Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

This question came up recently while talking to a few hunting buddies (sons included). Since we hunt in New England (Maine, NH) we are not blessed with large deer herds like most other states/provinces. When we tag our deer, it' s always special. Sometimes just seeing deer during deer season is a special event. If you hunt in areas where the deer are plentiful and you see deer everyday you hunt, and you know you will definitely put venison in the freezer...,....does it take the challenge out of it?

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

Yes, there is still challenge, but definately less than in places with fewer deer. It makes it easier to get kids into hunting (more action), but also usually means less monster bucks and more habitat destruction too.

In WV a few years ago, two buddies and I hunted my place one whole day dark to dark, then the next morning until about 10:30. We EACH saw over 50 deer, but only probably two that had 6 or more points (couldn' t see them all that well), and neither was a real nice buck. I would rather see less but have quality deer and not have browse lines where nothing is green under 6 feet. At the same time, I would rather see deer than not see them at all because they are too few.

By the way, every few years there is a bad winter there where deer starve and it helps to keep the population in balance somewhat, but they bounce right back quickly.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

While being blessed with a terrific place to hunt, I always find harvesting a deer " Special" . I figure the day it loses it' s luster is the day I sell my gear. While I can' t image going a season without having the opportunity to shoot " A" deer, I have gone seasons without harvesting a mature buck. That is where my challenge lays, matching wits and winning the occasional battle with a mature trophy sized buck.

Its all what we make it, but if the feeling, challenge and excitement where ever to leave my body I would not being doing it!!! It certainly isn' t the cheapest way to put meat on the table but for me it is the most fun way[8D].

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

not for me.......you still have to find the deer.....i seen over 15 deer the first day and we had 3 down by 9am....thats not luck at all to me....its the pay off of doing our homework and finding that great spot.....if you dont know how to find spots like that it doesnt matter how long you sit in the woods your chances of seeing deer arent to good if your not where deer want to be...so the challenge is still there.....and having over 1million people chasing them around with highpowered rifles makes it way harder......my one friend went all season without seeing 1 deer becuase he isnt the best hunter.....moves alot...sleeps to much....doesnt listen to knowledgable people so he didnt see a deer all year.....

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

As one who is fortunate to hunt in Alberta, it' s no problem to see the deer. It' s still a challenge to get them, depending on whether you hunt public land or private property. How well you know the specific area also contributes to the challenge (a good thing as it develops your hunting skills). Honey holes are reserved for meat hunts and taking first time hunters out.

Overall, the challenge is still there. The focus will change from year to year and location and modified by other circumstances.

Al

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

Well said Mauser, I have gun hunted for years and I started bow hunting two years ago, I did bow hunt one year about 15 years ago but simply was not that into it then. Bow hunting I have seen a lot of deer, up to 15 in a single afternoon, there have also been a few days where I saw none, the thing with bow hunting I have found is taking my gun experience and amplifying it by ten, even then it took me two seasons to get my first bow kill, I learned a lot and am really looking forward to this season I found a really great spot with a lot of deer as long as nothing happens to my spot I should do well. I have had several nice deer in range that simply never presented the right angle for an ethical shot, there was one yearling I could have taken, but it was so little I couldn' t even bring myself to draw the bow.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

We hunt in an area in Ontario where there is supposed to be lots of deer; It' s one of the highest quota regions in the province, but it covers a great area. We do not see many deer on a daily basis and the sheer thrill of seeing movement in the bush gets the heart pumping like you can' t believe. I enjoy this thrill immensely and would also love to see 15 or 30 walk by where I can choose whether to harvest or not. I' m just not sure I' d see the sport of harvesting in such situations.

No offence intended to anyone on this board!

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

When you have alot of deer, IMO taking A deer is alot easier, especially with a gun. However, even with high numbers, taking a mature deer is still not easy...at least at all the places I' ve hunted. Bowhunting is a different story. You' re odds go up somewhat with high numbers, but there are no guarantees.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

Well, I guess all that I can say without starting a war between Places like Pennsylvania and Maine is come try hunting my neck of the woods and you will see that no matter how smart you think you are and how well you scouted the area, Maine is tough hunting period!!
Yes, I think that massive deer herds make for easier hunting, but no matter where you hunt, you got to put your time in!!!

