I always thought its a joke but this year after spending 7 days before dawn till dusk I had seen no deer, thats bucks dows or fawns, in the place where hunt never lasted longer then few hours, but now only 3 days left until the end of the season and I still have 3 deer tags. Maybe I should try my luck up north, I'm in Chemung county NY. There is muzzleloader season coming up, had anyone seen bucks on the move, maybe I should pay a visit ;-)
Deerless season
- Thread starter DIM
- Start date
- Status
I'm sorry to hear about how your season is going. If you want to know where you will find deer, take a look at the DEC's DMP probability page:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30409.html
The zones where it is easiest to get a DMP are where you are most likely to see deer. I hunt zones 9P and 8H. It is difficult to get a DMP in 9P and I typically see few deer. We are almost tripping over deer when I hunt my friends land in 8H (although he has been seeing fewer doe this year).
Do you have any friends or family that hunt the WMUs surrounding Monroe Co.? Those will be your best bets: 8A, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8F.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/30409.html
The zones where it is easiest to get a DMP are where you are most likely to see deer. I hunt zones 9P and 8H. It is difficult to get a DMP in 9P and I typically see few deer. We are almost tripping over deer when I hunt my friends land in 8H (although he has been seeing fewer doe this year).
Do you have any friends or family that hunt the WMUs surrounding Monroe Co.? Those will be your best bets: 8A, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8F.
Flintknapper
Member
If you are seeing Deer "sign" in the area (but not the animals themselves) there might still be hope at your present site, but I am inclined to agree with Wombat, and his suggestion to look elsewhere.
I am not familiar with typical success rates in your part of the country, but I know if I had not seen ANY deer in the 7 days... I would move to another spot.
Good luck to you,
Flint
I am not familiar with typical success rates in your part of the country, but I know if I had not seen ANY deer in the 7 days... I would move to another spot.
Good luck to you,
Flint
Hunterdad
Member
I'm in Onondaga County and there is a ton of deer around, especially up north. Good luck!
Daveboone
Member
Long ago I discovered the # of deer I see during hunting season was directly proportionate to the amount of time I spent pre season scouting. How much time did you put in before the season opened?
627PCFan
Member
Sounds like my first 4 years of deer hunting......then I went 3 for 3 this year. When it rains it pours. Id try elsewhere-
Threads like this remind me just how well I have it......Although I didn't fill my tag until the last minutes of season, out of the 5 days I hunted, I don't think there was a day I saw less than 50 deer, and likely saw 100 plus on some days. Saw big deer and little deer, bucks and does, whitetails and mulies (sometimes together!!).....and all said hunting, aside from where I actually ended up shooting my deer, was done on the family ranch. Hopwever, things weren't always like this. I'm 33 now, but can remember hunting with friends and family @ 11, and at that point, SEEING a SINGLE "shooter" class deer was cause for celebration. From that point on, however, both the quality and size of our deer herds have increased......In fact, I've taken a buck for every hunting season from age 12 on, save for one or two years I was just "too picky". At this point, not filling your tag in my area is merely a choice, not a possibility. The only way you don't fill a tag (espeically if you have an any deer or any antlerless tag) is if you choose not to, or don't hunt.
Thank you all, I will definitely check those areas, although they permit shotguns only, but the season is almost done but I have 870 just for north counties. Also I found how many bucks where taken last year in my area, it looks like 2.1 -3 bucks per square mile, here is what I refer to... http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/37304.html
birdbustr
Member
Good deer season in Stueben County...again
I hunted this year from opening day until 26 November at my Mother in Law's. I let many deer walk. 2 4pts, 1 small 6pt, a small 8pt (hard to tell in the brush) and numerous does. The good thing about that land is that 80% of the year no one roams the property or moves the deer. I am military and don't get to hunt every year either. In 2007 I got a 200+ Lb(estimated, no scale) 11 point. This year I got a 212 lb 9 point that was chasing a doe and a 4 point on her heals.
I was thinking that I might not get the big buck this year, but patience paid off. The sign was there, I just kept spending 4-8 hours per day in the woods.
Your persistance will pay off eventually if the land has thick cover, water, food to sustain a deer population. These days they are being pressured closer and closer to people. Hang in there and continue to make all the connections you can. It's hard to beat the deer hunting in rural New York.
I hunted this year from opening day until 26 November at my Mother in Law's. I let many deer walk. 2 4pts, 1 small 6pt, a small 8pt (hard to tell in the brush) and numerous does. The good thing about that land is that 80% of the year no one roams the property or moves the deer. I am military and don't get to hunt every year either. In 2007 I got a 200+ Lb(estimated, no scale) 11 point. This year I got a 212 lb 9 point that was chasing a doe and a 4 point on her heals.
