I have hunted Franklin county for 25 years and am seeing the fewest deer I have ever seen. What are others seeing and if fewer deer,what do you think is the reason? I feel yotes are the main reason.
Franklin County
- Thread starter wildlifelover
- Start date
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I suppose anything is possible, but I highly doubt coyotes could be the "main" reason.wildlifelover":2uo8da6m said:
In many areas, a combination of a huge acorn crop and a fall drought has "shifted" a lot of deer activity, or maybe we should say deer "inactivity".
wobblegobble
Well-Known Member
I think east tn hunters have wiped FC Out not yotes lol
arctic_cat
Well-Known Member
Ive seen the fewest deer this year in Wayne county also
Late season?
dhpro
Well-Known Member
ive hunted it since 1970 ,with out a doubt numbers are down but i dont feel coyoties are to blame .yes they take there toll on fawns but 3 does a day and every one comes from east tn because its the first county they come through in unit l,blue tounge a few years ago did not help and i feel we had a few die of it this year .and poaching there are area s where deer get hunted 365 days .just my obsevations and thoughts
Hunter 257W
Well-Known Member
I am seeing about the normal numbers of deer this year around my farm. Most days that I hunt I see a deer or two although sometimes they are deer i jump going to and from my stand. Haven't seen a buck even close to 100 inches yet but that's about normal too. 
I did see one older buck early in the season at about 600 yards in very low light that had a body large enough to sport a decent rack (100 inches to me) but it was too dark to see a rack so not sure about him. I shot a "doe" at about 300 yards the other day that turned out to be a 1 1/2 year old buck with 2 inch antlers that tilted back towards his neck so that I couldn't see them with a 12X scope. Don't really bother me as I would prefer in some way to kill a buck and save does to get deer numbers up. Also since I usually shoot 1 buck every other year, this is my year for a buck anyhow. What difference does it really make that he had 4 inches of antler???
Oh yeah, the 2nd rut definitely started around here mid December with bucks running around looking for does. Either Dec 22 or 23, tow young bucks chased a group of does all over the pasture right beside the house. Saw a 6 point this morning cruising behind the house on a mission looking for hot does.
I did see one older buck early in the season at about 600 yards in very low light that had a body large enough to sport a decent rack (100 inches to me) but it was too dark to see a rack so not sure about him. I shot a "doe" at about 300 yards the other day that turned out to be a 1 1/2 year old buck with 2 inch antlers that tilted back towards his neck so that I couldn't see them with a 12X scope. Don't really bother me as I would prefer in some way to kill a buck and save does to get deer numbers up. Also since I usually shoot 1 buck every other year, this is my year for a buck anyhow. What difference does it really make that he had 4 inches of antler??? Oh yeah, the 2nd rut definitely started around here mid December with bucks running around looking for does. Either Dec 22 or 23, tow young bucks chased a group of does all over the pasture right beside the house. Saw a 6 point this morning cruising behind the house on a mission looking for hot does.
wobblegobble":26j0j7zu said:
LOL.....That's a terrible thing to say. Depending on what part of the county your hunting. I have properties all over Franklin county that I hunt and a couple of them don't have deer on them this year. Its like that for some reason, every year. I have to move around with the deer. I have been in the woods just about every day since Dec 8 and I can say deer movement has slowed way down since around the 20th. The closer to Jan full moon the day time activity should pick back up.
ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER
Well-Known Member
It's simple,alot of acorns,and crazy weather this season
i have hunted wayne county 1 day this year and saw almost 20 deer this was last fridayarctic_cat":hh9ip9ba said:
Hunter 257W
Well-Known Member
Daniel90":q7dvnlfs said:
He hunts Franklin, not Franklin county.
I hunt or am involved with hunters almost every day since September.
From the Chattanooga area up 24 all the way to Illinois this has been a very tough year for our entire hunting group.
Tons of acorns, warm weather, bright full moon, ALL contribute to low daylight movement. Our cameras prove deer are there. they are very nocturnal and have been for a long time.
I've arrowed several including a big Illinois 10 point but our sightings have been very low.
I attribute this to smoke from wildfires and mast crop.
it is all just a guess.
From the Chattanooga area up 24 all the way to Illinois this has been a very tough year for our entire hunting group.
Tons of acorns, warm weather, bright full moon, ALL contribute to low daylight movement. Our cameras prove deer are there. they are very nocturnal and have been for a long time.
I've arrowed several including a big Illinois 10 point but our sightings have been very low.
I attribute this to smoke from wildfires and mast crop.
it is all just a guess.
J_W
Well-Known Member
There's more hunting pressure here than I can ever recall.
I don't think the deer population is down very much, by it needed to be reduced in the valley anyway.
I don't think the deer population is down very much, by it needed to be reduced in the valley anyway.
They are all on the University of the South's campus. Thats 10,000acre of safety zone, for most of the hunting season.
Coker":ogaxyz3w said:
I live with in a few miles of university of the south. They kill a lot of deer of of it.
wobblegobble
Well-Known Member
I see double digit deer every sit but the quality bucks aren't there...My camera's have been aweful all year and we found 2 buck's I let walk dead in the creek last week...one killed we think last year and the other was still in velvet.
ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER
Well-Known Member
the quality deer are just hid,alot of acorns this yearwobblegobble":3fx2v2op said:
