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-   -   Where did all my deer go?? (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/329848-where-did-all-my-deer-go.html)

cbookout89 09-15-2010 03:56 PM

Where did all my deer go??
 
I hunt this property that has this logging road going down into the center of the woods. Last year i got a trail camera pic at the end of the year of a deer who was a 10 pointer about 28" wide. It was HUGE. Well this year i started early (July) put my treestands up and started putting out bait and minerals. I was getting 1500 pics in one week about 3 weeks ago. I went and checked the card last weekend and there was only 100 pics and not the bucks I have been getting pics of. I did put some throw and grow down and sprayed miracle grow on it. I thought that the miracle grow scared the deer off so I went and put deer cane liquid all over the ground where i had put the miracle grow. Went back about a week later and the deer were starting to come back a little. Went today and checked the camera and after 6 days NOT ONE DEER PIC!! What am i doing wrong? Am i scaring all the deer off by putting too much stuff down? What can I put down to bring them back in? HELP!!!:confused2:

Night Crawler 09-15-2010 04:05 PM

I am going to say you have put to many products out, last year you had all this on untouched soil, now look what you have done. if you want to bait throw some corn out and stay out of there for a while.

cbookout89 09-15-2010 04:08 PM

im not trying to bait deer just get them coming in. I dont know what to do. Should i put more corn out and just leave it alone?

MandRroofing 09-15-2010 04:10 PM

id say try moving your cams to a new food area.you problem have acorns droping now.id try to find a new food source,thats what it sounds like to me...

cbookout89 09-15-2010 05:38 PM

Like there is mostly pines where I am at. I have two different bait sites. One is in oaks, and the other is on a logging road in the middle of a bunch of pines. I poured corn out about 3 weeks ago and the deer were all over it. All the corn is pretty much gone now. Where I am from it is illegal to hunt over any type of bait so it just all has to be gone before hunting season Oct 2nd. At both sites last weekend. I poured out a bottle of black magic liquid deer cane. (1 gallon at each site) and then took another bottle and put it in a backpack sprayer and sprayed all around (1 gallon at each site). Im wondering if the smell was a little overwhelming. I am still getting a few does on the camera. 1-10 pics. Do you think if I just put more corn out a little bit down from the site on the logging road, that maybe I can set my camera up on that and get some deer to come in? I need all the help I can get right now.

Night Crawler 09-15-2010 06:08 PM

yes, that deer cain is crap, use corn and apples now. and mineral and salt licks in late winter with some corn. next spring try getting some clover to grow on the road, then ou can seed with oats in fall.

cbookout89 09-15-2010 06:28 PM

How long do you think it will take for the deer cane that I sprayed and dumped on the ground will take to go away.

Im not sure if the deer cane is just not interesting to them anymore, or if it scared them off. I am hoping that they are just bored with it. I have been putting it out for almost 3 weeks. Maybe if I move about 20 yards down the road with my bait pile. And I might have to move my treestand down the road a little to. Or put on a clamp-on stand.

northms 09-15-2010 06:38 PM

If you put more corn out I bet they come right back. That is strange though. Could anyone else be baiting in or around you?

sprintflyer 09-15-2010 06:48 PM

Did you get no pictures or just no bucks? Might be that they are still there and something is wrong with your camera. Is the bait still disapearing like before? Not sure where you're hunting but acorns are dropping in Virginia and changed the deer travel patterns around here. I move my cams this time of year every year because of that.

cbookout89 09-15-2010 06:51 PM

2 Attachment(s)
No I am all by myself. It is about 15 Acres. Surrounded by roadways and like 4 houses. It is bow only area. I am the only one out there. I guess this weekend I will dump some corn out and hope for the best. Here are some pics I have been getting of this one buck.

thwackdaddi 09-15-2010 06:56 PM

While it could be the things you're putting out, it could also be the pressure you're putting on the deer. Not neccesarily the case, just a thought.

cbookout89 09-15-2010 06:57 PM

I am near central Va, the end of august I was getting pics of Does, small bucks, and the one i just posted a pic of. I had 1500 pics in 6 days. Then the last day of august, i put down deer cane, buck bran, and BB2 supplement. The deer kinda went off some, my pictures went down to 500 in 6 days. I have a small food plot I cannot get to grow so I mixed water and miracle grow and watered it down real good, the first week of Sept. After that I was getting 100 pics in a week if that. Last weekend I put out 4 gallons of black magic in 2 different sites. All the sudden I have a doe with 2 fawns I have been seeing every week, and no bucks. That decent buck was there last weekend. I hope that he will walk past my stand come oct 2nd. any advice??

*twodogs* 09-15-2010 07:12 PM

How long have you been hunting this parcel? The reason I ask is based on your op, it seems like you have been relying on the log road. Have you taken time to scout the entire area, do you know the travel routes to and from food sources and beds? If you don't, I think you are going to have much better luck if you identify the travel routes, developing strategy based on this information and forget about throwing stuff on the forest floor and see what it brings.

You said you can't hunt over bait so start determining the funnels and pinch points if you don't know them already. If you do, then set the camera where you know they will travel.

Something else to consider as well, are you conscious of your scent when you place these attractants down? Also, you might have put too much pressure on them going in and out.

cbookout89 09-15-2010 07:15 PM

Well on the outside of the woods is a bean field. I see two small paths that lead out into the bean field. Maybe ill set a camera up on on one of the paths and see if they are still using it.

kswild 09-15-2010 07:17 PM


Originally Posted by *twodogs* (Post 3683182)
How long have you been hunting this parcel? The reason I ask is based on your op, it seems like you have been relying on the log road. Have you taken time to scout the entire area, do you know the travel routes to and from food sources and beds? If you don't, I think you are going to have much better luck if you identify the travel routes, developing strategy based on this information and forget about throwing stuff on the forest floor and see what it brings.

