anyone else NOT seeing deer?

[jonsimoneau]

I live in northeastern Illinois.  This is one of the most intensly farmed areas in the world, and a big woods is anything over 25 acres.  My part of Illinois is unlike the rest of the state in that deer numbers are pretty low due to lack of habitat.  I normally see a deer every 3 to 4 hunts.  I have to admit this gets kind of frustrating.  Sure we grow some big ones in this part of the state, but in an entire season around here I normally only see around 30  deer total.  Anyone else hunt an area like this? I've been in a stand for over 20 hours so far this season, and I have only seen 1 lone doe.  DANG!

[BRONZ]

One of my hunting partners hasn't seen anything yet either and we also reside in a whitetail-state.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

In the past I would see deer everyday, This Year I have only seen 10 deer. Got 2 shots off but no deer down. Almost a month since opener and the past 3 weeks no deer in shooting range or in good shooting light...

[varmint]

Me!!!

I've sat 17 times now and have seen deer on exactly 1 hunt,and then only for a second when I spooked them at 35 yards with a suprise sneeze I couldn't stifle.

Worse season I can EVER remember.Other members are seeing and killing deer on the lease.I'm in high travel areas,hardwoods flats dropping acorns like crazy,and a very well used ditch crossing.All my stands are placed according to prevailing wind directions,I take meticulous scent precautions,ect.I have plenty of sign,tracks,rubs,scrapes,ect.Even have trail cam pics at all hours of the day,I just cannot catch a break.

I'm pretty much into a 3 year drought on deer sightings for some reason,and can't figure out if I've changed something,or I'm just having a VERY long streak of bad luck.

[fowlarcher]

I wasn't seeing deer or sign in one of my spots. Then one evening I heard something approach to within ten yards when I saw it was a mountain lion. I stood up and scared it off. I realized why there was no deer sign and walked out as quick as I could on shaky legs.
If you're not seeing deer sign, check for cat tracks.

[John Krause]

I have been out about 6 times and have only seen deer twice. Once while walking out. I hunt BIG woods and things are a lot more random. I have a bunch of deer pics but tough time seing any so far. How do you figure out which tree they are feeding under when there are a million of them?

[madness522]

All but one deer this year has seen me! Or at least seen something they weren't sure what it was and vacated the area before offering me a shot.  The only one that didn't see me was a spotted button head that spend about 5 minutes within 5 yards of my stand.

[Featherbuster]

Dont worry i havent seen anything either, but i have not had the chance to go hunting yet either.

[Str8Shooter]

I hunt public land near my home in Wisconsin. I live in the South Central part of the state. There is a lot of agricultural land surrounding the public land where I hunt. The public land is a lot of swampland, open fields, and nasty thickets. Trouble is that the deer tend to stay on the neighboring properties where the crops provide abundant food.

The last few seasons I would usually see 8-12 deer per season. This year I've seen close to 15 deer already. So far, that is pretty unusual for me.

I do know how it is to sit out several times without seeing deer. One friend, who bowhunts sporadically, has yet to see a deer while sitting on stand. He jokes that deer are mythical creatures who only live in city parks.

[SouthMDShooter]

That is frustrating. On my property in WV i usually see at least 10 different deer everytime I go out. But our deer arent as near as big as yours though

[KyleAllen]

You are not alone my friend! When people think of texas, they think of phenomenal deer hunting. I assure you they are not thinking of east texas where i live. Deer numbers are low and temperatures are low this time of year. Ive been out 5 times now and have yet to see a deer while on stand. To add the the frustration, the trail cam shows plenty of deer in daylight. Dont ask me?!!?! Bout to change my tactics some and start doing some trail cam scouting like i should have been doing months ago. Just don't give up. Hardships only make victory sweeter

[nockhunter]

I see deer all the time. On my drive to work on my drive home. Keep at it you will run into them.

Mike

[Rick Perry]

aint no deer in Illinois no more  ........... cougars et em all !!!!

[billy shipp]

I'm in East Texas also.....haven't see the first deer yet....It's hot and the skeeters will literally haul you off even with a Thermacell

Billy

[KyleAllen]

billy, where you at in east texas? Im related to some shipps.

[MOstate]

Um, I've seen turkey from the woods I can hunt  
But I've walked in the woods behind my house and seen 4 does (adult, 3 yearlings)!  :(  
Its getting so tempting to just walk down there!

[Shawn Leonard]

Jon, I would settle for seeing one deer a year if i could kill a buck like that in your avatar every ten years. Seriously, I hunt a bow only area and I have had yaers where I have gone 3 or 4 hunts with no sightings and than the weather changes and the food sources change and they come out of the woodwork. Keep at it and your luck will change. Shawn

[Desperado]

As soon as people bought into this ridiculous QDM (Quick Doe Massacre) program, the deer hunting went to notning! You can't have the bucks without the does and you can't have the does without the does. Each year I get as many doe tags as I can and pitch them out to save future deer. As soon as everybody realizes the wholesale doe slaughter must stop, the deer herd will materialize. Ask guys in Pa. who hunt an entire season and do not see spit, what they think of QDM! What a scam!!! Cotton

[Kevin Bahr]

Pretty slow so far down here as well, Jon.  I have seen a few deer, but have been skunked on sightings on 3 hunts out of the 6 sits so far.  They were running wild on Sunday morning though.  Jumped two different bunches on the way in, saw a doe and two different bucks, one real nice one which was running the smaller one off every time he got close.  My partner saw 15, all were within 30 yards at one point but none close enough to shoot. When I got down I jumped another buck and walked past a group of does under another one of our stands on my way out.  So they are there, just not moving with regularity yet, at least where we hunt.  The beaucoup standing crops have alot to do with it I imagine.

[Rich LaBombard]

I'm in northern MA.  Last year, I was convinced I found THE spot, based on sign.  Sat in the stand every Saturday, and took days off when I could.
Never even had a glimpse.  Snow came, not a track to be found for weeks.
My neighbors reported the same thing.  To be honest, I'm stumped.