the case of the disappearing critters...

[BCHunterFSJ]

I hunt a section of land and put out several cameras over salt blocks and grain piles.
During the summer months I get tons of pics of moose, elk, deer and bear. Come September and absolutely no pictures
of any animals for a period of 10-14 days! After that they start to reappear again gradually...
Note that this is not a one time event; I've seen the same phenomenon for several years now (I keep accurate records).
Does anyone have any theories about what is happening here?
Has anyone else experienced such "disappearances" ?

[Takla]

rifles start dischargeing come August 15th in your area,games not stupid time to head for the hills

takla

[Sitkaspruce]

I have a spot south of John that has tons of elk pictures: bulls/cows/calves from April to Sept 1. I can count on both hands the number of pictures I have of elk after Sept 1.....and this is after 5 years. I have no idea where they go and why......but they do...every single year.

Moose is different, they are steady all year long. Not lots, just enough to keep you interested.

Most of the summer and early fall lots of whitetail does/fawns and small bucks. Come the first of November, the boys come out of the wood work, not sure where they are all summer and early fall, but they are not in the 80 ha latch I hunt.

In another spot, I had a steady stream of WT all summer/fall long and killed a 150 buck in November, that was the first year I hunted this spot. In the last 4 years, I have less than 50 pictures of WT and thousands of MD and have not seen a good WT buck since the first year.

It's these "mysteries" that keep it very interesting and are part of my drive to hunt!

Cheers

SS

[Cyrus]

Cougars and wolves...and maybe nearby hunting pressure..same thing happened in my area last few years. So I no longer hunt there.

[caddisguy]

I have cameras that see similar patterns where critters disappear at the end of August. In those cases I don't think it is hunting pressure. In one case the cam was about 8km in deep old growth in a provincial park where not only have I never seen another hunter, but the season (bow season included) does not start until Sep 10th.

I always figured weather and temps had something to do with the pattern change, as this is usually when it starts to get chilly, which can trigger movements. I think I figured out where deer move to in one of my areas though and it's all about food. A couple different grocery stores and you can pick the one where produce is all dried up then rotting or the other where everything is still fresh.

Another thing to consider is at this time of year, deer aren't salt starved. There is less reason for them to hit up the cam sites. I used to put salt a little ways off good trails, but last year I started putting them right on the trails. I got a little more action.

Now you mentioned that your critters come back. Mine don't, at least in remotely comparable numbers.

Velvet shedding another factor maybe? Together we can crack the code ! :)

[Jelvis]

Mom takes sucking babies out for first munchy on grass whoa! Move to area to show baby where to go ( Diet change ) from milk to off milk --
As long as baby sucks titty the doe won't go dry -- when baby stops sucking doe goes dry needs to get knocked up again.
Jel - Baby born in June then sucks -- July August grass and takes baby to new spot to eat twigs in bushes and then back again on daily chores.

[BCHunterFSJ]

[QUOTE=Sitkaspruce;2035285]I have a spot south of John that has tons of elk pictures: bulls/cows/calves from April to Sept 1. I can count on both hands the number of pictures I have of elk after Sept 1.....and this is after 5 years. I have no idea where they go and why......but they do...every single year.

It is interesting how you are having almost exactly the same experience that I am. And in the same general region (I am North of FSJ)...
Right now I am waiting for some critters to start showing up again!

[BRvalley]

I believe it's related to any bull moose GOS, gun shots and quads ripping down every single trail out there....it's a lot of pressure very quickly, they head for their holes and then slowly resume back to normal

[tigrr]

I think it has something to do with a school bus. As soon as it shows up the deer and moose disappear. Till December then they come out again.
One gent set up a trail camera in some nasty bush. He was surprised how many animals walked past it.

[325]

I have always found that at least for elk, mineral use drops way off after mid-August.

[Clint_S]

Possibly going to shed their velvet.

[Bugle M In]

Interesting thread, and sounds legit.
Wonder if there are any "collaring projects" in your areas going on.
If so, maybe the local bio can shed some light as to either movement, or just hiding, meaning still around, which would
mean something like food source change or yes, even shedding.
Interested to see where this ends up.

[Sitkaspruce]

For me, pressure does not play a part as there is private property everywhere, with fences and very little if any permission granted. The elk are there is good numbers and then they just disappear.....until the next year. And there is 3 quarter section of woods with no roads, so unless we have a bunch of stealthy timber hunters who somehow walk past my cameras....pressure is not the reason.

One thought is that the food source switches and they start concentrating on their fall/winter source, which is not found in the area. The crops around the area are a mix canola, peas, cereals and hay, so the food source should be good, but they still leave.....

Fun times!!

Cheers

SS

[Husky7mm]

The frost changes the prime food sources very quick. Things that were not so desirable become the prime target. As the plant starts to decay the toxins become non toxic. Most of the elk i have killed or been part of up here in the peace had birch and or willow leaves in their gut this time of yr. They also have their favourite rutting holes that they return to yr after yr. Check in different vegetation, a sea of deciduous... Also if your near crop land the crops are coming off all over the place, some times there is new growth attacting them elsewhere. Second cut alfalfa comes to mind.

[caddisguy]

The frost changes the prime food sources very quick. Things that were not so desirable become the prime target. As the plant starts to decay the toxins become non toxic. Most of the elk i have killed or been part of up here in the peace had birch and or willow leaves in their gut this time of yr. They also have their favourite rutting holes that they return to yr after yr. Check in different vegetation, a sea of deciduous... Also if your near crop land the crops are coming off all over the place, some times there is new growth attacting them elsewhere. Second cut alfalfa comes to mind.

Thanks for that... I really suspected frost and feed has something to do with it. I'm actually banking on that theory this season.