Terrible season so far!

[AtlLaw]

I tell ya, the clear cutting and thinning of the planted pine on the farm I hunt has really had an effect on the deer movements!     At least that's the only thing I can attribute the lack of deer this year to.   
 
The rut's 'spose to peek around the last week in October to the first week in November around there but there is no sign of it 'cept an odd scrape or two.  I pulled the cards from my cameras at my 2 stands and they were not encouraging.  For a week my main stand had one doe visit the feeder one time in the middle of the night.
 
The second had 5 does (?) come through once after dark and a cow-horn spike early one morning.  No daylight movement at all!   
 
Oh well, at least I got to sight in my 25-06 Handi and shot the 50-140 a bunch.  I'm gonna load up some more of the jacketed 50 cal. load and confirm the zero before I hunt with it.  But, unless the flood gates open and deer are running everywhere around the woods, those will be the only rifles I hunt with this year.   
 
I mean it was so bad I didn't even hunt Saturday afternoon!  Just sat in camp drinkin beer and white likker and watchin college football 'till midnight!  FOOTBALL!!! ME!!!    Me who has never watched a complete football game in my life watched three in a row!  TN, UGA and then AL!     Me watching pagan sports rather then deer hunting...    The end must be near... 

[quickdtoo]

Sounds like our past few seasons, not many deer on timber lands any more due to their herbicide treatment practice on new clearcuts which kill all the browse that deer live on, not to mention what the herbicides do to wildlife itself, we didn't bother hunting the regular season this year since we struck out again on permits, might hunt late buck tho.

Good luck,

Tim

[petemi]

Same here, Richard.  I've had a trail camera out for a while now.  The first day I got some daytime pictures of does.  Since then, nothing in daylight.  I had 4 bucks in one night.....never returned.  Just midnight does and no doe tags.  One night I had four masked bandits    Click on the pictures to enlarge and see the bad guys.

Pete

[AtlLaw]

Well, after deer season the timber company is coming back to finish cleaning up the clear cuts and fire breaks.  I sure hope they don't use any herbicide!      We're planning some feed plots and such...
 
I think I'll get out mid day this coming weekend and walk the bottoms that were left alone by the cutters.      These critters got to be around somewheres!   
 
And that'll give me an excuse to carry my 45 Colt carbine!      And sight it in.   
 
Hey Pete!      Every year the feeders are covered up with 'coon.     There were so many I was thinking of trapping some this year to protect our turkeys!  I mean they climb up the feeder leg to reach over and turn the feed dispenser to get more corn!!    
 
This year, not a one... I just don't understand... 

[SHOOTALL]

At my house it was nothing to see 10-17 deer each night and bucks came thru all the time. This was about 8 years ago. We now have yotes and we see the same 5 does . As for racoons same here and we trapped them yotes came and we seldom see one. You got yotes ?

[petemi]

We've got lots of yotes and wolves on alternating patrols as well as an occasional cougar.  They tell me our black bear take a large toll on fawns too  I put a road killed deer out back and three days later there was nothing left but some hair on the ground.

Pete

[Old Fart]

It's been unseasonably warm here in central Okla this year again also.
All I've been seeing are does.
Which is fine as I don't usually chase racks.
I have seen a few nice pics of bucks shot here, but not as many as normal.

[jeepmann1948]

Well here in West Texas the deer are fat and sassy.Last Saturday (opening day of rifle season) I saw 4 nice bucks and more does than I could count driving from the gate to the barn . Its a small ranch so it is only about 4 miles from the gate to the barn. The really unusual thing is there was 2 does with triplet yearlings. We do not see very many of them .All the time there was a 45-70 and 357 max in arms reach (yes they are Handi's) No shots were fired! 
 Two years ago the Wildcat fire burnt up a lot of it and the Good Lord blessed it with an unusually lot of rain.Now it is lush with new growth oak and grass so the deer are really doing well.
Happy Trails
George

[cwlongshot]

Sorry to read this Richard!!

They frown on feeders and hunting up here... I Still use them and cameras. I just do so on areas no one can legally hunt ADJECENT to our hunting lands..  We have deer aplenty!!





Something we share is damn the coons!!





LOTS of these damn things too...



Our gun season opens next week, I try to stay out of the woods the couple weeks before the opener...

