Lack of success this year

[First-light]

So if you look at the bow hunter harvest success does it seem low for this time of year? Maybe we are looking at a banner gun season with a later rut. Could break wide open any day now....thoughts?

 

[Lawdwaz]

4 minutes ago, First-light said:

So if you look at the bow hunter harvest success does it seem low for this time of year? Maybe we are looking at a banner gun season with a later rut. Could break wide open any day now....thoughts?

 

I was thinking the same thing.  Maybe someone can tally up the numbers and do a spread sheet or graph.   Lol

[Cabin Fever]

1 minute ago, First-light said:

So if you look at the bow hunter harvest success does it seem low for this time of year? Maybe we are looking at a banner gun season with a later rut. Could break wide open any day now....thoughts?

 

I've been noticing the same thing. Members have killed some good bucks this year, but seems like most other years, members kill some slobs!

[Cabin Fever]

1 minute ago, Lawdwaz said:

I was thinking the same thing.  Maybe someone can tally up the numbers and do a spread sheet or graph.   Lol

That would make a good project for someone laid up with the 'rona!!

[Hock3y24]

My season got off to a slow start then exploded. Almost every day this week driving I've seen bucks with does in spots bucks don't usually go locked down with does. I have a feeling gun season could be real good. 

[grampy]

I can say that deer movement in my neck of the woods has been abnormally slow this year. Places where we could always count on seeing deer have been almost devoid of deer and deer sign. We do have deer. But they seem to be tied very close to heavy cover this year. Did see some mature bucks cruising during the day last week though. 

Mast crops like acorns and apples were very low this year. Our food plots are eaten down to stubble. Mostly all done at night. The deer we do see during hunting hours are eating browse very close to cover. This us on a multiple hundred acre property that we've hunted for half a century and know intimately. With low hunting pressure from within.

Every few years we see something similar to this early on. As the season goes on through November and into December, we will usually see more deer. The complete opposite of a normal year. We will get our bucks. But will need to hunt a bit harder, and closer to heavy cover and bedding. Won't be hunting field edges at all. They won't be out there.

[Zag]

Its been the most anticlimactic bow season ever. My sons all but done hunting he’s so frustrated he’s not seeing lots of bucks. I don’t have a trail cam showing me any any hard core rutting activity.

[mowin]

My hunting circle hasn't gotten squat this year. The only exception is a youth hunter, and my two nephew's taking their first bow kills. However several of us have passed many does, and smaller bucks. I know several of my buddies have drastically lowered their self imposed restrictions drastically for the next few days. 

[rob-c]

I was just thinking this a few days ago . We picked up a new lease this year and it’s usually a slow archery season  for myself, wife and son our first year on a new lease as we’re figuring out how the deer use the land. We’ve seen deer on every sit with only one close enough for a shot but he didn’t give me one. We are not really seeing any major rutting activity in our area yet . Actually had a lone doe 50 yards off in my walk in tonight to the stand and she was in no hurry . It will be interesting to see if the fire arms season really ramps up . 

Edited November 16, 2021 by rob-c

[mowin]

I've passed at least a couple dozen opportunities at does and smaller bucks.  I only need 30 to 40 lbs of venison for myself. My 7 niece's and nephew's, and my brother and sister can devour a lot of venison. I'll let the nephew's fill their tags, and if I want to shoot something, I will. 

[Robhuntandfish]

I have to say on the location i hunt in 7F i have actually seen more deer than usual. Its usually a place with a lot of sits seeing nothing.   But this year i have at least seen deer almost every time out there. 

Edited November 16, 2021 by Robhuntandfish

[crappyice]

My buddy just had a pretty big uptick of pics lately in Columbia county with some bucks feared dead due to EHD who seemingly rose from the dead (or return from their doe seeking or lockdown of does that were ready).
Some optimism to start your day!


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[Swamp_bucks]

I would say pretty average year however besides a nephew during youth I'm the only one to put a tag on one in my immediate group.  I also have been out 2 or 3 times since shooting my buck on the 27th.

[skully]

This is def the worse year I have ever seen...  cameras and in person.

[moog5050]

First year I didn’t shoot a bow buck in years BUT I spent very little time in the stand.   I did have encounters with 2 great bucks and didn’t close the deal.  So I really can’t complain.  In fact, having lost one property, I was very happy to see the potential at my place.  

