Lower mainland deer

[jeeper]

This is probably my first post on this board so go easy on me :)


I live near Campbell Valley Park in south Langley and have a fairly large dee population in the area !

Ive seen 9 deer from my deck at one time and 5 bucks from my deck .

So That being said I made myself a deerstand / birdfeeder platform close to where I was seeing the deer . Its about 20 ft above ground and about 40square feet of area , with a canvas tarp for cover etc .


What I am hoping you people can help me out with is what happens to bucks as they mature ?

Last summer the big bucks in the area were a 5x4 a 4x4 and a 4x3 . So far this year the largest ive seen is a 3x2 but hes fairly wide , his rack is a good 3 inches each side of his ears when the ears are at a 30 degree angle .

Im wondering if this is the 5x4 buck tht id seen in previos years as he has a massive spread . Ive never seen a 3x2 with such Mass .

Hopefully someone can help to tell me what the life changes etc happen with the antlrs etc .


Thanks in advance :


Bruce

[Barracuda]

Hi Bruce welcome aboard :D good to see you over here.
Plenty of deer guys here so someone should be able to give you an answer.

I got some nice spring bear i was gonna bring over one of these days.
Hopefully we can get out for a hunt together again this fall.

Kyle

[Blainer]

Those sound like some fine bucks,especially for blacktail.
Deer do digress as they get older,but the big bucks may still show up.
Try to get a photo.
Good luck.

[jeeper]

Hi Bruce welcome aboard :D good to see you over here.
Plenty of deer guys here so someone should be able to give you an answer.

I got some nice spring bear i was gonna bring over one of these days.
Hopefully we can get out for a hunt together again this fall.

Kyle


Hey Kyle Thanks :)


Anytime !


I went out to my deerstand tonight after seeing a few deer in the field . I was able to sneak into it while there were several deer bedded down a snowballs throw away . I have seen the four deer that were out there many times this year . Well ,, The spike and the Doe I sure cant be sure but theres this combination of group that is around a lot . he 3x2 the 2x2 (seen them lots ) and usually with a spike and doe ,or two does .

I was close enough that my 10 x 40 leupold binos with a 6.6degree field of view were basically filled up by a deer .(75-80 % of the screen )


The biggest part of my question comes because the spread on this buck is huge , I am a fairly rookie hunter but have shot at least 10 4 point bucks and this 3x2 is probably widder then any of the 4 point bucks Ive shot . I took a tape measer to the bucks on my wall trying to compare sizes , and im sure this 3x2 was close to 24 inches across .


I know last year I had a 5x4 that was about the same body size and worked the same areas , and had the same maurisums as this buck so I was really curios -can it be the same buck ? jsut less points?



Thanks Bruce

[Blainer]

Are these bucks that you shot mule deer or blacktail deer.
If you have shot better than 10-4point blacktail bucks,I would hardly call you a rookie,maybe hero,but not rookie.
If you are comparing this blacktail in you're field to a mule deer,it is a smaller deer and the rack may look bigger.
24" on a blacktail is a monster buck.
Get them photo's.

[jeeper]

Are these bucks that you shot mule deer or blacktail deer.
If you have shot better than 10-4point blacktail bucks,I would hardly call you a rookie,maybe hero,but not rookie.
If you are comparing this blacktail in you're field to a mule deer,it is a smaller deer and the rack may look bigger.
24" on a blacktail is a monster buck.
Get them photo's.

I am a rookie :)

These in my backyard are Blacktail , But so close to Mule deer its hard to tell them apart !

I have on my wall the first two deer I ever shot .I had the head mounts done. The first weekend was a muledeer typical 4x4 and the following weekend was a bigwhite(as in area he was shot) whitetail , a 5x5 when you count the eyegaurds. I have three more racks from other years , and one that I used for rattlin antlers , I lost a few sets from a divorce and movin etc . Ille use my daughters camera to show these in a day or two :)

What I was looking at was the spread beyond the ears to try and get an idea of the size . The 3x2 had at least a 2-3 inch spread beyond the ears and using my mule deer mount and comparing thats how I came up with the size !


Bruce

[Barracuda]

Rookie :roll: LOL!