I was thinking that I might not get the big buck this year, but patience paid off. The sign was there, I just kept spending 4-8 hours per day in the woods.
Your persistance will pay off eventually if the land has thick cover, water, food to sustain a deer population. These days they are being pressured closer and closer to people. Hang in there and continue to make all the connections you can. It's hard to beat the deer hunting in rural New York.
Attachments
My hunting ground is not big, I own 30 acres wooded area with stream and a pond, but this year I see no deer, usually I see them roaming in front of my house during morning or night time, but not anymore.... Even acorns still laying on the ground untouched...
In my first post I did say that there are no deer, well its not entirely true, there are 3 does in the group I see for the passed few month, they come out 30 - 40 minutes after sunset, from the neighboring hill, very steep and not part of my property. Just before sunrise they retreat back to the same hill... I saw them again today, but no bucks since October.
Decided to go long with one more week in muzzleloading season, spend another 4 days on state lands (Connecticut Hill and Maple Hill), everything was quiet, no movements, it just felt dead, not even birds flying over, my friend gave up and was calling yotees with no luck...
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
See any sign at Connecticut Hill? Been a few years since I hunted there, and must confess that I never took game there, but saw sign regularly. Saw several doe there, but never a buck. I've been thinking about trying there again in the future; it's a beautiful piece of land.
yes Legionnaire, there were many tracks, droppings, I even found quiet few bedding areas, I spend all day watching them, which was also near small creek. Maybe because it start to snow heavily, all the animals decide not to move while I was there... Anyway, after spending 12 hours out in the cold I decide its time to head back, maybe better luck next year...
drivadesl
Member
Sorry for your bad luck Dim. I'm in a similar boat. I hunt up in Windham on 75 acres, and did see some sign but only one doe thru the whole season. I suspect the locals are baiting, since my nephew shot a 5 pt, and its stomach was full of corn. I know there are no corn fields around so do the math. Years back arrests were made on adjacent properties by the DEC for taking deer just before the season started. Could be happening in your area as well. Next year I'm putting in a food plot which I've done in the past, and that keeps the deer in the area to hunt. As they say, "theres always next year"......
CoastieShep
Member
I don't feel bad for you.
I've only seen 2 deer, but I jumped them and they went off at full speed through the thick Florida swamp. Never saw a head, never got a shot. Didn't even have time to shoulder my rifle.:banghead:
I've only seen 2 deer, but I jumped them and they went off at full speed through the thick Florida swamp. Never saw a head, never got a shot. Didn't even have time to shoulder my rifle.:banghead:Daniel Boone
Member
212 lbs - that is a big deer - but I would have to see the scale to believe it.
Daniel Boone
Member
If I can add my two cents here.
I don't know anything about your situation - because in my case - I have learned a long time ago that when you have no success that you have to go out and make your own success.
Too many people where I live has resorted to one of those tower blinds where they climb up a high ladder and sit in a little mini camp - with a heater and windows and sit all day and wait for an opportunity to see deer and then their only job is to shoot straight.
Other people sits on the same stump for 20 years - because they saw deer there in the past and they shot deer there in the past and they refuse to leave or move.
While other people relies on posted signs to keep other people out - yet when they see no deer - they blame their situation on other people and people shooting " " their deer.
The best thing you can do on private land is to open it up to everyone and get rid of the posted signs if you want to see deer and have good opportunities at harvesting a deer.
Too many people confuses shooting a trophy buck with deer hunting.
In my opinion - the one has nothing to do with the other.
In my honest opinion - you could pretty much put me anywhere there is deer and I will fill all my tags - because I am willing to do what ever it takes to do it.
Putting in the long hours doesn't have as much to do with it as it does - just going out and participating in the hunt. Often times my brothers would delay my hunting until 2:30 PM and I would still get a deer - just because I knew the deer's habits and their haunts and I was able to adapt to the situation.
You can't chase shots - because the most you are going to see is tails - but you do have to apply yourself and surround yourself with other people who also wants to be successful if you want to be successful.
I had a school chum that would hunt with his father below or behind his dad's house for 10 years and they never shot a deer. I took them with me a couple of times when I was in my 20s and after I taught them how to hunt deer they were successful every year since. I used to actually give them my surplus deer meat....
I don't know anything about your situation - because in my case - I have learned a long time ago that when you have no success that you have to go out and make your own success.
Too many people where I live has resorted to one of those tower blinds where they climb up a high ladder and sit in a little mini camp - with a heater and windows and sit all day and wait for an opportunity to see deer and then their only job is to shoot straight.