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

I believe the challenge is what you make it regardless of how many deer you have . We have a lot of deer and its nothing to see twenty or more a day ,but we don' t shoot everything that we see. Now if you want a challenge move to Nevada where they have 13000 tags and 53000 applicants ,now thats a challenge .:D

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RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

With large deer populations, there is still a challenge; it just lies elsewhere. Instead of trying to kill a legal deer, you try for a bigger buck.;)

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

Another thing to remember about large deer populations is that there are more sets of eyes, ears and noses to bust you with.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

It' s still a challenge when you have to worry about ten sets of eyes ears and noses! It is more rewarding when your hunting a very low population of deer in big timber and you make your harvest.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

One of the places I hunt has plenty of deer, not much huntable land, and too many hunters for the acreage. The deer are extreemly educated there and will bust you for the smallest mistake. Even when things go right and they come with-in range, getting one that makes my personal qualifications list isn' t easy since they tend not to be that big. I' ve walked out of there several years without one . . . from there anyway. ;)

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

With large numbers of deer in the area, there are STILL lots of challenges:

You still have to get close enough to harvest one, and beating a LOT of deer' s noses isn' t easy, beating one or two deer is difficult enough, beating twenty is even moreso! Having lots of deer also presents a new challenge, if I were lucky to see 2-5 deer a season, i.e. a small herd, I' d take the first opportunity that presented itself, but since I usually see 2-5 deer a day during season, I have to, first, control myself so I don' t waste a tag on a small deer, and secondly, plan my hunts so I don' t disturb the smaller deer, but can get close enough to the larger deer, which usually means getting uncomfortably close to the smaller deer pods, as they tend to roam larger circles than the more wary older deer. Getting close is still difficult, and since we have so many deer, I do it 3-5 times a year, and like I said, I beat the noses on 2-5 deer a day.

I will admit, though, that hunting somewhere that has a lot of deer does present itself to poaching and idiots, and there are lots of guys, unfortunately, that will go out into these areas and just ' spray and pray' at any deer they see at any range, which isn' t hunting, ethical, or legal. Taking ethical shots at challenging ranges (i.e. the close ones under 100yrds, since it' s a challenge to get them close) is still very difficult, I just have more deer to choose from when I get there, and like I said, having 5 deer in front of you is a two sided coin, I have more opportunity to take a deer, but I also have 10eyes, 10ears, and 5noses that might give me away, as opposed to 2-2-1. When one deer is walking on the field, you can move a LOT more, because you can see where it' s looking, but watching the eyes of 5 deer at a time is very difficult, and getting opportunities to reposition are few and far between.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

I am fortunate I can hunt areas with high deer populations. While nothing is every a garuntee, having lots of deer around can only make it easier if just by dumb luck of running into one. Even with lots of deer you still have to follow the rules with scent and movement etc, you can' t be a total idiot.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

I believe that the high population areas has a lower population of big bucks, since there is so much competition. I definately respect those who expect to see very few, if any deer, but hopefully that is balanced by a greater likelihood of getting a really nice buck. To me, half of the excitement, even while sitting on stand, is the POSSIBILITY of seeing a nice buck. There aren' t many big ones where I hunt. But it would make for the time on stand to be enjoyable and exciting. Of course, it is also that way now, when seeing deer is probable during any given hunt (except when it is hot!).

On advantage to people who see lots of deer is that they get more practice to try controlling buck fever. I can imagine hunting the low population areas that also have bigger bucks. If I went a few days without seeing anything, then suddenly saw a bruiser (0 to 60 in two seconds), my heart would be in my throat!

