Is it just me?

[mulieaddiction]

Hey guys i dont know if its just me or not but i have hunted every fri-mon of September and got alot of miles on my boots and truck i have seen very few deer sometimes none at all what are you guys noticing this year!

[Blue_Heron]

Hey guys i dont know if its just me or not but i have hunted every fri-mon of September and got alot of miles on my boots and truck i have seen very few deer sometimes none at all what are you guys noticing this year!
Depends on where you were hunting. We've seen a fair number of deer in region 8, and we've got two black-tails this Friday in region 2. So, deer are there.

[Brez]

We've been hunting Trail to Cranbrook and seen the same thing. Very, very few mule deer and the whitetail slightly better. All our hunting and cameras show no mature muley bucks and half starved does. Same goes for elk - very few mature ones. Moose numbers down too with no calves seen.

[Cyrus]

Wait until November...every year it seems I see less and less until the big boys suddenly show up and want some action with the girls....

[Buckmeister]

I've seen plenty of WT's, but that's typical in early season. Haven't done a Muley hunt yet, but soon. Just gotta know where and how to look.

[finngun]

Big boys moving only at dark....they like to keep they racs,,,and no holes on hide:shock:

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Weird year weather wise. We saw about 1/10 the deer we normally see during the youth season.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^I also believe weather has been playing a role in sightings...it was really warm until a week or so ago...my sightings down a bit, but the sign is there so I believe just more night time movement...and a 4 day hunt in R4 mid September I saw lots of deer, bucks just reluctant to come out..

[mcmullmar]

I agree. Our usual place where we see lots of mule deer every time we go in, had none this year and very little sign.

[gcreek]

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.

[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.

[TreeStandMan]

I'm seeing usual amount if deer. Today I saw seven: one nice buck, three does, and the others I only saw their white behinds as they stotted away.

For me this year the problem is everything is so dry, it's impossible to move without making a ton of noise. I suppose this means I'd be better off ambush hunting, but inevitably I get bored and try something else, which this year means spooking deer.

[Quince]

Having moved to a location with resident deer, the bucks have disappeared and the does have totally gone nocturnal, they have been coming by everynight at the same time. I swear they got an email, it was a sudden change beginning of sept.

[Brez]

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.
no wolf sign in our usual haunts - except the one I shot near home last week. Yeah, most of our trail cam elk pics are at night (80%) but very few deer, day or night. The dryness definitely affected where the animals are but even where there is ample water I noticed numbers are down.

[finngun]

everyone is shooting daytime bucks leaving the night bucks to breed passing on their nocturnal habbits.
I think truth lays right there:-):-):idea:

[Linksman313]

Wait until November...every year it seems I see less and less until the big boys suddenly show up and want some action with the girls....
Same story here, watching many WT and Muley does and fawns around all the water holes, no boys yet, other than on the lawn in town that is.

[elch jager]

Long hot summer - they are still in the deep dark timber, higher up - 4500+, or on north side slopes... they aren't coming out until the does are ripe... and we get some consistently colder weather. Patience... they don't get big by being dumb.

[wideopenthrottle]

anyone else notice way more activity mid day than in the old days...seems we never used to see anything on our way back to camp for lunch but now seem to see more than in the early or late shooting light?

[Buckmeister]

anyone else notice way more activity mid day than in the old days...seems we never used to see anything on our way back to camp for lunch but now seem to see more than in the early or late shooting light?

Or have you just gotten better over the years at spotting deer because you know what to look for or where to look?

[wideopenthrottle]

Or have you just gotten better over the years at spotting deer because you know what to look for or where to look?

um..nope...never used to see very many animals mid day but now seem to see quite a few....ps my eyes are not getting any better...heheh

[elch jager]

anyone else notice way more activity mid day than in the old days...seems we never used to see anything on our way back to camp for lunch but now seem to see more than in the early or late shooting light?

Yes - but just Doh's and the odd spike...

Never seen a 4 point standing broadside in the middle of the road if that's what you meant...

[wideopenthrottle]

Yes - but just Doh's and the odd spike...

Never seen a 4 point standing broadside in the middle of the road if that's what you meant...
yes mostly does but I have spotted a couple bucks sneaking back down into farm fields mid day after evacuating before first light 2 times..thought it very strange the first time and then a second time made me wonder if seeing more does mid day and even the odd buck wasn't due to a real change ion behavior....obviously I don't have any links to research papers to "prove" this but it is my humble observation

[GoatGuy]

Calves and fawns are what dictate the future.

I you want to know how wildlife is doing that is your best indicator.