I do most of my hunting on military installations which are similar to public hunting in terrain, lack of crops and the added pressure. My question is, how often are you seeing deer on stand during the early archery season? I usually see something within 60 yards every 2-3 times that I go out. Obviously, it differs depending on where you are, I'm up north in Wisconsin. Thanks for the input.
I have quite a few deerless outings in the big-woods public area I hunt. I don't keep track but the times when I don't see any deer are probably about equal to the times I do. The times I actually get a good shooting opportunity (right deer, right place) is pretty low...but high enough to keep it interesting.
I hunt in far northwestern Wisconsin. Agree with Easykeeper. I don't see deer as often as I do, and that's on all day sits during the first three weeks of November. Doesn't have much to do with hunting pressure though. Not a lot of bowhunters there. Just not many deer there due to hard winters, wolves, bear and mostly bow and gun hunting over harvest of does.
I hunt public land in Ohio. I usually see 1 to 3 deer. Sometimes I don't see any, but there is usually 1 anyway. This is well down from about 6 years back when I used to see at least 3-7 each sit.
-Charlie
I hunt public land mostly (Woodbury) and my sightings have gone down drastically over last 5-6 yrs.
This past Wed-Thurs. I spent 16 hrs. in a stand over the 2 days...saw 1 doe+1fawn. Saw a coyote and had 2 huge turkeys 5 yds away though--pretty cool. I'd say Not seeing deer prob. outnumber 2 to 1 ; deer close enough to shoot---way less...
Been hunting exclusively public land for two seasons. I see small numbers of deer pretty consistently. More does than bucks, but last year I did see 3 or 4 nice bucks. Usually I saw more deer when I'd scout on Sundays than when I'd sit. This season I've been out three times, and I've seen deer every time, average is about 3 per trip, all does.
I have lots of trips when I see no deer. Blacktails in low numbers with high pressure and no crops.
On one of the public areas I hunt I stopped counting at 25 last Monday evening,tonight I saw 2.
I see deer almost every time that I hunt. What i try to do is find the little spots no one else thinks is worth their time. My own little honey hole is 160 acres, 20 of which are woods and the weeds are over my head on the walk in (over a mile). Some spots just require a little more attention than people are willing to give.
I see deer every time I go, wma's are fine , you just have to scout. State land, or what ever its called where you live, is a fine resource and should be taken seriosly.
I have never found any reason not to hunt state lands in Nj, NY,kty, sc, and Pa. I also see yotes in these lands as well, but they fear me more than the deer do.
I have seen deer every time I have visited Lake Amistad National Park in Del Rio, TX. Lots of low scrub brush so I may just be able to see farther than more heavily wooded areas.
I see deer every time I hunt on public land, usually three or more per sit.
It's very rare not to at least see deer, I hunt public land in Kentucky and Ohio.
on a good week i will see deer 3 times a week or so. but normally im lucky to see deer even once in a week and have gone 1 week 2 weeks easy before seeing a deer.heard reduction n tons of hunters have thing on state land somewhat scarce. that does not count shot opportunity which is around 1 a year. sometimes no shots. but i have had multiple shots in a season before
if you are asking that question, im sure your sigting are way down. do not get discouraged as it dont reflect your ability to hunt, you cannot kill or get on game easily when its just not there. breath easy as im sure it is not you.
Obumma closed my hunting land.
I see them quiet regularly on WMA land. The last time I hunted one I seen 2 bucks and four does.
I see a deer just about every sit on the federal land I normally hunt. But since the shut down. I haven't really been hunting much.
Here in IL, I have been out 4 times and haven't seen a deer and no sign. I have hunted this same place for 25 years and tree but this year there just no sign.
I don't see hardly any deer on the state lands I hunt, up by me anyway. The pieces I have close are open to the public or there's pheasant hunting the rest of the week. I'm lucky if I see a deer when I can get a permit for the land or get in during due to high hunter numbers.
Now if I travel an hour + I see more deer. I think the county I hunt in has so much private and county owned land, can't hunt the county land, that the deer have plenty of places to go to survive the season.
I get very discouraged at the options I have close to where I live. Someday I'm gonna move...
-Jeremy :coffee:
It's really intermittant for me. I have spots where I usually can see deer in numbers but typically smaller deer and rarely a buck.
I have other spots that I won't see as many deer, but when I do it's typically a good deer.
So it depends on my mood where I'm wanting to hunt and how much time I have to do it.
I moved to a new area just about 3 years ago and the first year I hardly saw any deer. I got really discouraged and decided to put in a lot more time scouting the next year. It paid off and I've been seeing better numbers ever since.
North Central PA. approx 1 deer sighting every 4 days. Maybe less.
I see more hunters than deer where I hunt, but avoid them by moving deeper into the woods. As far as deer, I see deer about 2 out of 3 times I'm out. Last year was a way different story, though, with about 75% of my time in the woods went deerless (my own fault for wanting to setup so far from hot food sources to avoid hunters).
It depends on the game land. On some areas I see game every outing, and on others I don't. The one I've hunted since the gov shutdown, 2 hunts 8 deer 1 hog.
Often....... like anywhere you hunt, sometimes the game is there and sometimes not. Also, like anywhere you hunt, you have to get to know the land and how the game is using it. The better you know it, the better your chances of encountering your target.
This year has been tougher than others so far for me. I'm not seeing the same numbers that I used to see. Spoke to one of the DEC officials in my zone and he said they are having a hard time convincing hunters to take Does, everyone is buck crazy. I'm not sure it's the complete truth but I'm sure it's not far from the truth.
I hunt on a military post too, Fort Gordon GA. BTW I used to live in Wisconsin, way up north near the U.P. border. Anyway I see deer pretty close about once every three times I hunt. This is my first year bow hunting deer since 1980 - I don't see nearly as many as the guys who have been hunting for many years, much of it right here on Fort Gordon. Those are the guys who see more deer in one week than I will see all season.
Thanks for the responses. To those of you that offered me words of encouragement, thank you but please don't feel bad for me. I work full time and have 3 boys under 4 years old, for as much as I get out to scout and hunt I'm quite happy with the number of deer I see. I just posted the question after sitting at my buddy's property. I was on the edge of a corn field and saw approx 15-18 deer, all over 100 yards away. It just got me to thinking about how different it was from sitting in the woods along a trail intersection or other spot. Usually, when I'm out in the woods, I'm happy if my stand puts me near something one out of every 2 times. Then at least I'm on the right track. RETARMY06, I had orders to go to Fort Gordon a few years ago but ended up in DC. After 3 years there, I begged for the chance to get to Wisconsin, we love it here. I have not made it up near the UP yet though, hopefully I will make it up there before I leave.
I'd say two out of three sits i see deer.
In the National Forest Area I'm hunting behind my house it varies from yr to yr.
This yr I've been seeing them in the feeding spots I've been hunting it's been every day from one to 20 a sit.
My spot in the marsh is so tight that if the deer is more than 20 yards away, I won't see it. There may be 100 deer there, but I can't see them.
On an old farm I used to hunt, I could see a couple hundred yards in some directions and I always saw deer, nearly every sit, but they may not be very close at all.
This year seems to be a bit tough. I killed a deer my first sit and now have not seen another after numerous additional sits. Gotta move ever deeper into the marsh. That's OK, been there, done that before.
Its getting cold now, no more skeeters to concern myself with.
Its time to be in the woods !
ChuckC