Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Romans3 on September 29, 2009, 12:32:00 PM
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I'm a new deer hunter. I've found a couple spots with decent deer sign and have been out a few times this year so far. I haven't seen a deer yet. It seems that most threads I read, guys are talking about "I saw 12 deer but I'm gonna wait for a bigger buck..." "I saw 9 and shot the last doe that walked by..." "i saw 3" "I saw 16"...
Does anyone else think, "man I haven't seen one!"?
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To give you an idea of this issue take in the following.
We have been hunting 300 acres here in PA. (Me, and my two buddies... All traditional) We all have been hunting from the ground. We all have been out approximately the same amount of hours.
I have been within bow range of 8 deer/ (7 doe ; 1 buck) One of my buddies has seen one deer ; the other none.
The funny thing is, is that we don't have our individual areas we hunt. We bounce around all over the property. I feel there is a little bit of "luck" but a whole lot of planning. I check the weather / wind every time before heading a field. I cross-reference to my aerial maps. And try to think like a deer, and put myself in the best spot possible.
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Happens to most of us at one time or another. You say that you are new to deer hunting - is there any chance that you can find someone down there to show you the ropes? Seeing deer sign is one thing, but finding them is another. "Sign" only means they were there at one time. Try to find what they are eating and where they are bedding and set up in between those two spots in a funnel area with the wind blowing away from where you expect them to come from and you will start seeing them.
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I think it has a lot to do with your area, to how many deer you see.
The area I hunt I see from 7 deer to 0, each time I hunt. And sometime I will go 3 or 4 times out hunting and not see anything.
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Oh yea, every year just like you said. But every year is different too. Annual weather patterns and seasonal variations throughout the year change up animal habits alot. I just stay the course and eventually I get on them. One year to the next is never the same and I don't want it to be predictable anyway
Rusty
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If I am hunting public land I see deer 30% of the time if I am hunting private land 50-75% of the time. I read a lot of those threads to I think a lot are BS. I have seen 12 or more on stand but averages are much lower at least here in southern WI. It takes awhile to get a feel for the area and the deer.
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The apparent goal here in PA is to eliminate the deer herd with excessive doe tags. They have been very successful in my area and have really cut the numbers down. It sucks.
It is easy to go two weeks without seeing a deer. It is not unheard of to go a whole season and not see a legal buck (3pts on a side).
I used to see 3-4 dozen deer over the six week season. Now it is usually less than 2doz. I average one deer in range per year and then it doesn't always turn into a shot opportunity.
I hope you guys who have lots of deer know how fortunate you are.
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If your hunting in the morning- be there way before light; if your hunting in the evening get there early and stay until dark; even if you are not going to shoot after a set time.
That way you have the best chance of seeing deer; which can tell you when and where they are moving
If you find a deer trail; you can tie a piece of sewing thread across it at knee level- tie it on one end only; and you can tell direction of travel.
If your hunting next to a dirt road; drive down the edge of the road; to the side as much as possible; and off the usual tire tracks.
Do this just BEFORE you hunt; and then after your done hunting; check the area you ran over for tracks. Any tracks you find will tell you where the deer moved ( and in what direction) when you were hunting.
Then look for the trails they used.
Keep in mind a major problem with sitting near a trail and having the wind perfect. Most deer will not move in a straight line - they wander back and forth in a wide path to check the scent in front of them. So- the wind might be perfect where your sitting; and yet be blowing right into their noses a hundred yards away.
Start hunting only bucks scoring over 180. If you set that in your head; the does will walk by fearlessly. Always seems to me when I am looking for bucks- I see does; and if I am listening to my stomach- and ready to shoot a doe.. I see nothing.
Look at the weeds around your stand. The direction they are falling over is the primary wind direction for that spot. If there is a wind from a different direction; when it lets up; the primary wind direction will take over- keep that in mind.
When stalking look all around you; and take a step at a time; stop; look around and then move forward a step. Each step brings you into a whole new world; and you might only see a bit of a deer; like an ear; or the line of its back when its feeding.
