Author Topic: SLow Deer Season for some. (Read 1419 times)

jh45gun · « **on:** November 24, 2006, 07:32:43 AM »

I only could afford to hunt for the first three days of deer season so that cut my chances shooting a deer I only saw 2 does in 3 days of hunting and did not get a shot at them. Will muzzle load hunt that weekend and same with the Herd Eradication Hunt after. Still from what I have heard so far it has been slow a lot of places up here in Douglas Co. How about where you live? Again I think where there is private property there are some deer but not available to all of course. Where there is public land it has been slow for some. I think and this is my opinion that the tzone areas have seen a reduction of deer so we do not have the gravy train we once did have. Also it has been a warm season which may account for deer not moving which does not help. I have some friends that have been hunting every day and there are at least 6 of them hunting and none have shot a deer yet. Thats pretty bad. The group I hunted with shot some deer but it was pretty slow we made drives ( I stood as I cannot walk far anymore) and some drives no one saw anything which is pretty unusual. In fact Sun morning to Sun afternoon we never saw a deer. During bow season I did not see the number of deer I have in the past either. I think you cannot shoot the does we have been and see the deer we have been used to seeing. Now in your area it may be different this is what I have been seeing up north here. Jim

stumpsitter · « **Reply #1 on:** November 24, 2006, 12:08:32 PM »

I saw 7 deers on opening weekend and only one doe taken. I didnt seen buck. I think it must come from mild weather or light pressure in the woods had influenced on deers movement. I am looking foward for late-season archery hunting and probably hunting for antlerless only during 4 day statewide antlerless hunt.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #2 on:** November 24, 2006, 04:00:17 PM »

Same for me. A very slow season. Our group of 3-4 hunters have no deer yet!!!! We have been hunting Barron, Washburn and Sawyer county's hard. Last year we took 9 deer early in the season. Every year we take 3-5 deer each. The private lands we formally hunted are now posted. The public land is the most difficult. Less access to private lands with higher deer numbers and no snow are in my opinion the problems. I will take any and all advice on hunting hot spots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheese

jh45gun · « **Reply #3 on:** November 24, 2006, 05:43:40 PM »

I think we got spoiled guys. While I know there are still decent deer numbers they are nothing like in the past when deer where all over the place. Lets face it they cannot be with the does we have taken in the past bumper seasons. I feel if the DNR keep handing out the tags I will shoot a doe too as if I do not some one else will, but you got to admit we have taken a lot of does out of the woods which has to reduce the herd of course that is what the DNR wants. I would not be supprised if they do not tell us again we had a bumper season yet I know lots of folks who did not shoot a deer this year. I shot one during archery season and I know I did not see the deer I normally do. You can blame the weather but what the heck the weather is like this during archery season too and the deer were moving then. Could be they went nocturnal, but we made lots of drives we never seen a deer. It will be interesting to see how the Dec doe hunt and the muzzle loader hunt turns out how many deer are killed. Like I said problem is the public lands have been hunted hard in the past and the private lands still hold a lot of deer but they are not accessable and the land owners are not killing them off like the DNR wants so they still say a certain area is a Doe reduction area even though you cannot find a place to hunt on it. They better find a better way to separate the two. Be interesting to see what the numbers are after season.

steve · « **Reply #4 on:** November 26, 2006, 01:21:18 PM »

I had a very good season. I average 1 deer a day sometimes 2. On an average I roughly seen around 12-15 deer a day. Quite a few small bucks I leave those alone. Just cull out the ones that have a oddball rack. Don't need those ones in the gene pool.

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #5 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:10:28 PM »

Quote from: steve on November 26, 2006, 01:21:18 PM

I had a very good season. I average 1 deer a day sometimes 2. On an average I roughly seen around 12-15 deer a day. Quite a few small bucks I leave those alone. Just cull out the ones that have a oddball rack. Don't need those ones in the gene pool.

Wow! You must be on private land. I just got back from Wisconsin today. We hunt on public land in Washara county, and between the three of us in three days one guy saw one deer, and couldn't get a shot at it. It was pretty disapointing, especially since I live in Illinois and the tag cost me 160.00.

Still had a good time with friends though and I guess that's the most important thing.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #6 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:16:48 PM »

I do admit, over the years my huntin buddiies and my self have done our part to thin the herd, Maybe too thin.

Cheese

jh45gun · « **Reply #7 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:20:40 PM »

Quote from: steve on November 26, 2006, 01:21:18 PM

I had a very good season. I average 1 deer a day sometimes 2. On an average I roughly seen around 12-15 deer a day. Quite a few small bucks I leave those alone. Just cull out the ones that have a oddball rack. Don't need those ones in the gene pool.

Private land right?

