Lack of success this year

[DirtTime]

I saw 9 deer in the middle of a field, and another 5 in the middle of another field a mile up the road. All in Averill Park. Got me stoked for the house we went up there to look at. To bad the house was way to small.

[crishh]

I could say it was the worst year, I did not track much, but I did not find deers movement easily compared to last year. my group had lots of seats with no deer. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by cristy

[518BowSlayer]

Been my slowest year to date. To be fair I haven't been to the property I hunt in Brunswick very much and that usually has a lot more deer. I've been hunting behind my in-laws house in selkirk because we usually see bigger bucks there. My standards have dropped quite a bit from the lack of deer sightings down there. I think EHD could be a factor considering I found a dead 8 point in front of one of my stands the first or second week of October just rotting away. Or maybe I just suck at hunting. Maybe both

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[Just Lucky]

I have seen more deer this bow season then the last few. Buck sign seemed to be about the same. I don't have crop fields that I hunt. Acorns were non existent in my area but beechnuts seemed to do well. 

I do alot of edge hunting like powerlines, edge of pines, beech brows, over grown pastures. Also the one property I hunt was logged heavy 3 years ago. Last 2 years activity was low, but this year that 125 acres exploded.

[Nytracker]

For what its worth ..  and I know alot of you don't believe in the lunar effect on the rut. Charlie Alsheimer predicted this year as a trickle rut. 

[farmer 52]

For me its been extremely slow,been out 4-5 sits every week.Different stand locations,different times of day.Cameras were hot very early in season,went totally dead,mostly night movement.9H-9W both locations have been very slow.

My son hunts a lease 10 miles away,shot a buck and doe last week,other guys on lease have all been successful.

[doebuck1234]

Slower season here as well. Deer sightings are alot slimmer that previous years.the rut seems really odd this year aswell

[Daveboone]

Unseasonably warm at the start of the season. Historically most deer are taken opening day/week end, when the most people are out. My game camera is showing plenty of deer, just moving at night when it is cooler. 

[mowin]

10 hours ago, DirtTime said:

I saw 9 deer in the middle of a field, and another 5 in the middle of another field a mile up the road. All in Averill Park. Got me stoked for the house we went up there to look at. To bad the house was way to small.

Averill park is in my neck of the woods. Lots of deer in that area. 

[Don_C]

I'm no expert, but I think the rut is, was, right on schedule. I have only made it out hunting 3 times so far due to a multitude of reasons, each of those sits I only saw a few does. I did however make the trip to Cleveland many times over the last two months, I have to say, during the last week of October and the first week of November the buck "harvest" on Rt 90 was exceptional. On one of the trips my wife and I counted 31 dead bucks between Hamburg and the Cleveland area. Last week's trip we saw one. I'm convince that the bucks were chasing and seeking right when they were supposed to be. Maybe the warmer weather forced much of the rutting activity taking place at night? I have no idea. Everything just seems off this year. 

I'm planning on getting out tomorrow or Friday for one last bow hunt and then hitting it pretty hard for gun, I'm off next week and, all of the family stuff is taken care of so I am finally excited about getting out there. I pulled my last camera during my 3rd sit, it stopped working in early October, but I got plenty of videos of 5 different shootable bucks and this beauty has me stoked for rifle season to begin!!   check out the YouTube link...

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE THIS WEEKEND!!!

https://youtu.be/gaZg8DJxUMU

 

Edited November 17, 2021 by Don_C

[grampy]

4 hours ago, 518BowSlayer said:

Been my slowest year to date. To be fair I haven't been to the property I hunt in Brunswick very much and that usually has a lot more deer. I've been hunting behind my in-laws house in selkirk because we usually see bigger bucks there. My standards have dropped quite a bit from the lack of deer sightings down there. I think EHD could be a factor considering I found a dead 8 point in front of one of my stands the first or second week of October just rotting away. Or maybe I just suck at hunting. Maybe both

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I place the blame on an unproductive bow season squarely on ME!!!

If I were a better hunter, perhaps it would not have been so unproductive!!

No one to blame but me! I can't help but look back, and think if I'd made better adjustments, and sooner, my bow season may have turned out differently. But I did learn some things, that may help me succeed in a future bow season. So all is not lost.

