No deer ?

[Pine]

Getting very disappointed . I have seen only one spike buck this year and it was to far to take a shot . No sign such as rubs , scrapes or even scat . I was no sightings at all last year and I feel like giving up this year . Don't understand it , the year before I had deer all over our property and now nothing .

 Well thanks for letting me WINE about it .

Is there anybody else that is having the same results this year ?  

[lpcjon2]

HMMM! time to walk the property and check for invaders. When I dont see deer for a long period I take a look around for human signs or other things that may be causing the lack of deer(coyote issue). I hope things change, maybe a new stand placement will help.

[RedShaft]

Try to get a day and go for a walk. Most scrapes are not being used. I would find a rub line or super thick area and hunt the edge of it on the down wind side and hope does are bedding there and stay out hoping to catch a buck coming down wind trying to sniff out a hot doe and stay put

[Pine]

I Walked the entire property this last weekend and found nothing . There is a small area that I never go into because that is where the deer bed , still hunted threw it and no beds or scat . I also am not seeing coyote sign either and they have always been there . No people tracks and no dog tracks . But I have countless squirrels .

[RedShaft]

Have you tried calling or rattling in the mornings?

[lpcjon2]

I would think they found a better food source. Stay out of the area for a week or so and then hunt it again.

[tradarcher816]

Take a break, I've been in a slump for a loooong time. But small game hunt, fish, give your "deer" gear a break. Then go back at em refreshed.

[Pine]

Not seeing deer by the road while driving either . Thought the rut would get some activity going . I also have several apple trees on the property as well as oaks . It has me stumped as well as concerned .

[lpcjon2]

we cant control nature, lay off it and go back in a week and see if it changes.

[onewhohasfun]

Firearm season is just 4 days away here in MI. I always see a definite change in deer activity this time of year. Heavy "baiting" this week will change the normal routine in my area.

[xtrema312]

I feel your pain kind of only I have seen a couple deer here and there.  It has been very slow.  In august the deer were active in the area.  Not uncommon to see a dozen easy from a good observation point. Now it is like all the deer in the general area were on the property and now they spread out and  not around.  We did have a lot of corn not too far away so I figured a lot of them were in there. Now as of the end of last week the corn is gone and no change in deer numbers.  

I am having the worst season I can remember.  No shot taken and I am out of days before gun season opens.  Took vacation on what was to be the best of the rut. Hunted careful not taking chances to burn out stands and spook deer.  Stuck to it long hours each day.  Nothing to show for it.  I don't recall not shooting a deer in bow season at lest not for the last 25 years.  Wind, rain and warm days hit me many days I could hunt, and that didn't help.  We have had a lot of south winds, a and winds changing direction through the day also with more to come. I just road out hunting four days of mostly wind and rain and now back to work just when the wind dies off some and the temps drop.  

I saw my first sign of any chasing Friday in some cover on the neighbors where the deer were staying out of the wind in some cover by a pond.  I only saw one buck moving mid day and He was just traveling to cover in a hurry and not really snooping around from what I could see.  

I have a few scrapes around.  Only a couple have been worked recently after showing little activity for the better part of two weeks. I have found a couple small rubs in one spot from a month ago and one little larger one like on a 2" tree by a scrape.  That is it.  I have seen very little scat at all anywhere. However, I have not been poking around in the heavier cover disturbing things either.  

I do have a heavy cover spot in the back corner of the property. I am sure there are some deer hiding out in there, but I am not seeing them move around much at all, and I am not seeing daytime buck movement.

Calling has resulted in no deer paying any attention to me other than maybe a look in my general direction. I don't like to call a lot, but have had to in order to try and pull in the couple deer I have seen at a distance.  

I am hoping the gun hunters setting up will move deer in over the next few days. We will see.  The whole season can turn around with one good day. Hang in there.

[tradgreenhorn]

Same thing going in the thumb,we got a dusting of snow yesterday,it died down around 4:30. Wind was north - north west. Finally saw some deer last night right at dark. About 20 does and fawns is all I saw. No bucks where seen. If they where out,they were not doing any chasing. Hope I can get a shot before the gun season. Just wait it out it will happen.

[achigan]

If you have a deer sanctuary, make sure you hunt it opening day of gun season, the commotion may well push deer to you.

[ripforce56]

I live in Northern Mi, I started a new job this fall so my scouting/hunting has been a lot more limited this year! I started hunting last first week on Nov/end of Oct so far I have seen a couple of does and one nice buck in about 6 sits! Can't find any rut signs at all,plus the weather has been real bad, lots of high winds and rain/sleet, no quiet weather! I hunt on state land but that is behind my house no hunters at all the deer I have seen have been real early before daylight or late in the PM! Last year the same area I was seeing deer at all times of the day, maybe firearm season will get them moving more!

[long time archer]

Did EHD have any effect in your area last year? There are places where great numbers of deer died off last year. Agree with those in MI and baiting changing deer habits. Spent one fall and winter in the UP, and had heard of but not seen the flow of bait northward. That fall was a real eye opener: literally truck, and some BIG trucks, loads of apples, carrots, and much more being hauled to hunting camps for two or three weeks prior to gun season. Walked onto state land along Lake MI in the Manistique area and ran into signs warning about tresspassing on someone's bait sight--it looked like a dump. ANyway, I digress--we have noticed some decline in our hunting area from last year's EHD problems. Just a thought...  Best of luck.

[johnnyk71]

sounds like your neighbors may have gotten generous with the corn...  

[killinstuff]

I think the problem is, at least in northern MI is the amount of acorns in the woods. Most acorns I've ever seen and the deer are fat and happy in the big woods. No need to search for food, hit food plots or bait.  Coyotes have been hard at it to and I've seen few doe's with fawns this fall. I like the December hunt better anyway, less guys in the woods.

[killinstuff]

Also a ton of beechnuts falling as well. Deer would rather eat beechnuts and acorns over foot plot greens, corn or beets.

[wooddamon1]

Saw 5 does and a button buck this past weekend,  the does didn't seem to be harrassed at all...

[-snypershot317-]

i too am in a bit of a slump...i hunt around madison/hamilton county border and used to see deer all the time but have only seen 4 so far this year...my problem i think is nocturnal or evening movement plus a lot of people movement during the summer...i was away from the farm this past summer so i wasnt able to see how much activity is/was going on...so im letting it sit for about week and will hunt after the opener of gun season although this cold snap may make me re think this idea      :rolleyes: