Yeah my big concern was staying out of the woods but at this point MT, Im probabky better off looking for a scrape line liek you said.
More info regarding my concerns. I emailed a whitetail research biologistabout the lack of water and what concerns/effects it could have on the property. His reply was short and sweet. He said deer need to drink once a day, however, they can survive several days or longer without any water.They will eventually move to a location that easily provides them with ample water that is easily acccessible without having to travel far.

Well based on that and not having ANY water within a mile or further in any direction, I think my questions are answered. Im sure there are still some deer around as proof by my camera, but I also think many have left. Wait until you see some pics, these deer look horrible, like anorexic deer, poor things. Dehydration obviously. I'll post one when I get home. Look at the pic of the normal Doe I took around Sept 15th, nice and healthy, when you see these things you may not even eat them, all bones and ribs.