Where Do The Deer Go

[hunter1947]

I saw lots of deer earlier where I hunt but in the last two weeks nothing moving ??? its like they turned the light switch off :confused:
Its not because of the GOS for deer that does it I have been in no mans land hunting them and nothing there ???.

My thoughts are that it might be the heat that does it but then again it was hot in Aug and they where there I have seen this take place
in the area I hunt now and then over the years.

Could it be that the does and bucks are resting up for the rut or is it that they are getting there winter coats and they rest up while
there winter coats get filled in :confused:..

Could it be the wolves that make deer not move at a certain time of the year :confused:..

Lets hear some feed back on what so of you members think I would love to know why I am stumped on what happens now and then :confused:..

I let a 140ish WT buck walk last week it was a hard thing to do but if you shoot a smaller buck then you can't shoot a big one at least in
the area I hunt only allowed one WT buck ,,headed in to my camp in a few min to continue my solo hunt for deer..

Will see what comments I get regarding this new thread of mine when I come back out of the bush next time ,,good luck to all the members on your hunts this year
stay safe and shoot straight..

[Sofa King]

nobody knows for sure.
lots suggest that it's the heat still, but kinda makes no sense when it was tons hotter in august and the deer were out.
hunting pressure always makes sense, but not when they also disappear in remote areas.
it could very well be just that time of the year.
I know that in two days, it went from seeing bucks hanging with does, to bucks splitting off and being in bro-packs.
wolves are out of the question, at least in all the areas I hunt.

[Steelpulse]

could be any number of things, maybe they are just holding tight and they aren't moving while your around, maybe the food iis better else where, maybe just a couple slow days you were hunting, who knows, keep at it im sure will find em

[M.Dean]

Around here at times the Deer also "Disappear", I think it could be from the amount of people traveling in there area's, hunters, woodcutters, dirt bikers, etc. But when left alone for a few days, they seem to come back and feed in the area's I'm used to finding them. But, not all the time! In recent years we've had a lot of Cougars dropping by for a quick meal on Venison, my Venison! When the Cat's are around I can normally see there tracks, but not all the time. Then, as quick as they arrived, the Cat's disappear, thank God! But then my rancher buddy tells me the Deer are all missing from his hay fields, morning and night, the Cougar's have moved a mile or two to the West and there eating his Deer now! Well, I'm just having a coffee, then making a lunch so me and my oldest Grandson can go check to see if the Deer are here today, or over there! Hopefully the Cat's have all been trapped or shot, and some where out there we'll see a real decent 4 point! Good Luck all!

[Darksith]

Deer migrate, sometimes 100s of km. I have early season spots and late season spots, both hold deer all year, but their numbers are way down at the wrong times of the year

[Cyrus]

They know when the shots start ringing out to get out...although I agree with m dean in regards to proximity of cats.

[.300WSMImpact!]

there diet changes this time of year, so you may see them in different areas and different times

[coquitlam]

My opening area will have approx. 250 -400 pictures on the trail cam for the first 2 weeks and after that I might get one. so they do migrate early in some areas more so than others

[Sofa King]

another thing I noticed on my last trip.
up high in the more rugged stuff where the muley have been all season so far, now, all I saw there was a lone whitey doe.
and way down in the more open terrain with just little batches of poplar here and there, was where I was seeing the mules.
sometimes nature just doesn't make sense.
in my areas the deer are wandering right not, definitely not migrating.
the bucks have just gotten more cautious.
they probably get more cautious up until those days when they get down-right stupid.
right now they are full-on thinking with their big head.

[Wentrot]

Dealing with this same issue, deer have pulled the disappearing act. On the advice of a few guys much more skilled than me I investigated in the same area just further in to the uglier terrain and found good trails, turds ect. so relocated the cameras and will let them tell me whats what. Hopefully they have more than one or two videos now.