? and most of the land around it private.

Norseman112 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:28:39 PM »

Opening Day I seen 14 deer some were small bucks and I let them go as well. after opening day I would see about 2-4 deer a day. I believe they become nocternal.

John

jh45gun · « **Reply #9 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:34:26 PM »

Quote from: Norseman112 on November 26, 2006, 02:28:39 PM

Opening Day I seen 14 deer some were small bucks and I let them go as well. after opening day I would see about 2-4 deer a day. I believe they become nocternal.

John

John that is better than some who I know did not see any deer to shoot anytime of the season. Even if Nocturnal they have to be there I know drives we made that we did not see a deer which tells me they were not there. Even on drives they may sneak out usually the drivers may get a peak of them going where they do not want them to go. I did not see many deer at all during archery season and since I have a disabled permit I did some driving around and the deer were just not there. (Extreme NW WI)

Cheesehead · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2006, 02:53:09 PM »

So what part of WI are these deer being seen, NW or NE or SW or SE corners of the state?

I believe the numbers are down in NW WI.

Cheese

Norseman112 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2006, 03:36:59 PM »

I live in SW Wi...monroe county. I agree jh45gun, I should count my blessings seeing deer the way it sounds.

John

jh45gun · « **Reply #12 on:** November 26, 2006, 08:04:11 PM »

A few years ago John it was that way up here too. I just feel you cannot shoot every doe you see for 10 plus years and keep the heard sustaining at numbers that will make every one happy. Expecially on heavily hunted public land.

steve · « **Reply #13 on:** November 27, 2006, 02:08:47 AM »

It is private land where I hunt. I own and hunt on around 260 acres with access to another 80 acres. In the wooded area there are quite a few oak ridges. There is lot's of hiding places where these deer hide. One area around 40 acres that I planted pine trees there about 10 years ago. Quite thick hard to get out. A creek that runs through the lower part.
Put in a pond a few years ago in a different section. In different areas putting in a few more food plots. Will be planting some more trees next year. In 2008 will be planting more trees and also planting some corn as soon as my farm land comes off the CRP contract. How a person would say? My own hunting paradise. I thin the deer on my property accordingly. Take out the bucks with oddball racks and take out a few does that are dry.. Where my land is at I'll never tell.

jh45gun · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2006, 08:40:16 AM »

Do not expect you to tell

I will say that most folks that have a lot of land or even a 40 surrounded by other private land have it pretty good as you can control your deer population as your the only one or maybe family that hunts it. On public or forest crop land it is a different story. You cannot have " If its brown its down" for as long as we have and expect that it will not come crashing down on us some day. We have been lucky we have had mild winters which has helped but if we ever get a tough winter and we will watch every one start to bitch because their are few deer. It will happen just a matter of when.

Nixter · « **Reply #15 on:** November 27, 2006, 09:48:53 AM »

Last I heard, DNR deer herd numbers were about 1.7 million deer. State of Wisconsin is 34,761,000 acres. Not accounting for lakes and such, 20 deer per acre? Or is it the other way .045 deer per acre? Acres/deer or deer/acres?

No matter, the numbers don't add up. It isn't 20 deer per acre or .045 deer per acre.

Perhaps the DNR's Age Sex Kill formula sucks.

The herd in the herd reduction zone as posted elsewhere in this forum is booming despite EAB and other schemes by the DNR to reduce the herd.

What does this all mean? I don't know. I'm just a truck driver. I have to rely on smarter people to decide how to manage our deer population and other resources.

If anyone can shed some light on these thoughts, I would appreciate it.

Nixter

Cheesehead · « **Reply #16 on:** November 27, 2006, 01:01:20 PM »

I am hoping for some snow for the muzzle loader hunt or the antlerless hunt, but it does not look good. It would help to pattern the deer and aid in spotting them as well. Almost 2 weeks of rifle hunting left jh45, don't give up yet.

Cheese

jh45gun · « **Reply #17 on:** November 27, 2006, 05:37:45 PM »