Other people sits on the same stump for 20 years - because they saw deer there in the past and they shot deer there in the past and they refuse to leave or move.
While other people relies on posted signs to keep other people out - yet when they see no deer - they blame their situation on other people and people shooting " " their deer.
The best thing you can do on private land is to open it up to everyone and get rid of the posted signs if you want to see deer and have good opportunities at harvesting a deer.
Too many people confuses shooting a trophy buck with deer hunting.
In my opinion - the one has nothing to do with the other.
In my honest opinion - you could pretty much put me anywhere there is deer and I will fill all my tags - because I am willing to do what ever it takes to do it.
Putting in the long hours doesn't have as much to do with it as it does - just going out and participating in the hunt. Often times my brothers would delay my hunting until 2:30 PM and I would still get a deer - just because I knew the deer's habits and their haunts and I was able to adapt to the situation.
You can't chase shots - because the most you are going to see is tails - but you do have to apply yourself and surround yourself with other people who also wants to be successful if you want to be successful.
I had a school chum that would hunt with his father below or behind his dad's house for 10 years and they never shot a deer. I took them with me a couple of times when I was in my 20s and after I taught them how to hunt deer they were successful every year since. I used to actually give them my surplus deer meat....
Once again, I never had problem getting deer until this season, I have big field right in front of my house(takes 3 hours to move it using john deer) where deer could be seen during the night and morning hours, but not this year, the field is empty, its like deer got wiped-out. What I see now is lots of turkeys and squirrels...
ridgerunner1965
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2010
- Messages
- 768
yea sumtimes its like that.jus keep trying.i have found that once yu have used a stand or couple stands in a close area,for a couple or 3 days, your deer sightings will go way down.its really hard to hunt on a small acreage and consistantly see and kill deer past the first few days of hunting. in my area ive found that the deer tend to travel a circular route, they will be in one area for a few days them move on to the next area for a few days.maybe staying in each area for 1 to 3 days.however rutting buks are liable to show up anywhere includeing your back yard at any givin time.in 20+
years of hunting the main thing ive learned is that yu wont shoot one off the couch in yur living room.
years of hunting the main thing ive learned is that yu wont shoot one off the couch in yur living room.
Sunray
Member
That's why it's called hunting. Sometimes you pay for the licence and see nothing.
yep, I know what hunting is, same with fishing... this season I spend more then 100 hours out trying to make it happen, before never spend more then 10 hours to get a buck... last year it was short like 3 hours and year before even less then 2...
I tend to disagree, at least to a point. My family operates a ranch in Western SD. WE DO open PART of our ranch, via the state-sponsered "Walk-in Area" program, and yes, the hunters in that area of the ranch are often quite successful. However, also owning land that border the WIA land, we get to observe patterns of deer movement between the "open" areas and the "closed" area. After the first weekend of season, when the WIA gets hunted hard, the deer simply leave. They have it figured out that hunting pressure is high on one side of the fence and nearly nonexistent on the other. Even though the habitat is prime, the deer have absolutely NO REASON to stay in the high pressure areas, when cover just as suitable is availbel elsewhere. Many deer ARE killed every year in the WIA, but the odds of being successful there beyond the first weekend decrease dramtically. Yet, the land bordering the WIA holds deer season long, because they simply aren't hunted as hard or by as many people. Lots oi human activity does indeed get the deer moving, but they move right out of the open areas into bordering land. I can tell you from personal experince and over a decade of observing the patterns (and harvesting deer every year) that making the ranch entirely open to public hunting would NOT increase our oods at a successful harvest. In fact, I can't remember the last deer I shot within the confines of the WIA(comprised of several hundred acres). Maybe its different where you are at, but my observations of both mule deer and whitetail indicate the high hunting pressure moves the deer out of the area, and that certainly doesn't INCREASE one's odds at success. That being said, I do believe the average joe should have a place to hunt, and we've been quite happy with the access we provide through the Walk In Area, as are the hunters who typically utilize it. The Walk In stipulation tends to attract "real" hunters and not those who simply dirve around a patsure all day hoping to shoot something. We attract a better caliber of hunter by stipuilating access is by foot only. IMO, those unwilling to walk have no right whatsoever to complain they "don't have anywhere to hunt".
Well today was my last day to hunt. No deer this season. I am used to a deerless season as I have only gotten 3 deer in 20+ years of hunting. This season though I had the opportunity to be out in the woods a lot more. I went at least twice a week for 6 weeks. I saw deer on 3 of those days and all of them were within 20-150 yards, but due to a quick takeoff by the deer or too many saplings in the way I never even got a shot. I am rather disappointed.
- Status