[elknut]

Into Oct can be a very trying time to hunt bucks..After they go hard horn and rub they change their habits entirely..They become very elusive and hard to find..They are fat and sassy from the spring and summer feed and now are not as visible in their new area..They have feed and security and don't travel far..Their core area is way smaller..Towards the end of Oct they will really start to move and dominance will be established..The rut fires them up and then Nov is a whole new game..Feed is the key and frosts change diets..Find water lush green feed and a hell hole and you'll find the big boys..Dennis

[Cordillera]

In the north old timers report that moose disappear into the deep brush in late August and early September as they want to rub off the velvet. Come back out when the rut hits. Not sure if deer might do the same?

[BigfishCanada]

The only time I have seen deer vanish then come back is when the wolf packs move in. I think the deer hide, cause when hiking i do push the od bedded one down

[Fallkniven]

I think its a combination of factors, day time heat, food, hunting pressure. But food must be the biggest factor, I have had trail cams up over a small marshy area and all through July and August it was very active for whitetail, but come late august/early Sept the deer were gone, the marsh had just dried up over the summer and the lush greens the deer were feeding on were no longer there. Given they have a limited time to feed on these forbs (most of which will be gone by end Oct) they move around following the good feed areas. Hots days might mean they are moving more at night and human activity keeps their heads down too.

Good areas are good areas though and as the deer turn to more woody foodstuff and the lusher greens are gone, I think they will return to areas that have good cover and water for them and then the rut will produce much more activity making them more visable again.

I hope.....!

[hunter1947]

First off there is no hunting pressure where my trail cams are remote area..

Just an up date so all know what has happened in the last week I went back in last week still no rain and fairly hot out temp was around 26c for the hi deer still not moving then on Monday this week it rained hard in where I hunt the next day deer everywhere temp was 10 c for the hi so me thinks that its the weather at a certain time of the year that makes deer hold up and not move even thou in Aug it was hotter and deer still where moving around,,saw 10 bucks over the last few days and around 20 does I am talking about WT deer that I am targeting not mule deer,,thanks for the feed back that you members have posted..

[mechdude]

they can read regulations and no hunting signs . in region 8 they hang out in princteon and pentiction after opening day, usually right by the no hunting sign

[Kami]

I believe the deer go to wherever they find peace and relief from stress. Human presence is stressful and they move on to areas where humans do not go. By humans staying on FSRs and hunting from the truck, we push deer to other areas where there is much less human interaction. If you find the areas where they go, you may have found yourself a honey hole. I have discovered honey holes surrounded by FSRs but are often separated by a natural barrier. Maybe a creek, in a stand of trees. A hill many hunters never want to hike up and pass by. Many folks have reasons for hunting from their vehicle. Could be a bad back, leg, or other injury. Old age. Cold weather. Scared of the dark. Fear of cougars, wolves, bears, etc. Worried how they'll ever get their kill back to the truck if they walk in. Many cant afford ATV's or hunting specific vehicles, so they got their 1991 2 wheel drive ranger and they stick on the FSR. Its easy to find excuses not to get out of the warm truck with the tunes on. After a few hunting trips of not seeing anything, you may wonder if Region 3 deer population is down.

Its just my theory. It's one idea. There are many other reasons why wildlife may seem to disappear. Sure they move from where you normally see them. I think because lots of other people start to see them too.

[BearStump]

First off there is no hunting pressure where my trail cams are remote area..

Just an up date so all know what has happened in the last week I went back in last week still no rain and fairly hot out temp was around 26c for the hi deer still not moving then on Monday this week it rained hard in where I hunt the next day deer everywhere temp was 10 c for the hi so me thinks that its the weather at a certain time of the year that makes deer hold up and not move even thou in Aug it was hotter and deer still where moving around,,saw 10 bucks over the last few days and around 20 does I am talking about WT deer that I am targeting not mule deer,,thanks for the feed back that you members have posted..

you may have just answered your own question without realizing it. Aug=hot but the bucks are dressed for the weather. end sept/oct still hot 26 you say, but now have a winter coat on. If I had on my north face parka in 26 deg weather, I wouldnt be too active, probably laying around trying not to work up any excess heat.