I guess in the scheme of things we are all rookies :p

[jeeper]

Rookie :roll: LOL!

I guess in the scheme of things we are all rookies :p






Hey Kyle !


In my knowladge of hunting I am a rookie . Ive been reading this board for a bit and have so much to learn ! I have done well only because Ive hunted with far more experianced hunters !

Now as for wheeling Im an old dude :)


Bruce

[Steeleco]

I'm no expert, but I've read where Blacktails will live and die in an area less than a few sq miles. Mulies will roam for ever. That said, I can't see the digression of a mature old buck going from what you saw last year to what you see now. Maybe the old boy was taken, or died of other causes? IIRC the growing of antlers should be just about over and the velvet gone or going. Are the ones you see still in velvet?

BTW welcome and wheres those pictures!!!!

[jeeper]

the growing of antlers should be just about over and the velvet gone or going. Are the ones you see still in velvet?

BTW welcome and wheres those pictures!!!!


Still well in Velvet !


I will use my daughters camera and hopefully have a few pic of ---"My Pets " --in the next few days !


Its a lot of fun to watch deer in your backyard and be able to see how they behave :)

Its been interesting what ive seen for the deer behavior . Not what I would have thought . But Like your saying these are blacktails as compared to mule deer and im sure I cant use to much of the behavior Im watching to my benifit .

I would have never thought Id see 5 bucks together at one time with no does , but ive sen that a few times , Id have never thought id see the same paring of bucks ,, Ive seen different parrings of bucks that are always hanging out together . Id never have thought that possible as I always assummed bucks were loners until breeding time .

But again -what im watching is blacktail behavior not mulie behavior .


Bruce

[shotgunjohn]

Blacktail bucks almost always hang out in buddy groups of two or three in the summer. These same deer will fight each other for dominance during the rut. I've seen the same bucks hanging together for several years in a row.
I've also seen Mulies in bachelor groups sometimes five or more early in the year.

[hunter1947]

Welcome to the site jeeper.

As for what I think happens to them is some might be taken from a cougar.
Some might get shot from other hunters ,as for road kill and winter kill ,and old age..

They might move on to better feeding areas as well ,could be up to 5 miles away.

[Blainer]

I'm no expert, but I've read where Blacktails will live and die in an area less than a few sq miles. Mulies will roam for ever. That said, I can't see the digression of a mature old buck going from what you saw last year to what you see now. Maybe the old boy was taken, or died of other causes? IIRC the growing of antlers should be just about over and the velvet gone or going. Are the ones you see still in velvet?

BTW welcome and wheres those pictures!!!!

Velvet should still be on until early Sept.
I have harvested deer after Sept.10th that still have patches of velvet.

[Dirty]

You sound like you need some help. PM me your address and I will come over and look at your deer and setup. :razz:

[Jimsue]

While we are on the south Langley black tail topic, is it legal to shoot them? and if so under what conditions. Jeepers we should have a beer some day it sounds like we are almost neighbours.

[Ddog]

NOT IN LANGLEY, however if you go down the road just a little ways you can shoot them, with bow. I lived just up from Campbell Valley park for 10 years and seen all those big beauty bucks, the regs changed quite a few years back that you can no longer kill them in Langley. You can check my pics and see some of the local bucks genetics you are talking about.
cheers......ddog

[Dirty]

It is legal to hunt deer in Langley. However, you cannot use a firearm, crossbow, or longbow. You can only use a compound bow. In the special area map it has a little note saying not crossbows or longbows, but doesn't mention compound bows.

[Ddog]

now thats where you are trying to get technical, however now go to the municipality and ask, and when your finished there go talk to the conservation officer, then when your finished that talk to your mla. trust me been over it for years, not worth the hassle. So before you go and try to shoot one of those deer dont think for 1 minute that your the only hunter that has seen them. They are that big for a reason.

[Jimsue]

Ddog, two questions, at what street does it change, I'm on the west side of 256th, also I just got this old pointy stick shooting thing that I would like to learn how to use. I'm south of Fraser Hwy if you have some time to spare.

Regards Jim

[jeeper]

Blacktail bucks almost always hang out in buddy groups of two or three in the summer. These same deer will fight each other for dominance during the rut. I've seen the same bucks hanging together for several years in a row.
I've also seen Mulies in bachelor groups sometimes five or more early in the year.