Bucks will use a trail downwind of the does very often; and if you are sitting on the buck trail; you might be alerting the does; and they are in turn alerting the bucks- or vise/versa.
It can be easy; but most often I work hard even for a doe.
Its not like the snuff films on the hunting shows !
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Public land for the first time last year. Hunted 35 days w/few sightings and 2 shots all season. Slow but sure beats hunting with the remote..
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I live in a portion of Pennsylvania where many of the locals and the camp owners believe that there are very few deer. Many are even making proclamations about giving up their licenses because of it. Whatever.
I see deer about 50-60% of the time but it depends from year to year and from day to day (weather, food availability, moon phase, pressure, wind, etc.). Typically if I see deer from my treestand (I usually sit for 1-3 hours at a time), it will be anywhere from 1 deer to 3 or 4. There was a time when it wasn't unusual for me to see 10, 12 or 15 deer in a stand but, in fairness, PA did have too many deer then.
I almost always get opportunities to shoot does and at least a smallish buck or two that meets the state minimum. If I have the time, say 8 or 10 days to hunt, I'll typically get at least one opportunity at a large buck per season. What I find really odd is that it's not at all uncommon for me to see 20-25 deer per day during the state's late flintlock season on some of the same areas where I struggle to see them early in the year.
Good luck to you.
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The thing to remember is, nobody posts about it if they haven't seen anything! ;)
"Went out for 6 hours on stand today. It rained for a while & I got cold, then the sun came out & I warmed up. Didn't see a thing."
Not the most thrilling thing to read, even if it is honest. For every person that posts about seeing 5,10 or 20 deer, thare's probaly 40 or 50 that haven't seen a dadgum thing.
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I'm one of the lucky ones. I live in an area that has a lot of deer and my house is about 150 yards away from a state park that is not open to hunting. It's a rare day that I don't see deer but I have been skunked a time or two.
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Well here in southern Michigan we have them coming out our ears don’t you know. At least everywhere but where I hunt in three different counties. I see fewer deer now than most years in the 30 years of bow hunting. Some of that is due to land changes, hunting pressure, and a lack of deer from what I can tell. Gone are the days of seeing 4-5 buck in a group early in the year or groups of 8-12 does/fawn in a group or feeding in the same area. Now it is maybe two buck or 2 does with fawn in the groups I see.
I work real hard at deer hunting and have been at this a long time so I do get on them regular. I used to see an average of about 6 deer a day. I would say on average now I see 1-2 deer every time out if I hunt a mix of cover. Some of the more open areas and edges allow me to see more ground therefore more deer. If I only hunted prime times and prime spots I would see deer about every time, but I have to hunt when I can where I can.
I average one good shot opportunity for every 5 days hunting. If I have a doe tag any decent doe in the first 4-weeks of the season goes down. I can’t always shoot due to what I have for tags when the doe tags are gone; I have a hard time using a buck tag on a doe, and I have a hard time shooting does when the pre-rut and rut are in full swing. In the end I see enough deer to keep me more than interested, and I get enough shot opportunities to get the meat I need for the year, although I always would like to shoot just one more every year.
:D
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I spend way more time in the woods than anyone in my family. I've been checking cameras since July. My favorite home farm has yielded two quality buck sightings in five hunts and they were well out of range. My brother has been twice to the same farm, no scouting, no prep, and has seen two monsters under 30 yards but still out of his comfort range. One was "the biggest" he's ever seen. He's not been back since, but I have and no dice. Go figure.
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Very rare around here not to see at least one. Find the food source and you will find the deer this time of year.
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I have hunted land where I saw deer almost every time out. Lost the leases on those places.
The land I hunt now I may see deer once every 10 trips.
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they either lie, hunt at a deer farm, or never talk about the other times.
Some are bestowed with good fortune, some are darn serious enough about it to do better, and some have access to better lands. None of those are me, but any time out can be feast or famine.
New to the land or new to the sport is another whole challenge. Give yourself time to learn the things to increase your odds. Learn more of the habits of your game sought.
