I've got 3 on the top of my head in the last couple years. Since folks have trail cams out far more now & posting kill pics - folks can piece things together. Massive amounts of travel over summer & fall range.... I'm not talking about traveling over a few days or rut traveling... I'm talking about long distance shifts in home range year after year, often times to the same areas. Bizarre at a minimum... Here's one example & story that surrounds it - I'll post this because it is public & coincidentally, him listing his farm for sale tied all these pieces together...
So, this one is an example, almost all 3 in my head are almost the same scenarios - ALL 3 ARE IN TOTALLY DIFFERENT COUNTIES. This buck was on my buddy's farm in Warren Co Iowa. He had it there starting in early fall (Never a velvet pic & I believe it wasn't til maybe late September I'm guessing) I believe like 4 years in a row. Essentially "lived on his farm" & often went to same food plots & same patterns late season for 4 years. My buddy rarely could hunt & the times he did - like anything - obviously never worked out matching the place he sat to shooting him. It was cat & mouse for a couple of the seasons & he never did connect (typical hunting 101!).
SO..... He's buying a farm closer to home for him, puts for farm for sale with camera pics of bucks, etc.
I know EXACTLY where these pics were taken as I had grabbed some SD cards for him in past & sent the pics to him. The land is posted for sale a week ago.. https://www.landsofiowa.com/property/218-acres-in-Warren-County-Iowa/6875490. "someone" posts up something on Facebook or whatever, like "this is a lie, you guys are full of it, this buck was photographed a couple years about 15 miles from there. BS!" Something along those lines. Long story short.... Yep, this guy does have pics of the buck late summer or early fall around 15 miles from there. Disappeared multiple years in a row & showed back up like clockwork in summer & would vanish again from how I understood it. Clearly this fella should have thought a little harder about his accusations (as the trail camera pics have blinds, buildings & landmarks in them which prove location) but I do understand where someone could make a quick judgement like that. Stupid on how he handled it (in public & not thinking making slanderous remarks like he did!!!!) but is what it is, all good now.
SO..... let's call it 3-4 years now, maybe 4-5.... This buck left this farm & summered the same area, 15 miles away. Every year, he "migrated back" to the exact same farm around the exact same time & did the exact same thing.
**He was killed by a neighbor a year ago.
How or why a buck does that is bizarre but very interesting. I have no clue why they do this or how often?!?!?! I do know for a fact, most deer do NOT do this!!!! I have some bucks that live on 30 acres year round & rarely, if ever, leave it. Others that vanish in September like clockwork. Others that show up late season over & over (have a very distinguishable typical that's done it 3 years now that no neighbor has any pics of) on rare occasion, stick around- shed their antlers & you are gonna wait til next LATE SEASON to ever see him again if he does survive. There's 2 deer I personally have seen get shot (both very large bucks!!!!!) that were huge & recognizable. One deer left the farm 3 years in a row & traveled another county away 3 years in a row & was killed. Pics posted up & all was legit. Another whopper my buddy killed as a 7 year old that showed up around Jan 1 each year & he was patiently waiting all season & he showed up like clockwork - game over, got him. ALL LEGIT, no funny business. You look at the distance & all the premo food & cover in between & scratch your head?!?!?!?!? BUT- this is one of 3 deer that has traveled 15+ miles from a confirmed home range, killed, posted & all the pieces put together later, after the fact. These rascals never stop surprising me!
So, this one is an example, almost all 3 in my head are almost the same scenarios - ALL 3 ARE IN TOTALLY DIFFERENT COUNTIES. This buck was on my buddy's farm in Warren Co Iowa. He had it there starting in early fall (Never a velvet pic & I believe it wasn't til maybe late September I'm guessing) I believe like 4 years in a row. Essentially "lived on his farm" & often went to same food plots & same patterns late season for 4 years. My buddy rarely could hunt & the times he did - like anything - obviously never worked out matching the place he sat to shooting him. It was cat & mouse for a couple of the seasons & he never did connect (typical hunting 101!).
SO..... He's buying a farm closer to home for him, puts for farm for sale with camera pics of bucks, etc.
I know EXACTLY where these pics were taken as I had grabbed some SD cards for him in past & sent the pics to him. The land is posted for sale a week ago.. https://www.landsofiowa.com/property/218-acres-in-Warren-County-Iowa/6875490. "someone" posts up something on Facebook or whatever, like "this is a lie, you guys are full of it, this buck was photographed a couple years about 15 miles from there. BS!" Something along those lines. Long story short.... Yep, this guy does have pics of the buck late summer or early fall around 15 miles from there. Disappeared multiple years in a row & showed back up like clockwork in summer & would vanish again from how I understood it. Clearly this fella should have thought a little harder about his accusations (as the trail camera pics have blinds, buildings & landmarks in them which prove location) but I do understand where someone could make a quick judgement like that. Stupid on how he handled it (in public & not thinking making slanderous remarks like he did!!!!) but is what it is, all good now.
SO..... let's call it 3-4 years now, maybe 4-5.... This buck left this farm & summered the same area, 15 miles away. Every year, he "migrated back" to the exact same farm around the exact same time & did the exact same thing.
**He was killed by a neighbor a year ago.
How or why a buck does that is bizarre but very interesting. I have no clue why they do this or how often?!?!?! I do know for a fact, most deer do NOT do this!!!! I have some bucks that live on 30 acres year round & rarely, if ever, leave it. Others that vanish in September like clockwork. Others that show up late season over & over (have a very distinguishable typical that's done it 3 years now that no neighbor has any pics of) on rare occasion, stick around- shed their antlers & you are gonna wait til next LATE SEASON to ever see him again if he does survive. There's 2 deer I personally have seen get shot (both very large bucks!!!!!) that were huge & recognizable. One deer left the farm 3 years in a row & traveled another county away 3 years in a row & was killed. Pics posted up & all was legit. Another whopper my buddy killed as a 7 year old that showed up around Jan 1 each year & he was patiently waiting all season & he showed up like clockwork - game over, got him. ALL LEGIT, no funny business. You look at the distance & all the premo food & cover in between & scratch your head?!?!?!?!? BUT- this is one of 3 deer that has traveled 15+ miles from a confirmed home range, killed, posted & all the pieces put together later, after the fact. These rascals never stop surprising me!