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Post by trapperdave on Nov 27, 2011 12:09:58 GMT -5
I dont know ya'll, but this is the worst hunting I have seen since the early 80's. That includes sighting (or lack of) while driving. October 1 till now has been very poor for me. Ive seen two racks in the woods since 10/1
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Post by js2397 on Nov 27, 2011 12:14:06 GMT -5
Overall sightings are down but I did kill my biggest buck ever.
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Post by bowhunterjohn on Nov 27, 2011 12:40:55 GMT -5
I have had a blessed year
Have seen deer everytime out, could have harvested one or more deer every time out
Have not seen the number of big bucks however last season I took a 146"er, another guy took a 153" er, across the street 5 bucks from 120" to 160" were taken. So I am sure the numbers aren't there
so far ive seen a 125-130" 9 point and have a game pic of a 120" 8 pointer. And probably seen 8 different young bucks with potential
also a big corridor , 30 yard wide by 175 yard long heavily wooded fence row was taken out first week of bow season to make more plowable land. The bucks and deer used that as a corridor to go from our property to the others and back and forth. I know they will adjust but will take some time.
I feel bad for the guys that lease that land for hunting, they had a stand or two in the fence row and for it to be taken during season
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Post by rwtaxidermy on Nov 27, 2011 12:41:21 GMT -5
the worst year i have had in a decade...i think it's about time to back off on bonus kills in my area.
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Post by silvertip on Nov 27, 2011 12:42:18 GMT -5
Did not hunt opening weekend of gun season. Hunted the following four days in Sullivan county. Saw a total of six doe and shot one one of them. The landowner asks us to let the younger bucks live. We can only take baldies and "buck of a lifetime". That has to be a ten pointer for me. I let a spike walk twice, a sixpointer walk twice, and a pretty nice eight pointer walk away once. My brother also shot a doe. Prior to our hunt, the landowner took a twelve pointer and a doe on opening weekend. His son shot a doe, but did not retrieve it.
Got permission to hunt a friend's eighty acres in Owen county for the second week. He says all deer are fair game. Hunted Monday afternoon and killed a fat spike buck just past sunset. Jumped a doe the next morning while pulling my deer cart in to retrieve my deer.
Observed more road kills than ever in Owen county and Green county the first week of gun season.
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Post by MuzzleLoader on Nov 27, 2011 12:54:00 GMT -5
I did shoot a 9pt and 2 does, but the overall deer sighting has been very low. I blame most of it on the weather (not cold enough), trickle rut, full moon, rain (flooding) and southerly winds (50 mph on opening weekend). I have been off for 2 weeks and have not seen a deer since November 17th. Most are moving after dark, still getting them on trail cams. No reason for them to move, weather has just been to warm. They just dont need to get up and eat or drink till after dark.
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Post by scrub-buster on Nov 27, 2011 13:18:37 GMT -5
Worst season ever for me. I let a decent buck walk and missed a nice one in bow season. I haven't had one shot at a deer in gun season, not even a doe.
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Post by swilk on Nov 27, 2011 13:36:55 GMT -5
Overall it has been about average for me .... but activity associated with the rut has been a different story.
I have seen deer all year .... but rut activity has been very, very hit and miss.
So overall average but at the same time it has been a bad year because of the lack of rut activity.
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Post by maddog on Nov 27, 2011 13:47:30 GMT -5
I voted average, because I did see deer. However, this was probably the worst season I've had in a long time. Lost my property that I've hunted on for over 30 yrs, 3 weeks before gun season. Scrambled and picked up 3-4 places. Did kill a nice doe opening day. Wind, moon, and sporadic rut activity combined to make this a less than stellar deer, for me. All of my opportunities came frome 10:30am to 2:00pm, the times I was out. Except for opening day[am], little/no activity morning and evenings.
maddog
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Post by colts1888 on Nov 27, 2011 14:12:05 GMT -5
I saw fewer deer, it was one of the worst firearms seasons i can ever remember having. I seen 1 buck the entire season and not near as many does as normal. I'm going to blame it on the conditions. Full moon, warm, terrible winds. I did manage to at least take a doe the day before thanksgiving to get some meat in the freezer. I hope muzzy season is a little better.
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Post by dead-eye on Nov 27, 2011 14:30:39 GMT -5
If i was to go off of gun season only i would say its the worst ive ever seen. However i saw no less then three times the number of deer during archery season than i saw in the entire season last year.
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Post by billybobteeth on Nov 27, 2011 15:08:52 GMT -5
Down in numbers we go in most areas I hunt and have been for more than a couple of years now . Time for common sense not quoting QDMA and DNR deer supposed balancing and lowering mantras now .
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 15:28:54 GMT -5
Just curious, but how many guys do you see that shoot even close to the county limit of does in your area?
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Post by firehawk1 on Nov 27, 2011 15:35:30 GMT -5
Actually been a pretty good year where I do most of my hunting. Plenty of does, and at least 2 mature bucks in the area.
I know there are plenty of deer in the area, many more than I have been seeing while hunting. They are there, I have them on video..... moving at night. That might be the case for many here.
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Post by swilk on Nov 27, 2011 15:56:18 GMT -5
Just curious, but how many guys do you see that shoot even close to the county limit of does in your area? I know one guy who will shoot a truck load of does every year but he has access to dozens of spots and thousands of acres across a few counties. Lifetime license and he has butchering down to a science. He can cut up a deer and have it wrapped before I get my knife ready. Other than him I don't personally know anyone who comes close...... |
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Post by trapperdave on Nov 27, 2011 16:09:12 GMT -5
you couldnt find enough does around here to kill the county quota of three. lol unless theyve grown wings, they arent movin around my place at night either. Gettin to where im excited just to see some tracks or poop on the ground, just like the "good ol days"  maybe the neighbors got some super duper food plot holdin them all next door  |
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Post by swilk on Nov 27, 2011 16:19:17 GMT -5
Just got off the phone with derek....he has killed 5 does this weekend.
He is my bullet test guinea pig this year for the ftx bullet out of our 358's. So for it has been 6 bang flops with terrific performance.
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Post by Hawkeye on Nov 27, 2011 16:29:02 GMT -5
Actually this has been one of the better years, plenty of Bucks to choose from and 4 does in the freezer ,a Turkey for thanksgiving and 4 coyotes, all with my bow.
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Post by trapperdave on Nov 27, 2011 16:38:40 GMT -5
congrats! sounds like an awesome year
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Post by coyote6974 on Nov 27, 2011 17:03:26 GMT -5
I would say I've actually seen more bucks since opening of early bow than usual. About the normal number of does. Since the middle of the first week of gun season it seems they've hunkered down. Have only seen 3 does from my stand since, and they were being chased by a coyote.
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