I' ve hunted the same 500 +/- acres in Mayville, NY (Lake Chataqua area, near the Erie PA border) for over 20 years.

This year was an unusually poor weather year, we had rain for two days, and two days of high HIGH winds. But we also had two days of snow-covered ground, making spotting deer, and tracking much easier.

Last year I thought I saw much less sign, but I figured it was only me. This year I' m sure of it. Last Saturday, I walked all over the area I' ve hunted for all these years, and I only found a dozen sets of tracks. Granted, it was windy, but the snow had been on the ground since Friday afternoon/evening.

Last winter was especially harsh for deer - lots of snow, or so my hunting friends tell me. Also, the coyote population is soaring in the area.

My brother, who hunts there for two weeks, only has one deer so far - he usually tags out. Nobody else in camp had taken even one deer after two weeks. I went home meatless for the second year in a row. (I could have taken a fawn, but the meat isn' t really all that important).

Has anyone else noticed a much lower than normal deer count, especially in the Chataqua county area ? If so, do you think it was last winter, coyotes, combination, or something I' ve overlooked ?

Patrick