The thing to remember is the sport is called hunting (Webster defines hunting as "the pursuit of game"), not killing, which is a possible ends to the means. Sometimes you might not.....
I just spent two days on a brand new piece of property. Saw absolutely nothing. Yet it was enjoyable and beneficial. It was my first time in "big woods". Learned a whole lot. Was actually able to identify areas that had more potential than others, and was "rewarded" with finding sign. I take that as a success because next time, I now have some understanding of what the animals desire for habitat. Its a process. There really isn't a "Cliff Notes" to it unless you want to pay a guide, or have a good mentor.
It will happen if you (1) want it to, and (2) learn why what you tried didn't work.
Enjoy all of it.
BobW
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Where I am at in NC I can hunt a week straight and not see a thing! it is just the Croatan - I set a camera out on HOT sign heavy trails with fresh tracks - I wil get a pic of a deer then four five days later a pic of another.
Most fo the land I hunt is pure woods, no nearby fields or clearings at all. The deer are hard to pattern. Plus it is thicker woods than what you would find in Cambodia, 80% of it you could nto dream of walking through. You would have better chance to walk on top of it.
You wont kill em at the house though so I keep pounding away ath them. Lie has been said - watch the wind and pay attention. 90% time see nothing but for that chance it is worth it!
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Our season has been open for 17 days, and I have only been three times. I have seen deer on only one of those trips. I made good and killed a small 8pt. I rattled him in. I'm going in the morning. We will see if my percentage is 20% or 50% after the morning hunt.
I have hunted 8-10 times straight without a sighting though. The time in the woods is great, even without the deer sightings. Always something cool to watch!
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Up around Roxboro I hunted a bit and would see deer quite a bit of the time.
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I really like what BobW just wrote. I also totally agree with the top portion of his post.
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About every time I hunt... :knothead:
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Most times I don't see anything. I have had years where I saw 1 deer for the season and other years where I saw 0 deer for the season. The season runs from Sept. 27---Dec. 10, thats bow,gun and late bow and blackpowder. Some years its better, but even 7-9 deer for the year is good. One of the reasons I'm leaving in the AM for a hunt in Ill.{Pike County}.If I even see some deer it will be a good hunt.
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Look for acorns. Hunting away from acorns or other food sources can be a big mistake at this time of year. Everything revolves around food at this time of year. When I was just starting I went a whole year and saw nothing. Now I rarely get less than two seperate sightings. Part of the game is learning how it is played. Walk any fencelines, and if you aren't seeing any deer, move.
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What is the habitat that you are hunting?
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Something else to keep in mind is that the goal isn't always just seeing deer. I have friends that tend to set up on farm fields and almost always end up seeing deer. The problem is that ours is a close range sport and seeing them isn't enough. These same friends typically only get a few shots at does or very small/young bucks. I don't see deer as frequently as they do but I have a much higher percentage of getting a shot at the deer that I DO see and there's also a higher percentage of deer that end up being shooter bucks.
Hunt the staging areas and/or the travel lanes between feeding and bedding areas to get a higher percentage of shots per deer seen.
I have to admit that I've got a fair amount of respect for those of you that see few deer yet still hunt hard for the entire season. In my area, the guys that hunt for days or weeks and only see a few deer are typically hunting the wrong areas but I recognize that we all have different situations and different deer densities.
This was a good question and a good discussion.
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Most of my hunting is Big woods in the Adirondack Mountains,which is state land that has not been logged or managed for 100 years. It is a forever wild area. Its foot or horseback, no motorized vehicles. Even on state land in the southern zone of N.Y. the same rules apply most of the time. Acorns and beech nut are cyclic and other food sources are whatever is avaiable. Also theres just not alot of deer. In the north the state says .5 bucks per square mile-1.5 deer per square mile.
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I have had many days where there are deer to be seen and many days when there isnt anything. Its still a good day hunting just to be out in the woods watching the squirrels running around, instead of bumper to bumper with cars...Roy
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I hunt public land that's strewn with oak trees. I don't see deer many of times I hunt. I also catch enough fleeting glimpses to know I miss seeing deer that come by too.