Not giving up Cheese. Nixter the DNR has complained that the folks in the Herd Eradication zone do not want to kill all the deer to the chagrin of the DNR. Where I live we have a problem of lots of out of state MN hunters buying 20 dollar tags by the hand full and hunting public land in my area which is of course the same areas I hunt because I am not fortunate to own any land or nor can I afford to. Now I am not blaming all the deer kill on the nonresidents but they shoot their share of does and fawns in this area along with the residents like me who figure if every one is going to shoot them I will take a doe too as if I don't some one else will. Maybe not good thinking but then the DNR does not care they have been handing out the doe tags like Candy. Other areas like you said nixter may not have the border problem we do. We are kind of unique up here as we have lots of county, state and forest crop land and close to the MN border so we have a lot of non residents along with a lot of residents who hunt this land and shoot every thing that comes along. That has to hurt the deer herd in our area in public areas. I talked to the Game Manager in our area tonite we were both at a meeting for controling the deer herd in our Metro area for Superior and he told me unfortunately they go by the numbers of the whole area so if it is half public land and half private land and the private land does not get the hunting pressure and there is lots of deer they still go by them numbers even though the private land may have lots of deer that cannot be hunted and the public land may hold only a few deer the whole area gets zoned a Herd Reduction Area (Formally known as a T zone) He admitted that it is not consistant but did not know what they could do about it. I have hunted on and off all fall as I could afford it and from the opening day of Archery season to the beginning of rifle season I did not see the deer I normally do where I hunt all on public land. I feel you cannot shoot the does and fawns we have in this area and not have it catch up to you. I think other parts of NW WI may have the same problem where there is a lot of public land that is hunted heavily. I also do think the DNR can make mistakes as far as the numbers they come up with on deer numbers for a certain area. It is a tough thing as every one wants good hunting yet no one wants a lot of deer to starve in a bad winter. I am not blaming the DNR it is a tough thing to try to balance, but I think they can push the doe kil too far in some areas that just do not have the numbers they may think is there or they take the numbers from the whole area when a good portion of it does not contain near the deer they say it does. I know there have been a lot of guys I questioned who had lousy a lousy season this year and not just one guy but whole hunting parties.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #18 on:** November 28, 2006, 11:37:52 AM »

The DNR should redraw the lines of the management units to exclude some or most of the heavily hunted public land from the Herd eradication program. They love to micromanage so this could be a great opportunity for that.

Cheese

Purdue · « **Reply #19 on:** November 28, 2006, 12:53:54 PM »

I just came back a few days ago from hunting in Burnett County (NW). I hunt on private (family) land. My group of five did not get a deer this year. I've been going up there (I'm from Indiana) for almost 15 years and this was by far the worse year of hunting. I saw about a total of 15 deer out of hunting a solid 7 days. We did drives but it produced nothing. What kills me is I saw the same yearling five different times opening day and that was the only deer. I usually see 30-50 on opening day. I don't know if the drought had anything to do with it but that is the only thing I can come up with. Hopefully next year will be better.

Purdue

jh45gun · « **Reply #20 on:** November 28, 2006, 08:56:48 PM »

Quote from: Purdue on November 28, 2006, 12:53:54 PM

I just came back a few days ago from hunting in Burnett County (NW). I hunt on private (family) land. My group of five did not get a deer this year. I've been going up there (I'm from Indiana) for almost 15 years and this was by far the worse year of hunting. I saw about a total of 15 deer out of hunting a solid 7 days. We did drives but it produced nothing. What kills me is I saw the same yearling five different times opening day and that was the only deer. I usually see 30-50 on opening day. I don't know if the drought had anything to do with it but that is the only thing I can come up with. Hopefully next year will be better.

Purdue

Do not feel bad your not the only one. For your info my relatives live in Burnett Co and while they had a ok season they did not see the deer they normally do either.

Geno · « **Reply #21 on:** November 29, 2006, 08:12:07 AM »

Hey JH45...how ya doing? we chatted a bit last year about this time. my family has land down the road from you. I moved down to MS this year and missed the 2006 season, thought I'd check the forum and see how it went for everyone. Doesnt look good. Numbers were way down with our group up there too. 2 nice bucks taken , a huge 8 pointer (shot from my stand, it fugures, since I couldnt be there, everyone wants my stand) and a 12 pointer over near the Brule. they let a few forks and 6's walk and no does were taken this year. Dont know where the deer went. Before season they were everywheere and lots a pics on the trail cameras. I guess they picked up a few during bow season too, but no trophys. Hope your Muzzle loader and late bow seasons go well for you. good luck.
Gene

Odinbreaker · « **Reply #22 on:** November 29, 2006, 12:41:42 PM »

what deer hunted in EAB haven't seen a deer buck or doe I think I will go west Next year. I have been hunting everyday during the Muaaloading season not one deer to see. Guess I am just in the wromg EAB area

gutshot_again · « **Reply #23 on:** November 29, 2006, 03:35:08 PM »

I hunt in 22A. First day had 15 +/- come by me. That's about normal, but no horns. That's about what my son saw also. Second day saw three does. Hunted the rest of the season (every day, except Wed) and didn't see any more. We usually see on average another 5 or 6 deer daily for the rest of the season.

But I did see some real dandy bucks at the registration station. They were all taken on private land as there is no public land around. It appeared to me that on average, there were more bucks than in past years and they were bigger (again, on average). It's very hard to get permission to hunt lands around here, the only reason I have an in is that I've hunted the same farmers land for 16 years.

