wtnhunt Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Seems we have a pattern here. Just before the rifle season opens deer disappear. This was not always the case, but has gotten worse and worse since about the 2004 season. The 2003 season was the last really good season and I could not hunt my back field without seeing deer just about everytime I sat back there, I would even have deer in the yard walking to and from the stands on several occasions and bumped them going to or from and that never seemed to bother them much as they kept on hanging around. The 2004 season the numbers of deer I saw were significantly less than the 2003 and previous seasons. The 2005 season was absolutely terrible, with less deer both does and bucks than I have seen around here in many years. This season early on, I did see a lot of younger bucks, not too many does, but something happend just prior to the time the ml season started. The deer that had been feeding around here just quit coming around. I quit seeing so many feeding in our fields and our camera activity dropped off significantly as well. Have not pressured the deer, got busted just once back early on in the archery season, continued to see deer after that, and have not done anything different to cause the deer to adjust. A few things the wife and I have talked about that seem to make sense that might be changing the deers patterns is the pressure behind us. Kind of hoped that that pressure would push deer to us, but maybe is instead pushing the deer away from us. We suspect that the hunters behind us are baiting as well, might explain the change in feeding patterns, but cannot prove it. Maybe rutting activity is a factor, but would think with the bedding areas the does had used for years on our property that they would continue to hang around, where there is low pressure and plenty of food sources. Anyone got any ideas on what might be happening seeing that this always seems to happen just before the firearms seasons start up, and any ideas on what we can do aside from more food plots to help hold the deer or keep them around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadian_Goose Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens maybe they are moving deeper into the bush due to hunting pressures.... I know ti happens up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens Maybe the heard you have been hunting is getting thinned out. I use to hunt this one ridge where you could just about set your clock by the deer travel and it finaly dried up on me me after several deer where taken by myself, my dad and friend. but this was over 3 4 year peroid. Also didnt you guys have a rough dry period last year. Maybe that has affected you deer as well. Thats the only thing I could think of. Good luck Maybe you should deploy some trail cams to help figure it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens Got cameras out. And yes we had a drier than normal year, but still have some good food sources available for the deer despite the dry summer conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoosierDaddy28 Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens How big is your property. They deer may be moving off and getting shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimPic Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens could be a variety of reasons.Hunting pressure will make them sit tighter,differant food sources,buck will leave their core area in search of hot does,new develoments,could be bad set-ups--maybe they're scenting you before you even see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens i hear you wtnhunt! been kind of like that around here too. think the maybe got calenders!!!!!!!LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ousoonerfan22 Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens I have planted food plots and the corn feeder going and the samething is happening here.The deer are being hunted across the road and south to the river but nobody is hunting them on this section of land.I was getting pictures and seeing deer sign right up to the rifle season and now nothing.The deer must have went farther in to the cover on the river bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens The deer are getting smarter..LOL They know when we invade the woods..they just go nocturnal and hunker down, until us stinky humans are gone..LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens Yeah Martin, I honestly dont know about how much smarter they are. The little ones we have been letting walk should have hung around here longer instead of walking off in front of the yahoos behind us and getting themselves whacked, that was really pretty stupid of them. As far as us invading the woods, I am there no more during the gun season than during the archery seasons and I usually see deer pretty regularly up until just before the gun seasons start. Guess what few deer are left around probably are nocturnal now. Sure would like to figure out something to help hold them around here a little longer into the season. Maybe they will start digging up the turnips and sugar beets soon and will see more plot activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gitcha_some Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens opening day was esecially hard on the herd in this area this year....i heard over 200 shots in our valley! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bigdog_hunter Posted December 5, 2006 Report Share Posted December 5, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens I'd say hunting pressure would be a major factor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens I'm not sure if this even has any relationship to your situation, but around here , for as long as I can remember, the first thing deer do after opening gun season is to glob up into little mini-herds. Those hunters that happen on to these clusters swear that there are gobs of deer everywhere.... those that don't swear there isn't a deer on the planet. Also it is true that more pressure will get them to hunker down and let you walk right by them. I had one a few years ago that was counting on that very thing. I was heading down the driveway to pick up the Sunday paper (armed of course) when I saw a nice buck setting just 25 or 30 yards inside the thicket in front of the house. He was in the middle of some heavy vines and was convinced that I couldn't see him. It probably had worked a whole bunch of times for him in that season and a couple before that. What he didn't realize was that we just had the first snow of the season and he really wasn't concealed at all. I am pretty sure that if it weren't for the snow, I probably wouldn't have seen him. Of course the old nocturnal thing is a normal response to pressure too. But that wouldn't be