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I would say that I see deer about every 3rd-4th hunt if conditions are right. If I don't see them within 4 hunts, I move.
Out on public land, seeing 5 deer for one sit is a really good day. Some private lands I have seen up to 15 deer at a time come through.
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I hardly go a day without seeing at least 1 or 2. Down here in the south we have a very high deer density.
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Most of my deer sightings around here are from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm. I am seeing deer 2 out of 3 outings and never more than 5 total. Too much pressure here. I tend to go in deeper and through thicker stuff than others. It keeps my desire to shoot a small buck or doe in check since it takes a while to get one out and home.
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You Pa guys i feel your pains..... I can go 2 weeks or so and see no deer or only a couple.... i do hunt alot to, i hunt near everyday of the archery seasonand i hunt public land. I started hunting closer to thicker cover, some say get deep in the woods to but most places here you wlk a mile or so and you close to another area where someone could come in an only be a short walk for them but long for you, kinda laugh at myself when that happends. i say just dont be afraid to move around, hunt a area for 3 days, if i dont see any or new sign i move. alot of time in an entire season i mite get one chance thats it, wish was better around here but thats just way it is for us... belive me alot of time i wish i seen more deer, not just gettin a shot all time but just gettin a chance to see and observe deer... just dont happen alot for us. its either my area has just that few deer or im not very good at finding them. so i will end with this dont be afraid to move or try new areas, dont waste your time hunting non productive places, you'll end up finding a honey hole and wish you would have hunted there sooner!
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I have a lot of no-deer days on state game lands in central PA. Funny thing last year was that a college kid and I were hunting the same general area on a state game land. We parked in the same parking area and always seemed to arrive and leave about the same time so we always talked about what we did/didn't see. In the early part of the season he was seeing a lot of deer and I was getting skunked. In the latter part of the season, the roles reversed and I was seeing deer every day. Still didn't get a shot but at least I was seeing deer. No explanation for it, just the way it was.
You can do a lot to improve your luck, but a lot of it still boils down to being in the right place at the right time.
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I try to keep moving and never hunt the same place two days in a row. The problem is other hunters pound a area until the deer leave or go nocturnal for the rest of the season. I have gone seasons and never got a shot at a legal deer. I am glad to get one shot a year.
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I probably see a deer one out of three days if I am lucky.
I have gone a whole season and never had a shot at a deer, either didn't see any or the shot was just not there.
I always enjoy my time in the woods, if it was only about killing deer I would have quit a long time ago, but I would love to see deer every day even if I didn't get a shot.
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I hunt 95 percent state forest lands and state gamelands in Tioga County, along with hunting private lands about 5 percent of the time. 5 days a week and I don't do Saturdays. It's all bigwoods hunting. No ag at all. From the start, I know the odds are stacked against me, because typically these lands have very low deer densities for a variety of reasons which include overkill, some bad habitat, and high predator populations like bears, bobcats and coyotes. Like I said, the odds are stacked against me, and I like it that way. That's why I hunt with a stickbow.
For many years, on any given day, I could count on seeing at least one and as many as three deer per outing 75% of the time. The last five years, I generally see 2-4 deer per week at best. That includes snorts, breaking brush, and tails waving goodbye. My trailcam pretty much gives me the same results. I've found the need to relieve the boredom of setting in the stand for hours on end counting falling white oak acorns hitting the ground by leaving the stand at home and still hunting most of the time. This year, my 12 year old grandson will be tagging along, so that'll put the boredom on the back burner for me. :)
It is what it is. I dig hunting deer, have lots of time to do it, live in the middle of what should be good deer country, and don't like to travel ungodly distances to hunt anymore thanks to the gas prices. So here I is. !["[dntthnk]"]("graemlins/dntthnk.gif" "\"\"")
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On my farm that is heavily wooded it's pretty unusual, you could see 10 deer in a morning hunt of course it is in a high deer population area with several doe bedding areas packed in a few hundred acres. I've been hunting a 80 acre orchard that most people would think was a deer haven, wrong. There are a ton of deer on the farm, the problem is almost all of the deer bed on other properties and move onto the orchard to feed at night. Unless you are on the trail they are traveling right at dark you are out of luck. I use trail cameras to try to time their movement. If you are having trouble finding them you might look into getting a few, although they aren't traditional, it will help.
