How's your deer season going?

[ko4nrbs]

Have seen one deer of unknown sex. Was in the thick swamp brush. My season has been spent scouting and learning the lay of the new for me country. This is my first-year hunting in Alabama, so I have had to start all over. Took me several years in NE Oklahoma to nail down a couple of good areas. Hope it doesn't take that long here.
Bill

[Patcon]

Congrats on the nice looking 8!

[Hillcountry]

Season is going badly, as usual! 100+ hours on stand and a couple of still hunting forays and not one deer sighted in person…3 does way back in Sept. out of range and nothing since. My area of New Hampshire is deer poor. They have evaded me successfully as my cams show their presence of several when I’m not out there!

[ko4nrbs]

Season is going badly, as usual! 100+ hours on stand and a couple of still hunting forays and not one deer sighted in person…3 does way back in Sept. out of range and nothing since. My area of New Hampshire is deer poor. They have evaded me successfully as my cams show their presence of several when I’m not out there!

I had that problem when I began hunting an area alongside a creek in NE Oklahoma. Lots of pics but when I hunted it no deer seen. Finally figured out I was hunting the wrong side of the creek. Switched sides and killed many deer there all from the same tree with my climbing tree stand.

In my situation it was hunting pressure that pushed them across the creek. My Public land spot on the wrong side of the creek bordered leased land that a group of hunters hunted. That pressure pushed them across the creek where no one was hunting. Took me a couple of years to figure it all out. Typically, I saw them late mornings and early afternoons.

Don't give up!! If the reason you are seeing no deer is that they are avoiding you, then switch tactics. Hunt different times, different spots and use different routes to access the area. I don't know anything about your area so none of this may apply there. One thing I have learned is that the deer where I hunted could be patterned just by figuring out the food source they were using, acorns, persimmons, honeysuckle, etc. As an example, when the city cultivated either side of the access road to water discharge on the river, I discovered the deer were feeding heavily on the grass they planted. They really went after whatever it was.

Good Luck!!

Bill

[ko4nrbs]

Season is going badly, as usual! 100+ hours on stand and a couple of still hunting forays and not one deer sighted in person…3 does way back in Sept. out of range and nothing since. My area of New Hampshire is deer poor. They have evaded me successfully as my cams show their presence of several when I’m not out there!

I had that problem when I began hunting an area alongside a creek in NE Oklahoma. Lots of pics but when I hunted it no deer seen. Finally figured out I was hunting the wrong side of the creek. Switched sides and killed many deer there all from the same tree with my climbing tree stand.

In my situation it was hunting pressure that pushed them across the creek. My Public land spot on the wrong side of the creek bordered leased land that a group of hunters hunted. That pressure pushed them across the creek where no one was hunting. Took me a couple of years to figure it all out. Typically, I saw them late mornings and early afternoons.

Don't give up!! If the reason you are seeing no deer is that they are avoiding you, then switch tactics. Hunt different times, different spots and use different routes to access the area. I don't know anything about your area so none of this may apply there. One thing I have learned is that the deer where I hunted could be patterned just by figuring out the food source they were using, acorns, persimmons, honeysuckle, etc. As an example, when the city cultivated either side of the access road to water discharge on the river, I discovered the deer were feeding heavily on the grass they planted. They really went after it whatever it was.

Good Luck!!

Bill

[Hillcountry]

Season is going badly, as usual! 100+ hours on stand and a couple of still hunting forays and not one deer sighted in person…3 does way back in Sept. out of range and nothing since. My area of New Hampshire is deer poor. They have evaded me successfully as my cams show their presence of several when I’m not out there!

I had that problem when I began hunting an area alongside a creek in NE Oklahoma. Lots of pics but when I hunted it no deer seen. Finally figured out I was hunting the wrong side of the creek. Switched sides and killed many deer there all from the same tree with my climbing tree stand.

In my situation it was hunting pressure that pushed them across the creek. My Public land spot on the wrong side of the creek bordered leased land that a group of hunters hunted. That pressure pushed them across the creek where no one was hunting. Took me a couple of years to figure it all out. Typically, I saw them late mornings and early afternoons.

Don't give up!! If the reason you are seeing no deer is that they are avoiding you, then switch tactics. Hunt different times, different spots and use different routes to access the area. I don't know anything about your area so none of this may apply there. One thing I have learned is that the deer where I hunted could be patterned just by figuring out the food source they were using, acorns, persimmons, honeysuckle, etc. As an example, when the city cultivated either side of the access road to water discharge on the river, I discovered the deer were feeding heavily on the grass they planted. They really went after whatever it was.

Good Luck!!

Bill

Oh…not giving up! I think I placed my ground blind in the wrong spot this season. Had many hours to think about it and should have set it back into the brush more. Too late now with one week left but there’s next year (if I wake up 365 more times!)
Will also move my ladder stand (again). Trouble with that is I love the ground blind for its comfort and the ability to move my legs around (and that I put a buddy heater inside) and the ladder is wide open to the elements…I can’t tolerate the cold as much in my old age. I may, in fact get one of those ladder stand blinds to shelter me more…there’s always more $$ to be spent!
The main reason is the lack of deer in my area…no crops, very few oaks and nut crop…and too many damned coyotes… I don’t believe ANY fawns made it to hunting season.

