Poor Deer hunting this year!!

[Shmee22]

Anybody else notice that the deer hunting has been pretty bad this year? I have been out 5 mornings in the A31/D11 zone this season and have only seen 1 deer total! Is it due to the drought? Poor weather? Or mountain lions? It's kind of a bummer cause I've been hunting that area for 14 years. Thoughts??


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Aeon]

Conditions have changed in a big way over the last two years. The two impacts are habitat and deer numbers.

Areas that in wet years can support lots of deer can not support even a ground squirrel now. So the deer move to places they can forage. Not so simple as find the water find the deer, The deer are getting hammered big time on the water holes by kitty cats. So where to hunt? find the plants that have access to water below ground. The pockets that hold a bit of green grass or the scrub that looks like its in better condition. The deer will be in that area. It's their only play right now. eat food that that has as much water in it as possible to stay away from the kill zones that the water holes have turned into. Places that in the past are holding zero deer right now. Other places are holding deer that typically do not.

Deer numbers are down but they are not that down, They just moved away from where you are hunting.


fyi my friend that hunts a31 just tagged out with his second buck. he hunts public dirt with in 100 yards of a paved road. he also scouted 20 times before the season started. He abandoned his normal tree stand locations and moved to where the deer were

 

[Shmee22]

Conditions have changed in a big way over the last two years. The two impacts are habitat and deer numbers.

Areas that in wet years can support lots of deer can not support even a ground squirrel now. So the deer move to places they can forage. Not so simple as find the water find the deer, The deer are getting hammered big time on the water holes by kitty cats. So where to hunt? find the plants that have access to water below ground. The pockets that hold a bit of green grass or the scrub that looks like its in better condition. The deer will be in that area. It's their only play right now. eat food that that has as much water in it as possible to stay away from the kill zones that the water holes have turned into. Places that in the past are holding zero deer right now. Other places are holding deer that typically do not.

Deer numbers are down but they are not that down, They just moved away from where you are hunting.


fyi my friend that hunts a31 just tagged out with his second buck. he hunts public dirt with in 100 yards of a paved road. he also scouted 20 times before the season started. He abandoned his normal tree stand locations and moved to where the deer were

thanks for the info man! I'll try and put a game plan together to find an area that may be like your saying. I've been hunting way up high in the bighorn sheep mountains. I should have mentioned that I am seeing fresh deer sign however no deer to go with it. Lol


Sent from my iPhone

 

[topher1111]

D-15 is doing bad also. I know not really a surprise but found a place where there are plenty of signs of deer and have only seen one doe.

 

[ilovesprig]

Even my best private property in SD has had a drop in deer......The ground is completely void of grasses......The acorn crop is almost none existent on one property, but pretty good in another.....The deer have found those falling acorns......

I've checked out some public spots for friends and there's been very little sign.....Also, many of the properties here in SD have private property nearby. That normally means there's some kind of permanent water source or better food.....Like Bill (Aeon) said, they're out there. Just in new places........Lions have been a real problem for me as well.

Hang in there...........The rut will be starting soon............

 

[Cali Ridge Runner]

Years like these..... Scouting hard is the key

 

[1fgmtnbyker]

I saw this guy while mountain biking near Mount Baldy.

 

[Shmee22]

I saw this guy while mountain biking near Mount Baldy.

What?!!! His body is massive!!! Don't tease me like that!! Were you up at the top?

 

[ilovesprig]

That looks like a rutting buck to me........Thick!

 

[1fgmtnbyker]

I saw this guy while mountain biking near Mount Baldy.

What?!!! His body is massive!!! Don't tease me like that!! Were you up at the top?

I was near the bottom. I actually walked about 50ft behind him for approx 100 yards before he made the left turn into the brush. He knew I was there the whole time. I was thinking "only if" and "you're mine".

 

[prov1]

Location, location, location the deer are still here but they moved and as hunters its our job to find out where. I've been out more than 50 times this season alone and have only had one day I didn't see a book buck, are they where they were last year? no but they are in areas I've seen them in before. Lots of bucks in the 85/95" range no giants, it only gets better from here. I like the post rutt for the real big boys. Keep moving and send me a pic. of your giant.

 

[jaymz]

I don't know about that. I shot a 110lb. buck around 8:30am opening day in southern D11. He's not gonna win the Big Buck contest, but my freezer's full!

 

[TaftHunter]

Location, location, location the deer are still here but they moved and as hunters its our job to find out where. I've been out more than 50 times this season alone and have only had one day I didn't see a book buck, are they where they were last year? no but they are in areas I've seen them in before. Lots of bucks in the 85/95" range no giants, it only gets better from here. I like the post rutt for the real big boys. Keep moving and send me a pic. of your giant.

Post up some pics

 

[Shmee22]

I don't know about that. I shot a 110lb. buck around 8:30am opening day in southern D11. He's not gonna win the Big Buck contest, but my freezer's full!

Sometimes it just happens that way.

 

[Shmee22]

Location, location, location the deer are still here but they moved and as hunters its our job to find out where. I've been out more than 50 times this season alone and have only had one day I didn't see a book buck, are they where they were last year? no but they are in areas I've seen them in before. Lots of bucks in the 85/95" range no giants, it only gets better from here. I like the post rutt for the real big boys. Keep moving and send me a pic. of your giant.

If your not gonna shoot em pass em my way.

 

[Bonejour]

That looks like a rutting buck to me........Thick!

For sure!