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Sometimes, things are just slow. I have been out 5 times since the season opened and so far have not seen a deer. I know they are there, because I've seen them constantly all summer long. The clover is up, and the deer have really been hitting it hard, judging from the tracks. But so far they have not been up and about in the same areas that I have been in. I am pretty sure that some of the surrounding properties have corn feeders out, which may be a factor.
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I really feel for you hunters that go most of a season and don't see a deer. I just am not that patient. I guess I need to be more appreciative of the hunting opportunities I have. It is not that hard to shoot a deer in my state. However, I do see at least one guy a years on some gun season buck pole show that has gotten his first buck after about 20-30 years of hunting with a gun :confused: so I guess even we have a few hard to hunt spots. :D
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Lots of good honest feed back here. I say it's all relative to where you hunt. Here in WV some places if I don't see 20 deer a outing its a slow day. Other places here in WV if I see 2 deer a day it's not unusual. Then I go to North Eastern Ohio to hunt and there's diffenently not the deer dinsesty there I may go two days without seeing a deer but when I do!
If I'm at a total loss at what the deer are doing in my neck of the woods I'll take a walk in prime time just to see where I bump deer. You can bet I'll dissect the area where I bump deer. You'll probably see me hunting there if I've got permission.
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We have deer here, but still, at times I can go weeks without seeing one. I've only been skunked once in the past several years. Hang in there, if your seeing fresh sign around, it's just a matter of timing. Don't be afraid to try something or somewhere different either. You never know, and it helps mentally just to change it up.
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I have hunted three hours every evening since September 19th. I have sole permission to hunt a great parcel of private land. I have seen deer on four of the nights. Only one within bow range. THis is pretty typical for my area.
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thanks for the input everyone. I think I've just got a lot to learn. I don't have much choice in where I hunt though. I've only got about 80 acres close enough for me to be at fairly regularly and most of it is too thick to get through. I did find a white oak dropping acorns with four persimmon trees full of fruit around it. There are trails all around that area. I've only been there once so far and it poored rain. Do deer move in the rain much?
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If I just wanted to see "deer"....I could hunt places and fill that bill. With 2 already in the freezer....I'm hunting spots that I'll hopefully either see a buck....or nothing. Actually......nothing (until the pre-rut) is better than seeing does.
I've been out 19 times. I've seen deer on 7 of those sits. That's "par". If I wanted to just see "deer", though....I'm betting I could sit in spots and see them "almost" every sit.
I wish you a ton of luck this year.
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I have 3 distinctly different spots....close to my house, is a smallish spot where I often see nothing, but when I do, it's most often a decent buck. A little farther north, my Uncles property, I ALWAYS see something, but rarely is it a "good" buck. At ShrewHaven, I always see deer, and it could be anything....small buck, big buck, or a whole squad of does.
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If you only have 80 acres to hunt ya got to careful how you hunt it. If you keep spooking them or leaving tons of scent tramping around your not gona see alot of deer except on your trail cam with night pics. If your seeing lots of sign with white oaks and persimmon trees with fruit hunt it smart and you'll see some deer and hopefully kill some deer there. Sounds like you've got a good spot just gotta play your cards right.
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I'm in the same situation. I can't put my foot down without it landing on a bed, trail or track. I have yet to see a deer though, even after hours of sitting rock still.
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The more you are out there the better your chances of seeing something. For me: if I would have put more time into scouting my chances would be much greater but I don't. I just enjoy my time afield waiting for something to come by, play the wind, Eventually persistance pays.
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Think about the wind....if you are seeing lots of sign, but no deer, you may be playing the wind wrong.