The only other people on the farm I hunt (the owners) only took two does and a buck when usually they take 4 to 6 bucks and perhaps another 5 does or so. We (my son and I) usually take at least one buck between us, more times than not both of us take one. But as I said, neither of us saw a buck this year.

Not sure what to think. Weather could be part of it I suppose, but there's been other years when it's been warm and we still saw deer. Could have been they were pushed to hard, but they had no more pressure this year than they have in years past. There seemed to be plenty of movement during the night so I don't think the numbers are down.

Still, I'm not complaining as I got to spend some quiet woods times with my son. And we got some venision, so all in all for me it was another successful year. Good luck on the late hunt if you go out.

Nixter · « **Reply #24 on:** November 29, 2006, 05:30:18 PM »

gutshot, congrats on a good season. Double congrats on taking your son out with you.

Growing up in a non-hunting/gun owning family, it is good to see parents out with their kids.

Time in the field w/kids AND venison in the freezer = great season.

Nixter

PS. I did spend time in the field with my best friends so the season wasn't all bad.

jh45gun · « **Reply #25 on:** November 29, 2006, 06:20:39 PM »

Hey Geno hows it going? What prompted the move to MS? Yea I talked to a few of the gang I know around Solon and it was slow for a lot of them too and I hunted there Sun and Mon with a group that hunted East of NE of Solon and Highland area and it was dead there no deer at all. Behind the Poodle they did a bit better, but even at that on Mon when I quit hunting they had gotten 4 deer and that was the last deer they got no more during the season. Thats pretty pitiful considering all they do is drive so even if the deer went nocturnal or the weather had them bedded down Drives shoud have gotten them moving if there were any there to begin with. Some I talked to will be muzzleloader hunting and I will be on Sat West of Gordon and Wascott. I always had better luck west of 53 than east.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #26 on:** November 29, 2006, 06:32:40 PM »

Nixter

You are so right. Time in the field with friends and family and my favorite rifle is so enjoyable, not to mention the most comfortable weather I have ever experienced during regular gun season. A warm breeze at times, how unusual. More of the same this weekend. But not so warm and I will be carrying a TC Big Boar 58 cal. Maybe bag some venison. The 58 knocks them down hard.

Cheese

litman252 · « **Reply #27 on:** December 02, 2006, 01:49:44 PM »

I hunted on Private land for 5 days. I saw 3 does on opening day and managed to make a good shot and drop one of them. I have not seen a deer since. Went to a buddies land today, 24hrs since snow stopped and there are tracks everywhere. We did not see any thing, he normally has 4-5 deer by now and only has 2 this year............................

Sucky seson, no matter what land you hunt...................

Tony

Nixter · « **Reply #28 on:** December 02, 2006, 05:18:18 PM »

I know from the comments in this thread we are mostly a bit disappointed by our deer season. I've been looking at my personal experiences in the last few years and tried to apply them to the topic at hand.

Maybe we just aren't good hunters!

Ok, I admit it, I got turned around on my way to my stand opening day. When I realised I wasn't where I wanted to be, I hunkered down knowing there were others in the area that were set where they wanted to be. I waited until well after legal shooting hours to get where I wanted to be and made the best of my situation, trying not to ruin the hunt for others that were where they wanted to be.

Granted, I have no faith in the deer population numbers published by the DNR and I hunt public land with alot of pressure but maybe my lack of success is due to lack of skill. I also contribute my lack of a freezer full of venison to just a pinch of impaitience. Opening day, just as I was leaving my stand (early by most standards due to a low-light vision issue) a deer showed me the flag and high-tailed it away from me.

Never even knew it was in the area and it bolted as I collected my stuff, even as two other hunters were LOUDLY discussing their hunt not 70 yards away. Did I mention this was public land with heavy pressure?

Guess what I want to say here is despite obvious flaws in the DNR's management plan and deer population measuring ability, I am going to blame my failure on lack of skill and lack of paitience.

Made a choice this year to avoid the crowds and easy excuses of heavy pressure, I am going to give bow hunting a chance next season. Time to start is now. Hopefully I will be ready next fall, if not, I can still get out for gun season.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

Nixter

jh45gun · « **Reply #29 on:** December 03, 2006, 09:19:11 AM »

Hell Nixter we all make mistakes no need to bash your self there yet Ya got to see deer to make mistakes and I have not seen that many deer this year from bow season to now. I figure what I have said is right in the above post as I just heard but cannot confirm this that the DNR has said the doe quotas have not been met in a lot of areas that were formerly called T zone so they may go back to a T zone hunt in Oct. I cannot confirm this I guess will have to wait and see.