[akolleth]

Me and a few buddies went to the last day of early muzzleloader season at the Salt Fork state park in Ohio. It was saturday, and we could not get off from work any earlier. Set up on a great pinch point through a natural ford in the creek between bedding and food source, wind was in our favor, all seemed perfect.

Well we saw nothing. We talked to numerous other hunters and every one of them saw nothing. We were guestimating at least two hunder hunters out in the park that day and throughout the whole day I heard a grand total of around 15-20 blasts (including all the people undoubtedly unloading thier rifles)

After the day was up we checked into the ranger station to see how the early season had gone. On day one, hunters had taken 231 deer. :what:

Days 2-5 were in the teens each. Saturday there were 11 taken.

Moral of the story apparently is that if you don't make it to opening day there, don't bother.

Sorry this turned into more of a rant than anything, but it just was frustrating putting all my time and effort into this to find out that my odds were horrific if I had not been there on Monday.

[4thPointOfContact]

If I was a deer and one fine day I heard a couple shots, or a couple dozen and lived through the day, I'd hide out for a few days afterwards. So it doesn't really surprise me if the pickings are a bit slim for a few days after opening.

[buck460XVR]

If I was a deer and one fine day I heard a couple shots, or a couple dozen and lived through the day, I'd hide out for a few days afterwards. So it doesn't really surprise me if the pickings are a bit slim for a few days after opening.

Especially on public land. Once deer feel pressure they go nocturnal and lay low. They are not gonna move naturally during daylight hours. I always have my best luck on public land late in the season when all the "first weekenders" are done and home watchin' football. You just have to apply different tactics than the hundreds of other hunters did on opening day.

[MikePGS]

Its like that in Michigan to (at least when I hunted). Here our firearm deer season is only two weeks, so if you don't get one the first day, the deer are smart enough to stay away for the next couple of weeks.