OR, your spot may be one of thos transitional places. Deer may pass through there at night, or only under certain circumstances. The place near my home where I see few deer but big bucks; it's very narrow, and deer just pass through to get to a green field about 1/2 mile away. If they aren't feeding in that field, no deer. If the wind is out of the east in the morning, no deer. If it's out of the west in the evening (which is normal), no deer.
My point is, some places have tons of sign, but few sightings...there is always a reason.
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I did find a white oak dropping acorns with four persimmon trees full of fruit around it.
DING DING DING DING DING. There you have it. BTW....deer do move in the rain, especially after taking a broadhead through the boiler. I love hunting in the rain, but refuse to risk losing a bloodtrail to the rain.
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Hunt near a food source on the downwind side of a bedding area, if possible. Sounds like you have a good spot with acorns and persimmons if the wind works for that location. Deer move better in pretty weather than rain...just after a rain is good. High pressure is better than low pressure... with eight y acres you outta be able to have more than one stand location that way you don't overhunt one location...
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You're getting tons of good advice. The other thing that I'd do, which I don't believe has been mentioned yet, would be to pay very close attention to that area that's "too thick to get through". You're trying to set up a 10 or 15 yard shot, not trying to see deer at 100 to 200 yards, so don't avoid the thickets. Keep in mind though that you probably don't want to be hunting right in their bedroom. Most decent bucks shy away from open areas (other than during the rut) and will use these thickets as travel areas. It'd be far better to see one good buck deep inside that thicket than to see 3 or 4 does and fawns at 50 yards out in the open, right?
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I got to say I agree I think it depends on the place you hunt, pressure and the amount of deer in that area. I also agree with LC overhunting a place is a sure way to not see anything quick. I don't know that I would say that someone is a liar cuzz they say they see a bunch of deer. I don't know your area but surely you can pick up another place or two to bow hunt, just don't be afraid to ask.
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This past week, on new ground I was at 30%. I have seen around 10 -12 deer on my fields at one time, but not often. Generally speaking, if I see that many deer feeding on the field I do not see any big bucks. There is probably one around but I don't see them during legal hunting hours. Our better bucks have been taken when we are seeing fewer deer. Are we hunting harder or are the bigger bucks travelling more looking for does? Maybe both.
Keep at it,
Gary
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Will deer stay away if I have to cross their trail to get to my blind?
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I think it depends on the deer bud. I have watched deer track where I walked to another stand I had set up earlier that day while I was in another stand. I have had does get down wind of me and actually come looking for me which was a big mistake for that deer. Maybe it depends on pressure. I know one thing animals are individuals and they never all do the same thing always. Having said that I do everything I can to stay away from where I think a deer will be coming in
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Went out yesterday saw nothing. Today went out at the same time travelled the same paths and saw 5 deer.
Learn your woods, be persistent and don't get frustrated. If nothing else, take a cople of Judo's and shoot at squirrels. Tough little buggers to hit but lots of fun practice.
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You have had some great advice. Where I live it might be one deer through 3 months of seasons. It might be more. Your white oak and perssmon spot sounds great if you can get to it without going through the bedding area or being upwind of the thick stuff they are probably spending the day in. Don't go to that spot if yo think the wind is wrong. Most of my archery stands are in stuff that is to thick to see more than 40 yards, couldn't shoot more than 20.
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Where are the apologies for shooting an antlerless deer; or having to shoot a management buck?
Oh that's right: this is the TRAD gang... :readit:
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Just went out early this morning on the island that I live on and drove to an old logging road. On the way there, before daylight I saw in the headlights of my truck: one doe, one porcupine, and one owl flying down the road. After I got to the hunting location I walked up this old road with big ditches plowed across it to keep out vehicles. I walked about a mile altogether, stopping at numerous locations that gave some view of the road or a muskeg. Blew a call a few times. Had good wind direction, until it shifted and I gave up. Did not see a deer while there this time, but last year I called a doe right up to me at this spot. (Unfortunately we can't take does here.)
What I did see were multiple piles of wolf poop, full of deer hair and bone bits. Looks like I am working part-time against some full time competition.
