Lost my excitement...?

[BamaFada]

Bucks, Bucks and more Bucks for weeks on camera. 1000s of pictures and dreams....More like sleepless nights for those weeks. All of that has changed in the last 2 weeks though. Only got 150 total pics out of my 2 cameras last week and only 50 between the 2 when I checked yesterday.

Am I excited about Saturday opening the bow season.....Well yes! Am I as excited as I was 3 weeks ago......Well no! Got eaten up by the tics, chiggers and skeeters yesterday....And for no deer to still be hanging around.

All that said I will definately be hunting. I will be just be without the original excitement.

 

[REM7]

Thats very common. They are there, may have went behind the camera instead of in front of it.

 

[BamaFada]

Seeing signs all around! Bedding area, eaten acorns, scrapes, etc..., just no pictures anymore.

 

[BSK]

Seeing signs all around! Bedding area, eaten acorns, scrapes, etc..., just no pictures anymore.

If you are using visible flash cameras (regular white flash or IR red-glow) the deer may have learned the camera location and are avoiding the cameras. However, I suspect you're just experiencing the "normal" shift in patterns that occurs from summer to fall. Their travel routes can change very suddenly at this time, leaving cameras that were highly productive during summer catching very little right now.

 

[TheLBLman]

However, I suspect you're just experiencing the "normal" shift in patterns that occurs from summer to fall. Their travel routes can change very suddenly at this time, leaving cameras that were highly productive during summer catching very little right now.

And based on my "anecdotal" evidence, but over decades of observations, and the current weather forecast . . . . .
I'm predicting a MAJOR buck dispersal in West & Middle TN to occur between the night of Tuesday (Sept 18) and the morning of Thursday (Sept 20). Bachelor groups will break, and localized buck populations will scatter much like a flushed covey of quail.

Why am I saying this?
Because we're having two consecutive nights (Tue & Wed) with temperatures dipping into the low 40's, and this is the most significant weather event since most bucks shed their velvet. Prior to (and during) the rut, there is something about much colder than normal weather that greatly stimulates buck movement. Another contributing factor to more linear distance movement is the wet ground (enabling quieter deer movement that seems to motivate more movement).

At this time of freshly shed velvet and hard antler, the buck movement will largely be in terms of massive dispersal, particularly in bachelor groups breaking up, particularly in bucks shifting from summer to fall seasonal ranges, and particularly in yearling bucks dispersing miles from their birth areas. True, there are other factors, such as falling acorns, but the cold temps of Tue & Wed nights trump everything else in terms of "when".

It's happening this week, just a couple days before the TN archery opener. So don't count on bucks you've been regularly getting pics being around. Some years this "shift" happens in mid-Sept, others in mid-to-late October. On the bright side, no telling what you may see this weekend.

If you bowhunt in West/Middle KY, this Wednesday is a good day to spend ALL day on stand in a travel corridor location (such as a ridgeline saddle crossing). Would highly recommend bowhunting all day Wed and until noon on Thursday!

 

[J-WO]

It's gonna be a good opening weekend in middle TN,for the exact reason wes parrish said. Two cool nights means the deer patterns will really start to take their fall shape, which if you are hunting ground you've hunted for awhile, will mean alot of the deer will "fall" back into their old habits (pun intended).

 

[BSK]

Wes

The dispersal has already started in my area. Starting Sept. 8th, new bucks in hard antler (or actually in the process of shedding velvet) started showing up on my cams daily. Picked up 5 new bucks in 5 days.

 

[TheLBLman]

Wes

The dispersal has already started in my area. Starting Sept. 8th, new bucks in hard antler (or actually in the process of shedding velvet) started showing up on my cams daily.

Here, too.
Just saying what's happening tomorrow night is the single biggest "triggering" event for buck dispursal since most bucks got their hard antler. Like the rut not happening in a single day or single week, this dispersal doesn't happen in a single week, but over a period of weeks ---- this just may be the biggest week for it.

 

[BSK]

Will be very interesting to see what happens during this up-coming cool snap. I moved all my cameras to food plots over the weekend.

 

[TheLBLman]

I also majorly relocated most of mine about a week ago, and am more excited about seeing the results than going archery deer hunting on Saturday's opener.

But now, if it were going to be 42 degrees Saturday morning, I'd be more excited about everything!
Too bad the weather is turning relatively much warmer Friday night, which doesn't bode well for daytime deer movement Saturday.
May just have to go squirrel hunting instead.

 

[BSK]

Looks like it might cool back down a little (although not to the mid 40s) on Sunday morning.

 

[timberjack86]

I noticed alot of deer have shifted from my food plots to whiteoak acorns this last week. This weekend should be interesting for sure. I never remeber getting to hunt over whiteoaks until the middle of october. I am setting up in between the oaks and the beds opening morning!

 

[TheLBLman]

Yes, based on the current subject-to-change forecast, Sunday looks better than Saturday, but Monday may be the best deer movement day of a 6-day stretch beginning this Friday (Sept 21) going thru Wed (Sept 26). Overall, good early archery weather forecast for this Sunday thru Saturday of next week.

 

[BSK]

Yup, Monday looks best.

 

[Pursuit Hunter]

I feel like I should move my cameras too. Dang, I don't have any. Fresh deer poop is all it takes to get my heart pumping.

 

[TheLBLman]

A picture is worth a thousand piles of poop.

 

[Pursuit Hunter]

A picture is worth a thousand piles of poop.

How about a thousand pictures of piles of poop? I've probably got 'em. I know its weird. I just get soooo excited :grin:

 

[Mr.Bro]

Last year i killed my largest buck with a bow.The next day it dawned on me i never once got excited.No heart pounding.no fist pumps.Just yeah i stuck him good.It worried me all year.
All it took to get excited again was one good buck on my trail cams.

 

[Appalachian American]

Yup, Monday looks best.

Not to hijack but...Y'all just made my heart skip. I have to miss opening day and won't get to hunt until Monday. It's good to hear from more experienced people that Monday looks the best for movement.

AMAZING! Now I won't sleep. :grin:

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

A camera may be able to shoot a picture but you can't eat it.
The persimmons are dropping Here. The wild tree in my backyard is loaded and the ground is covered. Find the food and you'll find the deer.