Is it just me?

[Cyrus]

How much wolf and other predator sign are you guys seeing?

I'm hearing more game is near human habitation for perceived protection than there is in the bush.

Zero where I am.

[mulieaddiction]

Where i am hunting have alot of big mature mulies but i have not seen them and very few if any deer on se of my trips

[VFX_man]

How much wolf and other predator sign are you guys seeing?

I'm hearing more game is near human habitation for perceived protection than there is in the bush.

On my 15 cameras - only saw 4 bucks and they were one-offs [over a 5 week period]. Captured on camera: 3 wolves, 2 different cougars, 2 coyotes, 5 bears [and 1 Sasquatch?] -- generally more predators than Prey. A few does and fawns . . . lots of rabbits though.

[twoSevenO]

Where i am hunting have alot of big mature mulies but i have not seen them and very few if any deer on se of my trips

Not to be insulting but I believe you had a similar thread last year toward the end of the season.

So with that in mind, what do you consider "a lot of miles" on your boots?

Also, if you haven't seen them, how do you know the area has a lot of big mature deer? Are you going by your trail cam pics, or just what others have told you about an area?

[srupp]

Lol..seen 4 mule bucks so far..in our front yard!..one a great 4x4, another 3 4. .another 3x3..spike. .plus does and fawns..
Out in the woods seen far more moose..3 cow calf pairs..plus a small bull....
Bears every trip...
Srupp

[mulieaddiction]

Not to be insulting but I believe you had a similar thread last year toward the end of the season.

So with that in mind, what do you consider "a lot of miles" on your boots?

Also, if you haven't seen them, how do you know the area has a lot of big mature deer? Are you going by your trail cam pics, or just what others have told you about an area?

I now have trail cams in the area and i have hicked kms every weekend away from roads and have seen 2 other ppl there with big bucks where i was hiking but i seen them this year and they havnt seen bucks iether could be the fire that was close by?

[twoSevenO]

I now have trail cams in the area and i have hicked kms every weekend away from roads and have seen 2 other ppl there with big bucks where i was hiking but i seen them this year and they havnt seen bucks iether could be the fire that was close by?

Did you talk to them? Were you able to figure out what they did differently. Did they get them early? Late? Etc

There is no such thing as consistently good or consistently bad luck. So if the deer are indeed there then I would really focus on what to change. Something in your approach should probably be a little different to change things around for you.

Edit: replied before you edited your post. If they haven't seen them but the trail cams have then they could just be waiting till dark to start moving around. Not uncommon especially in popular hunting areas. Not much you can do in that case but hike and hope to bump them out of their bed in an area where you can get a look at them. But yes, I think the fires and the drought probably did change this has around for most hunting spots.

[keoke]

everyone is shooting daytime bucks leaving the night bucks to breed passing on their nocturnal habbits.

[mulieaddiction]

Did you talk to them? Were you able to figure out what they did differently. Did they get them early? Late? Etc

There is no such thing as consistently good or consistently bad luck. So if the deer are indeed there then I would really focus on what to change. Something in your approach should probably be a little different to change things around for you.

Edit: replied before you edited your post. If they haven't seen them but the trail cams have then they could just be waiting till dark to start moving around. Not uncommon especially in popular hunting areas. Not much you can do in that case but hike and hope to bump them out of their bed in an area where you can get a look at them. But yes, I think the fires and the drought probably did change this has around for most hunting spots.

I think biggeat thing is the fire it was pretty much one ridge beside where u hiked in im guessing it pushed the deer out of there due to that fire

[bacon_overlord]

I've been going out mornings since the start of the month, and focused on high elevation (4000+) feet. No fresh sign at all. Went to lower elevation ( under 3k) and it's all cow poop and no game sign. Hit the middle band at dusk and glassed a cut backing on steep deep timber and the deer popped up at disk, had a snack, and went back into the timber.
So lesson I learned, find the right elevation, and time, and you'll find the deer.