[hunter1993ap]

its just hunting, I have areas I hunt and one day the hill will be crawling with deer and the next time nothing. they move around, hunker down, move at night etc.. just because you don't see them doesn't mean there not there, and sometimes it does. one of my cams exploded last year in a week or so period. then dead for two weeks, but I was hunting in the area and still saw deer. there are so many factors at play.

[Sleep Robber]

Maybe the deer are kinda the same way we are, we both get used to the hot summer weather {scouting time !!, you see deer quite regularly}, but then it cools off finally and it's a nice change { now we're seeing even more deer}....but then you have those 2 or 3 days of EXTREME UV HEAT that come outta nowhere and BAM !! it's almost unbearable and makes that hot summer weather we {both humans and deer} all got used to .....feel like fall almost. Maybe when this happens they want to "cover up" and stay away from the elements {heat} and just R+R for a bit.

Idunno, I'm probably way out to lunch on this but it was just a thought so........:confused:

[5 spike]

I saw lots of deer earlier where I hunt but in the last two weeks nothing moving ??? its like they turned the light switch off :confused:
Its not because of the GOS for deer that does it I have been in no mans land hunting them and nothing there ???.

My thoughts are that it might be the heat that does it but then again it was hot in Aug and they where there I have seen this take place
in the area I hunt now and then over the years.

Could it be that the does and bucks are resting up for the rut or is it that they are getting there winter coats and they rest up while
there winter coats get filled in :confused:..

Could it be the wolves that make deer not move at a certain time of the year :confused:..

Lets hear some feed back on what so of you members think I would love to know why I am stumped on what happens now and then :confused:..

I let a 140ish WT buck walk last week it was a hard thing to do but if you shoot a smaller buck then you can't shoot a big one at least in
the area I hunt only allowed one WT buck ,,headed in to my camp in a few min to continue my solo hunt for deer..

Will see what comments I get regarding this new thread of mine when I come back out of the bush next time ,,good luck to all the members on your hunts this year
stay safe and shoot straight..

Wayne i think you are right about deer are resting up and building body fat for rut, i firmly believe this.

[curt]

that's bang on I have family that live up north sept there are deer everywhere by Oct 15 you wont find one anywhere they migrate to their winter grounds quite early in some areas one of the reason I laugh at some of these leh they are giving out for areas with no game knowing full well they have moved out STUPID!!!
Deer migrate, sometimes 100s of km. I have early season spots and late season spots, both hold deer all year, but their numbers are way down at the wrong times of the year

[Sofa King]

"where do the deer go?"
in the back of the truck, to the cutter, to the freezer, to the belly, to the shitter.

[5 spike]

that's bang on I have family that live up north sept there are deer everywhere by Oct 15 you wont find one anywhere they migrate to their winter grounds quite early in some areas one of the reason I laugh at some of these leh they are giving out for areas with no game knowing full well they have moved out STUPID!!!

Thats very interesting never thought about blacktails going back to wintering grounds in october.

[Backwoodninjajunky]

Sofa called it!! And they moved out so time to turn on the hunter skills and track em down

[hoochie]

just got back from a week in the Kamloops area. First light in one particular area was 3 does on the closest northern end, then hike a few click in to the far back and there were a couple more does. In the evening, not a sign of mulies, but there were white tail that would come in. I took a white tail buck from there.
Not seeing any bucks in this area I hiked way up behind camp to the west. I found 4 different groups of does, and 3 bucks mixed in with one of the groups. Come wed, when it was any buck open.. not a sign of any male deer. nothing the next day either. I had been watching for almost a week, and they were like clock work. I knew when to go find the bucks and where they would move next. Once I was able to shoot a buck less than 4 points, not a sign of them anywhere.
I must have seen 27 mulie does and only one white tail. What stuck me as odd, was that the white tail I took was in an area that only had mulie last year, and the mulies were where the whitetails were.
Im going back in 2 weeks, as that was about the same time as last year when the area was loaded with white tail.

[elkhunter1]

was up in Vernon 8-11 area same thing No whitetail,s around.
Would it because of Full Moon.???