BTW, the "line"you see in the first couple pics is a "sucker"




CW

[bikerbeans]

Richard,
 
I think you drove your deer underground shooting that 50 cal cannon of yours.    Try sneakin' down their holes and huntin' um with a 1911 and a flashlight.
 
BB

[gcrank1]

Sounds like its likely to be thin soup for ya, Richard..........
Here in S. Cent. WI the heard has been dismal, we dont see much compared to some years ago. Our DNR did heavy duty 'eradication' thinking they had to because of CWD. If we only ate what we could bag we'd all be thinner here too.

[mechanic]

Richard, hope your luck changes.  I've only got to go once, last Thursday for a few hours, and enjoyed my morning out in the woods.  Only saw a little 4 point, but lots of sign.  Hope mine aren't nocturnal.
 
Have you quit feeding?  They may be used to eating at night if you have an open feeder....
 
You could also dig a pungi pit around the feeder......or not.    I don't remember anything in the regs about the use of pits and sharpened cane.....
 
Ben

[Ol BW]

Do you think the moon phase had anything to do with it?  November 2nd was almost a full moon!

Sent from my Droid RAZR M using Tapatalk 2

[scratchmark]

been pretty good here so far. got 3 in the freezer, but this time last year had 4. Saw a big yote standing on the side of the road on my way in this morning. 3rd one ive seen so far. yote's and hogs are now open 24/7 here in NC.

[jpshaw]

I'm hunting a clear cut, or it was 5 years ago.  The first year it was cut hunting was great but has tappered down a bit.  Last year we had the drought and the creek bottoms on both sides were bone dry.  Didn't see a deer from my stand all season.  Something ate my corn though but I've watched coyotes eating my corn before.  This year has been some better.  One in the freezer and see deer now and then.
 
BTW the underbrush (and planted pines) are about 8" tall now and I tell everyone that I'm hunting Garaffes.  Anyone have a recipe for Garaffes?

[AtlLaw]

I've lost 2 replies into cyberspace!     I do think it is the network I'm on that caused it...    Oh well, third times a charm!   
 

You got yotes ?

Ya know, 10 years ago we didn't have a yote around.  Now they everywhere!!     We kill a couple a year but I was planning to do some serious yote killin after deer season.
 

We have deer aplenty!!

And nice fat ones they are Brie!     Darn they're prime lookin!  How much do they weigh around your way?     Down where I hunt an average doe is about 65 lbs.  The biggest buck I've killed went 125 lbs; both dressed weights.
 

Try sneakin' down their holes and huntin' um with a 1911 and a flashlight.

I had a picture of me doing just that!     Wasn't hunting deer though.   
 

Sounds like its likely to be thin soup for ya, Richard..........

Unfortunately I think you're right...    But I hope I'll find and pattern them this weekend.  But I decided to carry my M-92 44 mag whilst I wander around the woods.  It's already sighted in!   
 

...Hope mine aren't nocturnal.  Have you quit feeding?  They may be used to eating at night if you have an open feeder....

Last weekend the camera showed on doe at my feeder for the whole week.     The camera I put out at my other stand showed 5 does/fawns one night around 7:30 PM; well after dark.  There was also a cow-horn spike come through in the early morning hours; 2 or 3 AM.  Nothing during the daylight hours.   
 

Do you think the moon phase had anything to do with it?  November 2nd was almost a full moon!

I dunno...    But even if they start feeding later in the evening and bed earlier in the morning they still usually wander around at sometime during the day.  My cameras don't indicate any daytime movement at all! 
 
Well JP and scratchmark, I'm glad your doing well!     When the kids were living at home I tried to put 4 in the freezer each year.  Now it's just Kathie and me and 2 does will do us very nicely!     But this weekend will tell the tale ... 
 
I'm leaving work early for a Dr's appointment; gotta get another shot in my eye, they don't seem to be helping any...    But then one of my hunting buddies is picking me up at my place and we're driving down for 3 full days of hunting.     And I tell ya, at the very least I will have walked every inch of that farm!   

[SHOOTALL]

10 years ago we didn't have yotes either , same with bears now we have both and less deer. also not 15 miles from my house we now have MT. Lions so maybe they are around also but not seen. I live about 25 miles from the state capital closer as the crow flys .

[Brian P.]

cwlongshot, what game cameras do you use? Those are great pics!
 
* While I'm not talking about baiting deer, you can really build up trails by throwing out a mineral block.  A cattle block is good enough and they're just $12 or so and last a long time.

