Why have my deer gone???

[jminon]

I hunt on 30 acres of thick timber surounded with cut corn, cut beans, and a clover field. There is no other timber within 2 miles. I saw deer there 2 weeks ago and there is a lot of rut sign as far as scrapes, rubs that look to be about a week or two old. On the 21st we had good rain and today (3 days later) I looked at all the trails that are in/out of the woods and there are no tracks at all. I walked into the woods and there were no tracks or droppings on the main trails or in the bedding area.

This has happened before but usually not until December....there are only 2 people that hunt here so I do not think hunting pressuse would do it.

This has been a wierd year in Central Illinois.....I hope this does not become norm!!!

[johnnybravoo77]

Any coyotes around? They may have gotten scared out at night and may not comeback for a while.

[snowball450]

hmmm sounds like you have a problem.maybe they followed some doe's back over there.coyotes could be a reason they moved.has anyone run the woods on atvs?maybe some people have been running it.hope every thing goes right for ya and they come back before deer seasons out.

[wis_bow_huntr]

they are not YOUR deer.

[BuckMan8]

Sounds like they got scared off by someone or something.

[steve from nh]

ORIGINAL: snowball450

hmmm sounds like you have a problem.maybe they followed some doe's back over there.coyotes could be a reason they moved.has anyone run the woods on atvs?maybe some people have been running it.hope every thing goes right for ya and they come back before deer seasons out.

4 wheelers and snowmobiles usualy dont scare deer off. Most of the time the will just stand there untill ya shut off the engine , then they bolt . But even then its usualy only 20 ft or so behind some cover.

[Jimmy S]

steve is absolutely correct..snowmobiles and 4 wheelers don't bother deer half as much as we think they do.

A couple things come to mind...Those scrapes and rubs are possible more than 2 weeks old. Plus 30 acres is not much land and the deer can move out to another piece of land nearby very easily. If the rut is in full swing there, the does may have left your 30 acres in search of a better food source. Of course the bucks will be in the same piece of woods as the does.

I don't think coyotes are a factor and neither is the hunting pressure. My thoughts still focus on the food source. If they were there before it was because the area offered food, and security. If the security is still offered, food may have become their main cconcern.