Deer activity or lack thereof

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Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
I've got to say this is the least amount of deer movement/activity during the pre-rut that I've seen in a long time(maybe forever).
About the time we should have been noticing bucks moving and beginning scrape lines and such, the deer just disappeared. When the weather cooled and rains began, I thought 'OK things will liven up' but that hasn't happened. Walking around looking for spots to place game cams shows very little of the typical travel path network.
Normally, after harvest there are deer everywhere picking up dropped or missed grain. Of course with the fields bare, the deer are much easier to see but not happening.
I dunno, it's like they just huddled up somewhere. Maybe they've taken up the 'shelter in place' recommendations.
Youth deer season is 10/30 & 31 but not sure if Grand daughter is going out. She's mostly on a tour of the galaxy these days (different planet each day with little connection to reality) or so it seems to me. I'm told pre-teen girls can be that way.
 

cavediver27

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 15, 2005
Messages
40
Location
Eagle, Idaho
Not that it directly relates to your area but the mule deer and elk were a few weeks late in moving down from the mountains here in Idaho this year.
 

crstrode

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 23, 2012
Messages
268
Location
Badger Lake, WA
Deer NEVER leave my neck of the woods. Those damned things are here year-around eating everything in sight.
I see them every day, 365. They are in my yard day and night.

The worst thing is they are NOT like Lays potato chips. You can only eat one.

A pox on DADs (DumbAss Deer)
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
Oh, they're HERE just not moving around much.
Side note: I took a work trip yesterday all the way to the Mississippi River and was surprised at how few roadkill carcasses I saw along the highway.
MoDOT doesn't remove roadkill so they rot where they fall and some places you may see 1/2 dozen in 1/4 mile. I noted only 5 fairly fresh roadkills on the entire 230 mile round trip.
 
Joined
Oct 24, 2007
Messages
11,653
Location
Kentucky
In the past here if you reported a brand-new roadkill to the local sheriff's office a pickup truck with a deputy and a couple of burly "trustys" would show up and haul it away . . . it is believed that there was venison on the menu at the jail (or perhaps the deputies' tables).

Two years ago I heard a "thump" out in front of our house and sure enough, I had a large dead doe at the end of my driveway. Made the call and the truck was here in fifteen minutes.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
In 2002 or 2003, I took Son on a hunt for handicapped kids in eastern Nebraska. Along the highway near the lodge was a pull out that the county used to 'dump' roadkill deer. Every morning we were there, a few vehicles showed up to sort through the carcasses the county road crew collected.
Currently, the worthless slugs that work for MoDOT won't even drag a deer carcass off the pavement.
 

fiasconva

Blackhawk
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
630
Location
York County, Virginia
I saw three more yesterday within a 30 mile stretch where they are doing construction on I-64 and that was just on the westbound side. One of them was a nice little 6 point buck. What a shame!
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
'A pox on DADs (DumbAss Deer)'
Daughter would use much 'stronger language' if asked tonight. She just called to tell me her hubby had hit a deer on his way home from NG drill weekend. Her low mileage, never dirty, garage kept Ford Escape is toast. Bumper and grill gone. Radiator pushed back into the engine. Fenders crumpled. Airbag deployed. Didn't say anything about hubby so I'm guessing he wasn't injured (YET).
I suggested she just let it go w/o further damage. Stuff happens. Some folks are just more prone to hit deer than others. I used to drive 425 miles each week to work (1/2 in the pre-dawn deer movement period)and only hit 3 deer in 23 years. Left a lot of skid marks missing them but only made contact with 3. My Cousin has had 4 vehicles(1 twice) damaged by deer strikes in the past 3 years driving a 1/3 as far.
 

A.J.

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 25, 2017
Messages
485
Location
Michigan
I'm not seeing much deer activity; a few trail cam shots, some tracks and occasional poop. This has tapered down to virtually nothing. The reasons? I'm mot 100% sure, but much of the blame probably rests on me, the brand new deer hunter. Other possibilities:

1. Lots of poaching going on. The sheriff and DNR have been catching some with random stops, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many ways to cheat, and many people are doing it.
2. Inconsiderate neighbors. Several people around me have decided to take up target shooting during the 2 weeks of deer firearm season. One jerk was even doing handgun mag dumps in total darkness.
3. Closeness to town. Although I own 65 acres of pristine woodlands that hasn't been hunted in over 60 years, it's still close to our small town.
4. The deer are getting smart. They hide during the day and come out at night.
 
Joined
Apr 2, 2014
Messages
3,202
A.J. said:
They hide during the day and come out at night.

This is what I've been seeing on my game cams. Still plenty of deer but
not really moving in the daylight.
Haven't seen any in my yard during the day for about 3 weeks now.
A couple of doe about on my back porch last weekend but it was 9:00
at night.
 

A.J.

Single-Sixer
Joined
Jun 25, 2017
Messages
485
Location
Michigan
Dave P. said:
A.J. said:
They hide during the day and come out at night.

This is what I've been seeing on my game cams. Still plenty of deer but
not really moving in the daylight.
Haven't seen any in my yard during the day for about 3 weeks now.
A couple of doe about on my back porch last weekend but it was 9:00
at night.

I think you're right. Darned deer are smart!

A couple buddies invited me to hunt with them. They really want me to get my first deer. They even offered to lend me one of their muzzle loaders if I don't get one by the end of rifle/shotgun season. Great dudes!

I just helped them out big time this afternoon. They both play guitar and needed a drummer right away for a no-show drummer at a gig. I play drums. I set up and ready to play 45 minutes after I got the call. That's FAST! :)
 

contender

Ruger Guru
Joined
Sep 18, 2002
Messages
25,142
Location
Lake Lure NC USA
Not uncommon for deer to switch to a more nocturnal movement this time of year. I too see a lot of that every year.
BUT,, there are also places & ways to find them during daylight,, but that is another varied subject of discussion.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
9,933
Location
missouri
With the colder weather, deer activity has really increased. So much so that I've decided to go out with my crossbow and hunt a couple of little corner access points to our cut soybean fields. Clicked all the buttons last night and printed out a wad of archery tags. I'll get the Barnnett out today and use the little winch thingy to cock it since my shoulder is giving me fits again. Nothing has changed since last year so just a couple of shots to confirm zero and go hunting.
Maybe get a chance to stick one of the bigger bucks Grandson had on trail cam last week.
 
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