Nocturnal deer

[Buckeyefool]

Is anyone having the same problem I am? I have been getting pictures of deer on my trail cams but they are only at night! I have sat a number of times just to see if they are moving during the light and have seen nothing. I am hunting close to Baxter. Any one else?

[BKB]

We are seeing the same thing, we live 10 miles south of town and have deer moving only at night. Took a drive last night around the area just before dark and only saw a doe and two fawns when normally we would see way more. Don't think we should be a 2 deer zone have not seen a road kill between here and town all fall but it is what it is.

[Buckeyefool]

Thanks bazz. I am not sure why they are moving at night here. It seems like everyone else is seeing deer at normal times..Weird.. I am finding the same thing out near the sleepy hollow road near the rest stop on 371.

[hookset]

Same problem, all deer are moving at night. driving me crazy as it makes bow hunting hard.

[Buckeyefool]

Where are you hunting? I am so bummed out. I am out everyday and have not had a chance to shoot. Really? This sucks.. makes me question myself.

[CrewJones]

public land I hunt on is the same way great movement through the area I hunt just never at light. Im only 50 min from Minneapolis and close to st. cloud so there is just too much movement in the woods I guess

[Fever]

Flashlight.....

j/k. I'm assuming each day that passes puts the does closer to estrus which means that daytime movement will/should only increase. Problem is mostlikely pressure related as many hunters have been in or near the woods over the past 3-4 weeks either goose hunting, duck hunting, bow hunting, scouting, or setting up stands. One problem Im guessing is many hunters don't scout like they hunt as it pertains to scent elimination. All it takes to disrupt deer movement and patterns is a couple hunters out in the woods that have been completetly undisturbed for the past 9-10months out there pounding away on a stand, smoking a cigerette, using a chain saw, etc. My uncle one time went out to check out his stand area a week or so before slug season down south and brought his lab with. I wonder if that helped his chances of seeing daylight activity? We have to keep in mind that it is completely normal for deer to be nocternal when there is pressure. That is why the rut increases our odds so much.

[hockeybc69]

Nocturnal deer? Just an average year.

Oct 1st comes around and the light switch is turned. If I dont get one in the first week or two, its all but over with bow. Quite frustrating.

[Fever]

The whole concept of scent drippers made by wildlife research is that when the temperature increases (which is nearly always during daylight hours) the scent is dispersed into a mock scrape or a preexisting scrape. The idea then is to have scent / urine deposited during the day which then in theory will drive a buck to check that scrape during daylight hours. It helps to have had your drippers set up a few weeks prior to when you will be in the woods of course. I first set my drippers up on the 20th. Hope it was early enough.

[laker1]

same here hunting 12 miles south of Brainerd,seeing nothing,all night movement.

[hookset]

west of Park Rapids by the smokey hills. all private land too.

[gurkster]

Here too in the north metro, night movement.

[paul pachowicz]

Pretty simple reason. Deer are nocturnal creatures by nature. Sure, you'll see em around during the day. They get up, browse, pee, etc and settle back down til dusk. Rut is another story.

[Buckeyefool]

I understand they are noctournal however I have never had this problem and I am sure many others will attest to the same. During bow season I usally can pattern deer to the feeding areas as early as 4 pm and have seen deer playing around and visiting scrapes during broad daylight. I appreciate the answer but it is not just that simple.

[cat-man]

I'm beginning to wonder if my camera even works during daylight hours.

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

I'm up in the Staples/Motley area. I have 66 pictures of deer in the last 3 weeks, and all except 3 have been at night. I think a lot of this is due to poaching in the area, but that is only speculation on my part.