by John Jefferson

Years ago, a friend asked me to meet him and another hunter to discuss a possible photography job they wanted done. We met shortly afterward.

They were members of a group of hunters – about ten or 12 as I recall – that had bought a ranch. Intending to hunt it for about five years, they would then possibly sell the ranch, hopefully for a profit.

After the first year of this plan, some became discontented due to not seeing the many trophy bucks they had been told were on the ranch. To keep peace on the lease, the two men wanted me to fly the ranch with a wildlife biologist and photograph every mature buck we saw. Then, we were to later show the images to the hunters and hopefully calm would return to the hunting camp.

I agreed to do it. They arranged for the helicopter and wildlife biologist, Larry Weishuhn, to perform an aerial survey of the 5,000-acre ranch near the border. I accompanied him. We saw – and I photographed – about 16 good bucks. Weishuhn presented his deer survey numbers and I showed the slides. I think that cooled things down.

I’ve been told that they never killed any Boone and Crockett bucks, but did take some nice deer, shot lots of quail, and thoroughly enjoyed the sociability and the fine accommodations. That jaunt also launched a new facet to my photography and put me above some fine ranches for the next few years.

I was reminded of that venture in a recent National Deer Assn. article by Lindsay Thomas Jr. NDA had recently received hunters’ questions asking why they weren’t seeing many bucks or large-antlered ones.

According to Thomas, “Bucks move less and cover less real estate in summer than any other season.” Much of their usual home range remains unvisited during the summer. That might have come into play on the South Texas ranch mentioned above, since hunters often visit hunting leases during summer or Labor Day weekend to fill feeders, perform repairs, and socialize. That’s still high summer in South Texas!

Some of the earlier hunters’ complaints might have been caused by unfamiliarity with the new ranch since the previous season was their first on the property. But I imagine it was a little of that and a lot about the time of year and lack of deer movement. South Texas summers are scorchers.

Thomas cited three studies. All three were similar. They showed numbers of deer in two areas at two different times. The home range was where deer spend 95% of their time. Core area is where they spend 50% of their time. Stay with me.

Summer home range was only about 62% of their winter range. And the summer CORE AREA was only 21% of that summer range.

Trail cameras help, but it’s hard to pinpoint the secretive summer core area. Thomas says the deer are probably there, but “cooling it” in seclusion.

So, don’t schedule aerial surveys before October.

JJ