In a recent study, Understanding Buck Movement, scientists at the vaunted Mississippi State Deer Lab found that each day during hunting season, mature bucks use many different resting and bedding areas rather than one major sanctuary.

The MSU researchers tracked GPS-collared adult bucks and found out that they visit and revisit different “focal areas” within a property with varying levels of regularity throughout hunting season. While the biologists could not determine exactly why the bucks frequented these areas, they believe that, based on slow and concentrated movement data emitted from the tracking collars, that the bucks were most likely bedding and resting in one spot before getting up and moving to another focal area. Nearly all the adult bucks in the study showed these repetitive movements, shifting spots frequently; 74 percent of the bucks changed focal areas every 6–10 hours.

The takeaway for hunters: You should expect the big buck you’re hunting to use several different security/resting areas rather than a single sanctuary. Since the focal areas are generally scattered across a property, you can best take advantage of this science by setting your stands and blinds to oversee distinct and obvious travel corridors on your land, like funnels, creek bottoms, brushy draws, timber strips and hogback ridges. Maximize your time in those funnel stands to see adult bucks shifting from cover to cover. Some of that movement will be in daylight hours.