Thats excactly what they are doing ! It sems they like to hang out with the same ones . Im always seeing the same combinations , Like last night it was a 3x2 , a 2x2 a spike and a doe , Ive seen that combintation many times so Im figuring they are the same spike and doe hanging around .

Last summer it was wild from my back deck about 125 yards away were 5 bucks , a 5x4 a 4x4 a and three smaller ones ( I cant remember which smaller ones)


I was so surprised as I had always thought bucks were solitary until the rut .

Bruce

[kennyj]

Hi jeeper.
Welcome to HBC

As mentioned its common for bucks to hang around together in the summer.Actually as soon as the rut is over they will get back together.That giant 3x2 you're seeing could be the same buck from last year,but there will be similarities in antler style.Some points will come and go over the years,but the basic shape will stay the same.The width doesn't usually change a lot from year to year on mature bucks.Was the 5x4 really wide also?I live on SVI and the bucks here are starting to loose their velvet now.Sounds like you have a great place to watch the deer and learn about their behaver.I've been fortunate to be able to watch and photograph lots of the same deer aver the years and you can't get any bettor experience IMO.Looking forward to some photos of the wide guy.
Kenny

[Ddog]

The cut-of street for Langley,Surrey is 196th st. I lived in a little house on 196th and my address was a surrey address and my neighbours across the street was a langley address. I could hunt in my backyard there,and i did, never got any , but came close.
Jimsue-- i would love to shoot some targets with you, but it would be an awful long drive, in early 2006 i move to the heart of the Rocky Mountains..Cranbrook, and really i have no intentions of ever leaving here.

[Dirty]

now thats where you are trying to get technical, however now go to the municipality and ask, and when your finished there go talk to the conservation officer, then when your finished that talk to your mla. trust me been over it for years, not worth the hassle. So before you go and try to shoot one of those deer dont think for 1 minute that your the only hunter that has seen them. They are that big for a reason.

The difference in Langley is between the City of Langley and Municipality. There is different rules for each. The rule for discharge of bows is that it has to be a stationary target. So in essence if the deer is not moving you are fine. Plus the compound bow thing is legal. It is definitely legal to hunt in Langley for deer with a compound bow as long as you have a special area permit and landowners permission.

[bsa30-06]

You sound like you need some help. PM me your address and I will come over and look at your deer and setup. :razz:

I was going to suggest a HBC field trip to Jeepers house.

Welcome to HBC , sounds like you got deer farm in your backyard, i'm jealous.

Kyle how come you never told me about his deer farm, i guess some hunting spots are secret.:-P

[jeeper]

I was going to suggest a HBC field trip to Jeepers house.

Welcome to HBC , sounds like you got deer farm in your backyard, i'm jealous.

Kyle how come you never told me about his deer farm, i guess some hunting spots are secret.:-P


I was out for an hour and a bit last night hoping to get a few pics but no success . I can usually see the deer from my back deck and then head out to the stand to get in closer . Ille post up some pics as soon as I get some !


And Thanks everyone for the warm welcome to the site !


Bruce


Its not a deer farm per say but this area does have a very healthy deer population for being so close to town . Last summer I saw 9 deer from my back deck one time , we were having a barbecue and making noise etc and it didnt bother them !This year the most ive seen is 6 at one time .

[ElectricDyck]

Hey jeeper, saw this on bc 4x4, you're deer look pretty friendly!:biggrin:http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s316/dawebpics/Winching%20and%20recovery%20etiquette/Canaday065.jpg

[bsa30-06]

jepers sounds like a great view from your deck, lookin forwrd to your pictures.

[Barracuda]

Yup Bruce has a super secret Blacktail reserve .



Perhaps I should start calling him the Deer Whisperer:tongue:

[jeeper]

Hey jeeper, saw this on bc 4x4, you're deer look pretty friendly!:biggrin:http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s316/dawebpics/Winching%20and%20recovery%20etiquette/Canaday065.jpg



Yup !


Thats a couple of them :) We were driving back to get my truck unstuck and those two and another spike were within 50 ft of us !


Thats about 200 yards from my deerstand !


Bruce