[ko4nrbs]

Season is going badly, as usual! 100+ hours on stand and a couple of still hunting forays and not one deer sighted in person…3 does way back in Sept. out of range and nothing since. My area of New Hampshire is deer poor. They have evaded me successfully as my cams show their presence of several when I’m not out there!

I had that problem when I began hunting an area alongside a creek in NE Oklahoma. Lots of pics but when I hunted it no deer seen. Finally figured out I was hunting the wrong side of the creek. Switched sides and killed many deer there all from the same tree with my climbing tree stand.

In my situation it was hunting pressure that pushed them across the creek. My Public land spot on the wrong side of the creek bordered leased land that a group of hunters hunted. That pressure pushed them across the creek where no one was hunting. Took me a couple of years to figure it all out. Typically, I saw them late mornings and early afternoons.

Don't give up!! If the reason you are seeing no deer is that they are avoiding you, then switch tactics. Hunt different times, different spots and use different routes to access the area. I don't know anything about your area so none of this may apply there. One thing I have learned is that the deer where I hunted could be patterned just by figuring out the food source they were using, acorns, persimmons, honeysuckle, etc. As an example, when the city cultivated either side of the access road to water discharge on the river, I discovered the deer were feeding heavily on the grass they planted. They really went after whatever it was.

Good Luck!!

Bill

Oh…not giving up! I think I placed my ground blind in the wrong spot this season. Had many hours to think about it and should have set it back into the brush more. Too late now with one week left but there’s next year (if I wake up 365 more times!)
Will also move my ladder stand (again). Trouble with that is I love the ground blind for its comfort and the ability to move my legs around (and that I put a buddy heater inside) and the ladder is wide open to the elements…I can’t tolerate the cold as much in my old age. I may, in fact get one of those ladder stand blinds to shelter me more…there’s always more $$ to be spent!
The main reason is the lack of deer in my area…no crops, very few oaks and nut crop…and too many damned coyotes… I don’t believe ANY fawns made it to hunting season.

I had to set my blind up a month before the season started. The deer stayed away from it at first but after a while I had pics of them browsing near it. I killed a lot of deer out of it. I would consider setting up at least two blinds and alternate which one you hunt out of. Keeps them guessing.

I know what you mean about being exposed to the elements. One morning in NE Oklahoma I was in my climbing deer stand before daylight and it was 17 degrees. Couldn't wait until sunup. Now that I am in Northern Alabama extreme cold is not a big problem but cold is cold at my age. 70 years young!!

I lived in Manchester, NH for a year in 2006. I worked in Londonderry. Beautiful country!!

Bill

[Hillcountry]

I had that problem when I began hunting an area alongside a creek in NE Oklahoma. Lots of pics but when I hunted it no deer seen. Finally figured out I was hunting the wrong side of the creek. Switched sides and killed many deer there all from the same tree with my climbing tree stand.

In my situation it was hunting pressure that pushed them across the creek. My Public land spot on the wrong side of the creek bordered leased land that a group of hunters hunted. That pressure pushed them across the creek where no one was hunting. Took me a couple of years to figure it all out. Typically, I saw them late mornings and early afternoons.

Don't give up!! If the reason you are seeing no deer is that they are avoiding you, then switch tactics. Hunt different times, different spots and use different routes to access the area. I don't know anything about your area so none of this may apply there. One thing I have learned is that the deer where I hunted could be patterned just by figuring out the food source they were using, acorns, persimmons, honeysuckle, etc. As an example, when the city cultivated either side of the access road to water discharge on the river, I discovered the deer were feeding heavily on the grass they planted. They really went after whatever it was.

Good Luck!!

Bill

Oh…not giving up! I think I placed my ground blind in the wrong spot this season. Had many hours to think about it and should have set it back into the brush more. Too late now with one week left but there’s next year (if I wake up 365 more times!)
Will also move my ladder stand (again). Trouble with that is I love the ground blind for its comfort and the ability to move my legs around (and that I put a buddy heater inside) and the ladder is wide open to the elements…I can’t tolerate the cold as much in my old age. I may, in fact get one of those ladder stand blinds to shelter me more…there’s always more $$ to be spent!
The main reason is the lack of deer in my area…no crops, very few oaks and nut crop…and too many damned coyotes… I don’t believe ANY fawns made it to hunting season.

I had to set my blind up a month before the season started. The deer stayed away from it at first but after a while I had pics of them browsing near it. I killed a lot of deer out of it. I would consider setting up at least two blinds and alternate which one you hunt out of. Keeps them guessing.

I know what you mean about being exposed to the elements. One morning in NE Oklahoma I was in my climbing deer stand before daylight and it was 17 degrees. Couldn't wait until sunup. Now that I am in Northern Alabama extreme cold is not a big problem but cold is cold at my age. 70 years young!!

I lived in Manchester, NH for a year in 2006. I worked in Londonderry. Beautiful country!!

Bill

Hmmm…good idea about the 2 different blinds! Southern NH Is silly with deer…lots of “backyard” bucks. Tough to get access in places and the deer know it! Where I am it’s much more rural with huge tracts of unposted land…As far as ai know only one other guy hunts where I hunt but I don’t think he’s too good…I catch him on cam blasting through the area like he’s late for something. Anyway, my brother and I are getting together for a “push/stand” hunt Saturday morning…it will be my best chance to bag a deer as I don’t need to look for antlers…any brown thing With 4 legs is game! My brother has a cabin in a better deer density area.