|
|
Post by Harley on Nov 24, 2007 10:43:09 GMT -5
My land has always been top notch for deer hunting. Heck I watched 14 bucks run by me in a 15 minute span last season. It is nothing like that this year. Last season I saw two young boys walking through my woods while I was in my stand - when I started to get down and talk to them they took off running and I couldn't catch them. I noticed they had built a stone fort down by my spring over the summer so they have obviously been spending a considerable amount of time playing in there. There is still some decent signs of deer running the property but nothing like what it is usually like. So now I am wondering if these boys have used my land so heavily over the summer that the deer no longer feel safe there. I have also wondered if the deer have left because the spring had dried up from the summers drought.
I guess I need to hang some no trespassing signs all around it and then make sure to spend a little more time down there watching what all is happening. This is very frustrating!!
|
|
|
|
Post by scrub-buster on Nov 24, 2007 10:48:56 GMT -5
I think I have seen your deer. They are laying dead beside the highways.
|
|
|
|
Post by indianahick on Nov 24, 2007 11:01:47 GMT -5
While the two little boys playing pioneer scout have not helped especially if they built their fort down by the spring, the spring drying out also helped in their moving some. In my humble opinion. Can the spring be dug out some and come back to life?
|
|
|
|
Post by Harley on Nov 24, 2007 11:09:23 GMT -5
I doubt the spring could easily be dug out - it would be hard to get any equipment back there and the spring is all stone too. There are a few pockets of water but it is not the nice flowing stream it has always been.
|
|
|
|
Post by solohunter on Nov 24, 2007 11:09:56 GMT -5
Our "shooter" bucks have gone to their fall/winter stomping grounds, funny but they go somewhere else....they are deer and they will travel....
|
|
|
|
Post by jkd on Nov 24, 2007 22:43:23 GMT -5
Well after opening weekend and Thanksgiving Day shoot'em ups, did the deer in your area seem to disappear???
Did in our woods too... then I made an interesting discovery yesterday which was tested again today...
The does still in groups are bedding in fencerows (we still have fencerows on our farm that are left for game cover), on the lee side if there is appreciable wind. They're also feeding in these fencerows on still green grass and leftover bean stubble along the edges.
My son found out this morning that the inside of his blind had gotten frost formed in it and as the sun came up and warmed up the blind, he was getting an inside rain shower of dripping melted frost, so he called me on the radio and said he was getting out of the blind for a bit...
I was in the south edge of a woods due east of him, and when he stepped out of the blind and got his chair out, a group of seven does popped out of the nearby fencerow like mushrooms and began heading for the woods I was in... they entered the woods about 150 yards away from where I was located, never scented me or saw me, but were out of range (too much brush too) for a shot...
But now we know where the deer are and what they're doing... they're behaving like rabbits, hiding in the tall grass and weeds in little tiny patches of cover and staying out of the woods proper unless pushed by a buck, critter or humans...
So there you go guys... tip o' the day!
Good huntin' !!!
|
|
|
|
Post by daworz on Nov 24, 2007 22:55:50 GMT -5
They were up and moving today early, had two mature doe's come through solo, but know bucks in towe, but was probably my best morning in the woods this short season for me, Sa w alot of Doe's, just not sure if they have already been bread? How does one tell?
|
|
|
|
Post by goodyz71 on Nov 24, 2007 23:10:11 GMT -5
I socred on a 7 pointer this morning at 9:30 am and he was hanging with a nice old fat doe. The last three times out I have seen bucks and they were all between 9:30 am and 10:30 am. The ones i saw were seeking does. This has been a wierd rut. The week I usually have seen full tilt chasing 11-5 thru 11-12 all I saw were does still running together and the bucks were just out seeking, not really chasing. Either I missed it this year or it was the next week when I was back to work. I had the opening week of shotgun and I still saw does together and no bucks trailing and then i would see a single buck out looking around. It seems like it was a weird rut this year at least here in Grant County Goodyz71
|
|
|
|
Post by mbogo on Nov 25, 2007 10:46:57 GMT -5
You sure got that right about the rut being weird this year. You described what I observed almost perfectly, the difference being that I hunted the week prior to the firearms opener also and saw very little seeking and no chasing.
