WMU 82a Specific hunters - Feed back

[hugger]

I am looking for feed back from hunters in the WMU 82a zone in Ontario.

I have been bow hunting since Oct 3rd, and just spent 6 days gun hunting and I only seen 6 does. Now I have been using 6 T-cams on my property since May long weekend and I have almost 3000 pictures of deer this year. There is a healthy herd of bucks and does, but I am puzzled to say the least.

Considering this is in one of the highest deer populations in Ontario,
I am wondering if there are any other 82a hunters that experienced very little action. Also if maybe the rut isn't in full swing yet??? Seems late enough that it should be.

I have been actively deer hunting for 25 years and this is only the second time in 15 years that I haven't had any meat in the freezer by the end of gun season. I will be returning to my stands as a weekend warrior until I put some meat I the freezer.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

[jparchery]

I hunt in wmu80, just south of wmu82a. I hunted the entire week of the controlled November hunt and only seen 3 deer. 2 does and 1 small buck. This was the worst week I had in 10 years. I guess the hard winter and a large amount of hunting pressure had something to do with it. I hunted this area for 10 years and never seen this many hunters before, every property had someone in orange walking through it.

[Sandman]

I'm not near your WMU but I have hunted hard since October 1 and have logged just over 79 hrs of tree time in 87 and 80 and I have seen 2 small bucks and 1 doe. I am puzzled to say the least.

[Species8472]

Our camp is NE of Durham on the Saugeen and we saw very little during the gun week and heard the fewest # of shots in my memory in the surrounding area.

[hockeyfodder]

I hunt both 82a and 82b. Some groups did well, tagging out by Tuesday or Wednesday. These were larger groups that push bushes.
The hunters that just take a stand and watch were having lots of trouble with many fields with standing corn. Just see a deer for a second or two when it walks from the brush/woods into the corn or vice versa.
Farmers seem to be planting as close to the edge of the fields also, it's difficult to walk up the side of the field with the corn right against the brush.
Big slash in available tags (surplus) this year.
There were lots of tracks and sign though.
I didn't see one buck with his nose to the ground so I don't think the full rut is on, maybe this cold snap that is coming will trigger it.
Took a hug doe in 82a Monday night. It was all two of us could do to get her up into the truck even after she was field dressed. She was packed with fat, might be a sign of a harsh winter.
We saw more bucks moving at night on the drive to and from our spots.
Heard some moving through the heavy cedars that we think were bucks but they wouldn't respond to any calling and show themselves for a shot. Oh well muzzleloader and archery seasons still underway...game on!

[XCaddis]

Terrible hunting in 82a for controlled hunt. 6 people in our group and 3 full days hunting. All we saw was 1 fawn between all of us. 4 coyotes down.

I will spend some archery time now until December but not very optimistic to be honest. The properties I hunt in 82a and 92b seem to have been impacted heavily by conditions and predation over the last couple years. Also, I have noticed that places I have hunted with the bush thinned out dont have the deer they used to. I wish we managed our deer populations like our friends in NY/Michigan...no forest cover = no deer.

[Species8472]

Terrible hunting in 82a for controlled hunt. 6 people in our group and 3 full days hunting. All we saw was 1 fawn between all of us. 4 coyotes down.

Good on the coyote. 82a does not have a controlled hunt; is that a typo? or where you hunting another unit (80 maybe)?

[XCaddis]

Terrible hunting in 82a for controlled hunt. 6 people in our group and 3 full days hunting. All we saw was 1 fawn between all of us. 4 coyotes down.

Good on the coyote. 82a does not have a controlled hunt; is that a typo? or where you hunting another unit (80 maybe)?

Sorry we do the rifle hunt north of 86 when the controlled hunt is happening.

[cantgetright]

I hunt 84, right next to 82A. Normally I see 15-25 deer thru the rifle hunt. By Thursday I saw 3. This doesn't include the doe that tried to climb in the back seat Monday night going home, she was able to get away too. Lucked out on 8pt Friday morning that had a swollen neck tending a doe. Lots of groups of does and fawns seen with no bucks around. Think the rut was starting closer to the end of week. Went out once with a buddy that hunts 82A and he got a 6pt and a 7pt neither were swollen or trailing does. He also toured the local gangs with hunter numbers over 10 and they all were in the 3-4 deer range, half of what they normally get.

[hugger]

Thanks to all for the input!!

Here I just thought it was me.

And to the fellow who dropped the coyotes..... THANK YOU.
I pulled my camera cards on Sunday and I have pics of very healthy coyotes that's showed up almost everyday last week. Weird thing is I never seen one yote on any camera until now, and my cameras have been up since May.
Looks like I have some work to do.

[XCaddis]

Thanks to all for the input!!

Here I just thought it was me.

And to the fellow who dropped the coyotes..... THANK YOU.
I pulled my camera cards on Sunday and I have pics of very healthy coyotes that's showed up almost everyday last week. Weird thing is I never seen one yote on any camera until now, and my cameras have been up since May.
Looks like I have some work to do.

Yes I think I'm going to give up deer hunting and take up coyote hunting as I can't seem to spot any deer on the properties I have permission to hunt on.

[hugger]

We should ALL make a valid effort to spend some extra time in the field and take care of a few coyotes. Do the deer a favor and Protect the sport we love. Before deer season next year and the following years are destroyed.

[jackhunter1974]

My brother and I hunted 81A Dundalk. We saw nothing... Not even the mell of deer. The tracks are there but nothing moving in the daylight hours. We tried pushing small bushes where we have been successful in the past years with no results. A very frustrating hunt!!!! I had a chance to sit Friday night, and 5:25pm a doe finally shows herself. Shooting iron sites, and low light conditions, i had a hard time putting the bead on her. She walked! Very disappointing hunt to say the least.

[evaughan]

I hunt 84 on the lakeshore and feel your pain. We've been through 5 low years but were definitely into a rebound now which is hard to explain after the rough winter. We shot 2x as many deer as the last five years and only hunted 1/2 the week due to poor weather. Half the pole was 1.5 year old bucks all in great shape. Hopefully the rebound continues and spills inland for next year. 84 has been wrot with coyotes for 30 years.