Maybe I am just really fortunate! I dont know. But....THe deer herd isnt shrinking around my area. Although, The areas I hunt are for the most part, low pressure. We keep them that way for a reason.
I think this year is not a good year to use as a control when comparing deer numbers to past years! I think the mass acorn crop had a large impact on deer movement and visibility. Large numbers of oakc producing means the deer didnt have to move far to get food. When deer are not moving far to eat, your chances of seeing them are severely going to go down!
FOr example, it is really quite simple to maintain a piece of property. My buddy has a tree farm that is approximately 50 acres. There is no gun hunting on that farm. The last day of gun season we sat with a spotting scope and counted 25 deer come out of the spruce field on the west end of hte property. Then we drove to the eNE end, counted 15 deer coming out of the other spruce field. Not ot mention how many deeer were still in the woods and in our food plot.
THe night I shot my doe, two nights ago, I saw 25 plus deer. 1 of which was my drop tine buck, there were also 4 other bucks in that group. I know these are not al lthe deer behind my house either. As my nieghbor was hunting 1/2 mile away through the woods and saw a gaggle of deer also. Why are there so many deer? There is only one screwball who hunts in that area carelessly. Consequently he doesnt kill much, he did kill one of my baby bucks the Sat of Gun season, a 1.5 y/o 9pt. I could tell when he was hunting the woods, it changed all the deers patterns as to how they approached my property. They did this to avoid him, and they did a good job. The funny thing is this guy has made the comment to my neighbor, "where are all the deer this year? Im not seeing any." Now, here is where your comments of "im not seeing any deer" come from. HE will sit and argue with anyone that there are no deer in that hillside, when I know for a fact there are a ton. You be the judge!
In no way shape or form am I saying anyone on here is doing things wrong. Hey, you do what works for you. Although, when its not working, its time to make a change. I have appraoched the neighbor that I spoke of previously about his approach to hunting. In all honesty I am trying to help him, in turn it will help me also. HE wont listen, then I hear he is running his mouth behind my back. Saying that the punk neighbor kid is trying to tell him how to hunt and that hes been hunting deer since before I was born. Well, unfortunately for him he has never killed a buck over 60 inches and never will unless he changes his ways! At this point I am done trying to help him, he can continue to screw himself while I continue to see all the deer that are supposedly not on that hill. To be honest, I dont even hunt behind my house all that much either.
Just remember one thing, you cannot be every where at all times. Just because you are not seeing deer, doesnt mean they are not there. High pressure deer stay alive for a reason, they are masters at eluding the predator. THe Predator being you or other hunters.
I think this year is not a good year to use as a control when comparing deer numbers to past years! I think the mass acorn crop had a large impact on deer movement and visibility. Large numbers of oakc producing means the deer didnt have to move far to get food. When deer are not moving far to eat, your chances of seeing them are severely going to go down!
FOr example, it is really quite simple to maintain a piece of property. My buddy has a tree farm that is approximately 50 acres. There is no gun hunting on that farm. The last day of gun season we sat with a spotting scope and counted 25 deer come out of the spruce field on the west end of hte property. Then we drove to the eNE end, counted 15 deer coming out of the other spruce field. Not ot mention how many deeer were still in the woods and in our food plot.
THe night I shot my doe, two nights ago, I saw 25 plus deer. 1 of which was my drop tine buck, there were also 4 other bucks in that group. I know these are not al lthe deer behind my house either. As my nieghbor was hunting 1/2 mile away through the woods and saw a gaggle of deer also. Why are there so many deer? There is only one screwball who hunts in that area carelessly. Consequently he doesnt kill much, he did kill one of my baby bucks the Sat of Gun season, a 1.5 y/o 9pt. I could tell when he was hunting the woods, it changed all the deers patterns as to how they approached my property. They did this to avoid him, and they did a good job. The funny thing is this guy has made the comment to my neighbor, "where are all the deer this year? Im not seeing any." Now, here is where your comments of "im not seeing any deer" come from. HE will sit and argue with anyone that there are no deer in that hillside, when I know for a fact there are a ton. You be the judge!
In no way shape or form am I saying anyone on here is doing things wrong. Hey, you do what works for you. Although, when its not working, its time to make a change. I have appraoched the neighbor that I spoke of previously about his approach to hunting. In all honesty I am trying to help him, in turn it will help me also. HE wont listen, then I hear he is running his mouth behind my back. Saying that the punk neighbor kid is trying to tell him how to hunt and that hes been hunting deer since before I was born. Well, unfortunately for him he has never killed a buck over 60 inches and never will unless he changes his ways! At this point I am done trying to help him, he can continue to screw himself while I continue to see all the deer that are supposedly not on that hill. To be honest, I dont even hunt behind my house all that much either.
Just remember one thing, you cannot be every where at all times. Just because you are not seeing deer, doesnt mean they are not there. High pressure deer stay alive for a reason, they are masters at eluding the predator. THe Predator being you or other hunters.
