anyone else NOT seeing deer?

[electric blues]

Im in north georgia near cohutta, and I've yet to see one. And i dont know many people that have seen that many. Im bout to dust off the 270...

[mooseman1967]

here in Nebraska im hunting small tree lines between standing corn fields so far two does and one decent 8 point. one doe and the buck was harvested between noon and 2pm. otherwise i have seen well over a 100 deer while on stand see alot more during midday then usual.

[LUNGBUSTER]

Sat the whole opening week here in Michigan and only saw two does. They didnt stay long enough to shoot.

[Chuck Jones]

Not seeing deer, or even normal deer sign. Just too much good feed spread out everywhere, I guess.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

There hiding in the corn fields around here, You might check them if you have them.    

Tracy

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I might add that they will travel long distances just to get to the corn for the short time thats it's ready. That means if you have been seeing them at lets say 7:30 am every morning they might not be coming through till 8:30 am. Doesn't mean there not there but that they have changed there pattern for food.

Happens every year here, They will be back or you can change your pattern too    Also the bigger bucks are all over the place making scrapes and rubs, Hard to pattern them too. Just my opinion !!

Tracy

[Tioga]

Originally posted by cottonwood:
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

Amen. I hunt 5 days a week for the entire 6 weeks. 100% state forest and state gamelands. I don't do Saturdays. Prior to the great deer reduction plan as per Gary Alt in 2001, I'd see 10-15 deer a week and be happy with that. In 2004, that went down to 3-4 a week. 2005 was still 3-4 a week. 2006 a bust with 5 deer seen the entire season. 2007 I grew bored and only hunted 3 times in Pa.

  So far this year I've found more deer than I have since 2002. That's because last years opening day of rifle season was a washout and foggy and saved alot of deer. Especially the button bucks. That's why I'm seeing so many spikes and Ys running around this year.

  But yes, the QDM philosophy stinks on public lands. On private land where landowners can control the number of doe killed, and protect the younger bucks, it works great. But on public lands where there is no control over the doe harvest, it stinks. But, seeings how the doe harvest was exceeded by the buck harvest last year in 2G, I think guys are catching on and laying off the doe.        

[foxbo]

One week has passed for the Virginia season and I have logged 24 hours in a treestand without any deer sightings. It's tough huntin' in these parts.

[Bill Kissner]

I haven't been out hunting as of yet but I imagine the amount of crops still in the fields in some areas might be part of the problem. The crops in my area are the reason I have stayed at home.(southern Illinois).

[DEATHMASTER]

I have seen only one deer at a distance from my stand.
Put out a trail cam and have seen 9 different bucks and 4 does all from 10pm to 4am

Why am I not seeing deer?

[bentpole]

Jon read my thread "Banner Year". We'll get them!

[Sarah]

I've been out three times in the past two days, and on two of the occasions saw exactly 0 deer (the guy I was hunting with had the same experience both times)...last night I went out without him on his property and saw 4, none of which I could shoot (no doe tag) - the kicker: 3 of them presented beautiful broadside shots and were less than 10 yards away.

Such is life I suppose.

[Tater John]

My field report will be brief...Yesterday morning two yotes troted through at 10 yards, one deer bedded in the beans just after sundown one day last week. 11 times out, nothing has been seen.

Hot, dry no deer moving in my area.

Squirrels? Not counting repeat sightings, 30-40 at least from eight different ground and tree stand locations.

Rusty

[bowless]

The QDM thing is pretty much what they're doing here in southeastern MA.  Public land gets wiped out while the problem deer live happily in backyards.

[Tioga]

Hey Bowless....
                The hunters from New England aren't showing up in this section of Northcentral Pa this year as in years past. The motels and campgrounds used to be full of them for the first week of archery in Pa. This year they are no-shows. Has the word got out up there that Pa stinks now?

[Bakes168]

I saw some last weekend up north, but havn't seen one since and it's beginning to frustrate me  :mad:  .

Bakes

[gregg dudley]

Gald to know I am not the only one.  Deer sightings are way down where I usually play the game.

[DRR324]

Not going to start the QDM debate- but have you guys put out any trailcams to really see how many deer are in your areas?  I hunt central michigan on some pretty big state land plots here.  My trailcams are set a long ways off the beaten paths- and deer sightings are low during daylight hours.  But- my camera doesn't lie- afterdark, the deer are there.  I'm sure the pressure in your area does the same thing here- forces mostly nocturnal movement.... therefore lower sightings while on stands.  I'm all for letting little bucks grow, and harvesting does to help balance herd numbers.  Its just that the states need to manage smaller areas instead of a big block management.....

[doubleo]

Hang in there Deathmaster the rut is coming. Sheboygan county could be the worst in the state. Pubiic hunting grounds are totally whipped out.Haven't seen a deer yet.

[Don Thomas]

Here in MT, it's very much a seasonal phenomenon. The first two weeks of the season (early September) are a great time to kill a big buck as the deer are still in their summer feeding patterns. And of course the woods come alive in November. I call the time in between (right now) the "Dead Zone", and usually spend it hunting birds. Having said that, I'm heading out into the coulee to see what I can rustle up with my bow and enjoy our first taste of MT winter (15 degrees, a foot of fresh snow on the ground). Don't worry; the deer are there somewhere. cheers, Don