Ever have those days where you feel like deer are myth?
 

Opening day of ML season was yesterday, and I didn't see squat. I heard some deer before daylight, but that didn't help me. It was somewhat windy, but not terrible, so I did a TON of still hunting. Well, I still-hunted, would sit down for a 30-45 minutes here and there, then still-hunt some more, and sometimes just move relatively quickly (compared to my still-hunting pace) and I didn't see a single deer (covered a LOT of ground). At one point, I would have been happy to just kick something up...not so I could take a shot, just so I could see that they DO exist. :)

I did have my morning interrupted by a trespassing slob hunter moving thru the woods with a SHOTGUN trying to kick up deer, yelling and gurgling. He sounded nasty in his tonality, like he was just out to kill something. I wasn't wearing blaze, so I tucked behind a tree and stayed motionless. I was not about to confront him and be mistaken for an animal.

In the afternoon, I got chased be a couple of neighboring dogs, howling all the way. They got w/i 10 feet and decided they didn't want any.

In the evening, a squirrel saw me and decided to screech at me for an hour, moving from limb to limb, just above my head. He was about to die.

It makes me feel better to think those were contributing factors. :D

Son, that's why they call it hunting
 

There are no guarantees. And I'm sure a lot of hunters quit the sport over the last fifty years, because those "guarantees" didn't come fast enough.

Some days I went out and didn't see a deer; some days I saw a few and nothing to harvest; sometimes I saw nice deer out of range(archery); and some days I harvested a deer.

And I never underestimated the ability of a wild deer to stay completely away from me.

Of course, I never got the habit of watching those TV hunting shows, that end successfully in a half hour with at least ten minutes of commercials. According to them and their time rules, I should have quit twenty-five years ago.

Well it sounds like you had an interesting and entertaining day in the deer woods to say the least. I do believe tho I would have been eating a squirrel for dinner :)
As far as the deer go... better luck next time. Hang in there!
Live it up! Doug

Don't worry Valentine, I won't be quitting any time soon. I was just a little frustrated since I went out last season so many times and didn't have much success. Took a 9-pointer the 2nd day out and that was it for the whole season.

No kidding. Actually with a 50 cal muzzleloader at a range of 10 feet, I do not believe there would be anything resembling a squirrel left. 4 reasons I didn't shoot it:

1) Squirrels like to scream for fun anyway, so the deer may have not paid it much mind.

2) If I shot the squirrel, it might make any deer in the area more aware of my presence.

3) I wasn't quite sure where my POI would be at a 10-foot range, and their heads are tiny.

4) Who wants to have to clean their muzzleloader for a lousy squirrel??? :D

There is times when those deer will stay put when you are walking around and you never even notice them,this has been one of the best seasons I have seen as far as deer count goes I haven't got a shot yet but have seen more deer this year then all of last year,I am sure things will get better for you just got to be patient and wait it out.

just think houw much you would of scared him if he was pushing deer twoards you and you shot one not knowing he was following, ahah, but thats how people get killed i guess, trespasssing

I know exactly how you feel. I see a decent amount of deer during muzzle loading season usually, but once rifle season starts I don't see anything. It's a shame too because I love my rifle and would love to harvest more deer with it than I do which is usually none. I think it's because I hunt in an area where there is a lot of poaching so the deer get afraid and only come out at night. The poachers mess it up for the guys like me that like to hunt legally. I rarely see deer during rifle season unless I join the group of guys that hunt with dogs. It's fairly fun, but not often do you get a shot at the deer that way and I really prefer hunting out of a stand.

Thats the nature of hunting,feast or famine depending on the season that is going on. I have been bow hunting for nearly 4 weeks and have seen a lot of dear. I got a doe Friday morning so patience does pay off,but I know when the rut kicks in and the guns start firing my sightings will be less unless I move around to different spots and keep some contact in my hunting areas. The Bucks may push them onto property I can not hunt,who knows what will happen? As has been said persevere,don't quit and get out as much as possible to increase your odds. Good Hunting To Ya!