White_Farm

Anyone else in the upstate, NY or surrounding areas not seeing any bucks this season? I have been out probably 6 times this year, and saw one sad looking spike horn. There are rumors floating around of most people in the area seeing less bucks than usual, and clubs with buck contests having unusually low entries.

Now I have seen tons of does. Three is the least I have seen in one trip out. And on a quick one mile loop around the area one night we spotted 23 deer, ALL does. In a 100 acre area surrounding where I hunt I have only heard of 2, possibly 3 bucks being taken. Most years there are much more by this time.

Anyone noticing the same thing? Any ideas on the reason? There was an article in a local paper saying that things were slow this year, but they blamed it on warm weather, no snow, etc. But I don't buy that. My guesses are a combination of more hunters shooting strictly bucks for the past X amount of years, and also coyotes.

Anyone have thoughts?

MDManiac

Last year we took a big 9 pointer (130+in) and a full spike, thats all we saw. This year, we've seen 5 shooter bucks (8+ points), a Croch and got a half racked spike. Doe numbers were the same each year. opening day of shotgun (this is in 7J) and yesterday I saw over 20 does each day and took one each day. Ironically, of my three bad days, 2 were the day after harvesting a deer. (Today and the 23rd). In 6K where i live, I have seen Very Very Very Few Deer, and Heard of 8 Bucks shot. 4 by one guy alone (Dipwad). Otherwise, very sparse deer population.

maugus63

Here in 6R our camp has taken a "2" point (one antler w/two points) that I got on the second day (only deer I saw the whole day) and a 6 pt taken thanksgiving moring in the middle of a thunderstorm and down pour of rain. We took two does this past saturday. We have seen at least 3 orther bucks but havent "connected" yet and have seen does each time out. The bucks did not have nice racks and were average for this area. This year it has been much better than last year when we took an 8 point on the last weekend and that was all we got.

The rack sizes have been smaller this year than in years past when we have harvested nice bucks for this area.

One thing I have noticed is that we have not sighted any coyotes this year while hunting. I have been in the woods every weekend since the beginning of archery season and at least 8 full days this regular season and have not seen a single coyote. They are still around (have seen tracks) but not like last year when we wre seeing them every time out. I am not sure if this is a factor or just maybe coyote number are down in this area.

Medic

I also hunt 6-K and 6-R. in 6-K I saw 2 spikes and a crotch during early bow, let then go and took a mature Doe. Opening day of Muzzle loader I took My biggest Buck so far. (Pics to follow). this was in Sueuben. I also have Hunted a lot in Camden and have only seen a few does. I can't complain last year we took 3 bucks of the 40 acres we hunt there. But have not seen any Buck sign there either. No acorns this rear might have something to do with that. In 6-R I have seen 2 different bucks, a spike and a crotch.

Last year We decided to let all the little ones go and knock down our doe population a bit. Our hope is that a few of the bucks would mature and stay in the area we hunt. But as you know, once the rut hits all bets are off and onto the state land they will wander, so who knows.

hunter Leo

Where i hunt here in 5r in hardwoods where i depend on the oaks has been very poor. Last year i was able to find some spots that had acorns that was great hunting. I scouted several 100 acres where i live and went up in the adirondacks with a friend and scouted a mountain and found no acorns and premature beachnuts. Where i live at night you used to hear the coyotes at night but not anymore. I shot a doe during bow season back on oct. 21st... gut pile is still there! Gun season I heard less then 5 shots opening day and for the first few days were scattered shots. Yesterday i heard a shot for the first time in a week and i hunt almost everyday. The more i think about i really dont think i have seen a single chipmunk this hunting season either and probably only several squirrels. The only people getting deer i know of are hunting meadows and farm land. There was lil food last year where i lived in the woods and next to nothing this year. Saw less then half the deer i saw last year and if the winter is bad next year will be worst for offspring and the hopes of the deer making it threw the winter. Ive seen 3 bucks and 10-20 doe this year thats all. Looks like this will be my 2nd year buckless but its fine... im already excited and cant wait for next year to come. This winter before new year im going to fertilize small patches of oaks here and there.. probably do a good 100 trees. My friends father works on a orchard and has tend to trees for many years so its not gauranteed if fertilizing the oaks will work or not but atleast i have a better chance of having my oaks produce next year. I talked to several "old timer" hunters and they said every so often you have a couple years where oak trees do not produce. Its mother natures way of thinning out wildlife i guess. Is this true or is it more weather then just a cycle the oaks go threw. What causes oaks not to produce if it is the weather?

Phade

I read that article as well about deer numbers.

Bow season was very busy. I hunted strictly afternoons during bow due to other obligations(11 total afternoon hunts), and saw more deer than both of the two prior seasons put together. Ironically only one doe and one buck came in close enough for a shot, but no success. I personally saw at least 5 different bucks, 7 afternoons. On two of those occasions I witnessed multiple bucks, and on the last Friday before opener, I jumped the largest Buck I have seen in the woods in my lifetime. He was tending a doe.

Come opening morning of shotugn, I saw a small buck come into the lane as expected, but he turned last minute, and failed to offer a shot. I later took a doe on the evening of opener, and have yet to see another deer in the woods.

However someone hunting the area property is not very ethical. A fellow hunter informed me of two bucks that had been shot and scalped for their antlers and the rumps cut off. The ermaining bodies were thrown into a gully with a small creek off the side of the road. Sure enough, I checked it out, and it was true.

It has been absolutely and scarily quiet in the woods after opening day, well beyond the normal expected "quietness".

maytom

I hunted the first three weeks in November during the bow season and passed up many doe and yearling bucks, but never seen a shooter?????
Then came opening day of gun season, I was in my treestand all day long and never seen a DEER??? WTF!!! What happened to the deer populations???[:-]

doughboysigep

must be there are no more deer in NY
i too have not seen a deer in the past 6-7 days hunting. however the deer are there (as can easily be seen by the numerous tracks they leave in the snow every night). that's right folks, they are but they've gone nocturnal (at least that is what i'm seing - or more to the point - not seeing)
I saw 4-5 nice bucks during bow and only a few doe. opening 2 days of gun season I saw one of the bucks and many (10-15) doe. after that, nada, zip, nothing (except tons of tracks).
lots of deer but not out during the day.

hunter Leo

Any of you guys go out hunting today in the snow. I almost didnt go out and decided what do i have to lose. After 5 minutes of walking i shot the biggest doe of my life... I mean i only have l15 deer under my belt in my 6 years of hunting but shes every bit of 150 dressed. I watched her for 20 minutes eating off an old railroad bed we own. I was waiting for a buck or something bigger to come along... nothing came and it would be dark soon... got her at 20 yards... hope others benefited from the snow today. BTW... this is the latest i ever shot a deer into gun season, im glad i didnt give up.

DJBAD

I TELL YA I H AVE NOT SEEN AS MANY BUCKS THIS YEAR AS I HAVE IN THE PAST...I SAW 2 SO FAR A NICE 8 AND A HUGE 6 UPSTATE... I ALSO HUNT ON LONG ISLAND AND SEEN MORE DEER HERE THEN UP THERE... ALL IN ALL FROM LISTENING TO EVERYONE IT HAS NOT BEEN A PRODUCTIVE YEAR