Kev,why are you hunting where you're not seeing deer or sign?Just because they were there one year it doesn't mean they'll be there the next year.Deer in these parts adjust to changing food conditions.As the mast crop changes,the deer move.As new areas get logged,the deer move.My suggestion would be too look for areas logged in the last few years.They draw deer like crazy,especially when there's a good mast crop.

I have a friend that owns 200 acres in Sinnemahoning.It's rough,steep country that he bought just for the timber.He had it logged in 2001 and dmap'd the property to keep the deer in check because the deer were hammering all his new growth.This property is open to the public and is bordered by state forest land.With the exception of his property,the woods are wide open with nothing growing but laurel andmountain blueberry.I have several friends that have camps in this area and they all told me not to waste my time hunting there because they didn't see a single deer all week.These guys hunt the wide open woods where they can see for hundreds of yards.

Without ever setting foot on this property,I took a topo map that had the logged areas marked and hiked for 1.45 minutes to find some deer.I never cut a trackthe entire way up the mountain but when I got to the timber sale,I saw tracks everywhere.Within 2 hours I had over 20 deercome by me and I killed one.Upon closer investigation,the only thing that was growing at this point was black birch and striped maple.Since the habitat was so stressed all around this area,all the deer concentrated there,eating everything within their reach.Within a few years,themapleand birch will be out of the deer's reach and it will be a lousy place to hunt.At that point,I'm sure everyone will be complaining that the PGC shot all the deer off and that simply isn't the case.The habitat is managing the deer in these places,not the hunters.