GregH

How were your deer sightings this season? Worse, better or the same.

Please state the difference.

For example, I hunted two states this year and as a whole, my deer sightings were down. What really stood out was my lack of fawn sightings!!??

Hard winters, Coyotes or both?

Thanks.

chrowski

I made the switch from climbers to hang-ons this year and it's been a great move with respect to seeing deer. But maybe that just shows a previously incompetant(sp?) hunter??

danscott

Our hunt group is probably off 30-40% in total sightings this year. There is alot of corn that never got harvested and we are guessing that played a role in the reduction.

PreacherTony

This was the worst season for me, as far as deer seen during Bowhunting .......by far!

gri22ly

My deer sightingswereway down, still feeling the effects of EHD.[:@]

Welost alot of deer last year.

txjourneyman

Mine were up in a big way. I'm on new land with a larger population.Getting them patterned and getting a shot were a different story. Tag soup this year. Tagged out next year!

daveyrock

I've seen more deer this year than ever before...

cooter144

My sightings were WAY down in MN this season.

It wasby far theleast ammount of deer I have ever seen and this is my 15th season bowhunting.

130woodman

I'm down 35% for the # of sits. I tagged out early so I didn't hunt that much. I did sit out with my wife for the rut but that was non existant.

In my part of WI I think the wolves and the bears had alot to do with it.

Edcyclopedia

I'll go with better than usual...

The best season for deer sightings for me was 29, and this was 2 years ago.
This season was 23 deer sightings.
This does include the possibility of some deer being the same ones (obviously).
I call it a "sighting" if it's a "new sit" or a "different day".
I wouldn't call it a "sighting" if I saw some deer and then an hour later they came back, while never leaving my stand.

In years past (10+ years) I would be hard pressed to see 5 or 10 deer in a season, a dozen deer was a milestone!
However, I attribute the last handful of successful years, due to me changing my tactics and have seen much improvement all the way around.

I believe I am maturing into a better "deer hunter" verses a "hiker" with a gun / bow![&:]

You, along with many others on this site, have given me food for thought and I am slowly digesting it with success, in my eyes.
My season ended Dec 15th and have already been scouting a few new areas with good results, with many more new areas to research and gain an understanding of.
I look at my personal deer hunting goal as a 5 year plan and I'm very happy with the results for the first year of my plan.

Happy Holidays Greg, how's the boy mending?