Never knew how good it is.
 

My first year bow hunting was great. I seen deer everyday until gun season started. Now they are few and far between. I'm not ripping on gun hunting because like i've said before , I still hunt with a gun too, but I'm just not seeing many deer now. Is this normal or am I in the wrong place now? I hunt thick stuff, thin stuff, food plots, and everything in between. Just can't seem to find the numbers that I was seeing during bow season. Is there still places that they are gathering that I just haven't found or is this just normal? Thinking back on the last few years of gun season, this may be the norm. Anyone else feel the same? Sure hope that I can find em soon. I need one more to top the freezer off.:confused0024::confused0024::confused0024:

Your not alone. Around where I hunt, if you dont get a buck before gun season, your chances are slim to none afterwards. The deer become spooked easier and move a ton more at dark than during the day.

I think you are right. I had a friend that use to try to get me to bow hunt a few years ago. He told me that he seen more deer in a weeks time bow hunting than the entire gun season. Now I believe him. I'm still enjoying being in the woods with my bow and gun now. Since I've started this year with a bow, I just can't seem to leave it at home. Oh well maybe we'll get lucky!

Combination of added pressure with more gun hunters in the woods, and rut/doe estrus cycle. The rut falls during bow (at least around here) and thats when they move the most. After that, movement slows, then added pressure = nocturnal. Same case everywhere.. they go back to earlier season patterns. Hunt food/water sources in the evenings, and bedding areas in the morning.

That does seem to be the norm up north here too. Our archery season runs from late september to the last day of the year. The rifle season ends the end of november/early december. By late december the deer, especially bucks, are feeding alot and trying to put the fat back on that they lost getting chased and rutting. But from mid november to early december they seem to go dark and the few you do see are very wary.

i've hunted and have taken whitetail with my bow in three different states. and it aways seems after gun season deer are harder to find.

I'm glad its not just me. I mean I hate that ya'll have trouble too but sometimes I get the feeling that I'm doing something wrong. As far as hunting bedding areas, I must not be in the right places. I've done just about everything that I can think of. But I'm still enjoying being out in the woods.

That sounds right. I see way more deer before any other seasons come in. Usually you have to change up your methods to keep on the deer. Where I hunt here in PA we have a late bow season after Christmas and its like hunting in early season again just WAY colder.

I sure wish that we had a late bow season. After gun season its all over for us in North Carolina. Sad thing is, that's only 3 weeks away.

No. 1 on my hit list vanished when blackpowder came it. He never moved in my area during the day time. Hadn't seen him for almost a month on my trail cam until this past weekend. Was walking past my stand at 210am.

I was super pumped. Might not get him this yr but excited to see him still walking.

I sure hope that you get him. I know the feeling. I hunted one buck all season last year until he stopped showing up on my game cam. This year before the season I got a lot of pics of him again. I finally was lucky enough to take him down Thanksgiving morning this year. It was a 2 year wait but oh what a rush when it finally came together. Good luck to ya.

It's also the time of the year. The temps are dropping and theres less food to find. Deer will find a desired food source and bed close by and only move to and from the food source. So if your not by a food source they are targeting. It's one boring sit during the late season.

But when you find the food source it can be your best hunt of the year. Get out there and scout. Deer have a different pattern then the one they had in Nov. Good Luck.

Seeing less deer after a gun season that takes a lot and not knowing why is silly. Deer move around to this palce and that at this time and that time. Cold causes them to bunch up, find that place and you'll see deer. Deer leave here and not from a gun season. They bunch up about 5 miles fom here by the 100's.

Typically in early bow season you are still catching them in their summer patterns then later they move into the seek and chase phase. This is the exciting part of the year. This is when bucks are completely unpatternable but also extremely active. Where I am this extends into the very beginning of gun season. After this they go into the breeding phase. During this time they are rarely seen. Then comes the post rut. Early post rut bucks are pretty low key and resting up from a hard rut season. Between the last two phases, increased human interference, and the never ending sound of gun shots they become very low key and wary. Also remember that a mature buck with pattern a person much easier than a person will pattern him. Get away from the stands and blinds during this part of the season. It's hard being the coldest part but it can pay off big. Get around thick cover and easily accessible food sources. A small cove of grass or cut corn near thick nasty cover is killer this time of year. Standing corn and beans are even better.

Thanks for all of the comments. I feel that I've tried everything that I can. I've tried small food plots in the middle of thick brush, Trails, over scrapes and rubs, backed off of both, peas, corn, oak tress, and a lot of other things. Just can't seem to find the right place. I'm still scouting. Maybe I'll eventually find them.

Got any road signs that warn of deer crossing, that's where they're going or coming from. The place I mentioned where the deer herd up has one.

Some professional hunters who've written books and articles about hunting public grounds mention finding those road signs.

I can't believe that I've never thought of that. Great advise. I don't have any signs on my property but it may be time to check out the game lands. Thanks nodog.

One other thing that I feel causes the deer to get wary and go just about nocturnal - more people in the woods equals more scent spread around. I don't think its as much the gun sound, but the scent that everybody and their brother is leaving behind. They instinctively know to lay low because it will pass soon.

Don't go out to the game lands... just buy one for your property and set it on the main road!
:party0005:

Down here in NE Bama where I hunt I always kill more deer in gun season, but in gun season the deer are more alert and big bucks move almost exclusivley at night.

Your kinda in the same situation I am. I hunt about 100 miles south of you. The weather this year has been lousy. It's sooooo darn warm right now. I found the morning is better cause the temps can drop into the 30's, but as for evenings it been kinda warm. 60's, 70's.

You are right about the weather. It has been really warm around here.

For whatever reason those area's warrant the sign. I used to be on a list that law enforcement used to call people about road kill. I was called to those area's. The area down from me is a late season area. Has a county park about a mile from it they go too. One of the few people can hunt, but you have to pay a fee and get signed up way before the season starts.

I just read it when my brother and I used to hunt different public grounds. Helped in determining a starting point.

its easy..................

just look by your neighbors bait pile.


Try ANY food source.......lawns, trails that end at roadsides with grass buffers.

Low bushes and tree areas . They will eat the branches.

One more place is areas that had a recent fire in the woods.

NEW SPROUTS from burn.

Thanks Buckyou. I will keep searching until Monday. That's the last day here until next year.