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

I don' t think there was one person hunting in high deer numbers, that said it was less challenging. Kinda suprised me. Is it possibly because those who hunt in these states/provinces, never hunted in area with low deer numbers? Maybe one would have to compare the two personally, before a decision could be made. Since I never had the luxury to hunt in places where I would see deer each and every time I went out, I don' t know how that would be first hand. All I do know is that every time I see a deer in the woods, it gets the adrenaline pumping, and the excitement never goes away. We do well but tagging an adult deer consistently is the hardest thing I have ever tried to do. If I can bat .500, that would be very respectable. One of my sons failed to shoot his deer last season. The first time in 12 yrs. Eleven yrs in a row is something to be real proud of. I would think if I saw 10-20 deer each time I went out, I would lose some of the excitement. Hope I never do, and I hope you never do as well.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

I' ve lived in areas that are blessed with deer. That is probably why I picked up a bow. The gun was getting boring. Bowhunting will increase the challenge no matter where you go. And if you are serious about it, you' ll become a better hunter (personally, not comparing to a gun hunter). You' ll start looking at travel routes and sign differently instead of points that offer the widest view. The chances of taking a deer with bow would obviously improve if the herd is larger. But I will share this experience last year: I had 9 deer within 15-30 yards and got busted by one doe. Nothing is a giveme when bowhunting. And that is what makes it so exciting............

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

" Every deer is a trophy" . However, the satisfaction in the kill is directly proportional to the degree of planning, preparation, effort, time, and work preceding and leading to it which, in turn, are proportional to the challenge and improbability of success. The kill is simply the culmination and validation of the total hunting experience (the above factors), just as a mountain climber strives to reach the summit to validate all of the previous climbing experience or a marathon runner strives to reach the finish line even if not placing in the competition for awards. " I kill to have hunted" , not hunt to kill per se. Obviously there is not as big of a thrill for a climber to reach the crest of a small mountain/big hill in the Ozarks as in reaching the peak of Mt. Everest. Certainly, if deer are running around everywhere as plentiful as squirrels and one is nearly guaranteed to bag one, particularly a fawn and/or a doe, the first day or two, the thrill is not as great as if one finally bags one, particularly a mature buck, after many days of hard, smart concerted hunting. These mature deer, especially big racked bucks, are the Mt. Everests of deer hunting while the fawns andd does are the hills. That all being said, I still, after all of these years, get the shakes and a machine gun heart rate at seeing the first deer of the season, even if a young one. There is something fundamental, deeply fulfilling, and even primal at working to finally harvest an animal that doubles as good food. If one ever gets to the point that he loses the " natural high" of the hunt and the kill and gets bored with them, he should consider hanging his gear up. You can' t really explain it to a non-hunter but once a new hunter experiences it, he is a hunter for life! Bob Dale

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

Jimmy S

I grew up hunting deer in the national forests of northern Wisconsin during a time that if you seen a single deer during the season , it was a good season. The area I hunt now happens to be farm country with alot of deer. Like I said , it' s still plenty challenging , just not as rewarding as finding that needle in a hay stack.

RE: Is it less challenging if you have tons of deer?
 

I hunted both last season, actually. The property where I hunt every year in Florida has pretty low deer numbers; I' ve gone entire seasons without seeing a whole deer, and I actually hunted for five years before my first buck. By contrast, every year my family takes a trip to one of the lodges in Alabama. Well, after four years, this year was the first where I came home from Alabama with a buck. That, of course, is because they have the 8 point / 16 inch rules up there, so it makes it tougher to find a buck to shoot.

I' ll say this - the larger number of deer helps me relax in the field. When I' m hunting in Florida, every sound I hear is a possible deer, and I spend a lot of time on the edge of my seat. In Alabama, I know I' m going to see plenty of deer, so it' s just a matter of finding out which ones have the headgear we' re looking for. It' s rewarding every year to go up there and not have to fight for every deer you see.

It' s both easier to kill a deer, and to kill a larger buck in higher density states; I' ve hunted a combined two weeks in Alabama, resulting in a 9-point and a doe. I' ve hunted Florida the past twelve years, translating into a forkhorn, a small 8, and a few does. I think what everybody' s trying to say is that your strategy has to change with the area to keep the same level of challenge. Killing a doe here is the same as getting a small 8 in Alabama, etc.