Advice, Where am I going wrong

[ccovey]

So as I mentioned in my first post I am new to Tennessee, I have been trying to do my home work and get out finding new areas. With this I have yet to see a single deer. It has all been public land, been to percy a couple times and Cheatham a few times. Where I was in Percy WMA there just didn't seem to be a lot of area. (In the place I was specifically). In Cheatham I thought I was in it. There was a decent amount of sign around but I couldn't tell how fresh it was. The next place I tried looked great, fresh sign on Sunday but I have now been back to that spot twice and didn't see anything at all.

Starting to get a bit discouraged, Is this just the nature of public land hunting? I have no problem putting miles on my truck or my boots just want to know if you guys have any advice that could may improve my luck on public land?

 

[Super8]

It's still early season but things are about to pick up.
Keep in mind around 25% of hunters even kill a deer. Just keep at it and hunt the sign you find. Not a lot of day time movement the past few weeks so you just get back out and hunt.
If you have deer sign you just have to put in the time and figure out how they are traveling.

 

[ccovey]

It's still early season but things are about to pick up.
Keep in mind around 25% of hunters even kill a deer. Just keep at it and hunt the sign you find. Not a lot of day time movement the past few weeks so you just get back out and hunt.
If you have deer sign you just have to put in the time and figure out how they are traveling.

Second to last sentence is what I was afraid of. I don't own a trail cam but I am kind of reserved about putting one on public land. Maybe I'll go on craigslist and see if I can get a really cheap one or something.

Thanks for advice any is really appreciated!

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

You gotta find some signs.

Look for oaks dropping acorns and see if there are trails to the tree or even feces/hoofprints under the tree. If not- find another.

If there is a cut row crop field adjacent to woods, walk the edges after a rain and look for fresh tracks and see where they enter/exit the field.

Cheatham is HUGE. I have only seen two deer while actually deer hunting there (in, say 10 trips). Look at maps of Priest carefully- there are LOTS of passed over spots that have deer on them. Hunt Priest during the week when/where possible.

I have a spot that is often over looked during deer and turkey seasons. A friend turned me on to it but begged not to give it out. If you get to the point of giving up I may break my oath. People hunt there- just not many know about it.

 

[ccovey]

No no not looking for spots just wondering if there is anything I am overlooking. I enjoy being in the woods to much to really give up anyway

I have seen sign in all the places I have decided to set up. The place on percy had TONS of acorns dropping and trails in and out although I didn't see any droppings. There was a stand near by I tried to move away from so maybe that pushed me too far out or they had hunted it early and pushed some out (they weren't in the stand when I saw it). The place I hunted this morning had a lot of sign with corn above and a creek running below, I set up just inside the woods adjacent to the corn. I am going to hunt it in the afternoon on Saturday I think and see if they are moving through there in the afternoon / evening.

 

[TN Larry]

Don't hunt it Saturday unless you are 6-16 years old. This Saturday is the TN youth only rifle hunt.

 

[Savage]

Hey don't get discouraged. It's tough right now. There's lots of food out there for them and they aren't concentrated yet. Give it 10 days and you'll be in deer! Ps. If you watch a deer, about all the time they are feeding, they are pooping. Look hard for poop!

 

[deerhunter10]

trail cameras wont help you that much imo. just stay with it man. its about to bust open. just keep looking for fresh sign sooner or later you'll get on a few deer.

 

[McCoy]

Like said above, just give it a few weeks and you will be good to go. If its anything like it is here the acorns are EVERYWHERE! so they aren't having to travel far for food outside bedding areas. My sightings are way down right now too, but this cold weather is already making it better! Good luck

 

[TheLBLman]

You may not be doing anything "wrong" per se.
May just be the normal learning curves, especially in coming into new areas.

There's a reason "traditional" deer hunting has been mid to late November ---- there's typically relatively little daytime linear deer movement prior to that. And in the presence of good acorn crops, daytime deer movement can be virtually nil (at least in terms of linear distance traveled from Point A to Point B). Deer may "move", but basically just in a small circle, maybe never getting over 100 yards from where they've been during the past 24 hrs. It can be hard to get close enough for an interception without spooking them in the process, at which they just hunker down, moving even less.

Best advice: Don't wear yourself out and get too discouraged before the hunting opportunities become prime.

Don't hunt it Saturday unless you are 6-16 years old. This Saturday is the TN youth only rifle hunt.

Very good advice.

 

[ccovey]

Thanks guys! I really didn't think that with all the food all over right now they wouldn't be moving much during the day. That makes absolute sense. Maybe this weekend I'll go to a range and get my muzzleloader ready to go, (had to buy a new nipple since I can't find traditional black powder around Nashville).

I feel like especially in a couple of the places I have been there has been good sign so I will just keep at it.

Also thanks for the advice abiout Saturday