SE Ohio Deer Herd Problems?

[buckeye_hunter]

I was out on public land with my recurve yesterday on a trail the deer always use heavily. There was zero movement. I mean nothing at all and I always see at least 1 or 2 deer in this area. I have NEVER hunted this area for a full day without seeing deer. There were no deer in the fields or clear cuts, none crossing in front of the truck in the dark, none standing by the road, only 3 laying dead by the highway during a 2 1/2 hour drive. THIS IS BAZAAR! I did see sign in terms of tracks, but nothing in terms of actually deer during daylight.

I talked to multiple other hunters and no one else is seeing deer either. What's going on in SE Ohio? Out of all the hunters I talked to only a total of only 6 deer were seen in 3 days with only 1 shot opportunity. The guy that had a shot, passed since it was a young fork horn.

Is anyone else hunting public land or even private and having similar experiences?
I'm thinking I will need to turn my attention
elsewhere.
   :confused:  

Thanks,
Charlie

[Earl Jeff]

Don't come to Pa Charlie. Same thing here.

[MISSINGINOHIO]

We were in Belmont county yesterday.Had deer everywhere.Bucks were chasing and I did my annual miss the big buck routine.Shot right over a nice one. But I have notice a drop in doe sightings this year elsewhere.

[buckeye_hunter]

Maybe it is just overhunting on public land?

[Bob Morrison]

Lots less does here for sure on private land. I've seen more bucks big and small, I think that is the bucks are having to look harder to find does.

[Ron Vought]

It's been a strange season here in PA. I have seen only a handful of older bucks so far this year. I have seen a good number of  small bucks cruising around. Seems like we are in some kind of lull. Hoping things improve this week.

Ron

[Kevin Dill]

My hunting partner is currently sitting in a treestand. He's shot video of three 8-pt bucks this morning, and has been seeing deer steadily all week long. I think he's passed 7 or 8 bucks. He's killed 2 does and is now buck-hunting exclusively. He's hunting in fairly typical areas with mainly private land.

Back in the late summer I was seeing as many as 15 deer in my back field each evening, but I see very few of late. The deer are around. Locating them is key to killing them. Over the years I've noticed stretches of woods and land that will be hot this year and cold next year. Lots of variables which affect deer habits and density.

[59Alaskan]

There are no deer in Ohio.  Don't come here if you want to kill a deer.  LOL.  Yeah, am joking.

I have lived here 6 years now and have noticed areas do run hot and cold.  I had areas overrun with deer 4 years ago where I haven't seen any in a while.  I have other areas that are full of deer.

I think it's like fishing.  People hear deer are in an area and next thing you know it's played out for a while.

[magnus]

Wait till this week. Gonna get hot real quick. This is the lull before the rut storm.

[huntnmuleys]

I'm in central Ohio and its way slow here too. Maybe the weather change will help?

[Art B]

No acorns here (southern WV) where I live and you don't see much in the way of road kills anymore either. Seen three does in six weeks on our property this season. Little more than that last year. Deep snow cover a couple years ago right after the rut in Dec., coyotes, mountain lions, bears and poachers have all taken their toll around here...........Art

[BrushWolf]

I have been laid off all fall. I have hunted all but 7 days this season. I have had only three shot oppurnities so far. I haven't seen a deer while hunting since the last week in October.  This is the worst deer hunting I have had in 20 years. The deer that are here seem to be moving more at night. I think in some areas the herd numbers are way down. And all of the gas drilling isn't helping either.IMO. All of my hunting is done on private ground with me being the only bowhunter hunting it. Maybe I just don't know how to do it anymore.  

[fishone]

The number of deer are down greatly where I hunt. The ODNR does not want to admit it!

[Steve in Canton]

I think that the lack of a mast crop has altered the movement.  I know that I am having a great year but have altered the areas that I am hunting.  I have totally gave up on oak flats and have concentrated on apples, my old reliable stands and trail cameras have proven to me that the deer have abandoned these areas.  The deer still have to eat and if you are concentrating on areas that acorns are the primary food source like most of the public land in southern Ohio then you need to take a day and find the new food source.

[BrushWolf]

Originally posted by Steve in Canton:
I think that the lack of a mast crop has altered the movement.  I know that I am having a great year but have altered the areas that I am hunting.  I have totally gave up on oak flats and have concentrated on apples, my old reliable stands and trail cameras have proven to me that the deer have abandoned these areas.  The deer still have to eat and if you are concentrating on areas that acorns are the primary food source like most of the public land in southern Ohio then you need to take a day and find the new food source.

I have hunted oaks,apple,alfalfa, funnels,clover fields. Have been out scouting time and time again. Have hung stands on the best sign around. With close to 1000 acres of private land you would think one could find some deer movement. Guess I will just have to keep going that is why they call it hunting.

[Coonbait]

Deer sightings have been pour in my part of SW Pa also. Acorn crop is awful this year here! Most of the corn is still up and it's been keeping the deer close to that feed source. Keep telling myself to be patient and it will be getting better, but that's been going on for almost 2 months and the archery season ends this saturday.
Glenn

[buckeye_hunter]

Anyone else hunting public land in SE Ohio? I'm curious on your take of the deer herd on public land as well.

[macster]

I live in WV, have been driving over to the Consol Powhatan wildlife area, over 4000 acres and I have sat daylight to dark, Saturday and Sunday for the last 3 weekends and have seen very little deer movement.  I've got cameras out with very few pics. A couple of the hunts went with no sightings at all.

[buckeye_hunter]

Macster,

Okay, I'm hearing the same from a lot of crossbow and compound guys hunting Ohio public land. I was wondering if you guys were in the same boat since traditional archers tend to try to get closer.

I was hoping for different info, but every hunter that has some sort of arrow as their main hunting tool are all saying the same thing. Very few deer sightings on public land these days in Ohio.

What a shame.....

[Hoyt]

It might have something to do with Ohio's quality deer herd.

I say that because it's the same way in much of Illinois public lands now..at least it is on the public land I've been hunting in Shawnee National Forest.

When I use to come up here from Fl. and hunt the same places I hunt now 8yrs or so ago I would see deer all along the roads, in the fields, woods, everywhere...during all times of the day. Now, I very seldom see a deer along the roads and fewer each year in the woods.

In my county we had one reported ehd deer kill last year (per DNR chart) and none this yr I'm aware of. About 6yrs ago EHD hit bad around here..but has had plenty of time to rebound if that was the problem.

When I first moved up here I would hear almost 200  gun shots opening morning of gun season. Last couple of years it's been less than 20.

My guess is in Ohio it's the same as Illinois..people from all over the country follow the big racked deer and big numbers...it takes a toll over time...and more so on public land since it's more economical to hunt for the masses.

Also, it doesn't help not to manage the deer herd for the deer herd, but instead for the dollars.

It's really sad now, when I walk through all this beautiful deer country, white oak ridges stretched for miles and miles and surrounded by thousands and thousands acres of agriculture and see so little deer sign and so few deer.