Compared to past years, how many different deer are you seeing?

[Thin Black Line]

I know it's hard to tell deer apart unless you have a lot of experience and
know your deer herd and land well, but how has this year been compared to
past years? If you'd like to comment on the number of years you've been
out in the field, state(s) you hunt, and other anecdotal observations, please
feel free to do so.

 

[Geno]

I am seeing more bucks. In a single day I saw more bucks than I usually see in a whole season. My brother and cousin commented the same.

 

[Shawnee]

We're overrun with deer - even more so than usual - so I answered "more" on the poll.

 

[Thin Black Line]

I was seeing far less than this from the start, but we also have a lot of
hunting pressure in my area (too many people):

A deer’s home range averages about 500 acres. In mountains, the home
range may exceed 1,000 acres. Even though this size area can support about
40 deer, these animals will not always stay just within their home range. Many
will travel on and off that amount of land at different times of the year looking
for the best food and cover available.

BTW, I have 10 years on one piece of land and I'm seeing less, but the area
also has an increase in houses (and people hunting) from 10 years ago. I use
to see deer in "packs" of 8-12, but I'm now lucky to ever see more than 5-6
together (off season and no pressure). More of the deer I'm seeing are also
smaller (younger).

 

[Thin Black Line]

OMG, look at the time! I need to head back out!!!

 

[alsaqr]

Last year there was a bumper crop of acorns in this area: As a result there are lots of .5 year old deer running all over the place. Many are twins. There is a bumper crop of acorns again this year.

Problem is that the hog population is far outstripping the deer population. The state of OK has not gotten serious about hogs.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Saw 3 small doe and one spike buck for the entire day...pathetic....

 

[Thin Black Line]

Thanks for the votes...polls are still open...

 

[Thin Black Line]

Another hunting weekend for data. Looks fairly even so far, but still a
small sample size.

 

[stiab]

Definitely MORE for me, and I voted as such. When I had gun hunted six times this year (not six days, but six 2.5 hour sessions) I had seen four bucks. Before the season started I had noticed there was more deer sign than any previous year in recent history, and that translated into seeing more deer after the season opened.

 

[frogomatic]

I've seem more deer this year, but I've spent far more time out than I have in previous years. Usually I go out on opening day, bag a doe or two, and I'm done for the year. This year I've been after a really nice buck I keep seeing around, so I've been out alot more. One thing I have noticed is that I'm seeing ALOT of bucks, and almost no does. Seriously, I saw one antlerless deer this year, I shot it, and found out that it was a young buck that had his rack broken off, not to mention that open wounds on his head and the limp he was walking with, by some older bigger buck. Everything else I've seen has been in the 4-8 point range, and then there is that 5x5 I've got my eyes out for.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Thanks for the voting/comments so far. As I mentioned earlier, I've seen a
decrease in deer in my tiny area which appears due to hunting pressure.
This is not just due to my own hunting (I self-limit to 1/season and I may
just pass up again altogether this year), but there's other people who border
directly on my property who add to the numbers actively hunting and I doubt
they impose the same self-restriction. I'm getting similar news on "poor" deer
from people in surrounding counties who are longtime experienced hunters.
We did experience a human/population boom in the last 10 years in these
counties. My thought is people who are seeing "more" bucks may be living
in areas that haven't had the increase in humans.

Add an additional ingredient to the situation around here: People who normally
don't hunt are already saying they will be actively hunting next year if they
are laid off, food/gas prices go up, etc.

Let's just say I'm seeing some problems in advance.

 

[HunterGirl]

Big drop in sightings of actual deer....but not in sign. They were out there - they just weren't moving during the shooting hours.

 

[Thin Black Line]

We have some "mostly" nocturnal deer here, too. At one time I used the trail
cameras and it didn't show me anything from the night-time that I eventually
would see during the one of the days at my choke points.

 

[Geno]

Update info. To date, I have seen considerably fewer deer, but more bucks. In fact, the ratio of buck to doe has been nearly 50/50. That is shocking. In years past, we were fortunate to see a single buck through the entire season, but would see a couple dozen doe each day, early morning and late afternoon. Yet, I hear persistent clamoring that Michigan's deer population is exploding. <<Confused>>

Doc2005

 

[Thin Black Line]

I think you are seeing the results of 10+ years[?] of OTC doe tags taking
its toll. One buck can mate with many does, but once pregnant a single
adult doe still has to carry to full-term. If the overall pool of adult does is
reduced and can't hit replacement rate, then the population will be reduced
as hunters take both bucks and does (but more does). Trust me, the nitwit
on the property next to mine is attempting to harvest every doe that steps
out of my woods right now. It's the "I'm gonna fill every tag I paid for"
mentality that will make for a poorer pool for us all next year as a result.

And, of course, MI has to have a lot of deer right now since it's their
key domestic industry. Who is going to support all of those hotels, restaurants,
sporting goods store except hunters right now? The autoworkers can't!

This is just MHO since I'm not a wildlife biologist and didn't audition to play
one on TV. I can count, though, since I received an education before
Outcome Based Ed became the norm.

I just want to be clear that there are management issues in my area and
some surrounding counties and that is not the case elsewhere even in the
same state. I would just encourage people to continue good management
and think long-term!

 

[Twig]

Well I hunt in zone 241 in Minnesota.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoor_activities/hunting/deer/deer_density_prefawn_2008.pdf

I don't know if I believe the stats. One deer spotted in 6 days of hunting.

That is less than any other time I can recall.

 

[bang_bang]

In my area, the deer population is outrageous. The Doe/Buck ratio is way off, and more does do need to be taken. Not every doe, but the old ones in the field. Where I hunt, the genes are there, just so many inbred does for the big boys to mate. I'm working on it though.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Thanks to the ppl who voted #4 as well:

I've hunted one property <3 years (not much of a baseline).

If you are a "new" deer hunter to an area and haven't voted in this poll yet,
please vote that option.

 

[Thin Black Line]

Regular firearm deer season has now closed, but the polls have not.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I'm seeing less this season. It ends here on Jan 1.

 

[Thin Black Line]

A lot of places will still have a late shotgun/muzzle loader for antlerless
and archery will run until the end of the month. Majority of hunters still
go out during the regular firearm portion. I think what people will have
seen through now will probably be the best measure, but I believe I set
the poll for 30 days from first post.

 

[BP44]

Well, I live in oregon so it is blacktail hunting for me and our deer herd has gone WAY down over the last 15-20 years. unlike the Eastern states where i hear about doe harvesting and maintaining the buck to doe ratio we need all of our does out west. the way I see it one buck will service 15-20 doe's a season where if we kill out all off our doe population we stop the growth of the herd. I am a Anti doe hunter but i do understand the basics of herd management and I am ok with it if it is done in a area that needs it but here in oregon it doesnt.

 

[ccsniper]

if i see a deer in the deer woods look for a blue moon. when i go deer hunting all i see is squirrel, and an 8 mil mauser is a bad thing to hit a squirrel with. when i go squirrel hunting with a remington 512, nothing but deer. so now i take a .22 mag revolver and the mauser, i see nothing at all!

 

[csd4682]

Hey Bang Bang, Im in central VA, and couldnt agree more. This is my first year hunting, but I have always been for a longer season, and more doe days. There are far too many in our area. Now on the flip side, for some reason I cant ever seem to see anything when I go out. I think its location, since this is my first year, I dont really have any contacts built up, or hot spots to go to. I kinda just have to take what I can get as far as land to hunt on.