General Slowdown?


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Seems there's been a general slowdown of deer being taken here in the forum, and what I'm experiencing in the field.

I haven't been able to hunt nearly as much as I'd like due to the house finishing up, but the last few times I've been out I've been skunked. I have yet to see any antlers from the stand so far this year.

How about you? Have your sightings/shot opportunities decreased over the last 2 weeks?

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I connected on a doe yesterday... first doe I've had within range for a shot this year. I've passed on 6 1.5 year old bucks so far this year, drew on a mature buck a couple weeks ago but too dark to shoot, and shot over a nice 4 year old 8 point on Saturday morning... didn't have time to range him. I'm having better luck in the morning than I am in the afternoon which is opposite of most years. There is still a ton of corn on around me so the deer sightings are still lower than normal. Hopefully the rut coming up will bring the big boys out to play.

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The last two weekends have been terribly slow in here in west central IL. Between 3 people hunting, we saw a total of about 10 deer in 6 days. We haven't seen much rub/scraping activity either.

We drove all around the property last night at about midnight and saw about 40 deer and a couple shooters moving through the corn and beans. I can't wait until they take those fields down! It's killing us.

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Ive seen deer more times than not, almost all of them have been immature bucks...From what i have seen, it looks like the deer around my neck of the woods have gone somewhat nocternal. Seeing deer at last light, and nothing in the mornings...I have noticed a lot of new tracks in the morinings that were not there the previous night...I have no idea what to do now, other than just keep on keepin on. I'm heading out in the rain/mist here in a little while, hopefully i can get something to come together.

dan

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I haven't seen a single buck this year, despite many hours in the field. I have seen them while driving, but that doesn't help me fill my tags.

I've seen a bunch of does - but almost always in the mornings. I've got one spot that I like that sits just across a bean field and there is a good spot where they cross. Other than that, I haven't been able to intercept any of them. I've done a ton of scouting and Google Earth research as well. They just don't seem to be moving. Of course, that is typical the first 3 weeks of bow season.

I expect this next 2 weeks to be extremely busy especially with the full moon coming, I think on the 7th.

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I saw my first ok buck from the stand yesterday morning and olny the second buck all season I have seen from the stand. I rattled him in to about 30 yds before he lost interest and headed to a food plot about 75 yds away. He is what I call a tweener buck and I could not bring myself to pull the trigger. The pre rut action is going to heat up quick though.

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It had been slow for me, just a couple of does. Have noticed scrapes popping up all over though. I can only hunt mornings no evenings and hadn't seen any bucks except small 4pts. Had a few new scrapes around my stand this morning did some ratteling and grunting real early and called in a nice 8pt and let him hold a rage 2 blade!!!

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My sightings have decreased a bit, but I have been seeing some deer. The bigger bucks I saw early in the season seem to have disappeared. I have been seeing some scrubs and a couple 1 1/2 year old rack bucks. I have missed a doe and hit a branch on another shot I had at one. This is where I am perplexed here. The doe sightings and opportunities have been a lot less than in the past.

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