[SilentStalker]

12 hours ago, grampy said:

Mast crops like acorns and apples were very low this year. Our food plots are eaten down to stubble. Mostly all done at night. The deer we do see during hunting hours are eating browse very close to cover. This us on a multiple hundred acre property that we've hunted for half a century and know intimately. With low hunting pressure from within.

I agree, the lack of acorns has played a significant part in the lack of deer  and sightings in general. Areas where i am used to seeing cow paths in the woods are non-existent. They are there, but their patterns have definitely changed in my neck fo the woods. But the rut is here and anything can happen now! 

[MPHunter]

We do not bow hunt but have been out to our property a few times to prep ground blinds and do a little scouting. We have seen very little sign and few deer. Areas that consistently year to year have scrapes and rubs there is nothing. Established runs are not there. We are in the southern portion of 4C in Rensselaer County.

[ApexerER]

I hunt in 4k and was feeling like it was the worst year ever. I don't keep track of my sits (i should) but i had lots of sits with no deer. My hunting buddies were feeling the same way. Very few deer seen and very few pictures on cams. I haven't gotten a deer pic on cam in over a week. Then Saturday i had 1 hot doe run in and less than 5 minutes later had the 9pt on the ground. He was never on any of our camera's. Just another reminder that it can all change in a second. 

[cynthiafu]

14 hours ago, blackbeltbill said:

If the Rut is a little late- perhaps I will actually  see a Buck this Saturday on Public Dirt.

 

Get him bill

[Five Seasons]

I think there is some recoil to social media posting. Not just with deer but in general. But with regards to deer hunting you hear a lot about how game wardens are now using facebook and forums as their primary source of intel these days. It's not to say that we're all up to no good, but it's worth noting. There are also some bad apples on here, and we're all probably guilty to some degree of criticizing a fellow hunter, if not directly but indirectly and I'll raise my hand here. For example I've seen guys post some decent 2.5's and then make comments in the off season about going after big bucks or giving advice and being called out. Heck it happened to me when sweet ole bill called me out for lack of turkey hunting success.

I guess my point is that overall our member numbers do seem down quite a bit and I also think less guys are posting and writing up stories for various reasons and we shouldn't just look at that thread as a benchmark. 

Anecdotally my extended family of 10 or so hunters all but 1 have taken 2.5's or better. We're having a banner year. But 10 is a horrible sample size to draw conclusions off of. 

[Trial153]

Everything was right on time, same as always Fawns will be dropping the same days as always in the spring.
Regardless the gun season in NY starts way to early. Should be pushed back a week and shortened.

[nybuckboy]

By far the slowest season I can recall in all the years I've bow hunted since 2000. I have never had so many hours with out seeing a deer, let alone a buck, on the hoof during hours in the stand. I've sat different stands at different times to no avail. The best 2 days for action were for my son Nov 4 & 5. On the 5th I saw every deer he saw but from a distance.

[genesee_mohican]

3 hours ago, Trial153 said:

Everything was right on time, same as always Fawns will be dropping the same days as always in the spring.

I agree. It's hard to beat Oct 29th to Thanksgiving every year. The one trail cam I checked had mature bucks cruising during daylight the first week of Nov. Myself and friends here in 8M have seen a lot of rutting action the last two weeks. I've also seen some nice bucks out and about in daylight during my travels the last few days.

The big difference this season seems to be the lack of acorns, so deer may not be feeding in the usual places in some areas. 

[Putnamcounty Bowhunter]

For those in the Hudson valley experiencing less action than normal, it might be related to the severe EHD outbreak last year and reports of a pretty significant outbreak again this year.    Last year they estimated about 1500 deer killed in these two counties and possibly as many killed this year.  Its a significant enough die-off that it could take a few years for the deer numbers in the region to bounce back.   
 

Columbia and Putnam counties were the hardest hit but there were also reports of dead deer/ehd in orange, westchester, ulster, Rockland, and Sullivan counties.  
 

Anecdotally, I’m seeing fewer deer where I live in Putnam this year but the numbers still look good at my lease in Sullivan (although there are definitely fewer rubs/scrapes than last year).    
 

good luck out there! 

[WNYBuckHunter]

On 11/15/2021 at 7:43 PM, First-light said:

So if you look at the bow hunter harvest success does it seem low for this time of year? Maybe we are looking at a banner gun season with a later rut. Could break wide open any day now....thoughts?

 

I’ve been thinking the same thing. I’ve been watching NY Antler Outdoors on Facebook as well and that also seems to be very low for posts at this point, so I dont think it’s just on this forum.