|
|
|
|
Post by drs on Nov 25, 2007 10:57:34 GMT -5
I went out back and hunted a couple of hours this morning. Didn't see anything, but I did find a VERY LARGE active scrape. Also fresh rubs. I think this smart 'ole Buck is moving at night! Usually see Doe in the afternoon before dusk.
|
|
|
|
Post by TagTeamHunter on Nov 25, 2007 13:22:35 GMT -5
DRS, same here. Finding fresh scapes but no bucks. Well not giving up just yet. Couldn't make it out today. Had to teach Sunday School, was going to leave right after but the little lady was late coming to the morning service and I couldn't see myself leaving the kids in church by themselves. Oh well still have next weekend and M/L season. Also late Archery. I am getting me some Back Strap Steaks this year!
|
|
|
|
Post by drs on Nov 25, 2007 14:27:01 GMT -5
DRS, same here. Finding fresh scapes but no bucks. Well not giving up just yet. Couldn't make it out today. Had to teach Sunday School, was going to leave right after but the little lady was late coming to the morning service and I couldn't see myself leaving the kids in church by themselves. Oh well still have next weekend and M/L season. Also late Archery. I am getting me some Back Strap Steaks this year! Good luck in obtaining those "Back Strip"Steaks. I am really convinced they are moving more at night now that Gun Season is in. The scrape, I was looking at this morning had fresh droppings and paw markings, suggesting they were made late last evening or very early this morning. |
|
|
|
Post by indianahick on Nov 25, 2007 16:56:13 GMT -5
This last week there has been an almost full moon. I believe that most of the movement has been at night for the last couple of weeks. Where there is more early morning movement and early afternoon is during the darker periods of the moon in my opinion.
|
|
|
|
Post by Woody Williams on Nov 25, 2007 17:04:58 GMT -5
This last week there has been an almost full moon. I believe that most of the movement has been at night for the last couple of weeks. Where there is more early morning movement and early afternoon is during the darker periods of the moon in my opinion. I agree... I've just aout quit morning hunting for the time being and concentrated on evenings. Even then the deer I am seeing is pretty late. Yesterday evening, while crossbow hunting Illinois, I had two bucks come out about 30 minutes before legal get down time at about 125 yards. One was a 115" two year old and the other was a dandy 145" eight pointer. I did the old grunt tube and Primos Can bit to try and lure the big guy over to me. He closed the distance to about 100 yards and I got ready. He then made a turn and headed for some thick stuff. No amount of coaxing could get him to change his path. I watched him make a scrape and disappear into the thick stuff. 5 minutes later the 115" walked right past me at 30 yards. It sure would have been nice if they had swapped places.... I think the secondary rut should be kicking off soon...how intense it will be will depend on the buck to doe ratio... |
|
|
|
Post by danf on Nov 25, 2007 20:21:38 GMT -5
I'm personally not so sure the full moon has had much to do with the lack of movement in the earlier part of legal shooting time. I think the freezing temps we've had the last couple of nights has made the deer bed down during the night (as opposed to moving like normal in a full moon) to conserve energy. Once the sun is fully up and the air is warming is when they've started moving.
Friday after Thanksgiving I saw nothing moving, nor heard any shots until nearly 45 minutes after sunrise (1 1/4 hrs into legal shooting time). That was when I heard shots in the distance, and a few minutes later I had a doe come through that something kicked up. It wasn't until after 9 that I had the group of 4 deer come in that I shot my BB out of.
|
|
|
|
Post by Woody Williams on Nov 25, 2007 20:32:18 GMT -5
Friday am I saw nothing and more importantly I heard nothing....nary a shot anywhere.
I stopped and talked to some other hunters on the way out and they weren't seeing any deer other.
We did get hit with EHD, but not sure how much total deer we lost.
|
|
|
|
Post by jkd on Nov 25, 2007 21:24:09 GMT -5
I agree with goodyz and drs on weird rut syndrome, as I'm seeing does still in groups and singles/doubles running around waving their tails and no bucks... only chasing I've seen all season was a 6pt after a young doe in our hayfield weekend before gun just before dark...
Whatever the mature bucks are breeding, they're doing during dark and then sticking in/close to their beds all day, and feeding right there...
I think it's getting time to abandon the tree stand tactic and returned to the old tried and true still hunting & spot/stalk if you're thinking mature bucks between now and Dec 2, as "normal" daytime movement ain't happening... at least in Hamilton Co. anyway...
|
|
