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Disappearing act

WhitetailHunter_77

By WhitetailHunter_77,
in Deer Hunting

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WhitetailHunter_77 Newbie

WhitetailHunter_77

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Hey all,

 

During the preseason, I put out a few trail cameras and got about 300 pictures of deer on a small plot of woods behind my house here in Orange County. A buddy of mine and I saw 2 deer once the season started and a rookie that went with us got a button buck around the 15th of October. Other than that, we have seen nothing. Is there something that I am forgetting or not doing to keep the deer around or is there something that I can do to get them back in the area? I want to go hunt but I am getting a little discouraged with going out to the woods and just sitting there all day and seeing nothing but chipmunks and squirrels. I'm only in my 2nd season myself so....

 

Thanks y'all!!

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thphm Newbie

thphm

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That's Hunting. I know people that have gone many years without bagging anything.

As said above maby the food source dried up.and they moved on to greener pastures.

Deer travel a good distance this time of the year to fill there bellies,Bucks more so.They are not confined by large amounts of snow on the ground Yet.

That is why many of us here on huntingny.com have spent a good amount of time and money on food plots to try and keep them in the area.

Hang in ther the might show up again.

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Steve7 Newbie

Steve7

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Do you still have your cams out? I'm not seeing any daytime activity while on stand, but when I check my cams, they are out there all night!

 

I'm with CF here and I'm in Orange county.  All of my good buck activity is during night but they're there.

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NFA-ADK Rookie

NFA-ADK

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Food is a big issue on how a deer will move no doubt but as the prime rut gets closer the bucks will be chasing more.  Hang in there and put in your time, they will hopefully come back in your area.  With prime rut getting so close things should really start getting crazy and anything can happen when crazy bucks start chasing doe!  Good Luck!

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WhitetailHunter_77 Newbie

WhitetailHunter_77

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I'm hunting in a plot of woods around a somewhat light residential area. The pictures showed that the deer were hanging around but once the season started BANG!! they were gone. I've got 3 blinds out in the woods and I am thinking that they may have retreated deeper into the woods. I also have an open corridor by a water tank that I think might be a nice lane to set up on. I may take an afternoon to move my blinds around then give it a day or 2 for anything in the area to get used to seeing them in a new spot. I've had my blinds where they are now since the beginning of the season. Should I move or wait for them to come to me which, I haven't seen anything in 3 1/2 weeks except a turkey that I missed this past Tuesday....

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agross Newbie

agross

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Vetmd  That is the down side to running cams.

 

I am in the same situation. Have two little clover plots (1/4 acre each) that I run a camera overt.  Get hundreds of pics since labor day of deer in plot during all times of the day.  Dawn, 11am, 2, 4 ,6pm.  More daylight pics than night time believe it or not.  Since starting them 2 years ago now I have only seen one (1) doe in a plot while hunting and that was gun season last year for a half hour eating and then she walked off. 

 

This year has gotten better that last.  Had 2 nice 8s on cam, 3 different times caught bucks sparring, 2 times being spikes and once an 8 and a wide 6 (both 2.5 year olds).  It clearly isn't as easy as it may seem on TV, at least in my experience.

 

I have learned to use the cams not for determining when the deer will show up or what time of day but for the knowledge that a certain number of deer or size of bucks show up and are around.

 

Believe it or not I enjoy running my cams as much as hunting.  Always get the odd interaction like a fawn chasing and playing with turkey, fox, etc.  Just another way of being out in the woods and enjoying you time out there.

 

Also, if you are lucky enough to get a deer, cut it all up just so a carcass is left and then go tie it to a tree with some rope and set the cam over it for some coyote pics. 

 

Got plenty of them on cam also but only saw 1 in the woods my entire hunting career and have him shoulder mounted in my place upstate.

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agross Newbie

agross

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Oh also forgot my point.  If it is your land maybe put something in the plot that may be more attractive.  My clover plots feed deer but do not have a great drawing power because the hayed fields surrounding me have clover and alfalfa in them as well.  Next year going to try and make a 1/2 plot of just brassicas and see how that works out.

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Doc Proficient

Doc

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My cameras are showing just as many deer (in fact a lot more bucks) and they are all showing up after dark, where just a month or so ago, there was activity all day long. My theory? ... the leaves are down now and cover has evaporated. Perhaps they are a bit more aware of just how much they stick out. Also food sources are in the middle of change right now. Patterns have changed. Also, the woods is full of hunters (small game and bow). Also, rut movements are kicking in. Bow season is an extreme time of change in deer patterns.

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