buckmine

Is it because those deer have been driven hard by those hunting parties who choose to make drives. Also hunters who prefer to not use scent control or smoke are careless compared to the skilled bowhunter.

The last three years we have done away with drives hoping to ease the deers environment.Our success was great this year three deer with spreads greater than there ears. First time ever in our families history. 85 years of hunting history. The last 15 years of hunting the 127 acre farm.

buckhunter14

I wouldn't put the blame of deer going nocturnal on anyone person, it is any hunter. No matter how hard we trysome deer are going to feel the presences of humans during September/October and after being all quiet since January they will get skiddish. Then it gets worse when bow hunting, then gun... Now, after all that, I can sit out all day and see no deer like yesterday... Just IMO

ericstac

I've got about 6 acres in a restricted area on the Brazos just outside the State Park and at any giving time you can drive down the roads and pull up 3 feet from a heard of deer and they just look up and keep chewing. Craziest thing ever..

buckmine

The reason I posted this is because I am amazed at how many deer I have seen the last two years. We started hunting my dads land 15 years ago. Before that we went way up north. Seven years ago I started growing pumpkins. 5 years ago I started very small food plots, only to not take care of them the last two years. (children)

The late 80's and early 90's we let a couple of people bowhunt on our land and when we were up north we let another family hunt our land. I sat out bowhunting and rarely seen a thing. These last two years I have seen deer everytime I go out.

Lanse couche couche

I may be offbase here, but I tend to associate increased nocturnal behavior by animals with a full, or near full moon.

Bob H in NH

Increased movement in the dark also seems to correspond to shifting daylight hours, it goes from being dark 8 or so hours a day to 14, hmmmmm

Lanse couche couche

Good point.

buckmine

Bob I understand what you are saying.

But I have seen deer out in fields a half hour before light and that is around 4:30pm. You would never see these deer out that early in Oct.

NY Bowhunter

Gee what a concept [:-].
I'm sure there are going to be some folks coming soon to call you holier than thou and who are you to say deer drives make deer nocturnal blah blah blah. I for one applaud you and your new way of hunting your land. IMO the 2 reasons you listed (deer drives & scent control) or lack thereof are the 2 biggest reasons deer are DRIVEN nocturnal.

Grab some popcorn this one will probably get pretty good. It may be in the neighborhood of the "dead deer in publics view" thread.

Bob H in NH

Deer's daily habits change all year long, I believe hunting pressure is one factor, but not a major one. As food sources shift, the habits, and visibility change. They are in the fields all summer and early fall, then when the mast crop starts to drop, the feed habits change, this pulls them out of the fields and into the woods. Browse/leaves at this time of year also get a higher sugar content, making them more tasty. Also at this time of year the sun is setting earlier and earlier then daylight savings time ends.

then as fall goes, the mast crop dries up, or freezes up, or is covered by snow and the food habits change over again, add in the COLD in some areas and they need more food, this may push them back out into fields, so just after hunting season, the shift is back to where they are visible (also I think just to piss us all off after going all season without seeing deer, POOF there they are [:@])

Combine all this, then toss in hunter pressure and ya, the daily habits change. Especially around suburban/farms hunter pressure makes less difference (within reason of course), the deer are use to seeing, hearing and smelling humans, so when hunters head to the woods, as long as its not TONS of pressure, they adjust a bit again. You don't see them in the woods cause, well that's how they stay alive, by avoiding contact.