not seeing much deer movement

[mrjigger]

I have been hunting some public land near my home. hunted the same area last year and saw deer on most every hunt. this year has been completely different though. been out 3 times, 2 evening hunts and 1 morning. haven't even seen a glimpse of a deer in the same areas I hunted last year. I can't think of anything I am really doing different. just wondering how much deer movement others have been seeing and when, mornings or evenings? are deer somewhat nocturnal this time of year? thanks.

[HunterLee]

How late are you sitting in the morning?? We sat the last two nd the deer havent moved til 830am. I thought that was late as i left the first morning after seeing nothing, came back to put a different stand up and there they were. Today got there right at light and bump a few, but some came by at 830. Either that or they are going a different way for you this year, or someone esle has scared them or is cutting you off.

[mrjigger]

I stayed in my stand until 9:30 the 1 morning I hunted. not many other hunters in the area I am hunting. I am really confused. been hunting this area for the last couple of years and seen lots of deer. this year nothing so far. guess I will just keep at it. thanks.

[Mark Christianson]

mrjigger,

Notice that the DNR has changed our area(assuming you are in 223 like me), from Intensive harvest, to a Managed area this year.

I would assume the change in that, is due to a lower deer population.

So that might be a small piece of the puzzle.

Are there agriculural fields nearby? If so, whats the crops planted in them this year compared to last year?

I guess my point in that, is maybe the preferred forage might be different than last year, thus a fewer number of deer in the area at this time.

[96trigger]

I'm on the same page as Biglake, I have to change stand locations every couple of years as the crops rotate. The deer always seem to move with the crops. It can make a large difference. If there are crops nearby, find out where they are eating and move the stands accordingly. You might have to do some scouting at dusk. Good luck.

[sodajerk]

My stand is quite a ways from the nearest crop fields, and what is planted in which fields hasn't seemed to matter the past few years, in that I've seen deer pretty much every time out.

This year I'm not seeing near the number of deer that I've seen in other years. The number is cut by two-thirds actually, and I can't imagine that many does were taken since last fall to cut into my sightings as much as they have.

The goats stripping all the foliage from the woods I'm in may have something to do with it, but there doesn't seem to be as much deer traffic as one would expect around the outside of the goat fence that the goat-herder/landowner put up in April to contain his confounded goat herd. Did I mention the guy whose land I hunt bought some goats?

[mrjigger]

I'm with Soda, the area I hunt is quite a ways from any crops. So I don't think that is my problem. I didn't know about the harvest change however. All the rain we have been getting has made it difficult to scout the deer. The rain covers up the tracks. Went out tonight though, since its been dry lately. Plenty of fresh tracks in and around some of the spots I have been hunting. The area I ussualy hunt has some trails that people walk on since it is public land. I just think with all the people using the trails lately, it has caused the deer to become nocturnal. Well thanks for all the tips, its a long season, I think my luck will change once it gets a little colder.

[USPENAMC]

i hunt rum river state forest and saw 2 does at the end of the day 6:45 pm but they were 60 yards away. then the next sat the only ones i saw were before we headed into the woods. they were sitting on the side of the road...

[Bassboy1645]

Hmm I think the heat and wind and now the moon phase is keeping the deer to a more night and midday pattern... Since day one of the bow season I have been hunting 90 percent of my time in the Ely, MN area. Honestly its tough hunting up here becasue its a big woods area and Im used to hunting farmland back in mankato area. I havent seen a deer in the last three hunts up here. My buddy came up and he sat from noon till dark the one day and had 2 under him at about 130pm and saw another three around 300ish. At leats that gave me confidence that my stands are in good area. My roomate shot a doe last night right at the final seconds of shooting time. He sat half an hr after watching the woods light up from moonlight and he said the deer started stirring around more. This weekend I went to kato area. Saw 2 deer in the am hunt both at about 11am. I spooked them on my way into an area to hang a stand. Though I never hunted the stand I coulda shot a few does and fawns or a smallish buck out of there. My bro ground hunted the area and it overlooks a downslope past the corn and beans and a creek. All the deer he saw hoped the creek and filed under my stand at about 945ish. again he saw some more deer including a nice buck at about 1pm when he went into the area again to hang a stand. ALWAYS WHEN A GUY ISNT THERE!!! lol long story short I think you should hunt whenever despite poor conditions or "wrong" time of day. I hunt all day and whenever I can from mid october on but I guess the deer move at odd times early season too. Oh yeah the 2 nicest bucks I saw this weekend where in the cut corn strips off the road at about 11pm midnightish on friday and sunday night. just some observations over the last few days....

[USPENAMC]

i might just go hit the local swamps between 169 and 212 all evenings this week maybe ill get lucky. dont think theres too many deer around those UNITS since there is alot of pressure with small game and waterfowl hunting?