First off Hello to all. I've been bow hunting for 8 years now. I'm 43 years old and have shot lots of deer and hogs with a rifle. But 8 years ago I decided to never hunt with a gun again. I've only bow hunted since. Two years ago, I started have some health problems and was unable to hunt. Basiclly I had stints put in my artires and I didn't think I would ever be able to pull a bowstring again. This year my wife started telling me that I should try to practice and just see how it works out. After practicing and some weight lifting, I'm back. That's enough about me.............Now I need some advice on the following.

I'm hunting some public land here in Northeast Oklahoma. The area that I'm hunting is about a half of a mile by half of a mile. With a creek on the south side and the road on the North side. A private Alfalfa field to the east and the same creek on the west side. All the way around this land is a band of about 50 yards of thick trees. With everything in the middle being plowed field. Lots of clover in the field. OK, this past saturday when I went out, I saw some tracks only in two different corners of the field. Looks like they were feed on some of the clover. There are lots of acorns and persimions. The problem is that i found NO deer dropings. I did find lots of trails goin in and out of the field. And I found NO other deer sign at all. There not eating the acorns at all. My question is this. Am I setting on a virtually dead area?

Thanks and I'm sorry this was so long. Just wanted to paint the correct picture for ya'll.

Doesn't sound like a dead area. With the water and all the food in the area there will deffinately be deer there. Also seeing tracks sounds like pretty good sign to me. I have seen some bruisers on our land along with a bunch of doe but I too don't see any deer droppings either. However, I know they are there because I got them on film. Basically find a well used trail either crossing the stream or in a funnell leading to s food area and put some time in. Enough evening hunts and you should catch them going to feed. Good luck.

First, welcome to the forums. 2nd, welcome back to bowhunting, It's good that your health is better and your back bowhunting, now take care of yourself

If you have trails, and you have tracks in the trails, sounds like a good place to set up. If you have two primary trails into the alphalpha fields, set up on one of them and use in season scouting. If your set up on one trail and their using the other, move making sure your wind is right for each trail. Don't worry about not finding droppings...if the tracks are there, so are the deer all you have to do is figure out when. Hopefully they are using the field in daylight/hunting hours so you have opportunity. The only way to know is either by setting up a camera or being out there yourself. Get out there and enjoy our new friend, enjoy.