Gun Season Cooldown

[TinyTucky]

I know there has been studies done on deer movement during gun season, rut, etc. But I am curious how long you think it takes for deer to get back to their “normal routine” after gun season closes, if they do? I know there is the bonus weekend of gun, but I can’t imagine it affects the deer like the weeklong season does. I typically only gun hunt public land, to try and not pressure my private sections even though none of them apparently have deer this year lol. What are your thoughts?

 

[Wildlife]

Where I've been living the past six years in Ross Co. in a large creek valley, it takes them about a month to settle back down and get back to their regular routine. Right around muzzy season, then another couple of weeks after that, the third week in January is always good to see good bucks on their feet in daylight from my experience.

 

[Bowkills]

as every truck goes by until april around here

 

[brock ratcliff]

I don’t think it takes them any time at all. I really believe if you have a known food source, you could effectively hunt it tonight. If you’re on a property that has seen a lot of drives over the last week, you’re not going to see deer. I don’t believe it’s because they haven’t settled down, I believe it’s because they have moved to less pressured areas. May not be a long distance, but they don’t stay where they have to run from hunters continually. Might just be a neighboring crp field but they go where people do not. They still live their lives. Eating and laying around. It is what they do and they are still doing it.

 

[OhioWhiteTails]

I know there has been studies done on deer movement during gun season, rut, etc. But I am curious how long you think it takes for deer to get back to their “normal routine” after gun season closes, if they do? I know there is the bonus weekend of gun, but I can’t imagine it affects the deer like the weeklong season does. I typically only gun hunt public land, to try and not pressure my private sections even though none of them apparently have deer this year lol. What are your thoughts?

I think it changes depending on the area in question. How much driving and or sitting pressure the surrounding areas have received. Dead spots earlier in the year may hold a herd of deer now. Let the dust settle and deer start keying on food again, safely. Bring on the snowy sub freezing temps!

 

[bowhunter1023]

Every property will have a different answer to this question. Brock and Facker both make great statements.

 

[Big_Holla]

The week following is often when we start seeing bucks show back up that had been missing for a couple weeks.

 

[giles]

I don't think my area will notice a difference this year. Nothing happened, lol. But I also think the transition from breeding to survival for bucks happens around the same time. Does are more sick of being ran around from bucks than some dude hiding in orange.

It really has changed because people don't want to bump "their bucks" off the property. So one or 2 guys sneaking around doesn't hurt like the days past when 20 drunk dudes wandered around.

 

[MoonLab]

Where I hunt at, the owner is always shooting his guns at the target in his backyard. Same goes for property next to the owner. I often hear guns go off. Doesn’t seem to bother them deer. during and after gun season….I noticed they’d come out at last min….within 20 mins before legal shoot ends. It’s been like that for last 5-6 year of that same property.

 

[giles]

Seeing more deer out tonight than I have in weeks.

 

[dante322]

Counted 16 at 5:00... all within a mile of where we hunt...

Don't think gun season bothered them at all.

 

[giles]

No joke, I hear more gunshots on a regular weekend than I did this weekend.

 

[Redhunter1012]

Typically in my area, they are all holed up in sanctuary properties and act normal there within a few days. I don't believe most of my surrounding area really got pushed last week

 

[Hedgelj]

So we had guys in different stands or blinds all week. We did a single man slow stroll push on Saturday.

I'll let you know when i start seeing deer again.

We used to be able to do pushes almost every day because enough of the neighbors hunted the same way they got pushed back soon. Now you won't see them for days until they wander back on their own accord.

 

[Hedgelj]

It was only in the last two weeks that i started seeing deer in the fields again at dusk.

 

["J"]

It was only in the last two weeks that i started seeing deer in the fields again at dusk.

My camera has been blowing up the last two hours of daylight.