I am satisfied with the fact, that I put in more dark to dark time hunting than I have in years! I didn't give up. My persistence did not pay off this time, but I feel no shame, not hanging a bow buck this year. Gave it my best shot. Just came up short. I did enjoy some great times though!!!

That's hunting. 

Edited November 17, 2021 by grampy

[Zag]

2 hours ago, Nytracker said:

For what its worth ..  and I know alot of you don't believe in the lunar effect on the rut. Charlie Alsheimer predicted this year as a trickle rut. 

I literally just referenced the trickle rut to my son yesterday! 

[Five Seasons]

Unseasonably warm at the start of the season. Historically most deer are taken opening day/week end, when the most people are out. My game camera is showing plenty of deer, just moving at night when it is cooler. 

The last 4 or 5 years have been warm. It’s the new normal and I don’t think we can call it unseasonable anymore haha


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[Culvercreek hunt club]

36 minutes ago, Belo said:

The last 4 or 5 years have been warm. It’s the new normal and I don’t think we can call it unseasonable anymore haha


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I think it was 4 years ago that we had the crazy amount of snow opening day/week. I remember becasue it was the first Field to Fork class and it was cold with snow at camp why my mentee got his good buck. 

[DirtTime]

2 hours ago, mowin said:

Averill park is in my neck of the woods. Lots of deer in that area. 

I was a bit excited about that house, a couple acres of land- not a ton but enough I could have set up a few stands. Seeing those deer got me a lot more excited. Then we saw the place. Two buildings need to come down on the property, the house needed a lot of work, and the rooms were tiny. Our current bathroom in a trailer is bigger then what the dining area was in that house. So we'll keep looking.

 

I haven't been seeing deer at all this season by me so far really. One area I used to always see eyes on the drive out and then deer in fields on the way home. Nothing on that farm this season so far. The area around the corner used to always have deer in the small field in the evening, a ton of trails with fresh tracks and rubs, and scat all over the place. Nothing fresh for this season. I haven't been out there hunting as much as last year with the bow as I mentioned in a different thread, but not seeing anything to get me excited about being out isn't helping with my feeling blah about the bow season this year.

The bow has been hung up for this year. The late seasons I'll just use the ML.

[steve863]

1 hour ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

I think it was 4 years ago that we had the crazy amount of snow opening day/week. I remember becasue it was the first Field to Fork class and it was cold with snow at camp why my mentee got his good buck. 

 

That was November 17, 2018, Bob.  Here's the picture.  What a memorable hunt that was and I am glad that I had a chance the be a small part of it!   Would be great to have some snow this year, too, but it doesn't look like it will happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

29 minutes ago, steve863 said:

 

That was November 17, 2018, Bob.  Here's the picture.  What a memorable hunt that was and I am glad that I had a chance the be a small part of it!   Would be great to have some snow this year, too, but it doesn't look like it will happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 years ago today. hope lightning strikes again but I think you are right about the snow. I'll take the low 40's in the day and high 20's/low 30's at night. 

[BizCT]

17 hours ago, Putnamcounty Bowhunter said:

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! 

Thankfully I haven't seen an effect in westchester. My best bow season ever for sightings. The past week has been insane.

Putnam, my dad got the best buck we had pics of but not many on camera this year. Probably an EHD effect from 2 years in a row.

Also, I havent seen a single deer dead on the side of the road yet.

Edited November 17, 2021 by Biz-R-OWorld

[grampy]

 

Nice to see they are still on the property.  And active mid day.  Near thick cover.

I'll take my lessons learned this bow season, and start applying them Saturday morning!

[Five Seasons]

4 hours ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

I think it was 4 years ago that we had the crazy amount of snow opening day/week. I remember becasue it was the first Field to Fork class and it was cold with snow at camp why my mentee got his good buck. 

i remember it well. Took a decent buck myself. I dont remember that far back, but I think it was still a warmer than normal bow season and that cold snap plus snow lead to a slaughtering on opening day.

[Kmartinson]

Seemed like usual for me. November 4 til 11 is always hot. Saw 17 bucks killed my pb On the 10th, second time in my life. If you like rut hunting central NY that's the week to be out.