Deer sightings this season
 

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.

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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??

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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.

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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

Welost alot of deer last year.:(

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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!

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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.

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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.

RE: Deer sightings this season
 

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?