Game numbers?

[BIGHUNTERFISH]

I have gone on three day trips hunting this year,the area I like to hunt in has a high mule deer population,but so far I am seeing very little game ,a few does,blackbears and very few grouse.This same area last year was full of game.I know the weather was super hot but I went out yesterday and the conditions looked perfect but very little game and no grouse,I walked, glassed and drove a large area but not much movement.I have not looked at the moon phases ,or other factors but I was wondering what your experiences have been so far this year.
Thanks :confused:

[horshur]

Lots of things can trip you up--we have not had a hard frost yet--leaves are not falling much and aspen is not really ready for the deer--there has been alot more logging traffic and roads tore up from hauling do to pine beetle harvest so many of the roads are not ideal for grouse like they used to be---I think they could use a frost(Grouse) also to make some food available to them(composted) and it seems to me that after the frost they will be along the roads more also to get gravel.
It has also been a great season for feed--they do not need to move much for browse and frost has not killed of some feed which forces them to move on to another that it has made available.
Lotsa game around--3 days is not really very much time to round off the corners of less than ideal conditions.
If you are hunting "Generaly" rather than specifically I would wait for some "Bigger" weather to send some deer along on migration--deer seem to have a lag time when they are most vulnerable after a change is forced upon them by weather but.......once they get there feet they will once again make most of us look like fools and we will be asking where they all went????? just under your nose all along.

[BIGHUNTERFISH]

Thanks Horshur,
You always make excellent points.I am not complaining or frustrated,I am just comparing my observations to prior years.Do you look at the diffrent moon phases alot when you hunt?Another thing that leads me to believe things are a little behind schedule is the few bucks I have seen are still in velvet.I believe you are right we need a stable cold weather pattern with some good frost to get the deer moving.;-)