Long days in the treestand, Not a lot of action

2Blade · October 30, 2011, 07:45:00 PM

Same thing here I feel your pain. I havent seen a deer since the 16th. Im quite depressed to say the least.

Wiley Coyote · October 30, 2011, 08:33:00 PM

It has been slow where I am hunting in Ontario also. I was off last week and hunting most mornings and evenings I averaged about one deer a day and I have yet to see a big buck. A couple of buddies arrowed small bucks last week but my area is tough going. Persistance is what will put the vension in the freezer!! :

RedShaft · October 30, 2011, 10:06:00 PM

i have been in a rut the last 5 years lol. very slow around here all the time. seen only 5 deer total all season so far and very little sign. do what i do... Keep The Faith!!

longbowben · October 30, 2011, 10:11:00 PM

Wow today was nuts had a 160 class buck all night around me came real close to wacking him a couple times tonight.Had bucks fighting and chasing all night around me.Looks like i'm not going to work tomorrow.Leatherneck had bucks all over him tonight also.

Autumnarcher · October 30, 2011, 10:15:00 PM

Ben, just so you wouldn't have to miss a days work, I would offer to guard your stand from that buck, in case he has bad intentions.

longbowben · October 30, 2011, 10:19:00 PM

Leatherneck and myself had bucks chasing does all night .I had bucks fighting for more than 1 hour around me.Autumnarcher im trying to break in the new bow,Thanks for the offer

23feetupandhappy · October 30, 2011, 10:26:00 PM

Very slow here all week!!!

Six goose eges since last Sun. and generaly I might have two all season.

Its encourageing to me that it seems to be everyone is going through the samething except for isolated spots of hope

Kentucky Jeff · October 31, 2011, 04:19:00 AM

If you are not seeing deer where you normally see deer something's changed. When this happened a few years ago on my place I took my horse out on some trail rides and found out what was going on.

The next farm over changed hands and the guy who bought it is big into deer hunting/management. He did a couple of things that really pulled the deer off my place. One--he planted food plots. About 20 acres of food plots!!! Turnips and radishes an stuff like Biologic. He also put up three corn feeders. Once the deer figured out where the getting was good they got up and went!

Dang...guess I'm gonna have to re-plant my alfalfa field that wore itself out a few years ago and get back into making square bales. When my alfalfa field was thick you could set your clock by what time the deer would show up in the AM and PM...

Food availability will play havoc with deer patterns. Many places had crummy mast crops this year so the deer changed their normal movement patterns and have been hitting the corn and beans in my area hard.

Jon Stewart · October 31, 2011, 05:37:00 AM

This has been the worst year for seeing deer in many years. 2 early hunting seasons with guns, goose and duck hunters shooting their weapons in the morning has had an effect on our hunting, INMO. The deer are there I just think they went nocturnal. Will have to wait for the rut.

getstonedprimitivebowhunt · October 31, 2011, 06:27:00 AM

..yes ...dead here too the last few days. Glad I got my buck two weeks ago. Not good for my Buddie up from Tenn. this week.

agross1 · October 31, 2011, 09:41:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Jon Stewart:
This has been the worst year for seeing deer in many years. 2 early hunting seasons with guns, goose and duck hunters shooting their weapons in the morning has had an effect on our hunting, INMO. The deer are there I just think they went nocturnal. Will have to wait for the rut.

I think you got it. I don't agree with the early doe season and early youth hunt, but that is just my opinion. I would be curious to see how many other states you can hunt whitetail from September through January. I realize there are still alot of crops, mainly corn, in the fields hiding many deer. But for the most part its that way every year around me during the bow season. The number of deer I am seeing this year is way down.

MnFn · October 31, 2011, 10:24:00 AM

I spent 6 hours in a ladder stand yesterday. Did not see much until about 17:00. Then, I had about 6 deer moving through the brush about 60 yards away. They were trotting around in the brush for awhile before they moved into the field. I don't normally see that. If they bust me, they are usually gone, snorting etc. Wind was good from my location.

Stumpkiller · October 31, 2011, 01:19:00 PM

I've seen six deer. Two adult does, two either way (roundhead antlerless) and two spikes. No sign of fresh rubs or scrapes. ALL have been within 15 minutes before "official" sunset on various days. All have been alone except the first day when I took the larger of the two does; but I suspect ma wasn't far from the little roundheads but was sticking to cover.

This past snow and cold spell ought to bring the rut on. At least I'm hoping. I'm betting Veteran's Day will be a good day to be out.