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I've gone days without seeing one. A lot of the time I realize that I'm to set in my ways and I don't pay attention to the wind enough.
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Just got back in from checkin a cam today - set in a hot trail - deer tracks all over - set out for a two weeks straight. Got pics of coon, birds, squirrel, fox, and of course bears. (everywhere I go this year is bears) but not one deer.
Just huntin - will take that set and move it to a new area, try again. Hunt got cut short as work got busy (FD shorthanded with the pig flu)
Keep out there and learn from your mistakes!
J
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Some days it varies on our place, but if I pay attention, i do see more.
They may be anywhere from 10-75-100yds away, but i see'em.
I had deer on me almost everytime i went out before rifle season.
After that? I saw 16 doe's two days after the rifle season and 12 or 13 of them were together walking around the mountain. The others came by later.
For two solid weeks after that i don't remember seeing but a couple of doe's.
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The truth is some places are just better than others.I hunt in an area where good buck are taken every year. but i hunt the edge where i hardly ever see one and when i do theyre out of range. I know if i hunted a bout a hundred yards deeper in the woods i would have opportunity galore. but i would be closer to other hunters. And my fav part of hunting is feeling like im out there by myself .so if i go all year with no deer but never run into another hunter....i had a good year
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i have allways been really, really lucky seeing deer. i hunt in a few hard places that do not hold a lot of deer and some that hold many. my favorite ridges are hard to hunt yet i still seem to be above %50 seeing deer, just lucky i guess.
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In my area, I see deer on one out of every 4 or 5 hunts. NOT seeing anything is the routine. Sometimes I get to hunt other places with more deer, and it spoils me. The learning curve is much shorter when you routinely see deer. Still...just keep at it. I always tell myself...the longer I sit on stand without seeing anything...the greater my chances are that I WILL see something.
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I'd say 40% of the time. Sometimes it is just by the grace of god and being in the right place at the right time. All the preparation in the world and the biggest deer I have ever taken, with a shotgun about 5 yrs ago, came directly downwind of me and walked by at 15 yards. I still take the time to try to set up to keep the odds in my favor. Just remember the time will come. Keep trying. Find somebody to help. Just asking questions and listening well will help. At work, church, the archery shop, the guy at the gas station that you suspect is a hunter. I don't know of many hunters that don't like talking about it. Il season starts tomorrow. I'll be out friday morning. Hopefully I'm in the right place at the right time. Going for my first trad deer. Stay safe and good luck to everyone this year.
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Here is hoping that this cool weather might get them going during daylight! I haven't seen a deer from a stand in five days of hunting, but I have seen them on the way in before first light and also on the way out after dark. The trail cam is loaded with pictures-all after dark.
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Just depends on the land you are hunting.My buddy has hunted 6 times and not seen a single deer.Yesterday he saw 11.If you have a good food source they are feeding on you can see them.At times other proprty will hold the best food and the deer are concentrated there instead of where I can hunt.I have sit twice this year and seen nothing but groundhogs.I have sit 3 times and saw deer.I have only had one shot so far out of 17 deer that I have seen from a stand.Hunting as much as you can increases the odds a lot but most places you will get skunked a few days no matter what. :(
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I have hunted many times and not seen a thing. The downside of that,for me, is that it tends to lower my expectations and that gets me thinking about stuff I should be doing at home instead of hunting...
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75% of the time I don't see deer, but I live in Oregon, which is a deer depleted State and that I why most of my deer hunting is now in Utah and Ohio.
Between the cougars and (HLS) Hair Loss Syndrome.
Our Blacktail numbers are way down and the cougars have decimated our Eastern Oregon mule deer herds.
