[quote]ORIGINAL: 4evrhtn
ORIGINAL: 4evrhtn
ORIGINAL: RSB
I agree that I am seeing far fewer deer then there used to be, but I am still seeing plenty of deer in ALL of the places where anyone that knows much of anything about deer would expect to find deer.
I have scouted year round, hunted water sources, varied food sources, planted food plots, hunted staging areas where deer have always browsed prior to coming out into bigger timber and fields,supplied minerals ( example-Dicalcium Phosphate) from lateFeb till mid August, hinge cut timber for bedding areas, hunted"historical" bedding areasand planted fruit trees. I have trail cam pics of two approx. 2 1/2 yr oldbuck that have improved in rack size considerably in the last year due to in large partthe mineral supplementation. I am as scent-free as possible I purchase a new scentlok outfit every 3 years and wash it often, scent-free soap, deodorant, laundry detergent, spray, wafers, wear rubber bottom boots, etc.But for all my efforts and miles walked, hours sat and varied techniques in hunting I have only counted 8 deer in total after too many hours to count(minimum 25 hrs per week). The only two bucks were a 5 and 4 point. One adult doe, the rest yearlings and fawns.
I do all the same things in Ohio (for instance) and I saw more deer in one day there than I have all season here in Pa. I saw more buck in 2 days than I have total deer in Pa.
Your claim that the deer are "behaving as deer are intended" doesn't wash with me. The only way for deer to do what deer do naturally is to take man out of the equation. PAGC programs dictate behaviors and populations so don't claim things are so perfectto statethings are the way they "naturally" should be. Anyone "who knows much of anything" knows better!
Please bless me with some insight from your expertise to help me become more successful at seeing all these deer in Pa that I apparently know nothing about. Is the secret to count the same deer over and over again?
RSB, I am still waiting to receive your help in educating me on how to find all these deer.
I don’t know where you are hunting so it is pretty hard for me to offer you much advice on where to find deer in your hunting area. I don’t think you are looking for advice anyway but just in case you really are I’ll give my take on the situation.
All I can say is that I hunt in units 2G and 2F where everyone says there almost no deer yet I seem to find deer in pretty much all of the places I expect deer to be living. During the day I can find them in the places that are so think you can’t get close enough to see one. I know they are there though because of all the sign they have left behind.
During the early morning and late evening I find them on the edges of the bedding areas that are so think hunters don’t ever go in them as they are moving toward the best food item areas. I might be miles from the vehicle when it gets to dark to see for a clean or safe shot and find that the deer simply don’t move until most other hunters have already quit for the day.
What I can tell you is that I and the majority of the other hunters I know, who spend their time hunting instead of complaining, are still being pretty darn successful, even if they aren’t seeing as many deer as they once did. I will agree though that there are certainly a lot more pockets of poor habitat areas that aren’t worth hunting anymore since the deer don’t have to live in the areas with worthless habitat just to find enough food to go around any more.
As for the scent free clothing and other such gimmicks and gadgets I don’t think they really make that much difference unless you can first place your self in the place where deer are most likely to want to be. Can you tell us five of the best deer browse species in your hunting area? Can you identify each of those most preferred browse species. Even finding the best food source isn’t enough though if you can’t figure out where the deer are spending their daytime hours and then figure out just how close you can set up that area without spooking them. Also remember that a deer will know every place a person has walked or been for almost a week after they were there. Most deer avoid those people trails until well after dark.
R.S. Bodenhorn