effecting your camera sightings. Any special increases in coyote populations lately or free-ranging domestic dogs? I would guess that that might relocate some deer. It also might be that the neighbor's feeders have better stuff than your food plots, or maybe their food plots have something more tasty in them. It could be also some natural food source that is just coming into it's prime. This is the time of year when apples drop and acorns start to get to be a preferred food source. Snow and the lack of green vegetation will start them on their winter diet. Any changes in water sources? Could you have some uninvited hunters applying a bit of pressure that you are unaware of? Actually fall and early winter is the time for the biggest changes in habitat, cover and food. Also rut behavior is another thing that can completely mess up established patterns. There are so many factors that change deer patterns that it is really hard to guess which ones might be your situation. It's always a big mystery when deer suddenly change their patterns. But that's what makes it all so much fun. Just trying to make sense of all these mysteries is a lot of what hunting is all about. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens Yeah Doc, thanks for the thoughts there. I do realize there are factors such as predation in the area, rutting activity, and hunting pressures. It just seems with the continued shooting behind us like the deer are hanging out in the danger zone and in the process just not making their way onto our property anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens HMM,that sounds like exactly the same scenario that I've seen this season. I've hunted this spot for like ten years,and have only not seen deer a handfull of times.Well,this season I bowhunted this spot the day before shotgun season,and saw 5 different bucks that were shooters to me,and a couple of little bucks and a handfull of does.Openeing morning comes and it sounds like I'm at the shooting range,but never saw a single deer.These guys put stands up about every 200 yards along the field edge,and shoot anything that moves.This whole group of guys must have tagged out by the second morning because they never came back after that.I hunted this spot hard for 7 days,and never seen a buck,and only seen does twice,and both times I managed to bag one.It is very frustrating knowing how good this spot is until gun season gets here.I sat there 7 mornings and 7 evenings and seen deer twice....I don't know what else could be causing this to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted December 6, 2006 Report Share Posted December 6, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens Same thing here. Been seeing lots of deer all through archery, come rifle season deer disappear. You have to take into account the number of hunters educating these deer. There are tons of slob hunters who only make it out the first few days of rifle season and just walk and stomp everywhere alerting deer, leaving scent etc. I think the shots fired around the area also cause them to be cautious. You yourself maybe not be alerting them on your part of the property but other properties will causing deer activity during the day to go way down. Stand hunting around my area in the 2nd week of the firearms season is pointless, deer just are not moving. Thats why driving deer is so common. I had a young doe come in during the first week of the PA slaughter about 30 minutes before daylight, i could hear it. From 6AM to 11AM that deer didnt move any farther then 40 yards, taking a step every 10 minutes and bedding twice in that time frame. They feel the pressure and they do not move alot, this doe proved it to me. That's why I prefer archery season alot more then rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens I suppose it's possible that neighboring hunters are setting up in such a way that they are blocking deer from entering your property. Not necessarily on purpose or with intentions of screwing you up, but just a random set-up that is unique this year and changing the way deer used to behave. I have seen that happen. That is also something that can change from year to year. Hunter patterns are real important when it comes to the normal escape routes, and these patterns can literally shut down the way that deer use to access your property. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens Sounds like around my area. The first week of shotgun season, our neighbors pounded the heck out of the farmland we hunt. They get a bunch of guys together and just do major drives and unload their guns...and they usually only shoot bucks. they aren't even suppose to be on this land. Anyway just after the first day of season, you're lucky you see a deer. This last week I've gone out twice with the snow on the ground and just slowly working my way through the woods, down wind. First time saw a group of 5 does- they fed out onto this logging trail about 20 yards from me...easy bow shot,lol. Saw 2 other does later on. Yesterday saw 1 doe in some thick stuff. Not sure where the bucks are but they all must be hanging out somewhere! I'm going to give it another go today probably. I think even a few days before season when hunters are sighting in their guns, the deer hear it and know. Deer aren't totally dumb that's for sure,lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens [ QUOTE ] I suppose it's possible that neighboring hunters are setting up in such a way that they are blocking deer from entering your property. Not necessarily on purpose or with intentions of screwing you up, but just a random set-up that is unique this year and changing the way deer used to behave. I have seen that happen. [/ QUOTE ] I am afraid this is most likely what is happening Doc. I have hunted a spot I normally would see at least a couple of does usually everytime I hunt it in the evenings. Can not ever recall being skunked there more than two or three days in a row, but have sat out there the last 5 out of 6 afternoons and not seen one single deer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger-Hunter Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens My first inclination is that it is baiting, but that won't change their patterns too much, especially that quickly. They may have stands set up blocking the way. Tough call. I would def walk on their property to check out what the deal is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoyt03 Posted December 7, 2006 Report Share Posted December 7, 2006 Re: Just dont get it-what happens [ QUOTE ] They may have stands set up blocking the way. Tough call. I would def walk on their property to check out what the deal is. [/ QUOTE ] I would not recommend the above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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