Where are the deer this time of year?

mufan · 12-21-2006, 09:45 PM

I've always kinda hated to see gun season come around because it seems like the deer disappear once they've been shot at for a while....big wonder. But where do they go? I've always heard that they go to the thick stuff to hide but I still don't have much luck jumping them up this time of year. I even try wading through the thickets but the deer are nowhere, its like they've went underground. Do they just spend all day and night bedded down in thickets and not move? How long does it take for them to return to pre-gun season habits? How do you hunt them at this time?

TimberCreek · 12-21-2006, 10:41 PM

Most are at the north pole! The rest are in the freezer!

Bucks are worn out and rest allot during the day and feed at night. Depends on weather too. They will not go back to "pre-gun" habbits until spring when cover permits more daytime movement. Try mid day!

Christine B · 12-21-2006, 11:30 PM

Most nice bucks here went nocturnal well into bow season and will stay put for the most part til hunting season is over. Hopefully, bigger and better next year......

petasux · 12-22-2006, 06:12 AM

Dont be real quick to assume theyre staying in the thick stuff.On warmer days I find lots of deer will bed up out in the wide open.Theyve been shot at but they figure out fast that staying in the open they can see anything coming at them.Old fencelines, weed patches, waterways, even just lying out in the plowing.Bad part is they are right, they can generally see anything thats coming at them.We usually locate a deer then try to sneak in close enough for a shot or if we have a couple guys we try a small drive.

I also hunt a lot of slough ground this time of year, they bed off the sides of deer trails in the cattails and if you keep the wind in your favor and go slow they often times wont get up till you almost step on them.Difficult to get a shot sometimes because the stuffs so thick but Ive seen some nice late season bucks killed doing this.

Closer to the end of season I quit worrying about bucks and start concentrating on food sources that does are using, theyll start coming back into the during daylight a week or two after gun season if they arent pressured much in between.

Rebel Hog · 12-22-2006, 06:24 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Christine B

Most nice bucks here went nocturnal well into bow season and will stay put for the most part til hunting season is over. Hopefully, bigger and better next year......

Same here!

jrbsr · 12-22-2006, 07:14 AM

They went over the river and through the woods to Grandmas house
For Christmas.

For reindeer games

And party till spring

monsterbucks2011 · 12-22-2006, 07:23 AM

deer are where food is. its that simple you have to leave food for them in the winter months i see more now than i ever did. like 25 deer in a hunt.

deafhunter · 12-22-2006, 08:28 AM

Monsterbuck2011 says..

"deer are where food is. its that simple you have to leave food for them in the winter months i see more now than i ever did. like 25 deer in a hunt."

I left last food there last week (corn on cob) and notice that they eat at nite but I managed to get doe yesterday @ 5:20 EST. despite stray dogs still running around.I was going togo down from my fort and it was right there about 30 feet and Istood still for abouta min before it walked toward food plot.I feel great coming home knowing that I got deer. But no pictures.

124 lbs is good enough for summer sauage and slim jims..

Hunt hard because hunting season is about to be over.

Deaf Hunter

Red Lion · 12-22-2006, 08:32 AM

Deer are going to hang close to food sources that offer decent/good shelter.

RWK · 12-22-2006, 08:46 AM

Hopefully in the frezzer