You said you can't hunt over bait so start determining the funnels and pinch points if you don't know them already. If you do, then set the camera where you know they will travel.

Quality advice! I second it!
Live it up! Doug

SuperRedHawk 09-15-2010 07:22 PM

If the property is surrounded by road and houses, you probably had the perfect funnel. I think you're freaking them out by putting out all that crap, plus YOUR scent.
A little corn maybe, but leave the area alone, and let them feel comfortable cruising through there again!

Night Crawler 09-15-2010 07:27 PM


Originally Posted by northms (Post 3683146)
If you put more corn out I bet they come right back. That is strange though. Could anyone else be baiting in or around you?

he prolly is competing with some mass crop also. and if he has fields nearby there may be something real tasty avail.

phil_pick 09-15-2010 08:16 PM

Sounds like a case of "less is more" to me. Dont put anything out and dont go out there for at least two to three weeks. Give the deer some time to get back into their routines. I know it's like Christmas every time you check your camera but you need to slow down or you will ruin the spot. I'd give it as much time as possible before I step foot back on that land. Three weeks minimum.

UncleNorby 09-16-2010 03:25 AM

You have a perfect setup. The deer want to be there already. Don't mess with it by putting all that stuff out there.

nodog 09-16-2010 03:50 AM

Your learning. One thing is what not to waste your money on :). Deer move around, be patient you'll figure it out.

In a few years you'll be on here telling everyone else how everyone ought to do things. :)

Deer don't want your company but will eventually get used to it to a degree.

You are the perfect example of the kind of person who gets hooked on scent control. If you can get in there without them knowing you are, you will see deer. If not they have you pegged and will be on the other side long before you here them leave. Your feeding/picture taking is to them like you are standing there and they are on the other side. You've created a situation you can use if you can get on the other side undetected. Your scent control needs to be good enough that the deer think/smell you as far away as the other side when you are much closer.

They just have you pegged, you haven't ruined the place.

Valentine 09-16-2010 04:08 AM

I expected problems with technology
 
Some of the best bucks of the future will get harvested only on a trail cam.
Many hunters think they can change the rules and keep deer on 100 or 200 acres, exclusively.
And if everybody is putting out "food plots", it's like nobody putting out food plots. Deer have a choice of visits; and it might not be yours.

A couple of years like that, and trail cams might wind up in a box in the attic.

cbookout89 09-16-2010 04:23 AM

Well I have been spraying down everytime I go into the woods. So I dont think scent is the problem. I am going to dump a little corn and some apples down and leave it alone until opening day. Then we will see what happens.

UPHunter08 09-16-2010 05:06 AM


Originally Posted by cbookout89 (Post 3682997)
im not trying to bait deer just get them coming in.

Isn't that the same thing?

UPHunter08 09-16-2010 05:09 AM


Originally Posted by SuperRedHawk (Post 3683190)
If the property is surrounded by road and houses, you probably had the perfect funnel. I think you're freaking them out by putting out all that crap, plus YOUR scent.
A little corn maybe, but leave the area alone, and let them feel comfortable cruising through there again!

Agreed. If you are actually hunting a natural funnel (sounds like you are), you don't even need all of that bait. All of your running around out there pressuring the deer before the hunt even starts is probably counter productive. You might be much better off just staying out of the area for a few weeks to let it quiet down, and then slip in there and nail one when they're not expecting you to be there.


Well I have been spraying down everytime I go into the woods. So I dont think scent is the problem
15 acres is actually a pretty small area, and the deer know every last twig in that funnel. Even with scent control, they're probably aware of your presence in there. Just a thought.

nodog 09-16-2010 01:37 PM


Originally Posted by cbookout89 (Post 3683324)
Well I have been spraying down everytime I go into the woods. So I dont think scent is the problem. I am going to dump a little corn and some apples down and leave it alone until opening day. Then we will see what happens.

Not even close to being a scent control freak.

Where did the corn and apples come from?

You'll learn.

noidurism 09-16-2010 04:14 PM

well my freezer of course:happy0001: lol!

but seriously ....another food source and /or changing patterns.imo

eerdog 09-16-2010 07:26 PM

Definitely too much action and they have caught on. Calm down, lay off the infomercial guarantees and do the less is more. Deer patterns change with every season. They understand weather is changing, and mast is falling. Vist 1 more time and lay off. What will be, will be.

deernutz 09-17-2010 12:51 AM

I would say maybe our going in there too much. My friend talked me into trying deerpain. I tried it in two different counties nothing. Its crap and doesn't work. If you think it's the cain just turn it over with a shovel. You'll be fine.

I still say it's cause your going in too much. I do it sometimes also. I put a camera out and check it tooooo much, and then I started to scare Good luck.deer off. Find some corn still on the cob throw it oout and give it 7 days in between camera checks.

nodog 09-17-2010 02:31 AM


Originally Posted by eerdog (Post 3683934)
Calm down, lay off the infomercial guarantees .

lol :)

Say it ain't so. :)

buldog762000 09-17-2010 04:44 PM

I would not through anything out it's because they are not feeding on the beans anymore. Once you get a good frost they will be heading back to the beans.

cbookout89 09-18-2010 11:05 AM

Well I went in this morning and moved one treestand and trail camera, there were deer all in the woods so i know they are still there. I will leave everything alons for 2 weeks. Hopefully they will come back.


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