sauntered out, and, fully mature with a potbelly and sagging back, there was no question he ruled the group of rebel rousers. Only the 10-pointer fed near him, and even at that, he was cautious. The big eight sported an impressive crown — right around the Pope & Young mark, with plenty of mass. Through my binoculars I could see his rack was slick and smooth, with a few blood spots here and there. He’d shed his velvet not long ago.

The two smaller bucks fed out into the middle of the field, but the bigger deer seemed reluctant to step that far into the opening — at least with that much daylight left. After a half hour, though, much to my delight, the 10-pointer began ambling my way, hugging the treeline as he walked, and making plenty of noise as he pulled stalks of the standing corn down. The 8-pointer kept tabs on the younger bucks, apparently agitated at their brazenness, but he followed the 10-pointer nearly to the base of my tree. I was waiting in full draw when he took the final step needed. I could hear him crunching on corn kernels as he stood broadside at 8 yards. The release was smooth and fluid; the arrow made a satisfying, hollow thump as it hit his chest. My best bow-buck to date fell within sight and marked the fourth consecutive year that I’d had a shot at a September bachelor buck.

September Specials

Now, I love hunting the rut, and there’s no doubt it’s a great time of year to tag a massive whitetail. But if you live in a state with a September bow season and you’re avoiding hunting it because of the heat and bugs, you’re missing out on perhaps the easiest time of year to arrow a wallhanger.

Most bowhunters know bucks mill around in bachelor groups during late summer and early fall, prior to splitting apart and establishing their dominance as the annual quest for mating rights begins. Many also know how easy it is to see and pattern these bucks as they make their way into summertime green fields, sporting full velvet. With an early September bow season, most deer will still be on that late summer pattern and easy to hunt — although not for long.

Understanding the nature of a bachelor group of bucks is pretty self-explanatory, but it can cue you in to many things on stand. In my experience, most sizeable bachelor groups will have a forkhorn or similar basket-rack leading the charge to and from food sources each day. The little fellow will most always be the first to appear on the trail or in the field edge. So, when little bucks come charging through in early September, there’s reason to get excited. I’ve watched countless larger bucks hang back off a field, sometimes milling around for several minutes, eyeing for danger, as the smaller bucks pranced right out in the open and began feeding. Young ones make for a fine distraction, and the big boys know it. It’s a cold thing to do to a young tagalong, but hey, the big guys will be gouging them with their antlers in a few weeks anyway.

It’s imperative not to alert young bucks as they make their way to food sources. The bigger deer will likely follow the same trail out. It definitely helps to know what all the deer in a bachelor group look like ahead of time so you don’t inadvertently pass on the best shooter of the bunch, should he be traveling in the middle of the pack. A few preseason glassing trips will likely reveal everything you need to know.

Subordinate deer, particularly this time of year, seem to get mighty timid around the older bucks once they’re in the field. Though they will eventually regroup, I’ve seen them separate by 75 yards or more while feeding. This makes the older deer susceptible to subtle tactics like soft grunts, or even some light antler sparring. As the deer in the story illustrated, once the velvet is stripped, many bucks are eager to lock horns, if only playfully and briefly. It seems the younger bucks are the first to do this, and the older bucks are typically quick to break such things up.

As season progresses, usually around September 20 in western Kentucky, it’s usually a wise move to set up in staging areas off fields to catch bucks hanging around in cover, waiting for it to get dark. But in early September, big bucks will still be lax enough to feed in fields during broad daylight, and often several days in a row. It may seem a little aggressive, but there’s nothing wrong with setting up right on the side of a food source. Place your stand high, and be sure it’s hidden. Also, be willing to adjust. Bachelor bucks coming out of a certain trail one evening are likely to do the same thing the next. Be willing to head to the field early the next day, while the cicadas are still humming, and adjust your stand closer to the action. In the extreme early season, bucks won’t bed far from the food source, sometimes less than 100 yards away, so keeping your stand on the field’s edge is a safe play as well.

The Source of Action

When attempting to pattern bachelor bucks using a food source, be on the lookout for subtleties that consistently attract them. The point of trees jutting into the field in the story is a fine example. A few seasons ago, my dad arrowed a terrific 9-pointer from a clover field after watching him, along with two other small bucks, head to the same corner of the field for two consecutive evenings. On the third evening, Dad scouted that corner and discovered a pair of white oaks dropping early acorns. He promptly climbed the straighter of the two, and scarcely had time to pull his bow into the stand before the bachelor group strolled nonchalantly into the opening.

Approached skillfully and patiently, sticking the dominant buck in a group of bachelors can be the closest thing to a big-buck chip shot you’ll have until the rut rolls around. They’re easy to pattern, but you can’t be lax in doing so — once you find them, move in for the kill the following afternoon. But alw

ays remember to check wind direction, as sweat is not easily avoidable during this time of year. In September, the bachelor days of summertime are ever dwindling, so make ‘em count.

Observation Stands

Some areas don’t lend themselves well to preseason scouting. A standing cornfield is a great example, simply because you can’t see anything. In this case, it may be wise to spend at least one afternoon after the field is shelled perched high in an observation stand with a good binocular, patterning a group of bachelors as they enter a field to feed. More than watching the deer themselves, be especially mindful of landmarks where they enter the field, as well as suitable trees, within bow range, for quickly hanging a stand. This time of year, with bachelors likely bedded within earshot, a quiet approach via a carefully maneuvered climbing stand is best.