Deer yarding up already?

[ts_hunter]

I was out with the muzzleloader yesterday where I normally gun hunt (3A season). I saw no deer from 6am to 11am, so I got down and walked around. We had 3" of fresh snow on the ground from the previous night. I walked around for about 2 hours in areas where I had seen sign or actual deer during the season. I saw no deer and no tracks!!! In previous years the landowner has said muzzleloader hunters saw no deer and that locals believe the deer in that area yard up somewhere over 20 miles away. I have read up on the subject and Deer and Deer Hunting says they will go 9-12 miles to yard up in the winter, but would they have done it already? The deer could have been on the next farm, but I am really surprised that I saw no deer or tracks.

[Jameson]

It doesn't surprise me anymore when I don't see any tracks on a certain farm after December 1st. Some years when for various reasons there is some food around they will stick around until January, but most years are gone by December 10th. The deer in your area very well could have already moved to their wintering area.

[muskiemanAD]

We have some decent land East of Rochester and after this weekend I believe that the deer are yarding up. We have a 60 acre bean field next to us and there had to have been over 40 deer in there feeding. We also have seen 4-5 bucks this last week that we never saw once throughout the season or on camera. So i guess the area we have would probably be a wintering area...

[paceman]

YesI also believe they are herding up a bit. There is not much snow on the ground but it is plenty cold. I have seen some large groups in a few fields. Find the hot food source and you will find a bunch of deer.

[Musky Buck]

4:00PM last night, only field I saw deer in had 20-25 and it was just a grass field, word from the neighbor is the people there feed them behind the house and they were likely just milling their way there but who knows. Plenty cold last night, I think some ganging up is still just a result of pressure and them finding areas we aren't still. But that will switch to wintering herd and some areas have 0 snow so it varies.

[nwhunter]

We have some decent land East of Rochester and after this weekend I believe that the deer are yarding up. We have a 60 acre bean field next to us and there had to have been over 40 deer in there feeding. We also have seen 4-5 bucks this last week that we never saw once throughout the season or on camera. So i guess the area we have would probably be a wintering area...

We're seeing more deer in our area then we've seen since August. Starting to think we too have a new wintering area on our hands. Perfect for the last weekend of muzzy season.

[Bear55]

This time of year only pockets of land will hold deer it seems. In my area I wouldn't call it full blown yarding up just yet but there are concentrations of deer and much of land will be un-huntable. You have to find those pockets to get on them, without snow this isn't easy but it helps to know a few areas from years past or just get out and look around to learn where they are this time of year.

[Musky Buck]

Agree, wouldn't necessarily call it yarding, but the 25 or so last night the neighbor said that individual allows 0 hunting of any kind, kind of funny how the deer almost seem to know they're safe there. Here's a weird bit, also driving around miles of public land Monday night we did see a decent buck eating under some oaks, man if I had my buck tag it would've been a fun attempt to get into range, they felt that cold last night, I did lol.

[TruthWalleyes]

One big snow storm and they will be all herded up. They herded up last year the day before the big storm on the last weekend of muzzle season. I was fortunate to see where they all ran to

Three groups of 150 deer in 3 small sections of land.

I have seen them grouping more lately, but it won't be until a nice storm really pushes them into their wintering grounds.

[Musky Buck]

truth your gonna end up with cwd or something in your area, thin em out, 450 deer after season using 3 small tracts, mercy.

[TruthWalleyes]

It's been a lottery area since i was born. Zone 295/238 area. Small bucks are harvested each year as it is the only way to fill a tag. I got a lottery doe tag this year (I apply every year down there), so i'll do my best next weekend to thin the herd. Pretty cool to watch all them deer funnel into a small grove but you bring up a valid point about spread of disease.

[gixxer01]

I could tell you where all the deer around the Bagley area go this time of year....I could, but I won't!

[Musky Buck]

Hey truth, with the deer numbers you have, why is harvesting small bucks the only way to fill a tag ? Small tracts of land and them showing up in shooting light by the dozens or hundreds, I think I could spine a doe or 3. Is it a lack of people interested in taking a doe or fawn or is it everyone in your area wants horns ?

[Musky Buck]

A bit about yarding up, with every field plowed under or at the very least chiselplowed, we are noticing the deer in my main area seem to really be spread out since the harvest, there is no spot on the spot so to speak, alfalfa is getting frozen out kinda bad here, what will the deer do I wonder, they have no major food source exccept food plot owner guy and his looks awful this year and we're seeing 0 in it even our headlights rounding his corner at night shows nothing really. Lots of browse this winter and it might be a good thing deer numbers are down so the competition for it isn't as intense, when are we going to get snow in the upper 2/3'rds of the state ? Belinda says next 10 days look pretty snow free, if so that takes us to the 17th. Santa better put wheels on the sleigh this year.

[gopher_nation]

1. It's lottery (1 deer/year), 2. Only way to shoot a doe is to be drawn for a doe tag.

Can't just go out and shoot a doe or three like you can in managed or intensive areas.

[Musky Buck]

ok, just bizarre why is an area lottery when it sounds like it has one of the highest populations in the state ? I would hope all would get an either or tag for that zone at a minimum, maybe that's why the population is so high, lottery.

[TruthWalleyes]

1. It's lottery (1 deer/year), 2. Only way to shoot a doe is to be drawn for a doe tag.

Can't just go out and shoot a doe or three like you can in managed or intensive areas.

Bingo.

They gave out 200 doe tags this year..basically for the county. That is an improvement on the amount of tags given in previous years.

I usually apply for zone 238 - Talcot area * which is pretty much inside of zone 295. Anyway, last year they gave out 25 permits for that zone...They pretty much don't allow the harvest of does man...so everyone harvests the first buck they see (I use everyone loosly).

[TruthWalleyes]

I think the DNR just makes the whole SW corner of the state lottery reguardless of deer populations...Naw, i'm sure they put some thought into it A Harvest Choice would be appropriate for that zone IMO. It is tough to hunt with a buck only tag, but not too bad at all with a lottery doe tag and all the crops harvested.

[Musky Buck]

Right on thanks for sharing, I can visualize the large #'s now using smaller types of wooded type cover. Reminds me a touch of ND when area farmers would say wherever you see trees, you'll find deer. Also can picture how concentrated they could get in certain areas in that part of the state. Am going to give it a serious go, will find out about the deer concentrations in our area this weekend, man a guy can't even have snow for muzzy this year, I would tend to think muzzy harvest is down as a result, we never got that tall grass knocked down in our river and creek bottoms. Makes guessing a drive tougher, makes kicking them up tougher, but hey next year could be a really good one, crops were gone yes, but bedding cover with the dry dry fall quadrupled. Good luck, 4.5 days left of the blackpowder !

[TruthWalleyes]

Just get sweaty and walk the heaviest cover you can find. I did well kicking up deer last weekend in public property...most people walk around the cattails in the slough and hunt the tall grasses...Deer are smart - Look in the heavy cover next to trafic areas - I.E. Cattails.