[cwlongshot]

cwlongshot, what game cameras do you use? Those are great pics!
 

It does do a good job on the pics, but I have always been suspecting the "motion trigger" misses them during the day time...  Its a older Moultree

CW

[Wagguy80]

Saw 2 this morning


Feeders are bad for the deer population.  All it takes is for 1 sick deer to feed there, and now you have a whole bunch of sick deer.

[S8Raz]

CW; 
If those are where I think, Windham County is looking good this year...    Good luck!
Unfortunately, our "friend" Sandy prevented me from getting to my stand last week and I have to make a run today/tomorrow to make sure everything is set for Wednesday.
 

[twoshooter]

Sorry to hear that AT, I just came in with my first, a doe. Season opened @ 6:30 and I had her @6:48. I got out late and ran a half dozen out of the bottom ahead of me, but she came back around. There are the most hunters out I have seen it 6-8 years here, I guess hard times make cheap meat more appealing, and they are close to home because of gas prices, not going west. Good luck.

[demented]

 I took a decent six point at 7:15 Sat morning at 150 yards with my 30-30, those Nosler Ballistic Tips really work when started at 2300 fps.

[Wagguy80]

Spent all day yesterday in the woods, and nothing.  About 8:00am I hear no less than 7 people shoot around me, and I never saw anything.


Only saw one hog even, and was on the 4-wheeler at the time when the 400lb monster jumped the road  in front of me.

[mechanic]

I finally got a good walkover of my land.  Very few deer signs, esp. recent ones.  There are a lot of tracks around the pond, but I noticed they were a couple weeks old.
 
I'm thinking the deer have a spa and retreat somewhere that they go until season is over.....
 
Either that, or the coyote are killing them off.
 
I saw a coyote at a distance.  When I got to where I had seen him, he had left tracks as large as a german shepherd.  He was a big boy.
 
Ben

[Hunter6657]

Take a dish sponge and soak it in bacon grease and throw them out around your lease and the coyotes will eat them. It swells up inside them and blocks off the bowels. It will get rid of them but don't throw them out if you have hunting dogs on the property. one member of our club had a pack of feral dogs hanging around his area of the lease to the point he couldn't hunt his stands in there. He did the sponge trick and they disappeard never to be seen again. It might sound kinda cruel but after what coyotes do to fawns and yearling deer not to mention turkeys I don't have much compassion for them.
I always wondered if 1/4th of a sponge would work on raccoons also. They will decimate the turkey poults and eggs as well.
I have a Duke Dog[proof coon trap for taking them also which is specific for coon. Only a coon can reach in and try to get the bait from under the trigger and pull it towards himself and you stick them straight up in the ground. Marshmallows covered with some kind of coon attractant works great. I use peanut butter or syrup.

[AtlLaw]

Well, 3 days hunting over the long weekend and still no deer...    But at least I saw 2.     Doe ana fawn.
 
The camera at last years stand/feeder had only 2 pictures for the week.  Neither of deer.  And no other sign any deer had even been through there!
 
The camera at my other stand showed deer at the corn pile, but only at night.  The two I saw from that stand at 9:29 am were just passing through and were walking down the firebrake that goes around the clearcut, way over on the far side of the bottom from my stand.     Maybe I ought to plop my self down in the middle of the clearcut where I can see all the edge!   
 
My hunting partners' stands don't seem to have been effected as much by the clear cutting.
 
Oh well, I saw some beautiful mornings and evenings!   

[cwlongshot]

That what it's a out.... Being out there.....

Mine starts in the AM... I can hardly Waite!!!

[Rustyinfla]

  Remember 3 words... IRON CLAY PEAS. They make a nice food plot. We can't use feeders they bring in the bears. Iron clay peas barely get up till they nip 'em off at ground level.

  We had pictures opening weekend but they were all at night due to the moon phase.

  Good luck.

[Jimbo47]

 Maybe I ought to plop my self down in the middle of the clearcut where I can see all the edge!   
 
My hunting partners' stands don't seem to have been effected as much by the clear cutting.
 
Oh well, I saw some beautiful mornings and evenings!   

You might just have it figured out!
Normally any fresh clearcuts allow new growth of forbs and other plants that the deer prefer over corn which is basically candy to the deer and they will eat the natural stuff and shy away from the feeders.
I'll bet if you sit on those edges of the clearcuts you'll see your deer!   Good luck!