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I hunt on public land with a rifle. This is my first year with a 'curve but I'm hunting in the same area. My dad and I usually see 20-30 deer during our trips but the last couple years, there has been a significant drop in sightings. It's extremely depressing to hear about these people that can hold out for bigger bucks. I've heard people talking to me say, "Yeah, we only shoot 3 point or better." (mule deer) For me, that is unheard of. We shoot spikes and two points because that's all that's left. Anything any bigger, is gone by muzzleloader season. I even wrote to our fish and game, got a phonecall that I couldn't take so the left their number. When I called em back, I never got an answer. The population has deminished so much, that I think they should close the area down for a couple years. Never thought I would say that but it's the truth.
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I hunt public land in your neck of the woods, Nate (just blew a ten yard shot on a buck at the Catawba Gamelands yesterday - yeah, I suck, but that's a whole 'nuther issue) and I've been seeing more deer the last few years than I used to. The secret can be had for 99 cents in the Ethnic Hair Care section of Wally World. Buy yourself a bag of those disposable hair nets - only they aren't nets, they're plastic bags.
I figured out one day while standing over someone using a computer that the "stinkiest" part of a human being is our head full of hair! We humans don't consider it smelly, and since heat rises and everyone's head is usually above everyone else's nose, we never really notice the odor anyway. But deer don't like it - which is why gardeners will sometimes get bags-full of human hair from the barbershop to put around the garden to keep the deer away.
I put one of those hair bags on my head (yeah, it looks stupid until I put my face mask on) before walking to the stand and keep it on the whole hunt. Rarely do deer spook when they're downwind from me anymore.
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Boy I wished that I could say I always see game.I live in the "best genral deer unit" in the state of utah and I had days that I did not see a deer.The genral elk unit above my home I have went the whole season and never seen a elk,and I hunted almost everyday.Its a game of learning,making mistakes,and taking chances.Time in the field is always good seeing or not.
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Too often to write about, fer sure!
I remember a week where I only saw ONE mammal, and it was a shrew. Them's the breaks, and a smarter hunter probably would have headed to other parts. I am not that smart, add to that, I am lazy and on top of all of that, I am reconnecting to the land just as much as I am trying to hunt, so I don't head to a whole 'nother section all that easily.
The thing to break your brain on (I think if you think too hard that you stand a chance of breaking your brain) is WHY you are not seeing anything. If you are me, you figure that you are doing something intrinsically wrong, like maybe moving too much, smelling too much, being stupid or perhaps breathing. Maybe the mast crop is bad, and I don't know where the good stuff is. Maybe there are other things like water or cover that are lacking. Or maybe I should take those clanky carabiners offa my pack.
High winds in the hardwoods, with the tree limbs gnashing and crashing to the ground make me nervous, and so I guess the deer feel that way too... look in the spruces, but they will likely be nervously bedded and all eyes and ears.
I like camping in the place I hunt, as it allows me a closer feel of the rhythms of the weather and the moods of the land. I can pick my time, see what the critters near camp are doing, and act accordingly. Feel the land, and think like a deer. Take your time, and blend in with the slow motions of the lives of the trees and streams, the rocks and the animals. If you don't see game, at least you will encounter something that will give you a smile during the course of your hunt.
Killdeer
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Im 0 for 4 sits so far this season.
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It depends on where you hunt. If I hunt locally, I don't see much due to low deer populations. If I head even 45 minutes south/east the number increase drastically.
I can hunt up here and see 1 deer every 3 or 4 hunts without even getting close. If I go south/east I will see deer NEARLY every time. You are hard pressed to do some scouting and then hunt a state park in Ohio without seeing deer.
That has been my experience.
All that being said...This year has completely stunk because I have mostly hunted locally and haven't seen much. It may sound like a poor attitude, but I really want to be successful in terms of harvesting an animal for my family. With as many deer as I have seen over the years, I still have yet to get one with a bow. Im going to focus on my "lucky" spots because honestly I see deer and get close shot opportunities almost every time I hunt there. Now if I can just draw WITHOUT getting caught!
Like killdeer said, If you aren't seeing them something is wrong. They aren't there in general due to a bad wind giving you away, eating/bedding elsewhere, high pressure or lack of habitat. Something is up, check it out.
-Charlie
***I'm only 1 for 4 so far!
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0 for 6 deer 3 for 2 bear killed 1