Off season activity

[NYBuckHunter27]

My family has started a new trend of walking our property just about every evening with our two dogs, i know what its probably doing to the locale deer especially being late in the evenings. Will this negatively affect the hunting for this upcoming season? we have always used the property but this is pretty consistent i'm afraid this could push deer away from the area, its only a 30 acre parcel so i know the deer aren't living here just more likely feeding and passing through but still it concerns me for the future.

 

 

Or am i just being paranoid?

[Lawdwaz]

Paranoid.

 

 

Don't sweat it.............IMO

[growalot]

I'm out there daily..and it doesn't change things very much ..until I stumble into an area they decide to bed that year... I do avoid early mornings . I have found that the trail cams show the deer doing more mid day -5pm travels through the property...so I could just set back the times they use the interior of your land. When I do regular walks I tend to hit the exterior trails around the property and limit use in the fall when deer are moving in and out of their summer fall ranges and bucks are dispersing. The deer that use us tend to get use to me...but new deer moving in wouldn't have that scent or movement knowledge to fall back on in regards to danger....This is why I'm a bit upset the dynamics here have changed and I now have buck during the summer ..still some doe dropping fawn..saw one all bagged up the other day...but with all the buck here now I fear they will disperse in the fall and also drive the doe out like last year...That made for one of my worst seasons to date...Great cam pics and exciting but lousy hunting once they started heading toward the rut.

[ants]

I wouldn't worry about it.

[NYBuckHunter27]

I'm out there daily..and it doesn't change things very much ..until I stumble into an area they decide to bed that year... I do avoid early mornings . I have found that the trail cams show the deer doing more mid day -5pm travels through the property...so I could just set back the times they use the interior of your land. When I do regular walks I tend to hit the exterior trails around the property and limit use in the fall when deer are moving in and out of their summer fall ranges and bucks are dispersing. The deer that use us tend to get use to me...but new deer moving in wouldn't have that scent or movement knowledge to fall back on in regards to danger....This is why I'm a bit upset the dynamics here have changed and I now have buck during the summer ..still some doe dropping fawn..saw one all bagged up the other day...but with all the buck here now I fear they will disperse in the fall and also drive the doe out like last year...That made for one of my worst seasons to date...Great cam pics and exciting but lousy hunting once they started heading toward the rut.

 

Yeah like i said really no bedding areas on our actual farm in fact most of it consists of fields. and there is defiantly no early morning pressure activity. thanks for making me feel better lol

Edited May 31, 2015 by NYBuckHunter27

[Doc]

Well, I probably would not make it a daily habit to be walking through my stand areas. I think you can make the route even enhance your hunting a bit by shoving deer activity into a pattern that you can use.

[GreeneHunter]

That's just like cutting down trees for firewood ... the Deer usually just watch from afar and never leave !  They don't go anywhere !

[NYBuckHunter27]

typically takes place in and around fields so i'm hoping it wont affect feeding patterns.

[gjs4]

Yes.

Almost every time they'll go somewhere safer unless you have something they need. This is not the time of the year when you likely will have an advantage. Domestic dogs have a great sense of smell, no sense of time and a surely have a predatory design/heritage. What matters more to you because if you have frosting on a fork it wasn't the look of the cake

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[Bowguy]

It depends on so many factors. Just walking the property the deer may actually become used to you. The dogs are another thing. If the herd in the area has plenty of room why on earth would they stay? No sense making em any spookier than they are. A reason to stay out of woods during deer movement hours

[G-Man]

Depends if dogs are leashed, loose but stay close or.range, may effect deer less but turkeys will vacate the area, that being said you buy the property to enjoy use it!!!

[sweet old bill]

At Stewart State Forest-the deer are more wary because you have alot of bikersand mountain bikers also on trails all through the land. They have mountain bike races in there--bet the deer are in the swamps.

 

that was my last base in the AF and then several years later I lived in Walden area and would past the backside of the base and hunted it for rabbit and deer both. I think the deer were more aware do to the activity in the area, but also I would also hunt the wet areas when it became ice and snow..

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Well, I probably would not make it a daily habit to be walking through my stand areas. I think you can make the route even enhance your hunting a bit by shoving deer activity into a pattern that you can use.

You bet ya..and if you think you wont change a truly mature trophy deer out by walking it all the time...Well you wont have to worry about how big it was!

[NYBuckHunter27]

Well it is still going on, not much i can do about it. it is my parents property after all, i just have to make due with what im given. Trail cameras are still showing deer, obviously more in the mornings. My mother still continues to walk the dogs anywhere from 6-8pm and pretty much every night... i guess we'll see what happens when the season rolls around.

[phade]

Frustrating. Even beyond the impact of the deer, just having people walk by while hunting is frustrating to me at times from a relaxation and heightened sense perspective.

 

Last year, sitting in a stand, I had two young 20's stroll off the public parcel onto the private and literally set up a picnic 30 yards from me. Honest mistake, I watched them walk in and could see how they might miss the signs on that path. Still, when they broke out the sandwiches and fruit, I had to get down and let them know. I didn't want to see desert, if you know what I mean. Not exactly the looker, was she.

[Five Seasons]

when I hunted my 5 acre spot in NY the deer weren't phased by anything human and sometimes humans were just feet away. They adapt. It's when you have a bunch of deer not use to humans at all that the sudden introduction of a dog or 4 wheeler may affect them. I think you need to enjoy your land for all it has to offer and deer are certainly just a small part of it. Family time getting exercise for them and the dogs in the good ole outdoors? that's better than a big buck anyday.

 

I would however, keep them out of the woods during the season.